Davis

@Davis

Politicians do have to serve those who can get them reelected, because the #1 purpose of any elected official is to get elected and to get reelected. On those rare occasions when a politician is honest with the electorate, it often costs them the next election. They lie to us because we want them to do so.

@Davis et al who reject the idea that Putin wants a buffer zone. Mearsheimer is an actual expert on Russia and Ukraine.

@Davis

Thank you for your OPINION.

The fact remains that if Canada or Mexico were hostile powerful military sources that regularly held war exercises right across the US’s northern or southern borders, we’d be looking to put a patch of neutral ground between us. If we got some resources along the way, the US has never turned such windfalls down.

@Davis

Can you explain please why you’re so hung up on forcing me to accept predeterminism as a consequence of determinism?

Let’s for a moment assume you are right and determinism actually means predeterminism, does that ipso facto rescue free will somehow? Or are you thinking it’s an idea so reprehensible that people will ignore the facts and…[Read more]

@Davis

Some observations about your objections to Dr. Hossenfelder on free will.

One is responsible for what one does intentionally, no matter how those intentions are generated. This isn’t some sort of fantasy. This is how we treat responsibility every day. Unless someone acted at gunpoint or their act was pure accident, they are responsible…[Read more]

@Davis

Joe Rogan is one of the best interviewers out there despite being a comedian and ex-wrestler. He’s very smart. Using a Socratic approach, he has deconstructed many a blowhard, Jordan Peterson included. You rattled off a litany of problems (the flaming tap water relates to fracking, but fracking problems are much more under control). Most…[Read more]

@davis – it’s true that abused women often say that psychological abuse is worse than the physical.

@autumn – we seem to be talking about a failure of empathy.  I think empathy is a product of what we perceive and how we feel about it.  Empathic concern or compassion depends on how much we approve of the other person.  If we don’t – then co…[Read more]

@Davis

While Mexico is passing more and more liberal legislation, states are banning the teaching of slavery brutality, abortions, discussing the fact that gay people exist and penalising corporations that disagree with their policies.

I just want to live somewhere in peace where I can blend in and be left alone. Mexico or New Mexico are the only…[Read more]

@Davis

You rightly point out that we have a monopoly problem. Amazon has become a monopoly primarily by having a better business model that led to them becoming indispensable. It’s too large and ubiquitous and responsible legislators who don’t take bribes from lobbyists would probably have broken Amazon up by now.

To my knowledge, Elon Musk…[Read more]

@Davis – An august person is a distinguished and impressive person. You most likely had that in your mind when you were commenting. 🙂

Unseen wrote:
@davis The Anarchist Cookbook is banned in the United States? No, you can even pick it up on Amazon. I’m not arguing in favor of pedophilia, which should be legal in practice. I do think that NAMBLA shouldn’t be presenting their arguments in favor of buggery. I’m opposed to slavery but I can’t agree with outlawing discuss…

[Read more]

@Davis

The Anarchist Cookbook is banned in the United States? No, you can even pick it up on Amazon.

I’m not arguing in favor of pedophilia, which should be legal in practice. I do think that NAMBLA shouldn’t be presenting their arguments in favor of buggery. I’m opposed to slavery but I can’t agree with outlawing discussing or even advocating…[Read more]

@Davis @Jake

As I’ve said, allowing the government to decide what you can read, watch, hear, see, or believe allows any government to do it, not just a government enforcing your ideas. Case in point:

I spent 15 minutes on Google trying to find even one example of a CRT-infected math problem. Something…[Read more]

@Davis

I take it by “The same people who decide what Libel is, what copyright infringement is, what constitutes “causing a panic”, what constitutes “inciting a crime” etc.” you mean lawmakers. I wasn’t talking about who creates restraints or limits on what people are allowed to say, see, hear, and ultimately believe. I was more talking about e…[Read more]

@Davis

Who decides what we may say, see, and hear? What are their qualifications? Do they need some sort of education or expertise?

And by what authority are such basic rights abridged? Should I assume you’d be happy with a censor who gives what the public thinks and believes no consideration whatsoever if that runs contrary to such a person’s values.

@Davis

This comedian/commentator is for you, because he uses ONLY direct citations from reputable sources.

Can we trust the experts (evidence-based medicine)?

Why would the CDC ignores its own experts?

@Davis

Belle, anyone can reshape a word to suit their narrative. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as long as it is clear what they mean by that word, that their definition doesn’t cause pointless confusion (or confusion on purpose) and that the audience is given a convincing reason to take this definition seriously.

Right. But here we are dis…[Read more]

@davis – whatever definitions I could give, are never going to encompass all the things that people mean by the word.

Simon, unless you are dealing wit poetry…why would you use a term that is this elusive? How can you achieve much (if anything) if people are talking about something different (or at least vaguely overlapping) when you can use so…[Read more]

@davis – whatever definitions I could give, are never going to encompass all the things that people mean by the word.