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4731 |
MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - Europe's growing army of robot workers could be classed as »electronic persons« and their owners liable to paying social security for them if the European Union adopts a draft plan to address the realities of a new industrial revolution.
Robots are being deployed in ever-greater numbers in factories and also taking on tasks such as personal care or surgery, raising fears over unemployment, wealth inequality and alienation.
Their growing intelligence, pervasiveness and autonomy requires rethinking everything from taxation to legal liability, a draft European Parliament motion, dated May 31, suggests.
Some robots are even taking on a human form. Visitors to the world's biggest travel show in March were greeted by a lifelike robot developed by Japan's Toshiba <6502.T> and were helped by another made by France's Aldebaran Robotics.
However, Germany's VDMA, which represents companies such as automation giant Siemens and robot maker Kuka , says the proposals are too complicated and too early.
German robotics and automation turnover rose 7 percent to 12.2 billion euros ($13.8 billion) last year and the country is keen to keep its edge in the latest industrial technology. Kuka is the target of a takeover bid by China's Midea <000333.SZ>.
The draft motion called on the European Commission to consider »that at least the most sophisticated autonomous robots could be established as having the status of electronic persons with specific rights and obligations«.
It also suggested the creation of a register for smart autonomous robots, which would link each one to funds established to cover its legal liabilities.
Patrick Schwarzkopf, managing director of the VDMA's robotic and automation department, said: »That we would create a legal framework with electronic persons - that's something that could happen in 50 years but not in 10 years.«
»We think it would be very bureaucratic and would stunt the development of robotics«,he told reporters at the Automatica robotics trade fair in Munich, while acknowledging that a legal framework for self-driving cars would be needed soon.
The report added that robotics and artificial intelligence may result in a large part of the work now done by humans being taken over by robots, raising concerns about the future of employment and the viability of social security systems.
The draft motion, drawn up by the European parliament's committee on legal affairs also said organizations should have to declare savings they made in social security contributions by using robotics instead of people, for tax purposes.
Schwarzkopf said there was no proven correlation between increasing robot density and unemployment, pointing out that the number of employees in the German automotive industry rose by 13 percent between 2010 and 2015, while industrial robot stock in the industry rose 17 percent in the same period.
The motion faces an uphill battle to win backing from the various political blocks in European Parliament. Even if it did get enough support to pass, it would be a non-binding resolution as the Parliament lacks the authority to propose legislation. **
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It's a matter of semantics. If someone asks you, »Do you believe in God?«, you must have a conception of what »God« is, in order to answer in either the negative or the positive. Replace »God« with any other concept and it becomes clear that my argument stands. As an example: »Do you believe in bears?« Most people would say yes, and most people would agree with that statement. And again: »Do you believe in unicorns?« Most people would say no, and most people would agree with that. But that agreement on whether bears or unicorns exist requires a basic understanding (at least between the two people having the conversation) of what the term »bear« or »unicorn« signifies. Same goes with »God«. But »God« can mean many different things to many different people. **
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Talking of Germany ... the only country that has been benefiting from being in the EU is Germany, due to their technology and motor industries export... and they wanted us to RemaIn so that they could continue profiting ... at our expense. **
Will the Netherlands be better off outside the EU FC? **
Are they more for Nationalism/traditional values of their country? **
Were things just fine before we joined the EU? **
These are the main questions UK voters kept asking themselves every day for the last couple of years (me included) on our UK Referendum... looks like a high percentage of voters said yes to all 3 (me included). **
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They will eventually be granted superior rights to organic persons. **
102177 is a lot of views for one thread. **
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Sorry, I must have read it wrong. Now it says 102531.
It must be a site software problem. **
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People were cooler before the internet. **
More innocent, naive. **
Less dangerous, less powerful. **
They were nicer. **
Now, they know too much. **
They know what other people think. **
Now extremism is on the rise, on all fronts. **
Is it just the earth getting warmer .... **
Everyone's preferred way of life feels threatened by other cultures. **
That make themselves known. **
The internet can't be all good .... **
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Last edited by jerkey on Wed Jun 29, 2016 5:24 pm, edited 2 times in total. **
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Jerkey wrote:
»At some point, the infinitesimal reaches a critical point, where it transforms infinity into finity. That's got to be it.« **
That is what must happen in order to make 1.0 = 0.999..., but the problem is that such can never happen. **
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Last edited by jerkey on Wed Jun 29, 2016 5:24 pm, edited 2 times in total. **
by James S. Saint » Wed Jun 29, 2016 5:48 pm **
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Yeah 24 minutes seems like a lot of settle time required by a server. **
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Realize that as they make machines more and more clever, machines begin to be able to do what humans would think impossible. **
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What does happen only happens because nothing else was possible. Motion (the physical universe) exists because nothing can be what it is and also remain as it is (because what it is, is the »affecting«). That impossibility »causes« the entire universe to be what it is. There is absolutely no choice (the supreme, immutable power).
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Ethical question??
no i dont think so, the idea of »dominating and managing anybody's life« is immoral/evil to start with. **
After having put all the european countries in deep red ink, ECB blows €400billion on »Brexit Black Friday« bank bailouts... and who is paying for this: taxpayers/consumers who will see their purchasing power going down even more. **
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Arminius wrote:
»For the same reason France could be called Britain too, namely because of the Bretons (I mean those who are really still Bretons).« ** **
It has Brittany. **
Arminius wrote:
»I recommend to use a different name, and even the name Great Island would be more correct than Great Britain.
But what if Scotland and Northern Ireland become independent from England?« ** **
Recommend as you like, but a fastidious appeal to etymology has never held much sway in determining language and naming. The Isles were called the British Isles from antiquity, the largest island Great Britain (Ireland at the time was Lesser Britain). **
If Scotland and Northern Ireland secede, the landmass will still be called Great Britain; the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will cease to exist. **
»The EU became too autocratic.. hence the majority vote to leave, so nothing to do with racism or tribalism... why is the whole world thinking otherwise? why can't it be that simple a reason?« (**) **
Because there is no »simple reason« when 33 million people vote on a complex matter. The Ashcroft polls show that immigration was the second most important reason driving the Leave vote. **
Not all leave voters are racists, obviously; they are in the minority. But the very great majority of racists voted leave, obviously, and some of them seem to think that 52% of the country agrees with them.
Given the average understanding of the EU's processes and structure, I think the best you can say is that the EU is perceived as being too autocratic. **
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What has any of that got to do with a democratic voting system Arminius? **
The EU became too autocratic. **
Hence the majority vote to leave, so nothing to do with racism or tribalism. **
Why is the whole world thinking otherwise? Why can't it be that simple a reason? **
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Arminius:
I see where James is comimg from, but my point is that it works both mathematically and philosophycally. **
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Arminius wrote:
»But Britain is not the correct name. Again: A huge majority of the current inhabitants of what is called Great Britain are not Britains.« ** **
That assumes that the correct way to determine the name of a region is to study its current majority inhabitants. I don't think that stands up to a moment's scrutiny in practice. **
England's population of over 53 million comprises 84% of the population of the United Kingdom .... **
Arminius wrote:
»Only Humean wrote:
If Scotland and Northern Ireland secede, the landmass will still be called Great Britain; the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will cease to exist. **
So the name is directed against the English people - a good trick. In other words: Minorities are respected, okay; but they are respected too much - no good trick.
« ** **
It was called Britain when the Angles invaded. They called their section of the island Englalund, because it wasn't all theirs. Perhaps if they'd managed to claim the whole island it would have become Great Anglia. **
The Kingdom of Englandwhich after 1284 included Walesceased being a separate sovereign state on 1 May 1707, when the Acts of Union put into effect the terms agreed in the Treaty of Union the previous year, resulting in a political union with the Kingdom of Scotland to create the Kingdom of Great Britain. **
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In my world there are two different kinds of nihilists, government nihilists and anarchist nihilists such as myself.
Government nihilists learned a long time ago to give lip service to morality and socialist ideology by telling the general ignorant public exactly what they want to hear even if none of it is true or that those in government don't actually believe in any of it themselves where they don't actually care about the general public at all they're governing ....
In this way I suppose government nihilists are better liars and deceivers. I suppose our open candid nature and careless honesty is our Achilles heel for us anarchist nihilists by comparison. We just don't have a knack concerning general political sophistry as government nihilists do. **
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Reformation.
The protestant reformation essentially established the I as having precedent over the we. It preached rugged individualism that has affected both religion and politics. While the I really needed to be expressed in these arenas, it should not have taken precedence over the we. In other words, religion and politics are best as integration of I and we. Either POV seen as superior contributes to the idolatry of them vs us. Still, in the twenty first century, rugged individualism is seen as more important than the needs of those who poor or disabled. **
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I'm neither a conservative or neo-liberal as an anarchist. I find this whole left, right twattle to be irrelevant of actual issues within society especially under the control of a government state.
What I was talking about is economic prosperity for a greater majority of the population something of which the United States hasn't experienced since the early 1970's. At present there is hardly a middle class left where there is only the very rich and the very poor. Once more the biggest joke of this nation is that we still view ourselves as a bastion of freedom, independence, and economic prosperity. It has all become one big giant con built only for the most stupid to believe in.
In terms of democracy like all democracies everywhere it is rigged politically and by special interests.
What we should be calling the United States for the thirty plus years unto the present is that of a corporate oligarchic police state. There effectively is no United States government, there is only Wallstreet and the Federal Reserve. **
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The we is far more important than the I .... **
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Your body was given to you because of the kindness of »at least« two other people (you had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with its creation or even its sustenance when you were a baby). **
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It's certainly not the case that religion compels or is required for conservatism. **
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Wyld wrote:
»More playing the fantasy game? Fantasy that black people aren't targeted and harassed more than whites by the police?« **
Of course they are targeted disproportionately by the police. The commit disproportionately more of the crime. Blacks are much more likely to murder people of other races, to murder cops, and to murder each other than any other race in the U.S. In fact, black police officers are more likely to shoot at black people than white police officers are.
Blacks only seem to be disproportionately targeted if you completely ignore how much crime they commit.
Once again, liberals simply don't know what the fuck they're talking about, or they do, but they lie and twist statistics to create scenarios that aren't real. This certainly doesn't help race relations. **
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Ridiculous religious notions aside it sounds like to me existential decline and stagnation due to lost momentum concerning various collapse scenarios. There are indeed multiple scenarios in which modern civilization could indeed collapse. **
Phyllo wrote:
»The culture will change as long as humans change. Humans change as long as they are alive.
You can see change happening very clearly as each new generation rejects the current culture and creates its own. You could say that when humans become immortal, there will be no more children who would be rejuvenating the culture. That might be the end of history.« **
Human nature doesn't change. **
Transhumanism essentially means the end of social organization so there's that also and I definitely would classify that as the end of human history. **
Historyboy wrote:
»The Last man is only possible if there is no Wladimir Wladimirowitsch, from Vladati = to rule.« **
As I view it the last man is one that has all of his humanity, freedom, independence, and individuality stripped from him within the oppressive artificial confines of civilization overtime.
There will come a time in the not too distant future where an advanced technological artificial civilization will do just that especially with the emergence of the technological singularity known as A.I. **
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I already answered your question. **
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H.S.: Ich bin durch einen Link auf Ihre Seite gekommen, weil ich mich für Spengler interessierte. Durch Ihre »Kult-Uhr« (**) neugierig geworden, habe ich mir dann auf archive.org Kopien davon gezogen und die gelesen.
H.S.: Das war eine sehr lohnende Lektüre, denn die Beschreibungen der verschiedenen Kulturen mit ihren jeweiligen »Welträumen« und die Gegenüberstellungen von maßgeblichen Personen wie z.B. Cromwell - Mohammed finde ich sehr aufschlußreich.
H.S.: Bemerkenswert fand ich Sloterdijks Ausspruch, Wohnen in Häusern sei eine Verwöhnung, und seine Hinweise zur »virtuellen Ökonomie« des Ablaßverkaufs - das war wohl strukturell so eine Art Vorläufer von Derivaten und ähnlichem.
H.S.: Ihre Webseite ist eine wirklich großartige Fundgrube qualitativ hochwertiger Texte zu mich interessierenden Themen, die man in etwa mit »Geschichte, Wirtschaft, Lebensweise«, »die regionale Aufteilung der Welt und Stadtentwicklung« und »wo stehen wir jetzt und wie kann das weitergehen« umreißen kann.
H.S.: Vor X Jahren habe ich mal Fernand Braudels Werk gelesen, das ich seitdem allen, die ein wenig Interesse an Wirtschaftsgeschichte haben, ans Herz lege, weil es so viele längerfristige Zusammenhänge aufzeigt. Aktuell lese ich stets den Blog von Martin Armstrong, weil der ein anscheinend recht brauchbares Modell für Marktvorhersagen entwickelt hat (wodurch er zu genügend Geld kam, um unabhängig seinen Forschungsinteressen nachgehen zu können) und immer mal wieder was bisher so nicht bekanntes z.B. über den Kollaps des römischen Geldsystems schreibt (**).
H.S.: Im Lichte all dessen und meiner Biografie, die ich jedoch hier öffentlich nicht ausbreiten will, noch ein paar passagere Anmerkungen zu Seiten von Ihnen, die ich bisher gelesen habe.
Demografie und Wirtschaft (**), und Historische Konstanten (**).Ihre Gegenüberstellung Individualform - Kollektivformen - Universalform (**) finde ich ganz gut, denn das hilft einer realistischeren Betrachtungsweise mehr als »Ableitungen vom Urschleim«, wie mir Peter Merschs Schriften zum Großteil vorkommen.
H.S.: Richtig finde ich die Einstufung von Großunternehmen als »Systeme« bzw. »Superorganismen« (**), eine Art Kollektivform sui generis.
H.S.: Den katholischen Klerus und teilweise auch das Militär könnte man wohl ebenfalls als derartige Systeme ansehen.
H.S.: Herwig Birg sprach das aus, was ich schon seit langem denke: Angesichts der heutigen Mobilitäts- und Flexibilitätsanforderungen sollte man sich eigentlich wundern, daß Leute überhaupt noch Kinder großziehen. - Das trifft m.E. einen Knackpunkt, den Sinn, Mersch und Bolz allenfalls mit Pflastern bekleben.
H.S.: Daß wir eine Reproduktionskrise haben, ist wohl so; daß man die mit bloß staatlichen Vorgaben wirklich abstellen kann, bezweifle ich stark (auch zu Augustus' Zeiten ging das nicht).
H.S.: Bolz scheint sich eine Art DDR 2.0 vorzustellen, in der alle schön brav 30 Jahre an ihrem Platz bleiben, er blendet dabei völlig aus, daß die BRD 2016 offene Grenzen hat und ein reges Kommen und Gehen herrscht - von gutausgebildeten Jungen vor allem Gehen, weil sie hierzulande keine adäquate Anstellung erwarten können und der Arbeit nachziehen müssen.
H.S.: 1957 die Idee vom Generationenvertrag mitsamt der Familienkasse umzusetzen, wäre wohl gut gewesen, aber wie man das jetzt noch reinflicken könnte, ohne daß man nicht noch mehr Mist baut, indem man alle außer der deutschen Mittelklasse begünstigt, sehe ich nicht.
H.S.: Es wird wohl darauf hinauslaufen müssen, daß die kinderlosen Tanten und Onkel und die verrenteten Großeltern die Familiengründer unterstützen - schon insofern wären Mehrkinderfamilien als zukünftige Absicherung nicht schlecht.
H.S.: Die Idee mit den »Diplom-Müttern«, die für eigenes Kindergroßziehen bezahlt werden, überzeugt mich nicht sonderlich, weil da keinerlei Anreiz zu einer Ehe besteht, die Kinder also aller Voraussicht nach mit ständig wechselnden »Onkeln« aufwachsen. Wäre da ordentlicher Steuerabschlag je nach Kind beim arbeitenden Mann und Überweisung dessen an die kindererziehende Frau nicht besser, und verlängerte Arbeitslosigkeitsversicherung, so daß da etwas weniger Streit und bessere Sicherheit besteht? Ich weiß es nicht, ich weiß nur, daß die Lebensform »ganzes Haus« heute schwer zu leben ist ....
H.S.: Armstrong meint, der Euro sei eine halbgare Zeitbombe, weil da ebenfalls nicht von Anfang an Nägel mit Köpfen gemacht wurden, und Staatsausgaben seien noch immer nur zum Teil aus Steuern, und zu einem anderen Teil jedes Jahr aus »neuem Geld« (bei den Römern Beutemetall aus den Provinzen oder neue Metallfunde aus Minen) bzw. Münzverschlechterung gekommen - bei den Römern, im Mittelalter, im Absolutismus, heute. Und Staatsschulden seien noch nie vollständig zurückgezahlt worden. Zudem würden zur Zeit die historisch niedrigen Zinsen die Rentenfonds kaputtmachen, aber wenn man sie anhebe, explodierten die Staaten bzw. Staatsschulden.
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To Arminius,
I do apologize about that. For several weeks I am limited to utilizing my phone for internet as I don't have a secure internet connection currently which makes things very difficult or limited concerning posting on the forum. Making lengthy posts or replies on my phone is almost virtually impossible. **
Transhumanism replaces all human activity systematically if its ideals are ever implemented successfully and by doing so it will effectively amount to the death of all human culture. With human history being an extrapolation of culture this would mean the death of human history also thus its subsequent end. Speaking about Spenglerian thinking I believe he touched upon technological alterations of culture in his book Man And Technics. **
I'm quite the observer and student of history where I am curious as to what your qualms are with my statement regarding human nature. **
What else could the end of history be if not transhumanism or the technological singularity? **
Yes, the complete automation of society or civilization technologically would effectively end human evolution in terms of maladaptability. We already see the beginnings and emergence of this existential maladaptability within our societies currently. This is a direct result of creating an artificially enclosed reality amongst ourselves culturally away from nature.
I like how you illustrated the difference between culture and nature where I would like it if you explained this further. If you could I would like you to cite your references for my own study. **
When it comes to distinguish the nature of human beings from the nature of other living beings, then human nature is human culture/s. Although it is difficult to say whether there is one human culture or several human cultures, I would say, if I had to refer to merely one human culture, that a human being is a luxury being. In another thread I said:
»The luxury is a very special phenomenon, especially for human beings. Human beings are luxury beings. They make their artificial island of luxury in the sea of nature. Evolution is not just about adaptation to nature, but also about distancing from nature, thus about the luxury islands.« ** **
Only human beings (thus no other living beings) are able to distance or disassociate themselves so much from nature. Humans live on islands of luxury. They have their human bubbles like hulls / shells, caves, huts / cottages, houses, beyond that: castles, churches / cathedrals, cities, city states, states, nations, empires, global empires ... and so forth. Because they are much more spiritual / mental / intellectual than other creatures, they have not only a bodily but also a spiritual immune system. This spiritual immune system is the main cause of the enormous luxury and the characteristic feature of human culture/s. Because of the fact that there are many different spiritual immune systems of humans possible, one should rather speak of several human cultures and not of one human culture. ** **
Naturally human beings are animal beings, but culturally human beings are not animal beings but human beings (just because of their culture). Of course, there are feedbacks between nature and culture, thus also between human nature and human culture. ** **
We can say that an »authentic human life« means a »life according to the human's nature«, whereas an »unauthentic life« means a »life according to the human's culture/s«.
In other words: Humans need their culture/s to not live according to their nature and need their nature to not live according to their culture/s.
If humans are humans because of about 2% of their nature and because of about 98% of their culture/s (**|**), then they have merely a chance of about 2% to live authentically. ** **
It is clear to me the more I read that culture is indeed a simulated or matrix like existential interface separate from nature where most of humanity's woes stem from it. It is possible that in more ancient societies culture was more symbiotic with nature thus being natural but the evolving of culture overtime enclosed has separated itself from nature or evolution entirely. **
Ultimately the future for me concerning our species will be disastrous or catastrophic from all of this.
My only hope is that this future calamity will leave human survivors if possible so that we learn from all of this through collective shared experience but even that might be a foregoing stretch. **
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That does not make it an exclusive »I« independent of the »we«. **
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The Euro on the Brink of Disaster.
We are looking at the collapse of Europe unfold much faster than anyone suspected. I have been warning that the Continental EU banks are in serious trouble. The negative interest rates have devastated Europe. While trying to stimulate borrowers who are not interested without an opportunity to make money, the ECB has wiped out savers, pensions, and sent cash into hiding contracting the European economy not stimulating it. I have also warned that it is the EURO which is in serious trouble and that BREXIT was the only way to save Britain from being dragged down under as the Euro sinks.
The Italian banks are collapsing and the crisis is now risking bringing down the Italian government. If they do not bailout the banks, the people will be in revolution. If they bailout the banks, they can only print Euros. The is starting to illustrate what I have been warning about. The EURO is in effect like a gold standard. When crisis hit, everyone had to suspend the gold standard for World Wars I and II and then upon the fall of Bretton Woods. The currencies were tied to gold which they could not increase its supply. This is the same crisis now with the EURO. Despite the EURO is really just electronic/paper, its quantity is still fixed by the EU membership. No single member state can just increase its supply unilaterally. That would be like trying to maintain a gold standard and one nation revalued its gold to three times that of what everyone else uses. That becomes impossible. The Silver Democrats nearly caused the bankruptcy of the USA for overvaluing silver relative to the world in the 19th century.
This is why the euro CANNOT SURVIVE. You have sovereign states with their own crisis and that demand measures separate and distinct from other members. This is how the euro system will break. It is extremely urgent that you understand the crisis ahead. This is what will send capital fleeing into the dollar. True, some will buy gold. That is generally retail investors. Pension funds and institutional investors will buy US government bonds, dollars and park them at the Fed, or jump in with both feet into the US stock market.
By the time this mess comes unraveled, we will see the world completely change. We are probably looking at a major world monetary reform come as early as 2018. The speed with which this is unfolding is rather incredible. **
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No. It came from my parents, then developed toward its own. **
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The whole Occidental history can be described as the attempts of copying the ancient Roman empire. The EU is such an attempt too. But note: The modern Europeans are especially jealous, and therefore I do not believe in the EU project as it is put into practice. The jealous neighbors of Germany are whining that the EU is dominated by Germany, but in reality the EU has always been dominated by Germany. So what? It is because of this jealousy and the lack of a real European solidarity that makes it so difficult to find a real political unit. It is not the Old Europe but the New Europe that lacks a real European solidarity too much. So if the economical part of the EU becomes problematic, then the total collapse will follow, because the non-economical parts of the EU will still be too weak. ** **
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Yes it was the German nation so called consisting of other countries .... **
... but the seat of the empire at the outbreak of the First World War was Vienna, not Berlin. **
As far as the US war against Vietnam, this simply is a result of the filling of the vacum of power created by the French loss. **
The dynamics of conflict have shifted that vacum to be filled by the major power. **
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So my parents did not pass on any genes to me and I began as a blank slate? **
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Homosapiens are animals just more delusional, inventive, and innovative kind of animal.
How human beings treat each other, other animals, and the natural environment only shows an inherent viciousness of human nature which of course Thomas Hobbes elaborated quite well. His solution or ideal containment of human nature not so much by comparison...
When I think of human nature I think of words like viciousness, savagery, inequality, hyper -competitive, selfishness, egotistical, malicious, duplicitous, hypocritical, vanity, narcissism, myopic, insatiable-desire, power-driven, dangerous, dominating, and arrogance. I do not sugar coat human nature as a bunch of naive idealists and simpletons make the habit of doing the world over. **
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The barefaced hypocrisy of the conservative media campaigns, comparing the »stronger together« line of the Scottish referendum with the »fight for sovereignty!« exhortations of Brexit, was astonishing. And given that a significant argument of Scotland staying was that a future in the EU was uncertain if they devolved, they have every right to hold a second referendum. Northern Ireland is a very much more complex kettle of fish; I think in the event there ever is a real Brexit, one of the most pressing issues for the UK (or England/Wales) will be to sort out the Next Ireland Question. **
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I define a religion a little differently. A religion, to be not merely a philosophy, must sustain dogma - assertions to believe without evidence or question. Science has become that in the West at least even though originally it was a more simple philosophy.
Originally, Science got its footing and definition through independent empirical demonstration. The fact that it was independent allowed for it to not be a dogma because anyone with sufficient skills could question any part of it and discover for themselves. Of course, very many question were not answered. And today many questions are not answered, but not because they can't be, but rather because they are not allowed to be answered.
Today, the level of skill requirement is surpassed by the requirement of equipment, supplies, and money. Due to the such requirements, what is accomplished as science is now dictated, not discovered. Fortunately there is still the issue of Logic restricting what can be dictated else there would be absolutely nothing to restrain science from declaring absolute godhood in dictating anything they chose for it to dictate.
Even in this day of the greatest deceit, Logic still restrains the passions of Godwannabes. **
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Apparently I have misunderstood you .... **
I'm a carbon copy of my mother. **
Some of this is due to environment, which does not rule out the possibility of inherited patterns of behavior. I inherited her depression as well as her ability to create poetry and art. Environment alone does not explain our similarity. **
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Martin Luther was a very intelligent person. (By the way: I am not Protestant but Catholic.) Now the average global intelligence is shrinking. Thus: such an intelligent reformation or even another reformation will probably not take place in the near future or in the future at all. Individualism has to do (although not only) with intelligence, intellectualism in the right sense. This means that we are facing an authoritarian social form of anti-individualism, anti-intelligence, and anti-intellectualism. Unfortunately. They will preach the »we« more than the »I«. The »we« is important, yes, but the »I« is important as well. ** **
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It's a herd mentality (**), similar to the Japanese saying: »a nail that sticks out will be hammered down«. Probably has old origins in superstitious country folk. .... Also adopted by Communists. **
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I'm aware that Martin Luther challenged the we of church dogma in favor of the I of individual salvation. All I'm saying is that the we and the I are equally important. **
The »we« is important, yes, but the »I« is important as well. ** **
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However, in our generation, I'd say the I takes precedence over the we. **
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Some rich people want to kill us all and replace us with machines, but that's not good, even for them, because they'd atrophy, biologically and culturally.
Machines doing all the work, and allowing us either to be really hedonistic and materialistic, or really lazy, is a curse, not a blessing.
You can have too much of a good thing, everything in moderation, including technology.
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I'm a member of the working class, so I'm not going to advocate the destruction of the working and middle classes. **
Furthermore, you can't kill the working and middle classes, even if you wanted too, there's too many of us, you can reduce our numbers with soft kill, however, which is what they may be doing.
The rich are no better than us, perhaps a little more intelligent, but also more decadent.
Some rich people want to kill us all and replace us with machines, but that's not good, even for them, because they'd atrophy, biologically and culturally.
Machines doing all the work, and allowing us either to be really hedonistic and materialistic, or really lazy, is a curse, not a blessing.
You can have too much of a good thing, everything in moderation, including technology. **
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The cluster (gathering) of the noise is the particle. A crowd is not people, but rather a gathering of people. A human body is not chemicals, but rather a gathering of chemicals (in a particular order). **
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Furthermore, you can't kill the working and middle classes, even if you wanted too, there's too many of us, you can reduce our numbers with soft kill, however, which is what they may be doing. **
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Hahaha wrote:
»It's quite elementary everyone, the rich and wealthy will be allowed to keep their twenty acre Mcmansions while the unemployed or poor proles will be herded up like animals in deeply urbanized buildings that resemble a Japanese capsule hotel. Isn't progress grand?
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« **
Those rooms are far too spacious. **
4864 |
Arminius wrote:
»But we should - nevertheless - not overestimate the effects of the Law of Jante. I have visited Scandinavia several times. The Scandinavians are effected by something that could be called Law of Jante, yes, but its effects should not be overestimated, although they minister to a relatively strong uniformity or/and to something like being terrified of losing control, not knowing what to do, dealing with difference, having to be critical with words ... and so on.
I have experienced something similar in Germany as well. I'll give an example to illustrate this point. It was an early Sunday morning and I was walking around a small town. Everything was still closed and the streets were empty and quiet. I was about to cross a small street and I stopped at the light. A young man with a baby stroller came up behind me. The red light was taking forever and because there were no cars around, I crossed the street. The man stayed behind but apparently got upset and started yelling »Nein! Nein!« after me. So I take it as type of peer pressure or psychology of social conformism. This kind of thinking lacks discernment outside of prescribed rules (thinking in the box mentality). **
Arminius wrote:
»Probably. However. It leads to a relatively strong uniformity.«
Okay, and what result do you get with that psychology? **
What is the quality of that which you preserve? **
Is the goal to preserve a herd of beautiful fluffy white sheep? **
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