PeakOil is You
Law of Receding Horizons
Re: Law of Receding Horizons
by wisconsin_cur » Mon 25 Feb 2008, 05:09:15
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('yesplease', 'E')ven if hope isn't quantifiable, we'll either have it or not, so looking at it seems kind of trivial, don'tcha think? If we have it, great. If we don't, and lay down and die, then regardless of whether or no we can transition to something different, it won't matter because we won't do it. So, if we want to keep things up, we can just keep going, until we can't.
Hope is a lot more complex than that. I can loose hope in society's ability to cope, this does not mean that I have lost hope in my ability to keep me and mine alive. I can be disillusioned in my hope for world peace, it does not mean that I have lost hope for a second piece of peach cobbler. I may loose hope that my kids will turn out just like I planned, this does not mean that I cannot hope they will turn out to be good people.
Hope in our ability to navigate the future as a nation or culture is vital and any plan (as if we had one) would need to include a way to foster it. Hope got Britain through the Blitz. Hope brings cancer patients through chemo. Hope does a lot of things and it can be fostered through propaganda, a shared sense of sacrifice and success.
If we loose hope to chance, then all the math in the theoretical answers in the world will not fix the problems that we face. We need to keep people on the team or else they will vote against the wind turbines or start robbing the repair man or undertake any number of counter-productive behaviors.
In the theoretical world Hillary should have the Democratic nomination sewed up (actually in a theoretical world Chris Dodd should have the nomination sewed up) but instead we have a first term senator by the name of Barak Obama leading the pack. If we don't want our culture to go the way of the Dodd or the Clinton campaigns we better account for hope... because it really does seem to effect the math.
http://www.thenewfederalistpapers.com
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wisconsin_cur - Light Sweet Crude
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Re: Law of Receding Horizons
by yesplease » Mon 25 Feb 2008, 05:34:14
I don't think I've heard of how Hillary should theoretically have the Dem's nomination according to math, but who knows?
In any event, What you're talking about specifically, non-cooperative bargain theory, is something that can be used, and I would guess is used, in order to gauge reactions to various policies. IMO it's fairly effective, and using individual reactions as a barometer for something is. Generally speaking, if something can benefit the whole and individual it's a win-win. Contrary to this idea, certain specific groups, who have undue influence thanks to certain set ups, can use this in order to magnify their position.
In plain English, there are actions you can take that, like I said, benefit both society and yourself. For instance, reducing gasoline consumption by driving more efficiently, building yourself a wind power generation, insulating your home and reducing your energy consumption, growing some of your own food, etc... Instead of tuning in and turning off, or buying a nice shiny new whathaveyou.
In any event, What you're talking about specifically, non-cooperative bargain theory, is something that can be used, and I would guess is used, in order to gauge reactions to various policies. IMO it's fairly effective, and using individual reactions as a barometer for something is. Generally speaking, if something can benefit the whole and individual it's a win-win. Contrary to this idea, certain specific groups, who have undue influence thanks to certain set ups, can use this in order to magnify their position.
In plain English, there are actions you can take that, like I said, benefit both society and yourself. For instance, reducing gasoline consumption by driving more efficiently, building yourself a wind power generation, insulating your home and reducing your energy consumption, growing some of your own food, etc... Instead of tuning in and turning off, or buying a nice shiny new whathaveyou.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Professor Membrane', ' ')Not now son, I'm making ... TOAST!
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Re: Law of Receding Horizons
by wisconsin_cur » Mon 25 Feb 2008, 05:49:04
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('yesplease', '
')
In plain English, there are actions you can take that, like I said, benefit both society and yourself. For instance, reducing gasoline consumption by driving more efficiently, building yourself a wind power generation, insulating your home and reducing your energy consumption, growing some of your own food, etc... Instead of tuning in and turning off, or buying a nice shiny new whathaveyou.
')
In plain English, there are actions you can take that, like I said, benefit both society and yourself. For instance, reducing gasoline consumption by driving more efficiently, building yourself a wind power generation, insulating your home and reducing your energy consumption, growing some of your own food, etc... Instead of tuning in and turning off, or buying a nice shiny new whathaveyou.
And it is hope that keeps people in the "game" and not taking their toys and going home (ie building a bunker and preparing for mad max).
The question I am raising is how we prepare for the future. Do I buy wind turbines (either personally or through increased taxes) or do I buy grain and gold? Hope for the social unit leads me to vote for the wind turbines. If I become disillusioned with the social program of mitigation than I might decide to withdraw (emotionally, financially or physically) and invest in my personal program which may or may not be detrimental to the social program.
http://www.thenewfederalistpapers.com
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wisconsin_cur - Light Sweet Crude
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Re: Law of Receding Horizons
by yesplease » Mon 25 Feb 2008, 06:13:12
I think that, like I said, the options that benefit yourself and society, would be the first on the list. Since those will take some time, if, at some later point, you feel that it's worthwhile to invest in something social or withdraw from that aspect, you are still free to do so, after having done some stuff that benefits both yourself and others in ther interim.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Professor Membrane', ' ')Not now son, I'm making ... TOAST!
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