tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post6948444530346421566..comments2024-03-18T17:09:55.964-07:00Comments on CONTRARY BRIN: Perspectives and politicsDavid Brinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-35048526386809803782017-11-11T12:15:22.691-08:002017-11-11T12:15:22.691-08:00onward
The next posting is a big one... please re...onward<br /><br />The next posting is a big one... please recruit readers, it's important!<br /><br />onwardDavid Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-45464750042774098082017-11-11T12:00:48.019-08:002017-11-11T12:00:48.019-08:00Thing is, Alfred, we don't have to ask "w...Thing is, Alfred, we don't have to ask "what if". As has been pointed out, there was a time in this very country's history when we <i>did</i> permit those who could afford it to employ their own security forces to enforce laws. It, ah, didn't work well, as you might be able to tell by the fact that we have official police forces now.<br /><br />Unless you believe the essential nature of humanity has changed dramatically over the past 150 years or so, you should acknowledge the results of the experiment we've already run.Jon S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13585842845661267920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-14925457191170069602017-11-11T10:08:24.916-08:002017-11-11T10:08:24.916-08:00onward
The next posting is a big one... please re...onward<br /><br />The next posting is a big one... please recruit readers, it's important!<br /><br />onwardDavid Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-73204350978530325042017-11-11T09:42:34.383-08:002017-11-11T09:42:34.383-08:00" Oh. Peaktu San. The highest peak in Korea (..." Oh. Peaktu San. The highest peak in Korea (and the alleged birthplace of Kim Jong Il in official state mythology) is also an active super-volcano, one which, if it erupted, would obliterate most of North Korea and China too." <br /><br />I brought this up in an earlier thread.Is it possible Kim's behaviour is motivated by a belief Peaktu San is about to blow? What would a regime so consumed by hate do if they thought they were all about to die? Perhaps take as many of their enemies out with them, in a kind of intercontinental mass shooting.Laurencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15525214461529206205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-42370950535876856222017-11-11T09:00:16.026-08:002017-11-11T09:00:16.026-08:00The accusations surrounding Roy Moore reminded me ... The accusations surrounding Roy Moore reminded me of the first half of an old Cheech & Chong bit;<br />https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fl-todKuWhQ<br />Tim H.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-36311198022119335952017-11-11T06:15:23.510-08:002017-11-11T06:15:23.510-08:00They probably are the same ones who scream Mohamme...They probably are the same ones who scream Mohammed was a pederast because his bride was 13. <br /><br />Watched Moore on Hannity, where Sean was intent on giving the judge a handjob. His defence amounted to, "Oh, there were so many little girls. I don't remember that one."<br /><br />Even Hannity has abandoned him now.<br /><br />But you know? I bet Alabama elects him anyway. They ain't right down there.Zepp Jamiesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16261339498383415026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-11450809880985675352017-11-11T05:41:00.588-08:002017-11-11T05:41:00.588-08:00@Alfred| If a dead whale lands on the beach, it c...@Alfred| If a dead whale lands on the beach, it can cause quite a stink before we marshal the forces to dispose of it, right? Our ancestors would have carved it into tiny pieces and feasted.<br /><br />Just don't try to dynamite it. Here's what happened when the Oregon Department of Transportation tried that (pretty humorous).<br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SEz_mJ0-us" rel="nofollow">A Whale of a Tale</a>Dave Werthnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-75599095353059245802017-11-11T03:51:51.186-08:002017-11-11T03:51:51.186-08:00Bill Maher on the difference between liberals and ...Bill Maher on the difference between liberals and conservatives:<br /><br />"We arrest our alleged rapists. They <b>elect</b> them."<br /><br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-43818919048958992802017-11-11T03:44:43.326-08:002017-11-11T03:44:43.326-08:00Tony Fisk:
Sweet Mary and Joseph...
The conserva...Tony Fisk:<br /><i><br />Sweet Mary and Joseph...<br /><br />The conservative expressions of support for Roy Moore and his loblollying is starting to sound like anything, *anything* is permissible, so long as it pisses off the libtards.<br /></i><br /><br />Yeah, they don't even seem to remember the part about 14-year-old Mary being a <b>virgin</b>.<br /><br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-67111689414262775372017-11-11T00:26:28.030-08:002017-11-11T00:26:28.030-08:00Hi Guys
The Kiwis strike again!
http://www.popul...Hi Guys <br />The Kiwis strike again!<br /><br />http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/security/news/a28999/chatbot-spam-emails/<br /><br />duncan cairncrosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14153725128216947145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-79032533780667545962017-11-10T23:28:47.099-08:002017-11-10T23:28:47.099-08:00Sweet Mary and Joseph...
The conservative express...Sweet Mary and Joseph...<br /><br />The conservative expressions of support for Roy Moore and his loblollying is starting to sound like anything, *anything* is permissible, so long as it pisses off the libtards.<br /><br />It reminds me of that unfortunate young fen in "Startide Rising" whose slide off the atavistic deep end began with an increasing urge to shriek out epiphets in base Trinary.<br />Tony Fiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14578160528746657971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-48150323266819274992017-11-10T19:47:00.904-08:002017-11-10T19:47:00.904-08:00Hi Dr Brin
the number here is about 30,000 - maybe...Hi Dr Brin<br />the number here is about 30,000 - maybe we have too many MP's!<br />But I like the idea of being able to have my geographic vote as well as my "consortium" vote<br /><br />And with our 5% rule a consortium would need to get 150,000 votes but it would then get five seats <br /><br />This 5% rule was brought in when we went to PR with the idea that it would keep out the loonies - I don't agree, I would rather have the loonies in parliament and votingduncan cairncrosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14153725128216947145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-8110081050794770372017-11-10T19:21:01.823-08:002017-11-10T19:21:01.823-08:00Alfred Differ:
we should remain humble if we wish...Alfred Differ:<br /><i><br />we should remain humble if we wish our grandchildren not to laugh at us.<br /></i><br /><br />If we wished that, we should have elected a different president. :)<br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-29811494144822368232017-11-10T19:19:12.831-08:002017-11-10T19:19:12.831-08:00Alfred Differ:
Feel free to balance it, but even ...Alfred Differ:<br /><i><br />Feel free to balance it, but even I'll laugh a bit because I already know we can't have the information we need to know if we are balanced or if balance is even possible. You are trying to balance in a solution space of a bazillion dimensions. Good luck.<br /></i><br /><br />I'm not trying to balance the future itself. I'm trying to balance your presumption that the happy path is sure to work out as long as we don't allow ourselves to believe otherwise. I agree that we can't anticipate all pitfalls, but that doesn't mean that some aren't more obvious than others.<br /><br />I have trouble believing that you don't see your own optimism about the future as hubris equal-and-opposite to believing we can fix potential problems.<br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-75074303305926099132017-11-10T19:09:43.313-08:002017-11-10T19:09:43.313-08:00Dr Brin:
LarryHart, the thing that made PLAYER PI...Dr Brin:<br /><i><br />LarryHart, the thing that made PLAYER PIANO a dystopia was the unaccountable gathering of power at the top. The unrealistic thing was his assumption that all that automation wasn’t producing vast amounts of wealth that the “reeks and wrecks” would consume.<br /></i><br /><br />With all due respect, I think what made that world a dystopia was stated in dialogue within the text--that human beings are not content to merely have their physical and spiritual needs taken care of. They need to feel useful.<br /><br />I've read that book literally more times than I can count, and the older I get, the more I appreciate the message.<br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-55125264309665091582017-11-10T19:03:36.643-08:002017-11-10T19:03:36.643-08:00Alfred Differ:
If we met face-to-face, you'd ...Alfred Differ:<br /><i><br />If we met face-to-face, you'd find I'm somewhat conservative BECAUSE I try to anticipate problems. It's just that I think it is the height of hubris to think we CAN anticipate them beyond a meager number that fit our preconceived notions of how a future might turn out.<br /></i><br /><br />So you can't imagine that someone is better equipped than you might be to handle the important task of thinking several chess moves ahead?<br /><br />See how that works? :)<br /><br /><i><br />What good would it do? Well... Turn the question around and you'll see it. What harm would it do to NOT imagine it?<br /></i><br /><br />To channel John Bohner: "Are you kidding me?!!" I daresay most people imagined a world in which Donald Trump could not be elected, right up until the night of Nov 8, 2016. What harm did it do? Too many on our side were comfortable staying home or casting protest votes against Hillary Clinton with the full expectation that she'd win either way.<br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-12278136849405466042017-11-10T18:58:54.584-08:002017-11-10T18:58:54.584-08:00Donald Gisselback welcome! And sounds good to me....Donald Gisselback welcome! And sounds good to me.<br /><br />LarryHart, the thing that made PLAYER PIANO a dystopia was the unaccountable gathering of power at the top. The unrealistic thing was his assumption that all that automation wasn’t producing vast amounts of wealth that the “reeks and wrecks” would consume.<br /><br />Duncan over the long run, we’ll simply gather 500,000 like minded folks and get a representative. Those who don’t join such a consortium will vote in the remaining geographic constituencies,<br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-73408212639517760472017-11-10T18:45:57.357-08:002017-11-10T18:45:57.357-08:00Hi Alfred
The UK and NZ model woks BECAUSE nobody...Hi Alfred<br /><br />The UK and NZ model woks BECAUSE nobody can back out of the contract<br />And it works much much better than the US model where the rich can back out of the contract<br /><br />It's like driving on the left - it works because everybody does itduncan cairncrosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14153725128216947145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-68337058748705960882017-11-10T18:41:46.485-08:002017-11-10T18:41:46.485-08:00@LarryHart | But it is also important to have som...@LarryHart | <i> But it is also important to have someone who foresees possible pitfalls, gauges their likelihood, and imagines ways of avoiding or mitigating the worst outcomes.</i><br /><br />Definitely. In my experience, the people painting rosy visions are often trying to lead away from pitfalls. Prophet and Social T-Cell rolled into one.<br /><br /><i>your philosophical opposition to anticipating problems</i><br /><br />Heh. Only on the internet would someone believe that of me. If we met face-to-face, you'd find I'm somewhat conservative BECAUSE I try to anticipate problems. It's just that I think it is the height of hubris to think we CAN anticipate them beyond a meager number that fit our preconceived notions of how a future might turn out. A 19th century visionary might have tried to imagine eradicating smallpox through treaties and royal decrees. In the 20th century, we did it with the UN and NGO's and a number of governments that weren't anything worse than a constitutional monarchy. Solving 21st century problems will probably be done in ways we can't imagine and our ideas will seem quaint to our grandchildren doing it.<br /><br />The future is going to be weird from our perspective. It can't not be. Feel free to imagine it, but we should remain humble if we wish our grandchildren not to laugh at us. Feel free to balance it, but even I'll laugh a bit because I already know we can't have the information we need to know if we are balanced or if balance is even possible. You are trying to balance in a solution space of a bazillion dimensions. Good luck.<br /><br /><br />(When I imagine a train car with coal heading down the track to a site that generates electricity, I try to imagine how someone three generations from now will view it. I suspect they will wonder why in the world we burned the stuff a bit like many of us are beginning to wonder why we burn trees. Coal is for hiding carbon underground they'll say. What a stupid idea it was to burn it. What was the matter with them!)Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-54271138258262147032017-11-10T18:16:00.584-08:002017-11-10T18:16:00.584-08:00Our President tries occasionally and some have fal...Our President tries occasionally and some have fallen under a spell that makes it difficult to see through his illusion.<br /><br />A number of people here paint rosy futures too, but of a different nature. Some advocate for UBI, some for universal education, and some for flat/fair/transparent competition. 8)Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-22896540216750566742017-11-10T17:51:35.848-08:002017-11-10T17:51:35.848-08:00@Alfred,
First of all, I do consider you a friend...@Alfred,<br /><br />First of all, I do consider you a friend, at least as much as someone I've only "met" virtually can be so considered. <br /><br />Also, it's not incompatible with my philosophy to say that we need each other, or at least that society needs both of us. As you say, it is important to have someone who can imagine a better world and lead us on the path to it. But it is also important to have someone who foresees possible pitfalls, gauges their likelihood, and imagines ways of avoiding or mitigating the worst outcomes. And with all due respect, your philosophical opposition to anticipating problems is as anathema to me as my refusal to believe in the power of optimism to affect the material world is to you.<br /><br />Balance is important.LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-82869651643057615672017-11-10T17:35:06.648-08:002017-11-10T17:35:06.648-08:00Alfred Differ:
If you can't paint a rosy view...Alfred Differ:<br /><i><br />If you can't paint a rosy view of the future, why should anyone follow you on your path forward?<br /><br />Ultimately, cynics will do more damage to us than our lying President.<br /></i><br /><br />Really?<br /><br />Who do you think is painting the rosy picture of the future that others are following?<br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-31629533757397664732017-11-10T17:01:41.424-08:002017-11-10T17:01:41.424-08:00@LarryHart | So you are accusing me of being an op...@LarryHart | So you are accusing me of being an optimist? Heh. 8)<br /><br />What good would it do? Well... Turn the question around and you'll see it. What harm would it do to NOT imagine it?<br /><br />It's a Vision thing. If you can't paint a rosy view of the future, why should anyone follow you on your path forward?<br /><br /><br />Ultimately, cynics will do more damage to us than our lying President.Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-48466745994634000672017-11-10T16:32:59.462-08:002017-11-10T16:32:59.462-08:00@Alfred Differ,
Serious question...back in 2016 h...@Alfred Differ,<br /><br />Serious question...back in 2016 had expressed fear or dismay over the damage that might be done if then-Republican-nominee Donald Trump was actually elected to the presidency, what good would it do to imagine a world in which the voters wouldn't do that?<br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-52401505363822828632017-11-10T16:30:27.835-08:002017-11-10T16:30:27.835-08:00A separate issue, a caller to Norman Goldman's...A separate issue, a caller to Norman Goldman's show pointed out that a normal person who attempts to meet someone in person who represents "herself" as a 14 year old girl can go to prison for years and be branded a sex offender for life, even if no actual 14 year old girls were abused in the process. Anthony Weiner is in prison right now for texting sex pictures to a 15-year-old, without actually touching anyone.<br /><br />So why isn't Roy Moore, who actually did sexually molest an actual 14-year-old girl in prison, let alone how can Christian Republicans defend what he did as no big deal?<br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.com