- Welcome to Kevin's Thoughts on the Human Race's Future.
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#31
Opinions / Nature's rights - e.g. what we...
Last post by KevinC - Oct 21, 2019, 04:18 PM1) Nature should be allowed to proceed, at least in the portions of the biosphere we allocate to it, to proceed without human intervention. This is based on the belief that we are insufficiently knowledgable to manage nature's resources better than it will do by itself. For example, an oak tree planted in a residential area has an estimated lifetime of about 60 years, with a maximum lifetime of about 150 years. An oak tree that grows in an undisturbed forest typically lives to be 450 years old. The longest living tree is over 7000 years old (look it up!). Are we so arrogant as to think we know what is best for trees like that? If not, don't they deserve to live undisturbed by human kind? 2nd example: Smokey the Bear. Smokey was a campaign by the US Forest Agency to prevent forest fires in National Forest. What they didn't realize is that small brush fires are natural in forest and serve to control the amount of burnable material in the forest. After 50+ years of Smokey's efforts, including rushing in to put out any fires that did occur, the forest floors now how so much debree that any fires that do burn do so MUCH hotter with the flames going up into the crowns of the trees - something that seldom happens in a natural forest. Of course, most forest fires are started by humans, or at least human intervention, such as power line faults.
2) Nature deserves to have a polution free environment to grow in. Strive to give it to nature, and we will be giving it to ourselves as well. A win-win.
3) Nature can help us with everything from anti-biotics to absorbtion of CO2 (think corals that convert CO2 into coral (calcium carbonate) and lock that CO2 up basically forever).
epilog: Some resources, like iron, are more plentiful than others, but all are limited. As stated before, but in line with the polution free goal of the forum, we need to learn to recycle EVERYTHING. Accordingly the cost of goods should reflect the total lifecycle cost of that product. I suspect given that, we could quickly learn to live without a lot of products - like single-use plastic straws.
2) Nature deserves to have a polution free environment to grow in. Strive to give it to nature, and we will be giving it to ourselves as well. A win-win.
3) Nature can help us with everything from anti-biotics to absorbtion of CO2 (think corals that convert CO2 into coral (calcium carbonate) and lock that CO2 up basically forever).
epilog: Some resources, like iron, are more plentiful than others, but all are limited. As stated before, but in line with the polution free goal of the forum, we need to learn to recycle EVERYTHING. Accordingly the cost of goods should reflect the total lifecycle cost of that product. I suspect given that, we could quickly learn to live without a lot of products - like single-use plastic straws.
#32
Opinions / Becoming more tollerant
Last post by KevinC - Oct 19, 2019, 05:26 PMWay to much hate in this world. Race based. Reglious based. Gender identity based. etc.
We need to learn to chill out.
For a starter list:
1) Victimless crimes are victimless - and therefore should not be considered a crime. Note some consider human trafficing victimless, and that stumps me - obviously there are victims there. Same as arms trafficing and illegal drug trafficing. Those are not "victimless" in my mind. However usage of illegal drugs, presuming nobody is hurt other than the person using, is, in my mind, victimless.
2) We must stop trying to legislate morality. Period. To do so just projects one persons opinion on what is moral onto another who might have a different opinion. If your church claims something is immoral - then don't do it. But don't expect others to see things the same way.
3) We must start thinking "big picture", which I define as species survivial, over individual needs.
We need to learn to chill out.
For a starter list:
1) Victimless crimes are victimless - and therefore should not be considered a crime. Note some consider human trafficing victimless, and that stumps me - obviously there are victims there. Same as arms trafficing and illegal drug trafficing. Those are not "victimless" in my mind. However usage of illegal drugs, presuming nobody is hurt other than the person using, is, in my mind, victimless.
2) We must stop trying to legislate morality. Period. To do so just projects one persons opinion on what is moral onto another who might have a different opinion. If your church claims something is immoral - then don't do it. But don't expect others to see things the same way.
3) We must start thinking "big picture", which I define as species survivial, over individual needs.
#33
Article 10 - Human Rights / This is NOT the USA's constitu...
Last post by KevinC - Oct 18, 2019, 02:27 PMFull Disclosure: The original draft of this constitution was written as a thought exercise by a citizen of the USA. It was NOT the intent to impose that constitution on all other nations, although it was used as a pattern.
#34
Self Evident / Re: War is bad
Last post by KevinC - Oct 18, 2019, 02:13 PMThe USA spends, at least, more money on its military than the next dozen countries combined (ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures).
e.g. The USA could cut its military spending in half and still spend more than #2.
However its not that easy. A lot of jobs in the USA are based on that spending. How to curtail that spending without costing jobs in the aerospace/defense industry could be a challenge.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures).
e.g. The USA could cut its military spending in half and still spend more than #2.
However its not that easy. A lot of jobs in the USA are based on that spending. How to curtail that spending without costing jobs in the aerospace/defense industry could be a challenge.
#35
Reference Links and Recommended Reading / Miliatary spending
Last post by KevinC - Oct 18, 2019, 02:09 PM #36
Self Evident / War is bad
Last post by KevinC - Oct 18, 2019, 02:06 PM1) Civilians die (people without a choice)
2) Resources are depleted
3) Funding is spent that could grossly improve lives of people
4) Environment degradation
2) Resources are depleted
3) Funding is spent that could grossly improve lives of people
4) Environment degradation
#37
Governance / Re: Might makes right?
Last post by KevinC - Oct 18, 2019, 11:08 AMPerhaps total shunning would suffice as prescribed in Article 4 of the proposed constitution?
#38
Population / Population Control - Step 3 (v...
Last post by KevinC - Oct 18, 2019, 10:24 AMAfter the first 2 steps are complete and accepted by the majority of the population, step 3 can be enacted:
Doctor assisted suicide (fill out a form with legal information, process for a week or so to validate the information, and then proceed). What is sure to be controversial is an associated social impact fee paid to the family of the person. The younger the person, the greater the pay (think along the lines of 100 - age = payment in thousands of dollars). Minimum age is 21.
Voluntary sterilization for cash. Higher payments if no children have been born.
Remember, the goal is to reduce, over a generation or so, the population significantly.
Doctor assisted suicide (fill out a form with legal information, process for a week or so to validate the information, and then proceed). What is sure to be controversial is an associated social impact fee paid to the family of the person. The younger the person, the greater the pay (think along the lines of 100 - age = payment in thousands of dollars). Minimum age is 21.
Voluntary sterilization for cash. Higher payments if no children have been born.
Remember, the goal is to reduce, over a generation or so, the population significantly.
#39
Governance / Might makes right?
Last post by KevinC - Oct 17, 2019, 07:31 PMThis premise has been the foundation of our various forms of government pretty much forever:
Kings with the biggest armies had the most territory.
Repeating rifles vs. bows & arrows.
US Tanks vs. Iraq tanks in Desert Storm.
Charges of Heresey for anything a ruling religious order doesn't like.
The list goes on thoughout time.
The legend of King Arthur stated that the mighty Knights were to protect the weak - that didn't work out so well.
Today the poor vote to get benefits paid for involuntarily (eg. taxes) by those that are richer. By sheer number they can take money from others to give to themselves.
I don't like this. But I sure can't think of any way to get around it. No matter what laws you pass, you need an enforcement arm to, well, enforce them. Violent offenders get to meet SWAT teams (mightier teams) to bring them under control. What am I missing here? Just feels like we should be smarter than this, but I'm sure not.
Kings with the biggest armies had the most territory.
Repeating rifles vs. bows & arrows.
US Tanks vs. Iraq tanks in Desert Storm.
Charges of Heresey for anything a ruling religious order doesn't like.
The list goes on thoughout time.
The legend of King Arthur stated that the mighty Knights were to protect the weak - that didn't work out so well.
Today the poor vote to get benefits paid for involuntarily (eg. taxes) by those that are richer. By sheer number they can take money from others to give to themselves.
I don't like this. But I sure can't think of any way to get around it. No matter what laws you pass, you need an enforcement arm to, well, enforce them. Violent offenders get to meet SWAT teams (mightier teams) to bring them under control. What am I missing here? Just feels like we should be smarter than this, but I'm sure not.
#40