Does Army destroy your mind?

I've always feared serving in Russian military because I've been told by friends that once you go to the army, you don't come back the same. Since I've always hoped for a career in science or research and development, I couldn't see myself coming back from the military service with a destroyed brain. Perhaps it's not so scary and most people come back fine.

However, in reading a recent NYTimes article about crimes being committed by the US veterans of the Iraq war, I found a startling quote,

-- “They break down your mind, and then they try to build you back up,” ... -- “Into a killer?” ... -- "Yes."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/us/27vets.html

Washington Post is a tabloid rag when reporting science

Today, The Washington Post talks about "Mad Scientists Create Full Chromosome of Synthetic DNA". As a former scientist, I hate it when the media always portrays scientists as disconnected nerds or even mad.

... oh, wait ...

(read the full article about Mad Scientists Create Full Chromosome of Synthetic DNA)

Soviet Union guaranteed civil liberties in the West

Soviet Union and East Germany were these excellent examples of totalitarian regimes. As long as they existed, the West wanting to differentiate itself from the red East, used to appreciate their civil liberties. Now when both totalitarian countries are gone, the West seems to be gravitating closer to the center, towards a totalitarian or even classic fascist regime.

I really liked the way the leader of the Swedish Pirate Party Rickard Falkvinge put it.

When the Iron Curtain fell, all of the West rejoiced that the East would become just as free as the West. It was never supposed to be the other way around.

Read the full intellectual interview with Rickard Falkvinge at P2P Consortium.