Peeve Farm

g r o t t o 1 1

Peeve Farm
Breeding peeves for show, not just to keep as pets

Brian Tiemann
Silicon Valley-based purveyor of a confusing mixture of Apple punditry and political bile.

btman at grotto11 dot com

Read These Too:

InstaPundit
USS Clueless
James Lileks
Little Green Footballs
As the Apple Turns
Entropicana
Cold Fury
Capitalist Lion
Red Letter Day
Eric S. Raymond
Tal G in Jerusalem
Secular Islam
Aziz Poonawalla
Corsair the Rational Pirate
.clue
Ravishing Light
Rosenblog
Cartago Delenda Est

« ? Blogging Brians # »

Book Plugs:

Buy 'em and I get
money. I think.
BSD Mall

Amazon Honor System

  3/7/2005 -   3/8/2005
2/28/2005 -   3/6/2005
2/21/2005 -  2/27/2005
2/14/2005 -  2/20/2005
  2/7/2005 -  2/13/2005
1/31/2005 -   2/6/2005
1/24/2005 -  1/30/2005
1/17/2005 -  1/23/2005
1/10/2005 -  1/16/2005
  1/3/2005 -   1/9/2005
12/27/2004 -   1/2/2004
12/20/2004 - 12/26/2004
12/13/2004 - 12/19/2004
12/6/2004 - 12/12/2004
11/29/2004 -  12/5/2004
11/22/2004 - 11/28/2004
11/15/2004 - 11/21/2004
11/8/2004 - 11/14/2004
11/1/2004 -  11/7/2004
10/25/2004 - 10/31/2004
10/18/2004 - 10/24/2004
10/11/2004 - 10/17/2004
10/4/2004 - 10/10/2004
9/27/2004 -  10/3/2004
9/20/2004 -  9/26/2004
9/13/2004 -  9/19/2004
  9/6/2004 -  9/12/2004
8/30/2004 -   9/5/2004
8/23/2004 -  8/29/2004
8/16/2004 -  8/22/2004
  8/9/2004 -  8/15/2004
  8/2/2004 -   8/8/2004
7/26/2004 -   8/1/2004
7/19/2004 -  7/25/2004
7/12/2004 -  7/18/2004
  7/5/2004 -  7/11/2004
6/28/2004 -   7/4/2004
6/21/2004 -  6/27/2004
6/14/2004 -  6/20/2004
  6/7/2004 -  6/13/2004
5/31/2004 -   6/6/2004
5/24/2004 -  5/30/2004
5/17/2004 -  5/23/2004
5/10/2004 -  5/16/2004
  5/3/2004 -   5/9/2004
4/26/2004 -   5/2/2004
4/19/2004 -  4/25/2004
4/12/2004 -  4/18/2004
  4/5/2004 -  4/11/2004
3/29/2004 -   4/4/2004
3/22/2004 -  3/28/2004
3/15/2004 -  3/21/2004
  3/8/2004 -  3/14/2004
  3/1/2004 -   3/7/2004
2/23/2004 -  2/29/2004
2/16/2004 -  2/22/2004
  2/9/2004 -  2/15/2004
  2/2/2004 -   2/8/2004
1/26/2004 -   2/1/2004
1/19/2004 -  1/25/2004
1/12/2004 -  1/18/2004
  1/5/2004 -  1/11/2004
12/29/2003 -   1/4/2004
12/22/2003 - 12/28/2003
12/15/2003 - 12/21/2003
12/8/2003 - 12/14/2003
12/1/2003 -  12/7/2003
11/24/2003 - 11/30/2003
11/17/2003 - 11/23/2003
11/10/2003 - 11/16/2003
11/3/2003 -  11/9/2003
10/27/2003 -  11/2/2003
10/20/2003 - 10/26/2003
10/13/2003 - 10/19/2003
10/6/2003 - 10/12/2003
9/29/2003 -  10/5/2003
9/22/2003 -  9/28/2003
9/15/2003 -  9/21/2003
  9/8/2003 -  9/14/2003
  9/1/2003 -   9/7/2003
8/25/2003 -  8/31/2003
8/18/2003 -  8/24/2003
8/11/2003 -  8/17/2003
  8/4/2003 -  8/10/2003
7/28/2003 -   8/3/2003
7/21/2003 -  7/27/2003
7/14/2003 -  7/20/2003
  7/7/2003 -  7/13/2003
6/30/2003 -   7/6/2003
6/23/2003 -  6/29/2003
6/16/2003 -  6/22/2003
  6/9/2003 -  6/15/2003
  6/2/2003 -   6/8/2003
5/26/2003 -   6/1/2003
5/19/2003 -  5/25/2003
5/12/2003 -  5/18/2003
  5/5/2003 -  5/11/2003
4/28/2003 -   5/4/2003
4/21/2003 -  4/27/2003
4/14/2003 -  4/20/2003
  4/7/2003 -  4/13/2003
3/31/2003 -   4/6/2003
3/24/2003 -  3/30/2003
3/17/2003 -  3/23/2003
3/10/2003 -  3/16/2003
  3/3/2003 -   3/9/2003
2/24/2003 -   3/2/2003
2/17/2003 -  2/23/2003
2/10/2003 -  2/16/2003
  2/3/2003 -   2/9/2003
1/27/2003 -   2/2/2003
1/20/2003 -  1/26/2003
1/13/2003 -  1/19/2003
  1/6/2003 -  1/12/2003
12/30/2002 -   1/5/2003
12/23/2002 - 12/29/2002
12/16/2002 - 12/22/2002
12/9/2002 - 12/15/2002
12/2/2002 -  12/8/2002
11/25/2002 -  12/1/2002
11/18/2002 - 11/24/2002
11/11/2002 - 11/17/2002
11/4/2002 - 11/10/2002
10/28/2002 -  11/3/2002
10/21/2002 - 10/27/2002
10/14/2002 - 10/20/2002
10/7/2002 - 10/13/2002
9/30/2002 -  10/6/2002
9/23/2002 -  9/29/2002
9/16/2002 -  9/22/2002
  9/9/2002 -  9/15/2002
  9/2/2002 -   9/8/2002
8/26/2002 -   9/1/2002
8/19/2002 -  8/25/2002
8/12/2002 -  8/18/2002
  8/5/2002 -  8/11/2002
7/29/2002 -   8/4/2002
7/22/2002 -  7/28/2002
7/15/2002 -  7/21/2002
  7/8/2002 -  7/14/2002
  7/1/2002 -   7/7/2002
6/24/2002 -  6/30/2002
6/17/2002 -  6/23/2002
6/10/2002 -  6/16/2002
  6/3/2002 -   6/9/2002
5/27/2002 -   6/2/2002
5/20/2002 -  5/26/2002
5/13/2002 -  5/19/2002
  5/6/2002 -  5/12/2002
4/29/2002 -   5/5/2002
4/22/2002 -  4/28/2002
4/15/2002 -  4/21/2002
  4/8/2002 -  4/14/2002
  4/1/2002 -   4/7/2002
3/25/2002 -  3/31/2002
3/18/2002 -  3/24/2002
3/11/2002 -  3/17/2002
  3/4/2002 -  3/10/2002
2/25/2002 -   3/3/2002
2/18/2002 -  2/24/2002
2/11/2002 -  2/17/2002
  2/4/2002 -  2/10/2002
1/28/2002 -   2/3/2002
1/21/2002 -  1/27/2002
1/14/2002 -  1/20/2002
  1/7/2002 -  1/13/2002
12/31/2001 -   1/6/2002
12/24/2001 - 12/30/2001
12/17/2001 - 12/23/2001

Tuesday, March 8, 2005
14:21 - With great power comes great responsibility http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1110304808.shtml	(top)
So, it seems, goes the thinking that underlies actions like the "several dozen European victims of Asia's tsunami disaster" who have decided to sue the Thai government, the French hotel chain Sofitel, and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for criminal negligence in not being all-powerful�for not, in effect, preventing the tsunami. It's not just that "there's money on the table", as with the case of these lawsuits against the iPod and iTunes Music Store for using technologies widely in use across a whole spectrum of devices and services�technically everyone from Microsoft to Creative to Napster should be targets too, but it's just that Apple is the big fish, and so they're the ones getting sued. No, in this case it appears to be something subtly more insidious: it's the belief that now that the U.S. is the world's most conspicuous superpower, it ought to be expected to behave as though it had superpowers. It's like, "Okay, you Americans: you want to act like you own the place? Fine, then�you get to take the blame for anything that goes wrong, even things that aren't remotely your fault. Even things that you do more to remedy after the fact than anyone else on the planet. Because, you see, anything that goes wrong, no matter how well you clean it up afterwards, still went wrong�and thus is your responsibility. You wanted this role, you get everything that comes with it. Including the most unreasonable demands ever made in an acolyte's desperate prayer. You're God now, so you'd better act the part." To some, I'm sure, it must seem like the height of hubris for a country in the position of the U.S. to have sole superpower status�in other words, to refuse to voluntarily give up power until it's coequal with everyone else, whatever sense that would make�and yet to decline to be held responsible for Acts of God. (After all, we should be in the position to prevent Acts of God, shouldn't we?) If we're the world's policeman, we have to be the world's caretaker too, goes the logic. Seasoned as it is with sour grapes. I'm reminded of a Star Trek: TNG episode, a particularly tedious one (though probably through no fault of its own) in which Clarke's hoary old "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" witticism is played to the hilt: "The Picard" is charged with the unenviable task of explaining to a preindustrial, hut-dwelling race that his starships and transporters are merely the historical expansion of bows and arrows, not superhuman magic. Of course, he can't get through to them that he doesn't possess the power to defeat death and is not there to pass moral judgment on them; they end up placing both the plaudits due a god, and the demands for favorable weather and restoration of loved ones' lives expected from one, at his feet. Of course the episode ends with wisdom having been dispensed and understanding sown�but the Prime Directive has to hold sway, and The Picard refuses to be held responsible for bringing either supernatural good or supernatural evil to the planet; the price is that the Federation will keep its distance and not be seen. A god can't be seen, or else he's bound to be held responsible for anything that happens, regardless of how much in his power it is to affect it one way or the other. So we're being tested, here on post-Cold-War Earth. Can America play a realistic role on the world stage�where we keep order and provide plenty and comfort where it's in our power to do so, and yet where it's acknowledged where our powers and responsibilities end? Or do we have to accept the mantle of omnipotence, with all that implies, through the very decision of refusing to withdraw from world affairs altogether? As Michael Demmons, who comments on this story, says: I'm a Canadian who has lived here for nearly 5.5 years. I really don't know how Americans put up with constantly being blamed for, well, everything. I guess it comes with the territory.