[ExI] Strange existence threat

[Will Steinberg]

I'd certainly believe something like that, but I'm more willing to believe
that it is a memetic mind poison pushed by propaganda because it gives the
pharma companies customers-for-life who pay billions in total.  Of course
part of this is the collusion between providers/pharma and insurance
companies to raise uninsured prices through the roof, so the insurance
companies can tax you through ridiculous premiums and give the money to
providers while skimming off the top for themselves.  I think it's more of
a deliberate thing, but harder to prove.

In your case you would need to get very solid evidence that people more
exposed to chemical XYZ are trans (and even knowing what the chemical is,
that it's not rather a resultant biomarker of being trans, etc).  Only then
could people perhaps start to say "ok, if it is the result of poison, maybe
we should reduce the poison."  But the grassroots propagandists that
industry has created might honestly even say "no, keep the poison, it's
valid".

I don't have hate for trans people, since (while reserving some ire for
those who push this stuff on kids)  think overwhelmingly they are just
following a fad or brainwashed.  They're told about a solution to their
depression and it works, of course--the placebo effect, as well as the
effect of *any* mind altering drug in general on changing heavily ingrained
behavior patterns, are probably enough to cause all the good.

(Side note--I think antidepressants shouldn't be tested against only
placebo, but a set of other (lightly) mind-altering drugs.  Stimulants have
been used as antidepressants.  Cannabis.  Dissociatives.  Even opiates.
Just anything to feel different and get out of that cycle.)

Especially with kids--if you told sad kids that some people get their eyes
surgically removed and it cures their depression, some of them would
actually do it, and some of them would be happier afterwards--but there are
almost always better solutions.  The massive increase in this stuff within
a period of 10 years to me points to psychological operations by drug
companies rather than accumulation of poisons, but I suppose you never know.

It's a touchy subject for sure, probably MUCH touchier than you know,
because you are old.  You best come to that party with data or you'll be
crucified.

On Sun, Feb 16, 2025 at 9:22 PM Mike Dougherty via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

> On Sun, Feb 16, 2025, 7:30 PM Keith Henson via extropy-chat <
> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>
>> It needs urgent study. Given the current political environment is that
>> possible? The oil companies make a lot of money off plastics so they
>> would oppose research. Maybe it could be sold as a long-term way to
>> reduce the number of trans people caused by chemicals.  Any other
>> ideas?
>>
>
> I think you are ambivalent about "trans" so I read this as purely a way to
> game the zeitgeist into allocating funds for research that should be done
> regardless of agenda
>
> The way words work, and the attention spans growing ever shorter... makes
> me wince at the snip "reduce the number of trans people" - so if you do
> mention this again outside this group, be mindful how people will remember
> what they think you said instead of what you meant.
>
> (Or not, perhaps this is my problem more than others)
>
>> _______________________________________________
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