tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post5241556023172467098..comments2024-03-28T08:34:43.846-07:00Comments on CONTRARY BRIN: Political Polarization...and CheatingDavid Brinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-45205609420183182722018-10-30T02:14:03.271-07:002018-10-30T02:14:03.271-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.siskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07076079736141144027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-1906185233553234772015-07-02T15:38:19.752-07:002015-07-02T15:38:19.752-07:00I live in NC, and the 4th, 9th, 12th, and 13th sim...I live in NC, and the 4th, 9th, 12th, and 13th simply scream CORRUPTION and render the Tarheel State the laughingstock of the Union.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04212819307747599081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-62241847513248202832015-07-02T08:31:00.545-07:002015-07-02T08:31:00.545-07:00Yes, we've moved on. Still...
Given the curre...Yes, we've moved on. Still...<br /><br />Given the current ability to correlate data, using any real-life scores is going to result in someone figuring out which pseudonym is which real-life entity. Count on it.<br /><br />That you believe in anonymous political speech is interesting in light of your insistence that surveillance is going to continue and get more invasive.<br /><br />A large part of big data isn't statistics, it's the ability to tease out an individual from the deluge of data.<br /><br />And the only thing worse than teasing out the correct individual is teasing out the wrong one.raitonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-69272075525824772032015-07-01T16:41:24.273-07:002015-07-01T16:41:24.273-07:00onward!onward!David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-11045088336296901082015-07-01T15:54:11.824-07:002015-07-01T15:54:11.824-07:00Hi Dr. Brin,
re: blood pressure, the no sweat is ...Hi Dr. Brin,<br /><br />re: blood pressure, the no sweat is a good thing, but I think there are very few regular contributors here who qualify for membership in the spring chicken club. And even for them, it's never too soon to chill out and start lowering glucocorticoid levels. Regarding little loci's "war on men" scheiße, he only discredits himself by showing us how bigoted he is. But he's done that a number of times already in the last year or so. Of course he'll deny it, but then will go on to claim that his bigotry isn't really bigoted because it represents our true, inherited nature. Anthropologists call this "naturalization": the tendency for people to assume that the prejudices of their tribe are really nature, and that anyone who doesn't match their assumptions is "unnatural" wrong, evil, stupid, etc. He is so focused on his narrative that the point of my "angry girlfriend" suggestion went right over his head.<br /><br />This guy's ability to seek out clouds for every silver lining reminds me of the article that Greg Byshank shared with us. The author talked about the futility of despair, and though I agree with most things she wrote, I have to point out that despair is an easy thing to fall into. If you look at the stats on the number of people who suffer from depressive episodes that are severe enough to warrant treatment, the numbers are pretty staggering. It's not something people are born with, though our baseline levels of several neurotransmitters can make some people more susceptible than others. Rather our brains are made to respond and adapt to circumstances. the 1% rarely suffer from these problems, while the rest of us, because of life's circumstances, the economy, the prejudices we deal with, and especially the toxicity of so many of our colleagues filling our thoughts with dark memes of anger and despair. Mirror neurons ensure that just hearing garbage like this will make them echo in our subconscious thoughts. People like that are actively hurting all those they come in contact with. But then, this is just what the rich and powerful want, for the same reason they want bad public education, racism, sexism, religious prejudice and simply spreading despair among the "unwashed masses" keeps people from competing with them and their clans. Paul SBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-52400148935429862362015-07-01T12:51:27.040-07:002015-07-01T12:51:27.040-07:00Paul, yeah. I grabbed a few slugs of standard tex...Paul, yeah. I grabbed a few slugs of standard text and plopped them in. By blood pressure is... eeep... flop... crash...<br />;-) no sweat.<br /><br />As to whether the fellow was a "sniper?" No matter. My aim is to arm all of YOU with bullet-points that can be used in quick encounters. That is why the "name an exception" tactic is sometimes effective. <br /><br />As for a "war on men" what hogwash. Males exist in order to compete vs each other, not as a tribe to compete against women. Look at nature. Even when males are aggressively exploiting females, it is for their own PERSONAL genetic advantage, not in order to benefit some tribe or type called "males." That has got to be the dumbest thing that I have yet seen this week,<br /><br />Anyway, American males AND females do better - in actually measurable outcomes - across democratic administrations than republican ones. ABSOLUTE disparity of outcomes. It is total and overwhelming. And ranting won't change that.<br /><br />raito... I agree that pseudonym-reputation management services would have to start with utter paranoid security. Complete clarity that the connection between true name and pseudonym CAN be revealed but only with an explicit court order and short of that, the connection is only enciphered. Especially fine would be for the pseudonym to be scored with your real-life credibility and reputation scores, allowing you entry into sites that ban actual anonymity. Reputation FEEDBACK then ensures that pseudonyns will not be used for trollish behavior.<br /><br />A billion dollar industry.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-34962637234928661522015-07-01T12:16:17.913-07:002015-07-01T12:16:17.913-07:00Dr. Brin,
I'm more undecided on whether there...Dr. Brin,<br /><br />I'm more undecided on whether there should be anonymous political speech. And like so many things, the ideal and the acheivable are very far apart. Ideally, there would be no anonymous political speech -- and any person's views would not be used (illegitimately) to harm them. (A legitimate harm would be to not patronize those with some particular views. An illegitimate harm would be to fire someone because of their views.)<br /><br />On the one hand, I want to know where that speech is coming from, because then I can analyze it against other speech from the same source. On the other, I should also be able to analyze any speech by itself. A conundrum.<br /><br />I'm also less certain that 'registered pseudonymity' is the answer. That depends entirely on whether the pseudonymity is adequately maintained, and what the damage is when it is not. Unfortunately, with these sorts of things, once the information is out, there's no way to put the cat back in the bag. And no one lets the cat out because they're trying to be helpful.raitonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-28838605470294226782015-07-01T11:06:58.913-07:002015-07-01T11:06:58.913-07:00locum, men are probably more apt to say their igno...locum, men are probably more apt to say their ignorance is as good as knowledge. If that's untrue, why the fall-off in college education? How many internet trolls are women?<br />I expect you to strap on a suicide bomb any moment, or join ISIL, or somesuch. I urge you to not do it.Jumperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11794110173836133321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-18127476900463917542015-07-01T09:50:35.015-07:002015-07-01T09:50:35.015-07:00Inarticulate as it was, 'StopTheHate' has ...<br />Inarticulate as it was, 'StopTheHate' has a point: There is a War against conservatives in this & other western countries, but it is a nebulous kind of 'war' does not fit into any of the traditional metrics, the battlefield being 'gender', the losers being men and the 'enemy' being one of unintended consequences.<br /><br />It all started innocently enough. First, came the oral contraceptive pill, freeing women from the consequences of sexual activity. Shortly thereafter, women entered the labour pool en masse and diluted the value of all (male) labour by 50%. Then, came increased mechanisation, no fault divorce, welfare, aid to women & children, educational parity, tougher prison sentences and globalisation, leaving men of all races marginalised, relatively unemployed, stripped of their children, disenfranchised from the future, criminalised and betrayed by the paradise that they helped build.<br /><br />In the US alone, men currently suffer higher rates of homelessness, violence, incarceration, unemployment and suicide than women. Women live longer, work less hours and now outnumber men in every university setting. Women are said to suffer more poverty, but even this statistic is misleading because male poverty is not enumerated (homelessness) and numerous governmental programs exist to ameliorate female poverty.<br /><br />The traditional social fabric is literally under attack and, as this process accelerates, more & more men will identify with conservative Red State values because Blue State progressive values disproportionately favour women (in the short-term) and disempower men (in the long-term), leading (one way or another) to TUMBRILS, as men who lack a future (or have their futures snatched away) are especially dangerous.<br /><br />A Big Backlash is 'a-coming' and I predict that PSBs "angry girlfriend tactic" will prove ineffective: Can anyone say ISIL? <br /><br /><br />Best locumranchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-17263778591766658912015-07-01T09:05:41.506-07:002015-07-01T09:05:41.506-07:00NBD (a.k.a. No Big Deal). I had a thought while ta...NBD (a.k.a. No Big Deal). I had a thought while taking a walk in the park this morning (since I lost my outdoor career, my physique has come to more closely resemble the Laughing Buddha): those of us who have been following Dr. Brin's blog regularly are pretty familiar with his stances and arguments, but people like this last troll or that Hewitt fellow from a few threads back tend to be snipers - they shoot once and run away. But then, you never know if someone might just be knew and a potential contributor. So rather than getting our stress hormones up every time someone new comes along with a flamethrower, maybe we can try the old angry girlfriend tactic. Just respond with "I'm ignoring you!" and see how they respond, if at all. This would be another place where it would be great if we could attach audio files. Nothing beats that rising intonation at the end of the sentence for annoyance value! Paul SBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-65016197773607260182015-07-01T07:36:26.597-07:002015-07-01T07:36:26.597-07:00Paul SB
Yes, I know. But in a thread about polari...Paul SB<br />Yes, I know. But in a thread about polarization I thought a bit of chiding for what I believe to be malicious baiting was not out of line. <br />It is going to be a long year ahead, isn't it?<br />TacitusTacitushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-18872293617086232232015-07-01T06:57:40.079-07:002015-07-01T06:57:40.079-07:00A couple years ago a large meteor crashed into Rus...A couple years ago a large meteor crashed into Russia. I remember checking the net to find out about it, mainly to show my earth science students, and saw some interesting exchanges. English-speaking Russians were posting factual accounts of the event along with pictures and video. Americans were going to these sites and posting things like: OH Y GOD THE WORLD'S COMING TO AN END!!!!!!! Some of the Russian commentators replied that they thought Americans must be the stupidest people in the world. A little rock falls out of the sky - it happens all the time - and they panic and think it's the end of the world. I would be tempted to say The Book of Revelations is to blame, but that wouldn't explain the differences between the US and other countries. It seems to me that this is a nation where hyperbole has been so overused in public discourse that many people can't tell what is hyperbolic anymore.<br /><br />Tacitus, I wouldn't be concerned over whether he's a 'true' conservative (or a true scotsman) or not. I think we will probably see a lot more of this stuff in the next year regarding both the Confederate flag and gay rights. Paul SBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-49547037674796040972015-07-01T06:46:22.712-07:002015-07-01T06:46:22.712-07:00Murdoch, like the Koch brothers and quite a few ot...Murdoch, like the Koch brothers and quite a few others has swallowed flattering myths about what they contribute to society. They, as far as I can tell, don't have much of a life outside their work and see that as all important. So they support an economic and social program that maximizes opportunities for them.<br />I don't think they are the originators of the program. I think that is mostly the economists in the think tanks. What drives them? I'm not sure but I think some of it is the temptation to magnify the importance of their own work by putting far too many issues in economic terms. That and the temptation to over simplify;Lloyd Flackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00832519369660328832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-67219089648100912692015-07-01T02:23:36.597-07:002015-07-01T02:23:36.597-07:00The language used by a recent poster is so inflama...The language used by a recent poster is so inflamatory that I suspect he (seems a bit unfeminine in word choice) is actually an individual who does not at all espouse conservative leanings but rather is making an effort to sound like a stupid conservative so as to get a rise out of folks. So, if agent provocateur...get lost. If genuinely stupid....my apologies and condolences.<br /><br />TacitusTacitushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-1951266033773383832015-07-01T00:21:17.292-07:002015-07-01T00:21:17.292-07:00David said
“Duncan, sorry. The US Navy was the mos...David said<br />“Duncan, sorry. The US Navy was the most advanced at the true killer app... steam power. BOARDING? A steam powered warship? urhgggh.”<br /><br />What is so difficult about boarding a steamer?<br />90% of boarding actions were undertaken at full sail – the attacker simply comes alongside<br /><br />Now if “steam” gave a miraculous burst of speed…..<br /><br />But the Monitor was a 6 knot ship.<br />Merrimac was a 12 knot ship but that was with its sails working with it’s engine and mast and sails were long gone<br />It was probably also a 6 knot ship under steam alone<br /><br />Very useful but not enough to keep frigates and sloops from coming alongside<br /><br />Later with machine guns and main guns that could destroy a ship quickly you could keep would be borders away<br />Back then the main guns could destroy another ship – but not quickly!<br /><br />The Union Ships lost were rammed or run aground<br /><br />Other more experienced (and original) captains would have taken the losses to get their ships alongside the ironclad – with a boarding party on-board it would be trivial to drop bombs into the gun ports<br /><br />The Union Navy was caught by surprise and the Union ships did not cooperatively attack the Merrimac.<br />But I bet from then on all competent captains would have thought about this encounter and been ready to apply the lessons learned <br /><br /><br />Reinforcing my point-<br />Lloyd Flack said<br />One point, the union did not have a naval advantage in steam power. Its engines were inferior to British and French ones leading to American vessels being considerably slower than their European counterparts. Even Union naval technology was behind that of Britain and France. Naval technology is an interest of mine, especially when it comes to times of change, so I've done a lot of reading on the matter.<br />Duncan Cairncrossnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-65586619640241288392015-06-30T22:46:58.546-07:002015-06-30T22:46:58.546-07:00I'm not sure the vitriol here is worth the eff...I'm not sure the vitriol here is worth the effort. Chances are the guy will never read it, nor post here again. He probably thinks he's very clever, using a handle that seems to turn the tables on people who have always worked against hate, but doesn't have enough awareness to see his own hate, or how extremism makes people see extremism in everyone else. Classic flamer - not worth even the slightest rise in blood pressure. Paul SBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-74491562482134466962015-06-30T22:25:23.599-07:002015-06-30T22:25:23.599-07:00StopTheHate, of all the hypocritical whining! You...StopTheHate, of all the hypocritical whining! You confederates have been howling and chivvying at us for ages, calling blue/city/university folks evil and immoral and bragging how much more real and moral and genuine and American "bubbas" are...<br /><br />...when your states score worse on every conceivable metric of moral living, from teen sex and pregnancy to STDs, divorce domestic violence... all the way to sucking in vastly more taxes than you pay and then bitching about taxes!<br /><br />Dig it, SHOW US ONE unambiguous and attributable metric of US national health that improved markedly across the span of either or both Bush presidencies. One. Even on. Just one. If a foreign power had done us as much harm as that family and party had, it would be cause for war.<br /><br />Now show us more than a couple such metrics that did not IMPROVE across both the Clinton and Obama spans of office. These aren't polemical or left-right assertions. It is flat-out comparison of OUTCOMES!<br /><br />"Falling apart" my ass.<br /><br />I do not hate you. I often poke at the lefty fringe. And I want this phase of our Civil War to end the way the others did, with the Union folks who want a scientific and enlightened civilization reaching out to our more conservative fellow citizens, once they calm down enough to stop POISONING american politics with hate. We need Goldwater conservatism at the table, lest the far-left get too much influence. (And I often say they are dangerous, too.)<br /><br />Alas, today the monstrous-drooling insanity is almost 100% your side. The GOP declared the "Hastert Rule" to never ever ever cooperate with a democratic president, even for the good of the country. Not even to pass the bridge-repair infrastructure bill. ( The recent TPP exception was because the fat cats wanted the trade pact passed. ) And when Newt Gingrich dared to negotiate with Clinton one year, getting us the Budget Act and Welfare Reform? The GOP punished and destroyed him. You guys NEVER negotiate.<br /><br />In contrast, every Republican president has negotiated deals with democratic Congresses, who dicker and deal and give him some of what he wants.<br /><br />So do not pretend it is suddenly Blue America waging war on Red. Prove you are reasonable by stopping waging war on science. By recognizing the tsunami of lying bile that is Fox News, owned by oligarchs and Saudi sheiks.<br /><br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-24513267503659905572015-06-30T20:59:32.996-07:002015-06-30T20:59:32.996-07:00It’s fascinating to watch the manipulative, arroga...It’s fascinating to watch the manipulative, arrogant mentality of our blue state betters at work, plotting against the citizens of other states as if they’re in some sort of civil cold war. I remember when Americans were most concerned about foreign powers, communists, terrorists, etc.; now it seems that the white citizens of ex-confederate states are public enemy number one of our progressive friends.<br /><br />But why the urgency? It all seems rather hysterical and unwarranted to me. Are progressives sensing that their program is falling apart, that a backlash is coming, and they’re looking for scapegoats? Or does it just go to show that hate and racism infects everyone, even our liberal blue state friends?<br />StopTheHatenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-83687176664008924792015-06-30T16:42:04.777-07:002015-06-30T16:42:04.777-07:00raito, as it happens, I do believe there should be...raito, as it happens, I do believe there should be methods and venues for anonymous political speech. In fact, I think it is essential.<br /><br />But most folks who croon love odes to anonymity haven't begun to think it through. There should be "wild west" sectors where anyone can be certain they will be able to sample wild shit posted by anonymously safe rascals... because that is a vital way to be sure tyranny is kept squelched. But MOST realms on the Internet should feature more accountability than they have at present.<br /><br />Registered pseudonymity, through bonded and fanatically protective reputation management systems, that's a billion dollar industry that would provide 99% of the benefits of anonymity while eliminating 99% of the drawbacks.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-28470337582037844622015-06-30T14:14:45.771-07:002015-06-30T14:14:45.771-07:00Dr. Brin,
I understand your point, but I prefer t...Dr. Brin,<br /><br />I understand your point, but I prefer to try to keep things out of the courts.<br /><br />And while I may believe that both the current parties are 'equally corrupt', I do not believe that they are 'the same'. Though I do believe that they agree on one thing -- no viable third party.<br /><br />Mike,<br />It appears as though you don't believe in anonymous political speech. Is that correct? (not that I think money is speech, at least not they was SCOTUS does). Your rules also keep minors from contributing, as they don't have the vote. Was that your intent? (or is it just a side effect?)<br /><br />locumranch,<br />Big government isn't perfect, and we all know that (even the ones who preach that). That's why we have to keep on our toes. All sabotage is not preventable, but most is. Cleaning up afterward is vital. Balkanization isn't necessary. For some of us, the union is all that keeps some of the more egregious problems from happening.<br /><br />What we really need is for the bottom of the pyramid (where all the votes are, or could be) to get active and vote in every way possible. The ballot box is only one way to vote. The economy is another (for a while, at least).<br /><br />And I still want to see 'none of the above' on every ballot.<br />raitonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-67938528533523640422015-06-30T14:08:16.087-07:002015-06-30T14:08:16.087-07:00Eeep what is in those pills?
AtomicZeppelinMan, t...Eeep what is in those pills?<br /><br />AtomicZeppelinMan, there were efforts to entice libertarians to move to New Hampshire to "take over." Far better would be for blacks to target just a couple of carefully located towns in Mississippi and South Carolina, demolishing all the carefully made gerrymanderings and gaining power in both states.<br /><br />That one still has a certain plausibility. Someone look it up and see if it's still on someone's back burner?David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-48121230743078048542015-06-30T11:42:37.366-07:002015-06-30T11:42:37.366-07:00Puerto Rico deserves bankruptcy, but the Saudis de...<br />Puerto Rico deserves bankruptcy, but the Saudis deserve much worse.<br /><br />After maintaining 'plausible distance' from the funding they supplied to Moslem terrorist organisations for years, the Saudis choose to renounce their non-combatant status in favour of direct military intervention in Yemen, so it is only a matter of time before one of their equally well-heeled neighbours provides similar plausibly deniable funding to an Anti-Saudi group as like payback, until what rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches towards Mecca to be born.locumranchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-75541710178359980622015-06-30T11:26:33.303-07:002015-06-30T11:26:33.303-07:00You are right that next step after demolishing the...You are right that next step after demolishing the Gerrymander is tackling issue of state size. Puerto Rico deserves statehood, all our Pacific territories deserve full representation, and every large state deserves more than 2 senators. The last one is real tricky, as there is no real Constitutional limit on what constitutes a "State". Would it end up being a race to carve up partisan states into ever smaller ones for greater influence? Would we have to do a horse trading scenario where Texas and California each get carved into smaller states or "senatorial districts"? Maybe we should as some sort of provision to the Constitution giving large enough cities a senator or two to represent the whole metropolitan entity. That would solve the issue of DC lacking proper representation.<br />A lot of the more innovative ideas out there would devastate conservative power, thus be near impossible under the current detente. I have been tinkering around with a thought experiment whereby "excess" Blue State voters agree to move to Red States for enough time to significantly effect a few election cycles. This kind of program would be best suited to those capable of telecommuting to work. Living in a "low cost of living" region would be a great way to save up for a nice home in a properly civilized Blue State. Swing states would be easy pickings, as well as low population states like Wyoming. The best part of such plan is that it would be damn near impossible for the Grande Olde Confederate Party to do the same to us as their constituents are rurally diffuse and far more immobile. Well, except those whose homes are on wheels!<br /><br />-AtomicZeppelinManAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-50405631183309741472015-06-30T11:25:34.524-07:002015-06-30T11:25:34.524-07:00"We’ve entered the era of the New Pyramid, wh..."We’ve entered the era of the New Pyramid, when society’s top aristocrats have nothing to spend their money on but status."<br /><br />This reminded me of a short video I watched last night from the excellent School of Life, started by Alain de Botton. It is called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcUkgR4Op00" rel="nofollow"> "What do the Rich really Want?"</a> My mind immediately jumped to your advocacy of "Judo moves" - using the power or motivation of an enemy and harnessing it for the better. You might want to add this to your list of ideas on how to improve our society :-)Andyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10918881673638295065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-33847509574888408632015-06-30T10:14:50.714-07:002015-06-30T10:14:50.714-07:00Who ARE you and what have you done with locumranch...Who ARE you and what have you done with locumranch? (Took his pills, obviously.) A cogent passage with solid points... leading to a calamitous conclusion. <br /><br />Yes, too much centralization is stifling, at best. Unification was the worst mistake the Chinese ever made. Europe took off because of reciprocal competition. See Ian Morris's WAR, WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR. In EARTH I portray humans achieving a next-layer Overmind, but wise enough to forego the simplistic version offered us by Asimov and Clarke et al. One based on diversity of thought.<br /><br />And yet, if centralized imperium is dangerous to the pace of progress, then fractious division is usually much worse. Lacking a pax peacekeeping power, most era were utter misery and hell for average folk. And petty local tyrants were usually far worse than the distant king and his bureaucrats.<br /><br />Had the Confederacy prevailed, this continent would have fractured into at least five petty nations, jostling and bickering with expensive armies patrolling and crossing heavily fortified borders. The normal human pattern. In this world, most Americans went their whole lives never seeing a soldier except in the July 4 parade. <br /><br />The comp[romise federal-state-local- company-individual system *IS* broken up! It *IS* an attempt to get a win-win sum of the benefits of consolidation while omitting the costs. But grouches will never see light.<br /><br />======<br />Tacitus there is a place of Low-Odds but no-implausibility wagers. If my life or home was at stake, at even odds, I would not proclaim "The Bush family and Cheney deliberately betrayed us at Saudi command!"<br /><br />But you give me 5 to one and I will put real money into that bet. Because there are ZERO inconsistencies between that theory and the litany of actual events. A litany that - by the way - no other theory accounts for, anywhere near as well.<br /><br />It makes no sense, most of the time, to declare "I think THIS is what happened!" What makes sense is to lay down perceived odds. <br /><br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.com