The Good and the Bad

When did Swedes get so cool?

Some things that are good and bad:

• Nuclear energy is good
• Nuclear weapons are bad
• Lower taxes are good
• Flat tax is bad
• Conservatism can be good
• Conservative governments are bad
• The decriminalization of abortion is good
• Funding cuts to public reproductive health, including abortion, is bad
• Smaller government is good
• Privatization of basic utilities and services is bad
• The criminalization of drug use, possession and sale is bad
• The legalization, taxation and the control of drugs through the health and education systems is good
• Meddling in foreign governments is bad
• Encouraging change in foreign countries through development projects is good
• Attaching self-serving economic riders on foreign aid is bad
• Recognizing that foreign aid is never purely altruistic is good
• Embracing a secular government in Canada is good
• Refusal to recognize that Canada was nonetheless founded by Aboriginals and Christian Europeans is bad
• A desire to address the over-litigiousness of our society is good
• Curtailments on the right to sue are nevertheless bad
• Combating Global Warming is good
• Fascistic control of our lives in the name of combating Global Warming is bad
• Criminalizing the creation of child pornography and any other materials whose production requires the direct harm of a human being is good
• Criminalizing the viewing of such materials, and indeed the criminalizing of a human being introducing any image or thought –however foul– into his own mind, is bad
• The desire to punish and restrain child sex predators anywhere in the world is good
• Doing so by establishing a precedent of punishing citizens for their actions committed outside their nation’s jurisdiction is bad
• Cowardice is bad
• Enduring being called a coward by refusing to take part in a war of aggression is good
• Securing your nation against physical attack is good
• Doing so by curtailing the basic rights of citizens, to any extent, is bad
• The right to criticize, even mock, philosophies and religions is good
• Exercising that right just to be an asshole (you know who I’m looking at) is bad
• Banning smoking in public, enclosed establishments is good
• Banning smoking in private establishments and in the open air is bad
• Banning restaurants from selling foods containing trans fats is good
• Banning individuals from buying, cooking or consuming trans fats is bad
• Uttering threats is bad
• Not criminalizing the uttering of threats is good
• Proportional representation is good
• Gridlock caused by internally warring coalition governments is bad
• Quentin Tarantino, Director: good
• Quentin Tarantino, Actor: bad
• The fact that Ray still has hair on his head: good
• The fact that Ray now has hair on his ears: very bad