• blame electronics

    From John Larkin@21:1/5 to All on Sat Apr 27 06:56:05 2024
    https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/26/opinions/opinion-the-cause-of-campus-chaos-zakaria/index.html

    TV, and now cell phones.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Bill Sloman@21:1/5 to John Larkin on Sun Apr 28 02:11:09 2024
    On 27/04/2024 11:56 pm, John Larkin wrote:

    https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/26/opinions/opinion-the-cause-of-campus-chaos-zakaria/index.html

    TV, and now cell phones.

    But that isn't the problem.

    The real problem is much the same as the change in the American diet
    which has made Americans a lot fatter.

    People who sell food have tweaked it so that the people who buy it buy
    more of it - it doesn't matter the the manufacturers that their
    customers get fatter and die younger.

    People who sell opinions make their output more compelling rather than
    more informative, because that enlarges their audience.

    Being able to get stuff published in the New Yorker won't make you all
    that rich. Becoming a star on Fox News is much more profitable - Tucker
    Carlson is a depressing example.

    John Larkin's enthusiasm for climate change denial reflects his
    willingness to binge on the intellectual equivalent of junk food.

    We need an intellectual equivalent of Ozempic - critical thinking in a
    pill. Academic education is supposed to instill critical thinking, but
    it didn't work on John, or Donald Trump.

    --
    Bill Sloman, Sydney

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From bitrex@21:1/5 to Bill Sloman on Sat Apr 27 12:38:50 2024
    On 4/27/2024 12:11 PM, Bill Sloman wrote:
    On 27/04/2024 11:56 pm, John Larkin wrote:

    https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/26/opinions/opinion-the-cause-of-campus-chaos-zakaria/index.html

    TV, and now cell phones.

    But that isn't the problem.

    The real problem is much the same as the change in the American diet
    which has made Americans a lot fatter.

    People who sell food have tweaked it so that the people who buy it buy
    more of it - it doesn't matter the the manufacturers that their
    customers get fatter and die younger.

    People who sell opinions make their output more compelling rather than
    more informative, because that enlarges their audience.

    Being able to get stuff published in the New Yorker won't make you all
    that rich. Becoming a star on Fox News is much more profitable - Tucker Carlson is a depressing example.

    John Larkin's enthusiasm for climate change denial reflects his
    willingness to binge on the intellectual equivalent of junk food.

    We need an intellectual equivalent of Ozempic - critical thinking in a
    pill. Academic education is supposed to instill critical thinking, but
    it didn't work on John, or Donald Trump.


    Even many US university students tend to be smart enough to notice that
    the US seems to have endless money to fund foreign conflicts, but always
    talks austerity when it comes to them and their future (or lack thereof.)

    "Haha you'll never afford a home even with a college degree but here's
    another $50 billion for Israel and Ukraine, and there'll be another $50
    billion after that, and after that..."

    There is plenty of "social capital" left among young people and
    university students. But the powers-that-be do tend to get particularly
    unhappy when a significant portion of it focuses into a beam pointed in
    their direction.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From bitrex@21:1/5 to John Larkin on Sat Apr 27 12:22:57 2024
    On 4/27/2024 9:56 AM, John Larkin wrote:

    https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/26/opinions/opinion-the-cause-of-campus-chaos-zakaria/index.html

    TV, and now cell phones.


    Hilarious how the WSJ-shithead claims that when thousands of students
    are willing to be beaten and arrested en masse it implies they're "less resilient and disengaged." Did Tienanmen Square need TikTok to happen?

    The super-rich will say any nonsense to protect their interests and the dividends of their gruesome wars. Fareed Zakaria, Douglas Belkin, the
    WSJ and NYT just work for 'em.

    One of the more amusing indie games in recent history, where you play
    the editor of the NYT and have to keep the paper running while ensuring
    the super-rich, the police, and the state of Israel are always satisfied
    with the content:

    <https://molleindustria.itch.io/the-new-york-times-simulator>

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Lasse Langwadt@21:1/5 to bitrex on Sat Apr 27 21:00:05 2024
    On 4/27/24 18:38, bitrex wrote:
    On 4/27/2024 12:11 PM, Bill Sloman wrote:
    On 27/04/2024 11:56 pm, John Larkin wrote:

    https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/26/opinions/opinion-the-cause-of-campus-chaos-zakaria/index.html

    TV, and now cell phones.

    But that isn't the problem.

    The real problem is much the same as the change in the American diet
    which has made Americans a lot fatter.

    People who sell food have tweaked it so that the people who buy it buy
    more of it - it doesn't matter the the manufacturers that their
    customers get fatter and die younger.

    People who sell opinions make their output more compelling rather than
    more informative, because that enlarges their audience.

    Being able to get stuff published in the New Yorker won't make you all
    that rich. Becoming a star on Fox News is much more profitable -
    Tucker Carlson is a depressing example.

    John Larkin's enthusiasm for climate change denial reflects his
    willingness to binge on the intellectual equivalent of junk food.

    We need an intellectual equivalent of Ozempic - critical thinking in a
    pill. Academic education is supposed to instill critical thinking, but
    it didn't work on John, or Donald Trump.


    Even many US university students tend to be smart enough to notice that
    the US seems to have endless money to fund foreign conflicts, but always talks austerity when it comes to them and their future (or lack thereof.)

    "Haha you'll never afford a home even with a college degree but here's another $50 billion for Israel and Ukraine, and there'll be another $50 billion after that, and after that..."

    $50 billion is chump change compared to the US budget

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Cursitor Doom@21:1/5 to All on Sun Apr 28 18:01:21 2024
    On Sat, 27 Apr 2024 21:00:05 +0200, Lasse Langwadt <llc@fonz.dk>
    wrote:

    On 4/27/24 18:38, bitrex wrote:
    On 4/27/2024 12:11 PM, Bill Sloman wrote:
    On 27/04/2024 11:56 pm, John Larkin wrote:

    https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/26/opinions/opinion-the-cause-of-campus-chaos-zakaria/index.html

    TV, and now cell phones.

    But that isn't the problem.

    The real problem is much the same as the change in the American diet
    which has made Americans a lot fatter.

    People who sell food have tweaked it so that the people who buy it buy
    more of it - it doesn't matter the the manufacturers that their
    customers get fatter and die younger.

    People who sell opinions make their output more compelling rather than
    more informative, because that enlarges their audience.

    Being able to get stuff published in the New Yorker won't make you all
    that rich. Becoming a star on Fox News is much more profitable -
    Tucker Carlson is a depressing example.

    John Larkin's enthusiasm for climate change denial reflects his
    willingness to binge on the intellectual equivalent of junk food.

    We need an intellectual equivalent of Ozempic - critical thinking in a
    pill. Academic education is supposed to instill critical thinking, but
    it didn't work on John, or Donald Trump.


    Even many US university students tend to be smart enough to notice that
    the US seems to have endless money to fund foreign conflicts, but always
    talks austerity when it comes to them and their future (or lack thereof.)

    "Haha you'll never afford a home even with a college degree but here's
    another $50 billion for Israel and Ukraine, and there'll be another $50
    billion after that, and after that..."

    $50 billion is chump change compared to the US budget

    It's not even chump change compared to the $1tn increase in the US
    national debt every 100 days.
    I have no idea what the thrust of the original article is suggesting.
    I have no idea what Bitrex is bitching about, either. Sending money
    for war purposes whilst ignoring domestic concerns is just what
    Globalism is all about. Globalism is what Bitrex has always espoused
    here, so why he's got his panties in a bunch I simply don't know.
    Anyway, what's most important is that the horse in the photo hasn't
    been provided with eye protection. All riot horses in the UK are fully kitted-out with personal protection gear. I'd assumed it was the same
    in the US but clearly it isn't. THAT issue at any rate, definitely
    requires addressing.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From John Larkin@21:1/5 to bitrex on Sun Apr 28 12:03:08 2024
    On Sat, 27 Apr 2024 12:22:57 -0400, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:

    On 4/27/2024 9:56 AM, John Larkin wrote:

    https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/26/opinions/opinion-the-cause-of-campus-chaos-zakaria/index.html

    TV, and now cell phones.


    Hilarious how the WSJ-shithead claims that when thousands of students
    are willing to be beaten and arrested en masse it implies they're "less >resilient and disengaged." Did Tienanmen Square need TikTok to happen?

    The super-rich will say any nonsense to protect their interests and the >dividends of their gruesome wars. Fareed Zakaria, Douglas Belkin, the
    WSJ and NYT just work for 'em.

    One of the more amusing indie games in recent history, where you play
    the editor of the NYT and have to keep the paper running while ensuring
    the super-rich, the police, and the state of Israel are always satisfied
    with the content:

    <https://molleindustria.itch.io/the-new-york-times-simulator>




    One thing it's worth asking yourself, if more people were like me,
    would the world be a better place?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Bill Sloman@21:1/5 to John Larkin on Mon Apr 29 15:38:31 2024
    On 29/04/2024 5:03 am, John Larkin wrote:
    On Sat, 27 Apr 2024 12:22:57 -0400, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:

    On 4/27/2024 9:56 AM, John Larkin wrote:

    https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/26/opinions/opinion-the-cause-of-campus-chaos-zakaria/index.html

    TV, and now cell phones.


    Hilarious how the WSJ-shithead claims that when thousands of students
    are willing to be beaten and arrested en masse it implies they're "less
    resilient and disengaged." Did Tienanmen Square need TikTok to happen?

    The super-rich will say any nonsense to protect their interests and the
    dividends of their gruesome wars. Fareed Zakaria, Douglas Belkin, the
    WSJ and NYT just work for 'em.

    One of the more amusing indie games in recent history, where you play
    the editor of the NYT and have to keep the paper running while ensuring
    the super-rich, the police, and the state of Israel are always satisfied
    with the content:

    <https://molleindustria.itch.io/the-new-york-times-simulator>

    One thing it's worth asking yourself, if more people were like me,
    would the world be a better place?

    It isn't. There's no way that you can can generate an objectively
    reliable estimate on your own effect on the world as a whole.

    Anybody silly enough to ask the question has to live with the fact that
    if you are that silly your effect on the world is bound to be negative.

    In John Larkin's case, his enthusiasm for climate change denial
    propaganda guarantees that his net effect on the world as a whole is
    going to be negative.

    --
    Bill Sloman, Sydney

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Bill Sloman@21:1/5 to Cursitor Doom on Tue Apr 30 21:23:50 2024
    On 29/04/2024 3:01 am, Cursitor Doom wrote:
    On Sat, 27 Apr 2024 21:00:05 +0200, Lasse Langwadt <llc@fonz.dk>
    wrote:

    On 4/27/24 18:38, bitrex wrote:
    On 4/27/2024 12:11 PM, Bill Sloman wrote:
    On 27/04/2024 11:56 pm, John Larkin wrote:

    https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/26/opinions/opinion-the-cause-of-campus-chaos-zakaria/index.html

    TV, and now cell phones.

    But that isn't the problem.

    The real problem is much the same as the change in the American diet
    which has made Americans a lot fatter.

    People who sell food have tweaked it so that the people who buy it buy >>>> more of it - it doesn't matter the the manufacturers that their
    customers get fatter and die younger.

    People who sell opinions make their output more compelling rather than >>>> more informative, because that enlarges their audience.

    Being able to get stuff published in the New Yorker won't make you all >>>> that rich. Becoming a star on Fox News is much more profitable -
    Tucker Carlson is a depressing example.

    John Larkin's enthusiasm for climate change denial reflects his
    willingness to binge on the intellectual equivalent of junk food.

    We need an intellectual equivalent of Ozempic - critical thinking in a >>>> pill. Academic education is supposed to instill critical thinking, but >>>> it didn't work on John, or Donald Trump.


    Even many US university students tend to be smart enough to notice that
    the US seems to have endless money to fund foreign conflicts, but always >>> talks austerity when it comes to them and their future (or lack thereof.) >>>
    "Haha you'll never afford a home even with a college degree but here's
    another $50 billion for Israel and Ukraine, and there'll be another $50
    billion after that, and after that..."

    $50 billion is chump change compared to the US budget

    It's not even chump change compared to the $1tn increase in the US
    national debt every 100 days.
    I have no idea what the thrust of the original article is suggesting.
    I have no idea what Bitrex is bitching about, either. Sending money
    for war purposes whilst ignoring domestic concerns is just what
    Globalism is all about.

    It isn't. Globalism is merely more international trade - it lets nations specialise in making what they make best and trading those products with
    other nations who have other skills.

    Cursitor Doom associates it with the kinds of imaginary international conspiracies that enrich his fantasy life, rather like my undergraduate
    friends who thought that adobe haciendas were exotic (which they were)
    and exciting, which mud-brick farm houses weren't, when I told them what
    the Spanish phrase meant.

    Globalism is what Bitrex has always espoused here, so why he's got his panties in a bunch I simply don't know.

    He knows what Globalism means in practice (and subsidising foreign wars
    isn't any part the practical reality), while you don't.

    Anyway, what's most important is that the horse in the photo hasn't
    been provided with eye protection. All riot horses in the UK are fully kitted-out with personal protection gear. I'd assumed it was the same
    in the US but clearly it isn't. THAT issue at any rate, definitely
    requires addressing.

    Getting horse used to wearing full personal protection gear takes time. Americans do tend to want to do stuff in a hurry.

    Horses can be skittish, as a handful of the Household cavalry showed in
    London last week.

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/apr/27/army-injured-horses-household-cavalry-london

    --
    Bill Sloman, Sydney

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)