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If people are truly worried about electing people like Donald Trump they'll broaden education and, in particular, education in the hard sciences like maths and

If people are truly worried about electing people like Donald Trump they'll broaden education and, in particular, education in the hard sciences like maths and computer science to bolster critical thinking and logic. At that point we won't elect reality show hucksters who blatantly lie and foment sedition.

nradov 4y ago
And yet a surprising number of violent terrorists have engineering degrees. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-journal-of-sociology-archives-europeennes-de-sociologie/article/why-are-there-so-many-engineers-among-islamic-radicals/91ED8BEFDE3793834667750B31575422# https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-journal-of-...
- UnpossibleJim 4y ago
  That's a fascinating paper. There are a couple of issues I take with it. Their dismissal of recruitment of engineers because they use them recklessly in terror attacks doesn't seem to hold much water. If They were recruited on the promise of heaven by Jihad, then logically, they would want to die by Jihad. And the small sample size, plus their own mentioned Saudi Exception seem to flaw their own paper, even to them. But it's still fascinating and a great paper, thank you for sharing! Plus the over representation of both Nazis and Islamist terrorist groups is fascinating. I'm completely geeked out! Thanks again!
- analog31 4y ago
  There could be straightforward explanations, such as: People from poor countries are more likely to study fields that are seen as pragmatic, meritocratic, and lucrative, and where jobs don't require things like mastery of English, or family connections.
  - trashtester 4y ago
    Perhaps, but I suspect that the orderly personality type that often contributes to people studying engineering can, in excess, lead to a totalitarian world view.
giantg2 4y ago
"If people are truly worried about electing people like Donald Trump they'll broaden education and, in particular, education in the hard sciences like maths and computer science to bolster critical thinking and logic. At that point we won't elect reality show hucksters who blatantly lie and foment sedition." If our choices at election time continue ro be between a shit sandwich and a shit sandwich without the bread, we will continue to have similar issues. Lesser of two evils and all that. Ps which one has the bread is just a matter of perspective for each individual.
- qbrass 4y ago
  If there was an option with bread, it would have won in a landslide. The competitors last round were shit sandwich vs shit sandwich you haven't tried yet.
makeitdouble 4y ago
We should get past the belief that those who aren’t on our political side are just lacking education and not thinking properly. You might despise the candidate (and to my opinion most candidate can be despised in many ways), but that doesn’t put all their voters at the candidate’s level, nor preclude supporters from “using” their candidates to push a specific aspect. To me that’s the lesson times and times again, when we think some candidate is obviously non viable and we’re just dumdfounded as they’re elected.
- causality0 4y ago
  Indeed. This religionization of political beliefs where everyone must be without sin lest they be thrown into the pit has time and again handed elections to awful people and driven wedges further between people who really aren't all that different.
- UnpossibleJim 4y ago
  I understand your point and it's well taken. Just to point out, as I feel I misspoke or was mischaracterized by my statement, because I hold the Republicans in disdain doesn't mean I hold any less disdain for the Democrats. I haven't seen any shortage of political hucksters on the stage, "he who must not be named" (for fear of moderation) is just the latest example. Sorry if I came off as a single sided zealot =) I, like most people, just want a little compromise and moderation, and most of all respect out of my politicians. What I don't want is fealty to a political party first, like a bunch of gang bangers.
rowanG077 4y ago
Because of course the people who voted for Donald Trump are uneducated and don't know science? Are you hearing yourself?

nradov 4y ago

And yet a surprising number of violent terrorists have engineering degrees. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-journal-of-sociology-archives-europeennes-de-sociologie/article/why-are-there-so-many-engineers-among-islamic-radicals/91ED8BEFDE3793834667750B31575422# https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-journal-of-...

UnpossibleJim 4y ago
That's a fascinating paper. There are a couple of issues I take with it. Their dismissal of recruitment of engineers because they use them recklessly in terror attacks doesn't seem to hold much water. If They were recruited on the promise of heaven by Jihad, then logically, they would want to die by Jihad. And the small sample size, plus their own mentioned Saudi Exception seem to flaw their own paper, even to them. But it's still fascinating and a great paper, thank you for sharing! Plus the over representation of both Nazis and Islamist terrorist groups is fascinating. I'm completely geeked out! Thanks again!
analog31 4y ago
There could be straightforward explanations, such as: People from poor countries are more likely to study fields that are seen as pragmatic, meritocratic, and lucrative, and where jobs don't require things like mastery of English, or family connections.
- trashtester 4y ago
  Perhaps, but I suspect that the orderly personality type that often contributes to people studying engineering can, in excess, lead to a totalitarian world view.

giantg2 4y ago

"If people are truly worried about electing people like Donald Trump they'll broaden education and, in particular, education in the hard sciences like maths and computer science to bolster critical thinking and logic. At that point we won't elect reality show hucksters who blatantly lie and foment sedition." If our choices at election time continue ro be between a shit sandwich and a shit sandwich without the bread, we will continue to have similar issues. Lesser of two evils and all that. Ps which one has the bread is just a matter of perspective for each individual.

qbrass 4y ago
If there was an option with bread, it would have won in a landslide. The competitors last round were shit sandwich vs shit sandwich you haven't tried yet.

makeitdouble 4y ago

We should get past the belief that those who aren’t on our political side are just lacking education and not thinking properly. You might despise the candidate (and to my opinion most candidate can be despised in many ways), but that doesn’t put all their voters at the candidate’s level, nor preclude supporters from “using” their candidates to push a specific aspect. To me that’s the lesson times and times again, when we think some candidate is obviously non viable and we’re just dumdfounded as they’re elected.

causality0 4y ago
Indeed. This religionization of political beliefs where everyone must be without sin lest they be thrown into the pit has time and again handed elections to awful people and driven wedges further between people who really aren't all that different.
UnpossibleJim 4y ago
I understand your point and it's well taken. Just to point out, as I feel I misspoke or was mischaracterized by my statement, because I hold the Republicans in disdain doesn't mean I hold any less disdain for the Democrats. I haven't seen any shortage of political hucksters on the stage, "he who must not be named" (for fear of moderation) is just the latest example. Sorry if I came off as a single sided zealot =) I, like most people, just want a little compromise and moderation, and most of all respect out of my politicians. What I don't want is fealty to a political party first, like a bunch of gang bangers.

rowanG077 4y ago

Because of course the people who voted for Donald Trump are uneducated and don't know science? Are you hearing yourself?