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> So cool — genetics matter, just like education, nutrition, social situation, security of ones environment etc — but what do we do with this? Not claim that e

> So cool — genetics matter, just like education, nutrition, social situation, security of ones environment etc — but what do we do with this? Not claim that everything is due to a secret cabal of structural racism/sexism/hate on the poor? As long as you have that as your perfect explanation for the state of the world, you won't really make a difference, because you're attacking the wrong issue.

atoav 5y ago
Exactly my point. As useful genetics are in medical applications as dangerous genetics get when non-scientists try to explain their existing world view using it.
- luckylion 5y ago
  No, what I meant was: if you accept that genetics play a large role, you automatically have to decrease the importance of other factors. I believe it's much more dangerous to be willfully ignorant of science than what political movements might form because of science.
  - bradlys 5y ago
    I don’t think they ever said genetics play a large role or as large as a role as those other factors. Maybe you made that association by them grouping them together with things that matter but I think clean drinking water has a far greater impact than genetics ever will. Does it mean genetics are worthless to discuss? No. But in the scheme of the worlds issues and achievements of people - we’re at clean drinking water level. Genetics influence on average is so little compared to others and it’s so very obvious as to not need much research to be so clear. (As you can easily see how people change when in different environments alone - same genes, different environment)
    - luckylion 5y ago
      > But in the scheme of the worlds issues and achievements of people - we’re at clean drinking water level. On the world level, yes. On a Western country level? No. Well, maybe in the US, in some parts, flammable drinking water probably doesn't help. But if you look at Sweden or Germany, "it's the drinking water" doesn't work. To discount genetics is to close your eyes to reality -- not incredibly helpful when you're trying to understand something. And understanding helps if you want to change something, which progressives do.
ogma 5y ago
Again with the strawmanning crap. Humanity has been a work in progress for hundreds of thousands of years yet only in the last 100-200 years has there been any progress at all on widespread sexist and racist societal practices... so why is your prerogative to downplay and disregard the voices of women, non-whites, the poor, and other groups that traditionally have not been heard? Is it possible that you're just another asshole cog that exists solely to normalize the status quo?

atoav 5y ago

Exactly my point. As useful genetics are in medical applications as dangerous genetics get when non-scientists try to explain their existing world view using it.

luckylion 5y ago
No, what I meant was: if you accept that genetics play a large role, you automatically have to decrease the importance of other factors. I believe it's much more dangerous to be willfully ignorant of science than what political movements might form because of science.
- bradlys 5y ago
  I don’t think they ever said genetics play a large role or as large as a role as those other factors. Maybe you made that association by them grouping them together with things that matter but I think clean drinking water has a far greater impact than genetics ever will. Does it mean genetics are worthless to discuss? No. But in the scheme of the worlds issues and achievements of people - we’re at clean drinking water level. Genetics influence on average is so little compared to others and it’s so very obvious as to not need much research to be so clear. (As you can easily see how people change when in different environments alone - same genes, different environment)
  - luckylion 5y ago
    > But in the scheme of the worlds issues and achievements of people - we’re at clean drinking water level. On the world level, yes. On a Western country level? No. Well, maybe in the US, in some parts, flammable drinking water probably doesn't help. But if you look at Sweden or Germany, "it's the drinking water" doesn't work. To discount genetics is to close your eyes to reality -- not incredibly helpful when you're trying to understand something. And understanding helps if you want to change something, which progressives do.

ogma 5y ago

Again with the strawmanning crap. Humanity has been a work in progress for hundreds of thousands of years yet only in the last 100-200 years has there been any progress at all on widespread sexist and racist societal practices... so why is your prerogative to downplay and disregard the voices of women, non-whites, the poor, and other groups that traditionally have not been heard? Is it possible that you're just another asshole cog that exists solely to normalize the status quo?