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I admit to being ignorant of the details in the Tar Sands case, but I don't think that it's relevant to what I was trying to say really. If an injustice is bei

by tux1968 8y ago

I admit to being ignorant of the details in the Tar Sands case, but I don't think that it's relevant to what I was trying to say really. If an injustice is being visited upon a Native population, i'm all for them prevailing in a fight to restore fairness. But human history is what it is, regardless of our modern sensibilities and desire to do better moving forward. Out in the raw brutal nature that existed for most of human history, strong men conquered and weaker men perished, that's just the way it was. Nature was trying to kill us all, and everyone was trying to survive the best they could to pass their genes on. Even at the expense of their neighbors. That is the script for most of history, and we can't go back and change it. It is what has helped us get to this point today where we're talking to each other over incredible technologies and enjoying a much easier life than Kings of old. It's not nice, it's not picturesque, it's just the simple reality of it.

staplers 8y ago
It is what has helped us get to this point today where we're talking to each other over incredible technologies and enjoying a much easier life Now you're saying genocide is the reason we have good technologies.. Also, spare me the 3rd-grade-level humanities lecture.
- tux1968 8y ago
  I'm saying that nature set up the octagon, and our ancestors fought it out. If you believe in evolution / natural selection being a force to hone the most well adapted creatures possible, then as unsavory as it is, all that mayhem and loss of life did play a role in getting us here today. Don't hate the player, hate the game.
  - staplers 8y ago
    So, if I killed you today, that would be fine because "nature set up the octagon"? I seem to have wandered onto an UFC/MMA forum or something..
    - tux1968 8y ago
      > So, if I killed you today, that would be fine because "nature set up the octagon"? I seem to have wandered onto an UFC/MMA forum or something.. As far as I can tell, the universe doesn't care if I live or die, so it's "fine" in that sense, yes. If there was some benefit to you and your progeny, you'd be wise to do it. You might have to navigate our modern legal system mind you ;-) And of course humans are capable of cooperation too, I might be more valuable to you as an ally. Your call.
- gknoy 8y ago
  The threat of nuclear war precipitated the development of a network which could withstand widespread destruction. That's not the same as genocide (as that implies something systematic), but is does seem safe to say that having the Internet (or at least got started having one) is more or less a direct consequence of developing nuclear weapons. I'm not saying such weapons (or the destruction they were designed to create) were a good thing, but war (or the threat thereof) has been a large driving force of tech development (not to mention advances in surgery/medicine).
  - staplers 8y ago
    So you're advocating for war because we might get some more cool technology out of it and not, say from economic growth, or cooperation of two interested minds?

staplers 8y ago

It is what has helped us get to this point today where we're talking to each other over incredible technologies and enjoying a much easier life Now you're saying genocide is the reason we have good technologies.. Also, spare me the 3rd-grade-level humanities lecture.

tux1968 8y ago
I'm saying that nature set up the octagon, and our ancestors fought it out. If you believe in evolution / natural selection being a force to hone the most well adapted creatures possible, then as unsavory as it is, all that mayhem and loss of life did play a role in getting us here today. Don't hate the player, hate the game.
- staplers 8y ago
  So, if I killed you today, that would be fine because "nature set up the octagon"? I seem to have wandered onto an UFC/MMA forum or something..
  - tux1968 8y ago
    > So, if I killed you today, that would be fine because "nature set up the octagon"? I seem to have wandered onto an UFC/MMA forum or something.. As far as I can tell, the universe doesn't care if I live or die, so it's "fine" in that sense, yes. If there was some benefit to you and your progeny, you'd be wise to do it. You might have to navigate our modern legal system mind you ;-) And of course humans are capable of cooperation too, I might be more valuable to you as an ally. Your call.
gknoy 8y ago
The threat of nuclear war precipitated the development of a network which could withstand widespread destruction. That's not the same as genocide (as that implies something systematic), but is does seem safe to say that having the Internet (or at least got started having one) is more or less a direct consequence of developing nuclear weapons. I'm not saying such weapons (or the destruction they were designed to create) were a good thing, but war (or the threat thereof) has been a large driving force of tech development (not to mention advances in surgery/medicine).
- staplers 8y ago
  So you're advocating for war because we might get some more cool technology out of it and not, say from economic growth, or cooperation of two interested minds?