Nice picture, but it's a strong case for reuse of design, not for Darwinian evolution, which can't explain software in the cell and overwhelming evidence of design (which we must always remind ourselves is only "apparent" even though it's light years beyond anything humans can dream of en...

Evolution? But please....lets not get derailed.

I may be wrong, but the OP post article seems to be more hypothesis than fact.  Granted, it is "presented" as fact with great charts and such.  It just is hard for me to fall into the current mantra of swallowing hook, line, and sinker what so many call facts.  I don't want to start a fla...

I am not that smart but if I debated Plinker on this issue I would destroy him in 3 minutes...and that's if he got a 2 minute opening statement. Well he's from Harvard what would you expect, look at the humans they've pumped out lately (Bush, Obama) Have you read his book? Pinker is not saying that...

Maybe this will help with your skepticism? I was at a conference a while back where I outlined your thesis briefly to a panel of fairly distinguished political scientists and economists. They rejected it out of hand, retorting, “The 20th century was horrible. Millions died.”? Why is it that most peo...

Let’s go through some of the reasons and processes by which the world became less violent. It began with what you call the pacification process, which involved the creation of states. Pinker: The first states seemed to have in their wake a massive reduction of death in tribal raiding and feuding, b...

Getting some people over here to accept historical fact is like trying to convince a creationist about the process of evolution. Why has violence declined? I think most people would be astonished to hear that. Steven Pinker: First of all, I have to convince people that there’s a fact that needs to b...

Ummm...your analogy between the thief and the government is extremely tenuous. You see, people created governments and standing armies to avoid a worse type of violence. As nuts as it might seem to you, people are more productive when there is stability and order which at the end of the day must be...

Disagreements will arise between people and if there is no third party arbitrator, then conflict gets solved mafia style. The funny thing is..... the violent threat of the third party is a mafia style solution. Two people negotiating, possibly with another party mediating is how almost every human ...

At the end of the day, force always wins over rationality. Then why are trying to convince me of that with an argument rather than violence? What kind of wierd relationships do you have where people settle things with violence rather than rationale decisions? Right now, my life is not affected by y...

Kshartle, The empirical evidence indicates that you are wrong...and for that matter so is MediumTex when he makes the claim that governments have led to more violence. That is absolutely not the case. reason: Why has violence declined? I think most people would be astonished to hear that. Steven Pi...

Kshartle, The empirical evidence indicates that you are wrong...and for that matter so is MediumTex when he makes the claim that governments have led to more violence. That is absolutely not the case. reason: Why has violence declined? I think most people would be astonished to hear that. Steven Pin...

Something like this http://reason.com/archives/2012/01/11/t ... f-violence

when we finally try to solve the debt problem we may fail, but the longer we wait to take action, the more likely we are guaranteed to fail, with horrendous consequences for generations to come. What do you think can be done to solve the problem? I don't have any easy solutions (those are for the f...

I don't believe that a human can own something that they didn't create...like the earth itself. Now what? I don't want to play by your rules....are you going to force me to? Your beliefs, while insane and bizzare and destructive to your life aren't of great interest to me as long as you don't act t...

Kshartle, Your utopia (short of being implemented in a totally enlightened and rational society...that has also been indoctrinated to believe in one particular philosophical system) would result in more violence and catastrophe than anything the Marxists created over the last 100 years. I think you ...

Here's an interesting question...should parents be compensated for their work of raising a child? After all, a good parent ccreates a productive citizen which benefits all of society yet the diligent parent who reads to their kids, helps them with homework, etc etc. doesn't get any monetary compens...

Here's an interesting question...should parents be compensated for their work of raising a child? After all, a good parent ccreates a productive citizen which benefits all of society yet the diligent parent who reads to their kids, helps them with homework, etc etc. doesn't get any monetary compensa...

2. Can we get a graph on worker productivity and tax rates across the OECD to see if there is any relationship? We should see a clear correlation if Kshartles position is correct. As far as I can tell, there is little connection. Little connection to taxes and productivity? What if 100% of your ear...

Questions: 1. What does an incredibly technologically advanced society do with millions of people who are on the left side of the intelligence bell curve and whose ability to contribute to the labor force is nil? The analogy that comes to mind is me being placed on an NBA basketball team. As much as...

I've never made this assumption. This is nonsensical. Economies don't have goals. Individuals have goals.

Tragedy of the commons.....

Technology that replaces more expensive labor does lead to lower prices. This is a good thing Not when it eliminates that laborers ability to produce and provide for themselves. I think you forget that 50% of Americans have below a 100 IQ. You are not cognizant of the fact that we are leaving a hug...

Where is the government supposed to get this money? I imagine they will simply make it up, just like all the money the Swiss government spends. They will simply poof it into existence with a few mouseclicks. Poof! And yes, if taxes do not rise and most of the money is spent domestically, I would ex...

Stone would be pleased http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/17/magaz ... .html?_r=0

Isn't all insurance a ponzi scheme of sorts? No. Neddy doesn't believe in insurance. He considers it a form of gambling. It is a form of gambling....but it only works if enough people participate to adequately pool the risk. It seems similar to a Ponzi scheme in some respects: A Ponzi scheme is a i...