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Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

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Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Yes
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No votes
No
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Total votes : 53

Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby leal » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:17:55

I voted no but could make an exemption for lawyers.
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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby JohnDenver » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:19:15

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MonteQuest', 'w')ould you choose to let your father die to save yourself and your sister or would you take them with you?


Monte, johnmarkos was kind enough to leave your family members out of the discussion. Shouldn't you extend him the same courtesy?

You don't appreciate, and do not answer, hard questions about your family members. In fact, I believe questions of that nature have been labeled "sick", "sociopathic" and "ad hominem attacks" in the Ad Hominem thread.
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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby MonteQuest » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:24:29

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('venky', ' ')There is a difference between actively killing and doing nothing and letting it happen. I think moral culpability is only on the perpetrators of the deed.


Then you've never read the criteria for reckless endangerment.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'L')ike, I was having an argument with my friend on who's more evil, Bin Laden or Dubya. My friend claimed that they were both equally evil. I claimed there was a difference since Bin Laden deliberately butchered innocents while Dubya killed, er, inadvertantly as a result of stray bombs that missed their targets.


The carpet bombing of Iraqi soldiers killed hundreds of thousands.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '')There was no war. No combat. There was only a deliberate, systematic genocide of a defenseless population while barely setting foot on Iraqi soil. When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said in 1967, ‘The greatest purveyor of violence on earth is my own government’, he could not have dreamed in his worst nightmare what the U.S. did to Iraq.”
Ramsey Clark, former U.S. Attorney General
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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby Dukat_Reloaded » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:25:31

The chinese already do it.

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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby JohnDenver » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:27:16

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Aaron', 'O')h now we're all soft & squishy about killing folks for our own benefit?

Pfft...

Happens everyday, and everyone reading this is guilty as sin.


Is that a Yes vote, Aaron?
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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby MonteQuest » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:29:56

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('JohnDenver', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MonteQuest', 'w')ould you choose to let your father die to save yourself and your sister or would you take them with you?


Monte, johnmarkos was kind enough to leave your family members out of the discussion. Shouldn't you extend him the same courtesy?

You don't appreciate, and do not answer, hard questions about your family members. In fact, I believe questions of that nature have been labeled "sick", "sociopathic" and "ad hominem attacks" in the Ad Hominem thread.


You actually have the fucking gall to write that?

Courtesy? As far as I know, Johnmarkos family members aren't dying. You knew mine were.

And, infact, I did answer. I said she should go. It was her time.
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Last edited by MonteQuest on Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:40:14, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby MonteQuest » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:35:53

So, if some was rockclimbing with their sister and their father and there was an accident which resulted in them having to cut the rope that separated them and their sister from their father to save themselves, should they do so, letting their father fall to his death?

Or should they all just die?

Changes the question, doesn't it?

Anyone care to respond?
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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby venky » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:41:32

edit
Last edited by venky on Fri 12 Aug 2005, 14:37:37, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby MonteQuest » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:46:08

And your point by quoting me , Venky?

Do I need to add.... I am not in favor of actively killing burdensome people, no matter how you choose to distort my writings.
Last edited by MonteQuest on Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:49:26, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby JohnDenver » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:48:50

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MonteQuest', 'S')o, if some was rockclimbing with their sister and their father and there was an accident which resulted in them having to cut the rope that separated them and their sister from their father to save themselves, should they do so, letting their father fall to his death?

Or should they all just die?

Changes the question, doesn't it?

Anyone care to respond?


Wouldn't the father, if he loved his children, cut his own rope to spare his children from having to make such a horrible decision?
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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby holmes » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:50:18

stanton is dead-on the target. The future of man is set now. We had our chance. we chose DEATH. get that D E A T H. And boy will we get it. wait we already are in it.
If you have a healthy strong child he will be stressed beyond your wildess dreams. Its how it works. The weak and the greedy are consuming VAST amounts of the resources NOW. get it, thats today? we are catering to the unborn of today not the unborn of seven generations from now. And through all this glutony and "Quality of Life" only a very few have the most benefits. while these Oh the horror! types find the crowds growing, spaces shrinking, water poison, air cancerous, soil eroded, food quality sinking like the titanic,. must I go on. It is only going to go dowwnhill the more bodies to the heap. Morals and values. fucks agree with invading sovereign countries to get resources to keep the bloat and detachment going for a few more years. paving the rainforests to get wood and resources for their shit and asshole bellies.
LOL. this charade has only a short time left anyway. enjoy the ride and buy kevlar and fertile land for your healthy strong kid. Well thats if you have one. most are being born fucked up now anyway. you know poison int he womb aint helping this overindustrialized gene pool. LOL. keepthinking your kid will have a better quality of life you have talk about detachment. I agree with all of montes proposals. and he never intended them to enforced. But for high IQ's to think and change habits for the better. maybe build a less dramatic sustainable tribe. or maybe we are addicted to the drama. addicts tend to do that. co dependency NO MORE!
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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby MonteQuest » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:52:20

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('JohnDenver', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MonteQuest', 'S')o, if some was rockclimbing with their sister and their father and there was an accident which resulted in them having to cut the rope that separated them and their sister from their father to save themselves, should they do so, letting their father fall to his death?

Or should they all just die?

Changes the question, doesn't it?

Anyone care to respond?


Wouldn't the father, if he loved his children, cut his own rope to spare his children from having to make such a horrible decision?


The father has no knife. He is between the father and his sister. There was a movie recently with this scene based upon a true incident. The son cut the rope. He made the hard choice.

You guys dance around the question. I said he had to cut the rope.
Last edited by MonteQuest on Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:53:40, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby johnmarkos » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:52:51

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MonteQuest', 'N')ow, come on, Johnmarkos....people have to make those kind of decisions all the time. Sounds like you just wish to avoid answering the question.

Yeah, I wanted to go to bed. :)

I think that decisions made in the heat of battle or in an emergency are of a different nature than a systematic policy like the one Stanton proposes. Making the wrong decision in such a scenario does not make a person a monster. Really, I think this rock climbing thing is a red herring. Maybe the climbers should have sat down before they went on their trip and agreed beforehand on whom each would sacrifice to save the other if it came down to it. I don't know. It doesn't really have any bearing on the "kill-off" policy Stanton proposes.

As I mentioned in the HOF thread, rational people can disagree on where the boundary between justifiable killing and murder lies. I can respect positions that differ from mine as long as they start from the premise that humans have an inalienable right to life.
Last edited by johnmarkos on Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:56:09, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby EnergySpin » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:54:35

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MonteQuest', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EnergySpin', ' ')I do not think so ... but one can always disagree with others. You should read the full article though. In any case check http://ergosphere.blogspot.com/2005/04/ ... ey-on.html
to see how he derives his calculations ... his "future" england of 2 million would have an energy consumption of 98KW per person which is what? 8 times the current US rate? Even his assumptions about renewable energy technology (i.e. a wind turbine will generate less electricity in the future) is an indication that he has divorced his thinking process from rationality OR that he has an agenda which does not involve "saving lives". With proponents such as him, it is no wonder why people who advocate population control are not taken seriously.


It's a pretty big assumptive leap from having your math wrong to having a political agenda. Let's say he beleived his math was right? Or if his math was right, is his logic wrong?

You were wrong that he advocated nuclear war. Does that make you have an agenda? Or did you just read it wrong?

I read his text carefully. He puts the nuclear elimination of nuclear centers, in the same footing as "euthanasia" and the capital punishment i.e. measures to decrease the population through governmental action. Since his main tool of action of effecting those changes is a governmental action and he clearly wants a strong government able to make tough decisions, and he lists nuclear war as one one the possible lines of action he ends up advocating nuclear war. I was not wrong as you said.. merely looking at the big picture , one emerging from the text. Many more people interpreted the text this way so If I made the mistake I'm not alone. But looking at the BIG picture as you urge everyone to do, tells otherwise.
Next point: IF one has been writtign books and articles (stanton) for the last 10 years and repeats conclusions on the basis of wrong numbers in spite of the obvious inconsistencies , then the following conclusions can be drawn:
1) the numbers do not really matter - they are used as a cover up
2) he has a hard time comprehending the humbers (and being a reviewer for the USGS does not really advance credibility, at least not at this site :P)
In both cases his conclusions are suspect, especially when the conclusions are used to advocate policy. In both cases, the calculations and the conclusions should be disregarded and repeated. Dr Stanton did neither ... in fact the 2 page editorial in the July Issue of Population Review he repeats the same kind of conclusion-crap , but he does nto ever bother to repeat his calculations: "He wrote I calculated ..."
Just a pattern of circular references (i.e. Erlich does it all the time btw) which is a sign of either scientific dishonesty or intellectual feebleness or an over-bloated ego (especially when one keeps citing himself, a no-no in scientific writting) . Take your pick : it has to be one OR a combination of all of the above.
WTF how am I supposed to believe a retired geologist when he says "I calculated" when his calculations are not correct in the first place? When he reviewed the over-optimistics USGS? No Monte if one uses quantitiatve arguments to arrive at conclusions then his numbers should add up and the calculations be verifiable by anyone; if they do not, then he does not really do science and hence he either has an agend or is an idiot
May I ask you a question: you want to advance a sustainable life on earth, under the carrying capacity. But carrying capacity is represented in numbers and is examined within the confines of a quantitative reasoning program. Don't you think that the calculations have to be correct? IF they are not, and in spite of the obvious errors they are being repeated what conclusions should I reach? Either that the guys do not know what they are talking about OR they have an agenda that used (instead of caring) about the numbers. The latter are simply a smokescreen. Wouldn't you agree with that?
Regarding his logic ... UK has a current population of 59 million; by redoing the calcs (at the same level of rigor that Dr Stanton did) the sustainable population by biomass alone at the UK is 20 million not 2 million. By factoring in home based generation (i.e. solar) the number goes even higher and in fact goes above other reasonable constraints. I would not have a problem with his logic (define logic for me Monte: maybe reduce population reduction) if the numbers added up. What if a energy naive calculation shows that the sustainable population is much higher: should we increase it? What for? People should be very careful when playing with logic, it is a double edged sword
Proper numerical accounting is prime here ... we live by the numbers we die by the numbers
Last edited by EnergySpin on Fri 12 Aug 2005, 13:03:38, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby MonteQuest » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 12:58:40

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('johnmarkos', ' ')Maybe the climbers should have sat down before they went on their trip and agreed beforehand on whom each would sacrifice to save the other if it came down to it. I don't know. It doesn't really have any bearing on the "kill-off" policy Stanton proposes.



Every climber that climbs knows intuitively that his life depends upon his buddies. They all expect the rope to be cut when the situation arises.

No, bearing? It is a life and death situation. Do I make a hard choice or do I not, and as a result, let even more people die because I am a coward?
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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby MonteQuest » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 13:14:38

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EnergySpin', ' ')May I ask you a question: you want to advance a sustainable life on earth, under the carrying capacity. But carrying capacity is represented in numbers and is examined within the confines of a quantitative reasoning program. Don't you think that the calculations have to be correct? IF they are not, and in spite of the obvious errors they are being repeated what conclusions should I reach? Either that the guys do not know what they are talking about OR they have an agenda that used (instead of caring) about the numbers. The latter are simply a smokescreen. Wouldn't you agree with that?


Well, I guess I look at the Big Picture in a different light.

Only a blind fool would need any numbers to see that the earth is in overshoot. We know the population has to do down, not up. And since we are over by billions, the hard numbers aren't even relevant until such time as we approach sustainablity.

Buy, I do agree that some people have agendas and they distort things to further them. Case in point, this thread. Obviously aimed at me.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('JohnDenver', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MonteQuest', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('JohnDenver', ' ')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Wildwell', 'M')onte is an environmentalist


That's the key point. Lots of folks here are fuel hogs, but they aren't environmentalists, so there's nothing to attack.


Don't you just love it, folks? :lol: They even admit it.


Sure, why not? I'm not bashful. You can gripe and whine all you want, but my ad hominem attacks on you are effective, and I plan to keep using them to neutralize you whenever I feel like it.
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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby holmes » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 13:15:45

Hey enrgy spin, keep doing the numbers. I and many others did them long ago. And you know what its all playing out as we expected. So keep doing them as it all falls apart. Youll need alot of numbers in 20', 50.s , 100' dollar bills to keep the masses on life support. well as long as this economy is going. In a barter economy im not sure youll have the choice of all this compassion of the sanctity of life. And we have used up over 40% of the ecosystems on the planet. the carrying capacity is getting smaller and smaller each year. Remember we are using resources exponentially. you want to rehab the life support systems? It will take years. Folks will die in those years.
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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby EnergySpin » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 13:23:09

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('holmes', 'H')ey enrgy spin, keep doing the numbers. I and many others did them long ago. And you know what its all playing out as we expected. So keep doing them as it all falls apart. Youll need alot of numbers in 20', 50.s , 100' dollar bills to keep the masses on life support. well as long as this economy is going. In a barter economy im not sure youll have the choice of all this compassion of the sanctity of life. And we have used up over 40% of the ecosystems on the planet. the carrying capacity is getting smaller and smaller each year. Remember we are using resources exponentially. you want to rehab the life support systems? It will take years. Folks will die in those years.

Holmes either you use an energy calculation or you do not. If you have already decided that numbers do not matter, then do not use numbers as a cover up. I'm already on the record in saying that needs to stop interfering with carbon sequestration quite likely put a limit around 2 -2.5 billion with current technology. In terms of " I and many others did them long ago. And you know what its all playing out as we expected. So keep doing them as it all falls apart." do you want to share? I run Stanton's numbers and they do not add up. Erlich's energy numbers do not add up. Where are your numbers?
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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby johnmarkos » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 13:24:45

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MonteQuest', 'O')nly a blind fool would need any numbers to see that the earth is in overshoot. We know the population has to do down, not up. And since we are over by billions, the hard numbers aren't even relevant until such time as we approach sustainablity.


No, I disagree. We need those numbers. And even if we agree that the Earth is in overshoot, we do not agree on what "overshoot" implies.

I do not agree that the population has to go down, soon.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('johnmarkos', 'I') advocate approximately 50 years to net decline. This is consistent with scenario 9 of Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update, in which population plateaus at approximately 8 billion and begins to decline in the second half of the 21st century.
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Re: Should we euthanize burdensome humans?

Unread postby JohnDenver » Fri 12 Aug 2005, 13:28:02

It think CrudeAwakening's idea (from the HOF thread) is more realistic than the mountain climber example:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')f two people are competing for the same food source, which is only enough to support one of them, how do "universal rights" enter into this? One lives, the other dies. One's right to live infringes on the other's right to live.


It would be even more realistic with two nations instead of two people. It's a game (called "Resource War") with 3 outcomes: A dies, B dies or A & B both die. I agree with CA that rationality and universal rights cannot decide the outcome of this game. It must be decided by power.

Edit: This game has a strategy the Japanese call shinju (love suicide). If it is clear to B that he cannot win, he may (out of spite) prefer the outcome "A&B both die" to the outcome "B dies". In other words: "If I'm going to go, I'm taking you with me."
Last edited by JohnDenver on Fri 12 Aug 2005, 13:43:25, edited 1 time in total.
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