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This is like a pharmaceutical company that dumped opioids on the public through legislature, perverting the medical community, advertising and reputation saying

by kev009 7y ago

This is like a pharmaceutical company that dumped opioids on the public through legislature, perverting the medical community, advertising and reputation saying "well there are many factors and your brain has countless millennia of evolution to seek out these compounds". Sorry, I just don't buy it. People can be wrong, and in fact it is necessary for people to be able to be wrong and state their case and sometimes emotion without tonal arguments to dismiss the hardest of questions. The root of the comment, the curious part, is: are VCs somehow causing undesirable pathology that leads to their "tiredness"? The moderator happens to work for a VC. I don't think the parent of this thread makes a compelling case, but the sentiment is rooted in reality and can be used to start a useful if uncomfortable discussion. Perhaps this is not a true intellectual community and I should just leave.

tomhoward 7y ago
> This is like a pharmaceutical company... If there was anybody who would be motivated to scapegoat a single actor or cause for dysfunction in the medical industry it's me. I've endured debilitating health challenges, including severe pain, for almost half my life. I've had plenty of time and motivation to research and contemplate everything that's wrong with the medical system, including corrupt dealings between pharmaceutical companies, regulators, research institutions and medical practitioners. And, much like apportioning blame to VCs, there is some truth to this point of view. But it's not the whole story. At least as significant a factor is that there is a real, legitimate need for pharmaceutical opioids, and a widespread epidemic of "pain" that is little-understood by mainstream medical researchers and practitioners, which is mostly to do with the fact that physiology is extremely complex and still only partially understood. Fortunately, I've never had to turn to opioids or other pharmaceuticals to treat my pain conditions, and after many years of research and experimentation, have been able to become pain-free via natural - though unconventional - approaches. I think it would be great if other people had the access and motivation I've had to achieve good health, rather than ending up dependent on opioids or languishing in other ways. But 10+ years of thinking about it, including plenty of, yes, curious conversation, has taught me that problems in the medical system can't all be simplistically blamed on corrupt pharmaceutical companies. > tonal arguments to dismiss the hardest of questions What "hard questions" was the root commenter raising? Real "hard questions" involve honestly considering all facets of a topic, and taking on the responsibility of contributing to the formulation solutions that are practical and effective. > Perhaps this is not a true intellectual community In what way was the root comment more "intellectual" than what I'm advocating?
- kev009 7y ago
  Sorry dude I'm not really tracking with you at all. The OP posited some plain issues that can be dissected and dismissed but was muted by a mod that works for an organization that benefits from just burying said issues. I lean conservative and can't really see how anyone in tech says with a straight face the "gig economy" is good for anybody except the 10^5 or so technical staff and their management and financiers. A modest understanding of history (i.e. what technology meant in the 60s and 70s) just leaves me bewildered with what constitutes tech now, and the flow of money from monetary policy down to banks and VCs is they main cause of overall stalling out of fundamental, worthwhile, and simply interesting progress. The cashout culture of things like WeWork is a totally different dimension of the bizarre and unsavory. VCs should be tired enabling and propping this farce up. A desire for intellectualism comes from allowing airtime for ideas that you disagree with, that might even confront yourself, and maybe even elucidating and moving the tonal argument you disagree with to the very roots of the things that need to be discussed and providing ample discourse for the thoughts to be explored. Whether you are doing this or not I can't really tell right now, but you are not the target of my comments, the mod mute is. I'm happy to just go away at this point, this site and surrounding culture has changed for the worse in the 12 years I've seen.
  - tomhoward 7y ago
    This comment is starting to wrestle with the complexities of the topic, which is great! Dang's job is to prevent flamewars on this site, and to cultivate intellectual curiosity. All he was objecting to in the original comment was that it was of the style that can spark flamewars. Ultimately, I think we want the same things.

by kev009 7y ago

tomhoward 7y ago

> This is like a pharmaceutical company... If there was anybody who would be motivated to scapegoat a single actor or cause for dysfunction in the medical industry it's me. I've endured debilitating health challenges, including severe pain, for almost half my life. I've had plenty of time and motivation to research and contemplate everything that's wrong with the medical system, including corrupt dealings between pharmaceutical companies, regulators, research institutions and medical practitioners. And, much like apportioning blame to VCs, there is some truth to this point of view. But it's not the whole story. At least as significant a factor is that there is a real, legitimate need for pharmaceutical opioids, and a widespread epidemic of "pain" that is little-understood by mainstream medical researchers and practitioners, which is mostly to do with the fact that physiology is extremely complex and still only partially understood. Fortunately, I've never had to turn to opioids or other pharmaceuticals to treat my pain conditions, and after many years of research and experimentation, have been able to become pain-free via natural - though unconventional - approaches. I think it would be great if other people had the access and motivation I've had to achieve good health, rather than ending up dependent on opioids or languishing in other ways. But 10+ years of thinking about it, including plenty of, yes, curious conversation, has taught me that problems in the medical system can't all be simplistically blamed on corrupt pharmaceutical companies. > tonal arguments to dismiss the hardest of questions What "hard questions" was the root commenter raising? Real "hard questions" involve honestly considering all facets of a topic, and taking on the responsibility of contributing to the formulation solutions that are practical and effective. > Perhaps this is not a true intellectual community In what way was the root comment more "intellectual" than what I'm advocating?

kev009 7y ago
Sorry dude I'm not really tracking with you at all. The OP posited some plain issues that can be dissected and dismissed but was muted by a mod that works for an organization that benefits from just burying said issues. I lean conservative and can't really see how anyone in tech says with a straight face the "gig economy" is good for anybody except the 10^5 or so technical staff and their management and financiers. A modest understanding of history (i.e. what technology meant in the 60s and 70s) just leaves me bewildered with what constitutes tech now, and the flow of money from monetary policy down to banks and VCs is they main cause of overall stalling out of fundamental, worthwhile, and simply interesting progress. The cashout culture of things like WeWork is a totally different dimension of the bizarre and unsavory. VCs should be tired enabling and propping this farce up. A desire for intellectualism comes from allowing airtime for ideas that you disagree with, that might even confront yourself, and maybe even elucidating and moving the tonal argument you disagree with to the very roots of the things that need to be discussed and providing ample discourse for the thoughts to be explored. Whether you are doing this or not I can't really tell right now, but you are not the target of my comments, the mod mute is. I'm happy to just go away at this point, this site and surrounding culture has changed for the worse in the 12 years I've seen.
- tomhoward 7y ago
  This comment is starting to wrestle with the complexities of the topic, which is great! Dang's job is to prevent flamewars on this site, and to cultivate intellectual curiosity. All he was objecting to in the original comment was that it was of the style that can spark flamewars. Ultimately, I think we want the same things.