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I think it's clear that the author of the techcrunch article intended to sound provocative and most likely the article doesn't reflect his own views (and neithe

by jcfrei 12y ago

I think it's clear that the author of the techcrunch article intended to sound provocative and most likely the article doesn't reflect his own views (and neither mine for that matter). However in your criticism you are simply moralizing, presuming that everyone should share your own ideal of sexuality and relationships. If you want your criticism to be taken seriously, you should probably refrain from subjective ideals and list more substantial threats (which there certainly are), rather than simply drawing the image of a (in your eyes) dystopian future.

rayiner 12y ago
Arguably the article is the one that's moralizing, with its comment about "as nature intended." As to your other point, devaluation of procreation and family is as substantial a threat as it gets. Anecdote: having a kid has made me a little crazy. Every now and then, someone will do something like ignore the "yield to pedestrians" sign on a crosswalk, and come a little too close to clipping my daughter's stroller. When that happens, I literally, not figuratively, want to drag the person out of their car and beat them with the stroller. I can't help it, it's a brain-stem level parental instinct: first eliminate threats to your kids, ask questions later. Familial bonds are a primitive and powerful force with little comparison in the human experience. Huxley was incredibly insightful in realizing that if you really wanted to control a society, make it docile, you have to break down these bonds and mitigate the threat they represent.
- dctoedt 12y ago
  > it's a brain-stem level parental instinct Yep. We live on a quiet, somewhat-narrow street. There are always quite a few young families living on the block. Occasionally, a car will go speeding through the block to avoid a nearby stoplight. When our kids were little, every now and then we'd be in the front yard, chatting with neighbors, with various kids playing here and there. When a speeder came roaring our way, I would sometimes literally step into the street, stop the speeder, and "counsel" him (it always was a him) about safe driving with little kids around. Twenty years later, with our kids grown and gone, I don't have nearly so intense a reaction.
  - tptacek 12y ago
    We had a neighbor that did that; he'd hang out on the porch with a bullhorn and chase after cars. It always scared the crap out of me, because some of the people speeding down our street are probably not smart to mess with.
    - dctoedt 12y ago
      > he'd hang out on the porch with a bullhorn and chase after cars Oh, now that's downright odd; I was never anywhere close to that premeditated.
      - tptacek 12y ago
        It's not odd; he was doing exactly what you and Rayiner was doing. He was just... less restrained.
        rayiner 12y ago
        When someone speeds down the street, then screeches to a halt because I'm already in the crosswalk, I just settle for taking extra long to cross and glaring at them the whole time.
    - dctoedt 12y ago
      From 'Rayiner's comment: > first eliminate threats to your kids, ask questions later I just remembered another story on point from a few years back: A mother charged with her fists into a 700-pound polar bear that was stalking her 7-year old son. [1] [1] http://www.questioningchristian.com/2006/03/good_news_bad_n.html http://www.questioningchristian.com/2006/03/good_news_bad_n....
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]

by jcfrei 12y ago

rayiner 12y ago

Arguably the article is the one that's moralizing, with its comment about "as nature intended." As to your other point, devaluation of procreation and family is as substantial a threat as it gets. Anecdote: having a kid has made me a little crazy. Every now and then, someone will do something like ignore the "yield to pedestrians" sign on a crosswalk, and come a little too close to clipping my daughter's stroller. When that happens, I literally, not figuratively, want to drag the person out of their car and beat them with the stroller. I can't help it, it's a brain-stem level parental instinct: first eliminate threats to your kids, ask questions later. Familial bonds are a primitive and powerful force with little comparison in the human experience. Huxley was incredibly insightful in realizing that if you really wanted to control a society, make it docile, you have to break down these bonds and mitigate the threat they represent.

dctoedt 12y ago
> it's a brain-stem level parental instinct Yep. We live on a quiet, somewhat-narrow street. There are always quite a few young families living on the block. Occasionally, a car will go speeding through the block to avoid a nearby stoplight. When our kids were little, every now and then we'd be in the front yard, chatting with neighbors, with various kids playing here and there. When a speeder came roaring our way, I would sometimes literally step into the street, stop the speeder, and "counsel" him (it always was a him) about safe driving with little kids around. Twenty years later, with our kids grown and gone, I don't have nearly so intense a reaction.
- tptacek 12y ago
  We had a neighbor that did that; he'd hang out on the porch with a bullhorn and chase after cars. It always scared the crap out of me, because some of the people speeding down our street are probably not smart to mess with.
  - dctoedt 12y ago
    > he'd hang out on the porch with a bullhorn and chase after cars Oh, now that's downright odd; I was never anywhere close to that premeditated.
    - tptacek 12y ago
      It's not odd; he was doing exactly what you and Rayiner was doing. He was just... less restrained.
      - rayiner 12y ago
        When someone speeds down the street, then screeches to a halt because I'm already in the crosswalk, I just settle for taking extra long to cross and glaring at them the whole time.
  - dctoedt 12y ago
    From 'Rayiner's comment: > first eliminate threats to your kids, ask questions later I just remembered another story on point from a few years back: A mother charged with her fists into a 700-pound polar bear that was stalking her 7-year old son. [1] [1] http://www.questioningchristian.com/2006/03/good_news_bad_n.html http://www.questioningchristian.com/2006/03/good_news_bad_n....
deleted 12y ago
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