51. How Are Humans Unique?

Comment #184453 by Christopher Davis on May 25, 2008 at 10:17 am

I agree with Mitchell, I don't see anything revolutionary about this author's ideas. In fact, I'd describe it as a clumsy attempt to shoehorn basic social and developmental psychology into an evolutionary framework.

52. Indian village proud after double 'honor killing'

Comment #184217 by Christopher Davis on May 24, 2008 at 12:56 am

mmurray,

As much as I like Jared Diamond's work, I think he's off on this one. I think the cultural abomination known as "honor killing" is a much more recent additon to the human behavioural repetoire.

It's about money. In a society where women are regarded as property, allowing young women to choose who they want to marry is just bad business.

In this case, the crime seemed to be that the two lovers were from the same village. However, the man was from a lower caste than the woman, who was already married off. My question is did Papa receive a bride-price? If he did it was probably a good one since the sex-ratio of this group appears to make women a valuable commodity.

The whole intra-village marriage taboo thing strikes me as a way to import wealth into the village via exporting young women.

53. Does Time Run Backward in Other Universes?

Comment #184213 by Christopher Davis on May 24, 2008 at 12:19 am

This is slightly related...I think.

The whole thing about a subatomic particle being able to "be" in two places at once (I believe Einstein referred to the phenomenon as "spooky action at a distance"), could that possibly be an effect of a limited ability to perceive time?

I mean suppose even with our high-tech gadgets, humans can only perceive time in some sort of discrete "packets". If something were moving quickly enough back-and-forth in space, is it possible that we could only perceive it as occupying (at a minimum) two seperate positions?

I'm not trying to be clever here, this is some shit that hit me one night after drinking about 4 pints of Guiness while reading an article similar to the one above. If anyone with a background in this field knows of something that I can read that will allow an educated layman to see why this idea is utter rubbish I'd actually appreciate it.

54. 16% of US science teachers are creationists

Comment #183881 by Christopher Davis on May 23, 2008 at 5:08 am

Dragonfirematrix,
I speculate that Neanderthals didn't have religious beliefs.

Nova,
I'd be willing to bet that people who tabulated the survey results based their percentages on the 939 responses, not the 2000 inquiries.

Also, I agree with the poster who views YEC beliefs as a sign of ignorance, and I don't think that saying "I don't want my child taught by a YEC" is the same as saying "I don't want my child taught by a (fill in oppressed minority)". That's a straw-man fit for OZ.

55. Geeks and Guinness: the formula for sexy science

Comment #183870 by Christopher Davis on May 23, 2008 at 4:25 am

I don't give a shit about De Grey or his ideas, even if they came out with a way to live forever I could never afford it (hell 'Rogaine' stressed my budget before I just decided to let it go). What brings a tear of joy to my eye is Guiness and science!

I've spent many an evening at a bar/pub drinking Guiness and reading science. Most of the people I know think that's weird. Of course, I explain to them that I'm single and don't cook. A man sitting at the bar, eating his dinner, knocking back a few cold ones and reading a book looks a hell of lot less pathetic than a man sitting at the bar, eating his dinner and NOT reading a book...plus it's not a bad way to meet interesting women. Really.

56. Texas Megachurch Minister Busted in Internet Sex Sting

Comment #183864 by Christopher Davis on May 23, 2008 at 4:00 am

stephensmith,
So what were the cops supposed to do? Wait for this 52 year-old to actually film himself fucking a 13 year old girl and then arrest him? Use your brain man!

Al,
If I were in the mood to play Devil's...er, I mean Jesus's advocate, I'd claim that the reason we never see headlines about atheist sex offenses is because most sex offenses are committed by atheists, therefore it's not news.

Of course since in my civilian life I work as a prison guard on a yard with 500 sex offenders, 99% of whom all have a stack of religious books in their cubicles, I'd then have to tell myself I'm full of shit.

57. Sun's properties not 'fine-tuned' for life

Comment #183856 by Christopher Davis on May 23, 2008 at 3:33 am

Chances of my winning the lottery? Extremely small.


Chances of someone (eventually) winning the lottery? Guaranteed.

Even if our sun turns out to be "special" or "unique" in having certain properties that allow it to support life, that means nothing.

If it wasn't our star that happened to be an outlier, then there would be a bunch of (other)goom-bahs several million light-years away wondering why they are so fortunate and thinking that the universe had been designed especially for them.

Of course as many posters here have already pointed out, the universe is huge (hell the galaxy is actually pretty damn big). So even if our sun is in the small percentage of stars able to produce planets able to support life as we know it, it is still only one of many.

Unfortunately, distance isn't the only problem...how long does your average "intelligent" civilization last?

How do we know that Homo Erectus wasn't constantly being asked, "Can you here me now?"

Time is the killer? If we ever do detect a radio signal from an alien civilization, it will probably be a civilization long dead.

Which makes you wonder, where will we be when someone detects our transmissions?

58. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #180069 by Christopher Davis on May 14, 2008 at 6:55 am

Dr. Benway,

No, but thank you for asking. I actually have plenty of reading material, I just miss the whole "bookstore" experience...the coffee, the cute nerdy girls, the lack of outgoing artillery fire.

59. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #180043 by Christopher Davis on May 14, 2008 at 6:18 am

Al,

Fanusi can have my bunk. I miss Barnes and Noble.

60. Americans pray at the pump for cheaper petrol

Comment #180010 by Christopher Davis on May 14, 2008 at 5:24 am

someonefree,

No, and no. But it would be a nice start.

As AtheistJon has pointed out, American's fondness for gas-guzzlers is only a tiny (although conspicuous) part of the world's energy problem. Rising gas prices however, are a significant problem for the American economy...a problem we could alleviate if we would just change our ideas about what's "cool".

61. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #179898 by Christopher Davis on May 14, 2008 at 1:13 am

MaxD,

No, I didn't take your comments as too flippant, I just hope people don't take mine as too crude.

62. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #179860 by Christopher Davis on May 13, 2008 at 10:31 pm

MaxD,

Sadly enough, that seems to be the way of the world. And as I've just admitted, in certain situations, I have no delusions about being able to lift myself above it.

However, I would have used my 9mm. Less chance of the bullet passing through the intended target and wounding someone I didn't mean to shoot.

63. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #179853 by Christopher Davis on May 13, 2008 at 9:59 pm

It's never boring when Al is on the board (350? How many reps?)

Al, you said that we need to let Islamists come to power and fuck up a country or two, does Afghanistan count?

"Maybe planeloads of The God Delusion translated into Pashto?"---Claudimordax

Won't help. At least not in the province I'm working in. Here it's 97 % Pashtun with less than 4% literacy (0% among women).

One more thought on the original article. If this had happened in front of me...say I was attending a shura and as we were leaving this young girl came running into the street pursued by her father and brothers...I would have stopped it. If that meant killing the father and the two brothers, so be it.

Orders from my superior officers would not have stopped me, nor would the knowledge of the possible consequences of my actions to both myself and future operations.

I won't try to justify this with any moral statements (the father thinks his actions were moral). That man and his two sons would be dead not because I'm righteous, but because I carry a gun.

64. God seekers go public

Comment #179843 by Christopher Davis on May 13, 2008 at 9:29 pm

annnabanana, mentioned Scientology in one of her posts. Funny thing is, I just read one of Hubbard's books on Scientology (Fundamentals of Thought, 1988) that I found in a pile of books in one of our Morale and Recreation facilities.

Utter rubbish (except for a couple of philosophical musings in chapt. 6) but it didn't mention anything about the space-ships and the volcanoes...which was what I was looking for.

So I "googled" Scientology and got a fairly good summary of Hubbard's creation myth at Wikipedia. Funny thing is, as I was reading it out loud to the people in the office, one of the guys who is a fundamentalist Christian (believes in a literal Bible) was laughing just as hard as the rest of us and said "That's just stupid."

This from a guy who genuinely believes that some old dude built a boat and jammed 2 of every animal on earth in it for 40 days.

It never ceases to amaze me how people can so easily identify bullshit when it's someone elses bullshit, yet continue to believe that their own bullshit is true.

65. God seekers go public

Comment #179839 by Christopher Davis on May 13, 2008 at 9:13 pm

This month's oxymoron award goes to "Christian Science Monitor".---irate_atheist

And the redundandcy award goes to all literary works classified as "religious fiction".

66. Americans pray at the pump for cheaper petrol

Comment #179825 by Christopher Davis on May 13, 2008 at 8:28 pm

Steve,
True, a change in fashions won't help the working poor very much, and in fact it might just hurt them. If the "status-concious upper crust" switch over to more fuel-efficient vehicles, then most of the vehicles sitting on used-car lots will be SUV's and other large vehicles.

Furthermore, since the working poor don't always make the best long-term financial decisions, they might be more than tempted to buy that late-model, used Navigator because a lack of demand has finally made such a vehicle acessible.

To everyone,

After ruminating on this subject a bit, I realize that I might be a little to close to be objective.

I grew up poor. I don't ever recall the price of gas not being a concern in my household. We lived in a mobile-home,on a two-acre plot of land in rural Alabama. It was five-miles to the local school (I mostly rode the bus), and my Dad drove 25 miles one-way to the nearest population center (Fayette, pop. 10,000)to work in a cotton mill.

Now before some of the smart-asses out there start posting snide comments about "uphill both ways in the snow" and asking if I got only one pair of shoes per year...no, I didn't have it that bad. My Mother controlled the finances, and despite not having a high school diploma (she made it to the 11th grade, my Dad made it through the 9th) she was smart, and she was frugal. I knew we didn't have as much money as most of the other families around, but I never felt deprived.

However, I can't think of a time when my parents hired a baby-sitter and went out to dinner (about once-a-week, as a family, we ate at McDonald's). Every car my Dad ever owned was used, and gas-mileage was always a consideration in the purchase.

So I apologize if in attempting to defend Americans from the derision we rightly deserve regarding our energy consumption habits I have extrapolated from the minority. The problem is that it is a minority that I am too intimately familiar with.

p.s. I drive a 2001 4-cylinder Honda Accord and I'm a big fan of solar technology.

67. Americans pray at the pump for cheaper petrol

Comment #179798 by Christopher Davis on May 13, 2008 at 6:53 pm

"We need US prices to be double or even triple what they are today, in order to force motorists to buy more economical cars -- small cars, hybrid cars, electric cars etc.---Richard Dawkins

Prof. Dawkins

I agree that Americans need to switch to more fuel efficient automobiles, but not everyone in the U.S. has the means of switching to a more fuel efficient vehicle. The demographic that I am referring to is best represented in Barbara Ehenrich's book "Nickel and Dimed: Not Getting By In America".

While I agree that it is the epitome of whining to complain about high gas prices (which compared to the rest of the world are actually low)and then do nothing about it, I don't believe the answer is to squeeze American consumers until they cry 'uncle'. By the time prices are high enough to convince the demographic that most of us here view with disdain to divest themselves of their high-staus gas guzzlers, millions of working poor will have long since been financially crushed.

What needs to happen is for SUV's and other gas guzzlers to become unfashionable...when driving a hybrid is a sign of status, then U.S. consumers will change their ways.

68. Americans pray at the pump for cheaper petrol

Comment #179322 by Christopher Davis on May 13, 2008 at 5:50 am

petrucio and Goldy,

Are you two agreeing with me or trying to be sarcastic? My point is that gas prices are increasing at an outrageous rate everywhere and just because we pay half as much for a gallon of gas as the rest of the civilized world, doesn't mean that we don't have citiizens that are truly hurt by the doubling in price of a vital commodity like gasoline.

Like I said, I doubt any of these fools praying for lower gas prices are in that demographic and for them I have no sympathy. But economies differ, and to take the position of "so what gas is nearing four dollars a gallon in the U.S. , ours cost eight" is unsophisticated and quite frankly, childish.

Yes, there are a lot of fat-ass Americans who drive gas-guzzling SUV's, but there are also a lot of working-poor who don't. So bash us for our excesses, complain about our government (which has had a role to play in rising oil costs), and by all means ridicule the religious idiots who think praying will help. But don't dismiss the impact that rising gas costs are having on a certain segment of U.S. society just because prices here are cheaper.

69. Americans pray at the pump for cheaper petrol

Comment #179229 by Christopher Davis on May 12, 2008 at 11:49 pm

OK. OK. Enough bitching about how Americans have no right to bitch about gas prices.

Yes, we pay a lot less than Europeans...we always have.

No, I don't expect the rest of the world to feel sympathy for the SUV driving soccer moms that you all see on TV...but I do ask that you take a moment to think about the single mom who drives a 1986 Pontiac Lemans 20 miles one-way to her factory job on the outskirts of town for $8.00/hr before coming home, kissing her kids and heading back out the door to wait tables at a nearby diner.

The reason that fucktards (sorry irate_atheist, but everyone else it using it and it's so apt) like this piss me off is that they make a laughing matter out of a serious subject.

These religious nut-jobs think that they can ask their good buddy Jesus to lower gas prices just so they can maintain their middle-class lifestyle. Meanwhile, there are millions of working-poor in the U.S. who don't have the option of downsizing from a Land-Rover to a Honda Civic. For them an extra $80-100/month spent on gas is a budget breaker.

So in essence, Fuck these self-righteous hypocrites. If they have time to stand outside a damn gas station and pray, they have time to do something productive. I hope they all wind up car-pooling in a Hyundai to choir practice. I just hope a lot of hard-working Americans don't wind up on the street first.

70. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #178772 by Christopher Davis on May 12, 2008 at 2:55 am

"Do you have evidence that they didn't do honour killings before Mohammed came along ?"---mmurray

Don't need it. Whether or not the practice of honour killings predates the formation of Islam is irrelevant. This man's justification for stomping his daughter to death is his religious beliefs.

Barry Pearson said that he suspects that the interaction between religion and culture is "two way". I agree, but I refuse to split hairs or to disseminate blame by attempting to determine the origin of this barbaric practice. Unless this "man" (and I use that word reluctantly) is 1400 yrs. old, he got the idea that stomping his daughter to death was the right thing to do from his understanding of Islam.

71. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #178665 by Christopher Davis on May 11, 2008 at 9:15 pm

"Fair summary Al Rawandi.
I'm not a big fan of Islam but the revolting practice of honour killing appears to be associated with tribalism more than a specific religion."---jo5ef

Unfortunately, their tribal code comes from their religion.

72. Scientists Know Better Than You--Even When They're Wrong

Comment #177942 by Christopher Davis on May 10, 2008 at 2:55 am

"In our book we too criticize creationism's pretensions to be a science, but we don't treat it as a trivial problem. Our critiques of creationism are: (a) that it stops scientific progress in its tracks by answering questions in a way that closes off further research; and (b) that there is no real attempt to meld the approach with the existing methods of science. We know that the creationists say this is not true, but their hypotheses relate to books of obscure origin or to faith rather than to observation."

Haven't I already read these arguments from Prof. Dawkins??? The same Prof. Dawkins that this guy calls "crude and unsubtle"?

73. The detail in the Devil

Comment #176266 by Christopher Davis on May 7, 2008 at 3:32 am

"I don't mean to sound all superior but thinking about these men in this light does make me feel ..., I don't know, more mature (?)."---Frankus1122

I feel superior.

74. Evolution's Critics Shift Tactics With Schools

Comment #175294 by Christopher Davis on May 5, 2008 at 6:09 am

Will Young,
Thanks, I figured Turkey and Japan, but I never would have guessed the other five (you mentioned the U.S. and France in your post).

Beezlebub,

I'm pretty sure chimps have pink skin. I believe their faces turn dark as they age, but the rest of their skin remains pink.

75. Evolution's Critics Shift Tactics With Schools

Comment #174975 by Christopher Davis on May 4, 2008 at 2:39 am

Will Young,

Only nine!? That is way less than I would have thought. This sounds like a piece of information that I could use to back up a proposal I'm preparing. Do you know where I can get a list? I mean, I'll try to google it but I need a credible source.

76. Evolution's Critics Shift Tactics With Schools

Comment #174912 by Christopher Davis on May 3, 2008 at 8:04 pm

"Opinion poll mentality should have no place in the teaching of science"---SPS

I agree, but the U.S. is a democracy. Everyone of those idiots (34% of respondents) who are "upset" that evolution is taught in schools has a vote.

I've noticed that a couple of people seem to think that laws like this are implemented, parents can somehow be coerced into opposing it. I doubt it. that 34% probably has more kids than the other 66%...in other words they are the parents.

And if the other poll is any indication, 78% of the people don't give a shit. Be afraid, be very afraid.

77. A New Jack Chick Tract: Moving On Up!

Comment #174838 by Christopher Davis on May 3, 2008 at 4:11 pm

This is priceless. I've never heard of Jack Chick before, how long has this guy been around?

For Christmas, we should all chip in and send this guy a fruitcake. On second thought, maybe not...wouldn't want to contribute to cannabilism.

78. Evolution's Critics Shift Tactics With Schools

Comment #174834 by Christopher Davis on May 3, 2008 at 4:01 pm

This almost makes ME want to pray...pray that teachers like Doug Cowan are the minority.

Even though the bills failed in Florida, I'm sure that the IDers will get more than one through in some state (my home state of Alabama seems likely).

When they do, I suggest that teachers do exactly what the IDers want and teach the "critiques" of evolution...teach why they are wrong.

I believe that a biology teacher with a good understanding of evolution and a little creativity could easily present an argument against evolution, de-construct that argument, and in the process of showing why that argument is flawed provide a better understanding of how evolution actually works.

A really smart teacher could even use this tactic to provide his/her students with a better understanding of statistics, probabilities, rhetoric, and the process of critical thinking. This is what I hope to do if I can get a job teaching high school when I get home from this deployment.

Unfortunately, I think I might be a bit optimistic. I am reminded everyday that the Doug Cowans of the world outnumber people like me ten-to-one.

79. Was the new finger a 'natural' miracle?

Comment #174649 by Christopher Davis on May 3, 2008 at 4:03 am

I think Bizarro Dawkins is right about the use of the word "miracle" in the title of this article. It's just a colorful, literary device. However...

I don't think is justified in coming to an atheist website and looking down his nose (so to speak) at people who seize the opportunity to take a few jabs at people who might actually attribute something like this to the "grace of God". Especially when his screen-name is 'Bizarro Dawkins'.

80. Muslim Rebel Sisters: At Odds With Islam and Each Other

Comment #174643 by Christopher Davis on May 3, 2008 at 3:42 am

Jiten,

Virtually every event can be broken down into both proximal and distal causes. In this case however, the only cause that really matters is Islam.

This is a religion that teaches children that the West is inherently evil and the cause of all their problems. It is a religion that condones (hell, demands) violence against non-believers.

The reason that the terrorists attacked New York as opposed to New Zealand or Belgium is the same reason a person deadset on eliminating titties from the world would go after Pamela Anderson as opposed to Debra Messing.

81. Anti-Evolution Film Misappropriates the Holocaust

Comment #174455 by Christopher Davis on May 2, 2008 at 12:55 pm

_riverrun_,

So how did you want me to translate the actions or your two Russians?

If I were at home, I'd pull a couple of Chomsky books off my shelf and give you more than one example. But I'm not going to try and do it by memory.

However, I'll concede that it is presumptuous of me to say that ALL Chomsky does is bash the U.S. I'm sure the man has hobbies, and besides I've only read a few of his works.

It would be far more appropriate if I clarified myself by saying "everything I've ever read by Chomsky...", but that quickly becomes tiresome.
Futhermore, I stand by my claim that he is as well known as he is today because of his anti-U.S. positions.

It's after midnight here. I'm going to bed.

82. Anti-Evolution Film Misappropriates the Holocaust

Comment #174443 by Christopher Davis on May 2, 2008 at 12:36 pm

_riverrun_

Also, googling "Noam Chomsky 9/11" didn't help me much. Not your fault. I'll need to get the book. Unfortunately, I'm in Afghanistan so that might take a while.

83. Anti-Evolution Film Misappropriates the Holocaust

Comment #174432 by Christopher Davis on May 2, 2008 at 12:19 pm

_riverrun_,

My point is that all Chomsky does is blame the U.S. As for the Russian's, there is a third option...

The Russian who made his entire career off spinning every international atrocity to make it appear Russia was somehow to blame.

84. Muslim Rebel Sisters: At Odds With Islam and Each Other

Comment #174426 by Christopher Davis on May 2, 2008 at 12:09 pm

Bonzai,

Okay. I gathered that much. But doesn't her speculation that she'd probably be an atheist if she had been brought up in the Muslim world sort of argue against the viability or reforming Islam? I mean, by her own admission she wouldn't know what "true Islam" is if she hadn't had the privelege of being raised outside the Muslim world.

Change generally comes from within. I applaud her efforts, but I think she is tilting at windmills.

85. Anti-Evolution Film Misappropriates the Holocaust

Comment #174413 by Christopher Davis on May 2, 2008 at 11:49 am

_riverrun_,

I'm the one who referred to Chomsky as a one trick pony. As for the excerpts you posted, so what? I don't see a denunciation of Bin Laden there. It reads like an encyclopedia. I'll bet those paragraphs are simply Chomsky setting himself up to denounce the "terrorist" actions of the U.S. in Afghanistan during the 80's.

Post where you lifted these excerpts from. If I'm wrong I'll admit it and apologize.

86. Muslim Rebel Sisters: At Odds With Islam and Each Other

Comment #174393 by Christopher Davis on May 2, 2008 at 11:20 am

"Had I grown up in a Muslim country, I'd probably be an atheist in my heart."---Irshad Manji

WTF? So what is she saying? That if she had actually been exposed to the religion she is supporting she would disown it?

Jiten,

"It was Islam but not just Islam."

I'm lost. Are you saying that there were other causes besides Islam, or are you ridiculing Ali's statement? If it's the latter,I think you should read it again, because it is actually quite coherent.

87. Anti-Evolution Film Misappropriates the Holocaust

Comment #174385 by Christopher Davis on May 2, 2008 at 10:53 am

_riverrun_,

I said I was dubious, but I'm willing to take your word for it. Doesn't change the fact that you are getting your ass handed to you. Mainly because of your reliance on Chomsky.

Chomsky is a one trick pony...point out something that is fucked-up, blame it on U.S. foreign policy. A little balance to his rhetoric would gain him (and by proxy you) a bit more credibility.

88. Anti-Evolution Film Misappropriates the Holocaust

Comment #174366 by Christopher Davis on May 2, 2008 at 10:02 am

Elli,

When it comes to Chomsky, I'd say "misguided genius" probably sums it up.

As for those people you refer to as "shit-stirrers", I think that for most of them it's just hard to imagine how someone could have a large amount of respect for a person and his/her ideas without being a slavish lap-dog to that person. They generally can't manage it.

89. Anti-Evolution Film Misappropriates the Holocaust

Comment #174356 by Christopher Davis on May 2, 2008 at 9:23 am

Al,

Good rebuttal. I was waiting to see what you'd write. Although I admit I am dubious as to whether or not _riverrun_ actually got all that from Chomsky.

What I've read of Chomsky leads me to conclude that he is nothing more than a highly educated "blame America first"-er. Worse, he seems unable to find fault with anyone but the U.S.

Also, ultra-nationalist doesn't describe you. From what I've seen you spread the blame around.

90. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #174344 by Christopher Davis on May 2, 2008 at 7:52 am

irate_atheist

"... puerile pre-pubescent pissing contest."

Nice alliteration.

91. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #174329 by Christopher Davis on May 2, 2008 at 6:52 am

FightingFalcon,

I made that decision twice. I've got 5 years active and 6 in the reserve...spread out over three brances: Navy, Air National Guard, and now Army Reserve. Nothing wrong with working for the government, I was just being facetious.

92. Anti-Evolution Film Misappropriates the Holocaust

Comment #174328 by Christopher Davis on May 2, 2008 at 6:40 am

MaxD,

I wouldn't even give ID that much respect. It's an intellectually dishonest, negative PR scheme.

93. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #174324 by Christopher Davis on May 2, 2008 at 6:28 am

FightingFalcon,

Well if I can't look forward to kicking back with a cold Guiness and watching the Georgia Bulldogs win a national title this year, then communism certainly isn't for me...no matter how many boobies they have.

As for the comment about the government telling you what job to do and when to do it...aren't you in the military?

94. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #174298 by Christopher Davis on May 2, 2008 at 3:23 am

"People will show up for their 8 hours on the job then go home, even if they suck at their job they still get paid, the same as the people who work hard. There is absolutely zero viability."---I think Al-Rawandi said this but I'm lifting from a block quote in one of Teratornis's comments (#363)

This sounds like the Army...except for the part about working 8 hours and going home.

95. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #174232 by Christopher Davis on May 1, 2008 at 11:17 pm

"When all property is owned by the State, what incentive is there to even live? No social mobility, no chance for a better life, no money, nothing. What a worthless existence. I'd rather be dead."---FightingFalcon


College Football, Guiness beer, and boobies!

Oh, and the attempt to become a better human being through the relentless quest for knowledge?

96. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #174224 by Christopher Davis on May 1, 2008 at 11:04 pm

Al-Rawandi,

When I said that socialism looks better on paper, I didn't mean it as a vote of support.

The point I was driving at is that no system of government is ever implemented in reality the way it is proposed in theory. In my opinion, this is due mainly to the human element.

As for capitilism reinforcing human nature...to an extent, but I think it might be more accurate to say it feeds off human nature.

As for a successful, truly socialist state...I don't know of one, and I agree that countries like Norway, Sweden, and Denmark don't count. However, I don't know if I would characterize them as "riding on the coat-tails of the U.S.

Of course, I'd argue the U.S. isn't a pure capitalist society either, nor do I believe that we want it to become one. If it did, I think that we would wind up having such a gap between the truly wealthy and everyone else that we would start to see some of the same problems that as failed socialist states. We could become the shining example of what happens when capitalism is allowed unfettered expansion.

Right now the "middle classes" are the only thing keeping the economy afloat. And I shudder to think how many of those middle-class households live paycheck-to-paycheck with no true wealth to sustain them through a rough spot.

You might argue that it is the wealthy capitalist that create the jobs that keep the economy afloat, but my counter to that is that when you need two or three of those jobs just to pay the bills you are not floating, you're treading.

But then again, I'm no economist(actually, I have a liberal arts degree). I simply think that a push towards a purer form of capitalism is a bad move.

If someone is getting out more than they put in, then someone is putting in more than they get out. It's the whole "tradgedy of the commons" thing.

Also, I think socialized medicine could work.

97. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #173647 by Christopher Davis on May 1, 2008 at 3:19 am

Jiten,

I've read Chomsky and I wasn't convinced either. In fact, I was completely underwhelmed.

98. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #173577 by Christopher Davis on April 30, 2008 at 9:38 pm

Dr. Benway,

Yeah, I believe that was General Franks' justification. The only problem with that is that the military already has rules and regulations regarding all three of those topics that are more than adequate to insure that Muslim sensitivities are protected. There really was no need for an all-encompassing "Thou Shalt Not".

As for Rosy, that's not illegal...the only problems are privacy and motivation.

99. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #173572 by Christopher Davis on April 30, 2008 at 9:31 pm

Wow. These discussions really seem to take off while I'm asleep. Not to regress too much (hopefully Al Rawandi won't be too fed up to comment on this), but isn't capitalism a system that is inherently unfair?

I mean the goal of anyone wishing to "succeed" in a capitalist society is to turn a profit. By definition, turning a profit means getting more out of the system than you put in...which pretty much means that there is somebody putting more in than they are getting out.

Now, before I get blasted for being over-simplistic (because that is what I am doing),I realize that in practice capitalism is far more nuanced than that. But on paper, pure capitalism looks like a non-starter, while socialism looks like a good idea.

Personally, I feel that it is fruitless to argue the merits of capitalism versus socialism, because both systems are inherently dependent on the attitudes and actions of the people within them. Human nature can and will fuck up either system if that system is practiced in its truest form (although I think capitalism might be the more resistant of the two).

Human beings have an innate drive for status. You are only poor if the person next door (assuming you both have doors) has more than you. Most people don't strive to be their best, if they strive at all it is only to be better than their peers.

In the U.S. that usually translates directly into earning more money and having more/nicer material possesions. However, amongst the lower classes, this innate drive for status often seems to manifest itself in a perverse sort of "crab-bucket" effect, whereby people are disparaged for trying to improve their fortunes.

Someone here commented that their will always be "shit jobs" that need doing. Sadly, that's true. In a stratified society (and are there any that isn't?), in order for there to be a top, there has to be a middle and a bottom.

Socialism fails when it refuses to acknowledge the status seeking nature of human beings. Capitalism fails when the slope leading from bottom to top becomes hopelessly steep.

Just my thoughts. Sorry to backtrack.

100. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #173072 by Christopher Davis on April 30, 2008 at 9:55 am

I appreciate the offer Dr. Benway, but even if you could ship it, I couldn't drink it.

General Order #1 prohibits troops in theater from consuming alcohol, viewing pornography, or having sex. This order was put in place by General Tommie Franks...a born again, evangelical Christian. And even though he's not running the show anymore, it still stands in Iraq and Afghanistan.