[ExI] you'll never see this again

Sat Jul 4 18:20:19 UTC 2020

> On Behalf Of John Clark via extropy-chat
Subject: Re: [ExI] you'll never see this again

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

No, it was because I hadn’t heard that and I don’t what party that state is.  That is irrelevant in any case, because covid doesn’t have a party.  It has some states which have been devoured and others which have been spared.  Political party information isn’t on the chart where I found the data in any case.  It was a colored map.  Hawaii is easy to miss down there.

Incessant politicization of covid is a crass form of leveraging a crisis into an opportunity.  Each time any political party or politician is mentioned in this context, the credibility of a covid-related post drops by half.  That isn’t science at its best, it’s politics at is worst. 

> 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…

I got it from Quora:

What countries require an undergraduate degree before applying to medical school?

…

Shaik Afshan <https://www.quora.com/profile/Shaik-Afshan-2> , former Student

Answered <https://www.quora.com/What-countries-require-an-undergraduate-degree-before-applying-to-medical-school/answer/Shaik-Afshan-2>  July 6, 2018

Australia, New Zealand, UK, USA and Canada are the countries in which you need to have a bachelor's degree before entering into the medical school.

I don’t know if it is true.  Anyone here know?  I have two friends, one went to medical school in China, one went to medical school in Iran, both from high school to med school, both had her medical license in early 20s.  Both came to America, neither have been allowed to practice.

>…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…

I see, so the method is to establish that judgment as the baseline fact, and any observation to the contrary is irrelevant unless it conforms to the assumption.  Very well.  There is no further discussion required, the conclusion has been drawn.

>>… 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…

I hear that turn of phrase often, but it always causes me to wonder where they push the paper to?  Does it suggest the half billion it costs to bring a new drug to market is not used for testing efficacy? 

>>…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…

It protects minority rights.  Minorities have rights too.  Without that system, most states become irrelevant.  However, the heavy lifting in the task of government takes place at the state level.  People from sparsely populated states have a lot more individual influence on a state government, each of which has two senators.  That makes perfect sense to me.

>> 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?

Not at all.  Love Wyoming, don’t leave it.  It is part of America, an important part.  I am not suggesting leaving America, just going to Wyoming.  Do not resent the residents there, join them.  They are good people.  I have been there (family history tour.)  The people of Wyoming are a treasure.

>>… 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…

All minorities deserve protection, regardless of their color.  I favor all minorities and believe all should be protected.  All people should be treated equally, regardless of minority status.

>… but Wyoming is lily white, only 2.47% of the population is Native American and 1.8% black…

Why is that relevant please?  Do you have DNA evidence to support that claim?

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

So we are told in the communist dictatorships.  The brutal communist dictatorship which launched the covid plague and threatened anyone who leaked information about covid goes out of its way to differentiate itself from the Republic of China by calling itself the People’s Republic of China.  The People’s Republic of China, headed by President Xi attempted to cover up the virus, which enabled its murderous spread across the planet.

If the majority rules, the minorities will not like the rules the majority imposes upon them.  Too often it turns to two wolves and a lamb voting on what is for dinner.  The American system is great.

>> 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…

I don’t hold the view that rich people should have more voting rights than the poor.  The minority of voters who live in less populated areas are not richer than their more crowded counterparts.  One need not be rich to live in Wyoming.

>…because land ownership is just one of many forms of wealth…

Sure but one need not own land to live in Wyoming.

>…Why does how much land one person owns give him 66.7 times more voting heft…

It doesn’t.  The landowner and non-landowner’s vote counts the same everywhere in that state.

>… but another person's expensive Manhattan penthouse or gold or S&P 500 stocks does not similarly enhance his citizenship?

It doesn’t.  The penthouse/gold/500 owner’s vote counts the same as the non-owner everywhere in that state.

>> 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 

So smarter people… eh, do explain please?  

Their average SAT scores… on second thought, never mind.  Any time the name of a politician or a party is mentioned in the context of science, the credibility of that post drops by half (spike-ism (free of charge (you’re welcome.)))

> Have some respect. 

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

Heh.  OK, sure.  You reserve the right to assign anyone you wish to that status I presume.

spike

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