Gender in Sports

Posted on May 30, 2022 by Ladmann

Gender in sports

“People often get confused between the terms sex and gender. Sex refers to biological differences between males and females. Gender refers to the cultural differences expected (by society / culture) of men and women according to their sex. A person’s sex does not change from birth, but their gender can.” [i]

Therefore, there are only 2 biological genders!

What a minute it is more complicated than that! “… Sexual differentiation of the genitals takes place before sexual differentiation of the brain, making it possible that they are not always congruent. …” [ii]

There could be “81 Types Of Genders & Gender Identities” [iii]

If we are no longer willing or able to discriminate on the basis of nature’s biological gender in sport, then common sense dictates that one of two options exist:

all competitive sporting events are classified in three common sense ways
- male only
- females only
- All other only
the remaining option is that all competitive sporting events allow all gender identifications to compete in the same event making no differentiation between gender.

[i] Biological Theories of Gender | Simply Psychology; Biological Theories of Gender, By Dr. Saul McLeod, published 2014

[ii] Neurobiology of gender identity and sexual orientation – PMC (nih.gov); Neurobiology of gender identity and sexual orientation; By, C. E. Roselli 2018.

[iii] 81 Types Of Genders & Gender Identities (A To Z List), By Chris Drew, PhD / April 2, 2022; https://helpfulprofessor.com/types-of-genders-list/

Police & Citizens Armed To The Hilt

Posted on May 30, 2022 by Ladmann

Police Armed To The Hilt & Citizens Armed To The Hilt

For What Purpose?

The mass shootings continue happening in the USA; 229 in 2022 to date [i].

Many mass shooters are armed with military grade weapons. However, the police are likewise armed as in the military. You would think ok, we’re even.

Yet in the recent mass shooting in Uvalde Texas, both the shooter and the police were armed to the hilt. The event should have been dramatically restricted, and yet 22 died and 17 were injured, as the police failed to act.

The Texas incident draws into focus the absurd dichotomy of our national obsession with guns.

⇒We arm the police with tremendous firepower to protect us.

⇒We arm private citizens with tremendous firepower to kill us.

Irrespective of the 2nd amendment, it is obvious that we cannot rely on ourselves or our elected representatives to make constructive common-sense changes.

>>>>>> Maybe the time has come to outlaw guns <<<<<<

[i] Mass Shootings in 2022 | Gun Violence Archive

Challenging Capitalism and Liberalism

Posted on May 30, 2022 by Ladmann

Challenging Capitalism and Liberalism

There is a growing challenge to free and democratic forms of government and economically based societies. The rise of nationalism and authoritarian based rule is a result, in part, of the failure of free market systems and democracies to address the fundamental needs of their citizens. In the U.S. “… liberal governance has developed a puzzling preference for legitimating government action through processes rather than outcomes. …” [i]

According to the World Values Survey Association “…there has been a growing divergence between the prevailing values in low-income countries and high-income countries.” [ii] I believe the same divergence between prevailing values of low- and high-income citizens is occurring in the U.S.A. It is difficult to agree on basic values of life when you are excluded from the ability to fairly participate. As David Brooks notes in his recent article, “…only democracy and liberalism are based on respect for the dignity of each person…” [iii] We are not respecting the dignity of each person politically, socially and by government actions.

As a capitalist I believe in free markets, limited government, and limited regulation. I also believe that the human resources are our most important capital. We are failing to invest in our human capital. We are not creating the economic opportunities for all citizens to participate in our economy and become productive.

“…What is needed most is a change in ideas: namely, a reversal of those intellectual trends of the past 50 years or so that have brought us to the current pass….” [iv]

[i] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/29/opinion/biden-liberalism-infrastructure-building.html; What America Needs Is a Liberalism That Builds, by Ezra Klein & https://www.niskanencenter.org/the-procedure-fetish/; by Nicholas Bagley, December 7, 2021.

[ii] World Values Survey Association.

[iii] Brooks, David; Globalization Is Over. The Global Culture Wars Have Begun; NY Times, Opinion, April 8, 2022

[iv] State Capacity: What Is It, How We Lost It, And How to Get It Back, by Brink Lindsey November 2021; https://www.niskanencenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/brinkpaper.pdf

The Religious Abortion of Life

Posted on May 30, 2022May 30, 2022 by Ladmann

The Religious Abortion of Life

Religions of the world have been responsible for more killing and death than any other human action.

Religions have been aborting life through crusades and religious wars for centuries.

When religionists stop forcing others to believe life begins and ends as you dictate, maybe, you will have an ethical basis from which to preach.

That stated, religious belief and philosophy are personal, and not to be used for creating government policies. As I previously questioned, why do so many people feel they need to force their religious beliefs on others? Isn’t faith supposed to be enough?

Government policies should only be used to protect religious freedom and personal choice, not dictating beliefs.

EU Law Against Misinformation

Posted on May 1, 2022May 30, 2022 by Ladmann

EU Law Against Misinformation

The European Union has passed a new digital information law designed to provide restrictions against misinformation and terrorist comments and hate speech. The new law would also impact on some sort of online ads.

… “The law, called the Digital Services Act, is intended to address social media’s societal harms by requiring companies to more aggressively police their platforms for illicit content or risk billions of dollars in fines. Tech companies would be compelled to set up new policies and procedures to remove flagged hate speech, terrorist propaganda and other material defined as illegal by countries within the European Union….” [i]

When European Union countries have the power to define what opinion, speech and thought is illegal, how is this different from what Putin is doing in Russia?

[i] Satariano, Adam; E.U. Takes Aim at Social Media’s Harms with Landmark New Law; NY Times, Technology, 4/22/2022.

Stop The Steal! Which One?

Posted on May 1, 2022 by Ladmann

Stop the Steal! Which One?

Mr. Trump’s supporters and the Republican Party have continuously promoted the unfounded claims that the election has been stolen.

Which election is that?

The Republicans gained seats in the House of Representatives. “…Republicans had flipped fourteen, including one held by a Libertarian in 2020…” ¹

Just a reminder that ballots have all the choices, all candidates, on the same ballot!

Oh, that cannot be correct, because the election was stolen. That being the case I can only assume that the Republicans were the ones who stole it!

Excuse me for forgetting my common sense. The Republicans only believe the election results were stolen when they do not like the result. Ok, that makes sense!

https://ballotpedia.org/Election_results,_2020:_Control_of_the_U.S._House

Continue reading “Stop The Steal! Which One?” →

Republicans Promote Voter Restriction Laws

Posted on February 20, 2021May 15, 2021 by Ladmann

Republicans are aggressively promoting voter restriction laws and regulations throughout the U.S.

“…In all, 28 states have introduced, pre-filed or are advancing 106 restrictive bills for the 2021 legislative session,…” ¹

Apparently we as a society have not changed much since the Civil War and Reconstruction. It has been more than 150 years and we are still dealing with the inability to accept that “…We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”.²

This is another example of how weak the Republican Party’s political positions are.

The Republican’s only strong position is based on racism and discrimination.

By Kelly Mena, CNN, Feb 2, 2021
The Declaration of Independence, In Congress, July 4, 1776

The Political Two-Step

Posted on February 14, 2021 by Ladmann

The Political Two-Step

Mitch McConnell’s recent post impeachment statement regarding Trump vs. his vote is a classic political two-step. First to promote his “true beliefs”, then second, to explain his opposite actions.

Moderates in both political Parties use this two-step action as an attempt to maintain power and position while straddling political and philosophical positions.

I have written previously supporting the creating of multiple political parties in the U.S. McConnell’s actions and statements are an additional striking action in support of multiple parties. Moderate Republicans need to retreat from the Republican Party and create a Party and platform they can honestly support without resorting to untruths and untenable positions. The same holds true for the moderates in the Democrat Party.

For all politicians, you can not have it both ways, not for long. Because the dishonest nature of those positions ultimately undermines how others perceive you and how you live with yourself.