Nmap: Use the –top-ports Option for Both TCP and UDP Simultaneously

Many believe the discussion of free will is pointless. This is usually
because one believes it’s been settled (for the religious who believe God
gave it to us) or because one believes it doesn’t matter (for the secular
types who believe there is no practical benefit to having the discussion).

I will attempt to convince the second group that their position of apathy is
incorrect.

The concept of “deserving”

It’s impossible to deserve anything unless there is free will. If there is
no free will then nobody deserves praise for becoming rich after years of
hard work. Similarly, nobody deserves to be looked down upon for failing to
succeed in life.

It is nearly impossible to overstate how important this point is.

It’s true that even those who do believe in free will give room for
difficult circumstances, but ultimately they believe that free will allows
one to overcome (if they care enough to do so). This places blame and praise
right back onto the individual in question.

Society respects the rich and looks down on the poor because we believe,
quite simply, that people have the option to go against the grain of
whatever life they’ve been handed. Those born into highly prosperous and
educated families could end up squandering their good fortune away,
and those born in urban welfare homes to single a single mom
could end up going to Harvard.

If they choose to.

This belief has subtle but violent repercussions. It means that when that
boy from the ghetto doesn’t make it out, he didn’t want it enough. It
was his choice, and he didn’t put the work in.

This knight’s move constitutes nothing less than justification for looking
down on those that don’t succeed. If you don’t think that’s significant,
expand the concept out to groups of people, parts of town, and to entire
nations.

The Link to Compassion

Imagine the local homeless person asking for a dollar on the street corner.
I know countless deeply religious people who make it a rule to never give
these people money. It is my belief that this is because they hold in their
minds the conviction that this person chose to fail, and that they are
basically refuse that will benefit from their monthly tithing through the
church.

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They don’t see someone who needs help; they see someone who has failed to
help himself.

I, on the other hand, see a person who did not have advantages. Now, who do
you think is more likely to be compassionate: the person who believes that
he could have willed himself out of his situation, or the person who
believes he was unfortunate and unable to escape?

That’s the key: compassion goes down the more you believe the person in the
position deserves what they are experiencing. As such, those who believe in
free will are naturally prone to be less compassionate.

Politics

This concept permeates the various political platforms. If you permit me the
simplification, the right believes strongly in free will and therefore has
far less sympathy for those who don’t achieve. The left believes far more in
circumstances and variables, and therefore is more sympathetic to those who
don’t succeed.

This translates directly to taxation as well. If you “deserve” your money,
you shouldn’t have it taken from you. If you were lucky to get it then it
should be spread to those who need it. Again, the sides on this debate fall
right down the line of left and right.

Summary

No single question matters more in terms of human morality than that of
whether not we have free will. To dodge this debate in the name of
practicality is intellectual cowardice at this point in our civilization.

Put thought into and
determine your position
on this topic, and make the effort to ensure that your political views are
consistent with it. ::