[ExI] you'll never see this again

[John Clark]

On Sat, Jul 4, 2020 at 10:21 AM spike jones via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

*> Some jurisdictions in the USA did stop the virus better than any
> others.  The world’s top three are Alaska, Wyoming and Montana. *
>

For some reason you didn't mention the state with the very lowest COVID-19
death rate, Hawaii. it couldn't be because it's a democratic state could it?

>…It can't prevent spending far *FAR* more per capita on healthcare than
>> any other country on this planet but nevertheless only having the 38th
>> longest life expectancy…
>
>
> *> Keep in mind that those stats don’t filter out the young gangsters who
> shoot each other regularly, which runs up medical costs and lowers life
> expectancy.  If you isolate that factor everywhere (because intentional
> harm messes up statistics) then the life expectancy is comparable here to
> other nations. *
>

That's just plain silly, last year in the US 2,839,205 died but only 19,510
people were murdered. A drop in the bucket.

> Take into account also that in most countries, students go from high
> school into medical school.  In the US they usually must go to college
> first,which runs up costs.
>

I don't know where in the world you got that but maybe it's true for Third
World countries but not for the 37 countries that have a longer life
expectancy than the US does. But it doesn't even matter because even if
it's true it would in no way change the fact that the healthcare system in
the USA sucks compared to the rest of the world, all you would've done is
put your finger on one reason why it sucks compared with the rest of the
world.

> *Our drug qualification trials are more expensive than other countries,*
>

If true, which I doubt, it just means the US is wasting that drug testing
money pushing paper and not on helping patients live longer because they
most certainly do NOT live longer compared with other countries that spend
less than a third as much on healthcare as the USA does.

*> which is why many other countries just wait and buy whatever makes it
> through that process.*


Maybe true for some Third World countries but not for the 37 countries that
have a longer life expectancy than the US does.

*>The beauty of the representative republic model *
>

Giving some people 66.7 times more representation than others is a pretty
crappy model, and it's not very beautiful either.

*> every American is free to move to Wyoming if we wish.*


Spike, do you honestly believe love it or leave it is a good defense of the
electoral college?

*> is that it protects minorities against majority rule.  Minorities
> deserve protection from majority rule, which is fascism.  All minorities
> deserve protection.*
>

I wasn't aware you were in favor of affirmative action to favor minorities,
but Wyoming is lily white, only 2.47% of the population is Native American
and 1.8% black.

>…In the final analysis the only rationale to defend any of this is always
>> just a variation of the "that's the way it's always been done" theme…
>
>
> >> On the contrary.  Had it never been done this way, it would still be
> the most ideal way to run a coalition of states.
>

I am quite certain that isn't true, but if it was that would mean a c
oalition of states is a bad idea and a coalition of people would work much
better.

> it protects minority views in less populated places
>

Even if you accept the very dubious proposition that rich people should
have more voting rights then poor people that still makes no sense because
land ownership is just one of many forms of wealth. Why does how much land
one person owns give him 66.7 times more voting heft, but another person's
expensive Manhattan penthouse or gold or S&P 500 stocks does not similarly
enhance his citizenship?

> *Regarding Wyoming: they are smarter on average than we are. *
>

There is an existence proof that they are not. In 2016 Wyoming went for
Trump. QED


> > *Have some respect. *
>

>From this day forward I solemnly swear to give Trump supporters all the
respect they deserve.

John K Clark



>
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