Religion is deliberately non-falsifiable.

I think it would be more accurate to say that the non-falsifiablity of religion has evolved as a result of a sort of natural selection. Essentially all the falsifiable religious beliefs have been falsified, and thus have trouble propagating.

Shoes, but it also kinda sounded like cheese, or sometimes Jesus, which was really weird.

I understand your anger and agree that anti-vaxxers are stupid. I believe public health education should be part of the school system.

I also agree that it’s responsible for a society to impose reasonable restrictions on members that endanger it.

I think people do have an ethical obligation to take reasonable precautions avoid potentially exposing others to pathogens. Vaccination is an example of reasonable precaution. People have the right to bodily autonomy, do not vaccinate them against their wishes.

I do not support the firing of workers for refusing vaccinations if they can do their job remotely. People shouldn’t have to decide between their religious beliefs and employment if their employment doesn’t bring them into contact with others. (Imo anti-vaxx is essentially a religion, this may say more about my beliefs regarding religion than about anti-vaxx sentiment).

By all means exclude the unvaccinated from places where they can be reasonably understood to endanger the public, or others that have a similar right to be there.

This was anti sinovac because the Chinese vaccine wouldn’t have chips in it, pentagon wanted Phillipines to get American vaccines with mind control chips…

Not my belief but pretty easy to see how they’d deal with it.

Any idiot can build a bridge that stands, but it takes an engineer to build a bridge that barely stands.

Oof.

In the defense of engineers, they are usually trying to optimize around a few more variables than ability to stand. Cost is a big one.

If a car has a warranty of 10 years, it will last 11 years.

…If it’s well engineered.

I’ve had lots of led bulbs die. I think it’s because I bought them at the dollar store.

they aren’t just going to out themselves as pedophiles

Of course not, that’s why I asked if you had evidence.

The US hosts more CSAM than any other country in the world

I think it might be more accurate to say that the US has detected more CSAM within its borders than any other nation.

Also, I reckon that the US also has more web hosting generally than any other country in the world (36% of global webhosting).

I think what you’re perceiving as reluctance to prosecute Jared Fogle is actually reluctance to bungle a prosecution by being hasty. Just like many people are frustrated with how long it has taken for Donald Trump to see any consequences, it takes time to assemble evidence to form an airtight case.

I think the fact that Epstein was able to kill himself while in jail is much more compelling evidence that there is at least one very powerful pedophile. But how can we figure out who it is? Do you have any specific evidence that would help with that?

You’re saying that the potential for the economic development of historically exploited colonies under Biden is a more grave risk than the potential end of democracy in America under Trump?

Trump did a lot to alienate allies too, way more than Biden has a far as I know. You really are clueless.

I believe there are some rapists and pedophiles in elected office in the USA. But based on statistical probability, not specific evidence.

I’d read it, but I’m skeptical that you have reliable evidence.

If you have evidence of this claim you should share it.

(…) and would accomplish . . . what exactly?

It would move China’s adversary further from its shores. Just like how America doesn’t like Cuba being right there, with its rival politico- economic system, China doesn’t like Taiwan being right there with its rival politico- economic system.

China wants TSMC

I agree that they want TSMC, but I think Taiwan’s semi conductor disablement plan has more to do with guaranteeing international support for Taiwan than reducing the incentives for Chinese annexation of Taiwan.

What I mean is that Beijing can’t say to the world “this is an internal disagreement that doesn’t concern you” because if TSMC goes up in smoke the global economy is going to bottom out, it concerns everybody’s economy. The fact that Beijing can’t just seamlessly assume control of Taiwan means that the international community will not support that ambition. It’s like Real Politik, but with semiconductors.

Ironically USA initiatives to protect itself from the vulnerability of Taiwan by (re?)patriating chip production will be bad for Taiwan’s security… if they ever actually manage to rival TSMC’s Taiwanese production. I say this because it will demote the conflict from one of global interest to just regional interest.

But that’s all just my arm chair speculation, I don’t actually have any idea what I’m talking about.

Totally possible, I wasn’t a particularly attentive scout.

I was taught in boy scouts that an upside down flag is a symbol to request help.

It actually is a good symbol to represent the state of America. Just not for the reasons they think

I was about to say that slave ‘ownership’ doesn’t make him a terrorist, but yeah it does because i don’t think it’s possible to enslave a person without terrorizing them.

I don’t think Google can be blamed too much for presenting an article from a relevant, generally trustworthy site, that has the search query as the article title.

I live in Canada, it’s illegal in Canada to carry anything outside your home for the purposes of defense against humans. (But if you have something with you for a different reason you’re allowed to use it). This makes my personal preparations somewhat irrelevant to Americans.

My question is for someone passionately arguing against keeping a gun for self defense, with the implication being it’s law, and so regardless of training and care and personal circumstances.

That’s not really me. However, I do think that guns aren’t a very good defense investment. I think a lot of other, more practical, preparations get overlooked because guns are fun.

I have a colleague that lives in Buffalo NY. When the pandemic hit, he and his wife bought 10 guns. When I spoke with him in 2023 they had never fired any of them.

The pro-gun crowd doesn’t just blanket recommend guns for everyone in every situation either, so my question is specifically about how those worst case defensive scenarios are envisioned by people who eschew the idea of personally owning guns.

What you’re saying about blanket recommendations is not really true. My boss, a real actual person that I respect (for other reasons), believes that every adult in the country ought to own a gun.

But again, I’m not who you’re looking to engage, I’m not opposed to the idea of personally owning a gun.

Copying my reply to someone else because much of it is relevant here too.

I didn’t mean to suggest that there was something without any of those drawbacks, so I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear about that.

I’m not going to propose a one size fits all solution.

But I think people should consider the situations they are most likely to find themselves in, and make considered decisions.

I don’t think guns are likely to be the best choice very often.

I’m not that interested in discussing what I do personally for safety, because every situation is unique.

I didn’t mean to suggest that there was something without any of those drawbacks, so I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear about that.

I’m not going to propose a one size fits all solution.

But I think people should consider the situations they are most likely to find themselves in, and make considered decisions.

I don’t think guns are likely to be the best choice very often.

There are lots of situations where fire arms aren’t good for defense.

They need to be aimed.

They need to be loaded.

They are not allowed in some places/They have specific transportation requirements which preclude them from bring brought to some places.

They can kill/ grievously wound uninvolved people.

They aren’t effective for summoning help.

Someone wielding one in self defense can be reasonably misidentified as an aggressor.

Not every defence device has these deficiencies.

I’m not the person you’re replying to, but: there are defense tools that are simultaneously less lethal than firearms, while actually more effective than firearms for self defense.