the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

It presumably took a lot of pushing and prodding, but now he's finally endorsed Covid-19 vaccinations.

Which is good. So well done, Donald! ...

It doesn't matter why he did it. Hopefully, the Republican state governors will take the vaccine too. It made sense for someone who'd taken the vaccine (and survived ) to encourage others to do so. If that person has enormous influence, it makes sense for them to use it. If someone also wants to take credit for the vaccine's development, it doesn't make sense not to encourage using it.

What the studies indicate is that people (in general) want to get their medical advice from their physicians and medical experts, not from any politicians. That way people can keep their political allegiances, and we won't have to lose another half million people.

Seems redundant to require the father of 'Warp Speed' to endorse the product.

I share some popular concern that people are getting their medical advice
from TV pharmaceutical ads then following the ads advice - 'ask your doctor'
then there is indication that doctors are reacting by prescribing the drug de jour.

jim wrote:

oragami_itto wrote:just because...

Ian C. Kuzushi wrote:A number of problems undermine this question

doesn't mean i'll cease to ponder it

thank you for your insights.

jimmy wrote:just because A number of problems undermine this question doesn't mean i'll cease to ponder it

It's a good problem to ponder. Wicked problems such as how to tackle global warming or how societies should be organized are just that: wicked problems.* I don't know if they are impossible or whether we are suffering from a crisis of imagination. But, not being completely cynical, I too think we must think deeply about such things and hearing out different approaches is essential.



*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_problem

So, Jimmy style....



"A just machine to make big decisions
Programmed by fellows with compassion and vision"

Yes, seriously. Or at least more in that direction. I think it's our best hope, despite fears à la Matrix and Terminator and all the rest. A little more like Iain Banks' The Culture.

Giles wrote:"A just machine to make big decisions
Programmed by fellows with compassion and vision"

Yes, seriously. Or at least more in that direction. I think it's our best hope, despite fears à la Matrix and Terminator and all the rest. A little more like Iain Banks' The Culture.

There's a Phillip K. Dick story like that. Each year the Head Computer in Charge needs a human to make a vote, so it selects somebody based on its own unfathomable criteria to cast the vote, and then it either follows the vote or does the opposite as it sees fit.

I know we're getting OT here, but since Trump has already come out and endorsed, maybe this thread is already obsolete...

I'm not familiar with this Dick story (as a big SF fan I should surely read more of his work) but this too sounds a little dystopian (?). Once again, I don't believe this would have to be the case, and it might offer a way out from the ongoing human cycle of progression/maturing vs. backsliding into stupidity and destructiveness.

If 'machines' (meaning some form of AI) were indeed to make big decisions, then it would be important that their criteria are not unfathomable. Otherwise we're off into DystopiNarnia again.

If we can't even balance ourselves why do we think we can balance something external? Building the tower to Babel again