What are the five issues most important to you?

Anonymous (User Deleted) · March 08, 2016, 01:13:33 PM

I can't attempt to order these so I'll just list them:

mass surveillance/national security
net neutrality
infrastructure
civil rights
tax reform

Mordo · March 08, 2016, 01:19:48 PM

Quote from: Chief Among Sinners on March 08, 2016, 01:05:11 PM

From a moral standpoint I get where you're coming from fam, but from a legislative perspective trying to criminalize abortion is an absolute logistical nightmare.

I mean, it's always going to be there, whether you hold a moral disdain for it or not. I see it as the lesser of two evils at this point.

More Than Mortal · March 08, 2016, 01:20:08 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on March 08, 2016, 09:47:25 AM

We need some socialist policy up in this bitch.

Like?

Dan · March 08, 2016, 01:23:52 PM

- Common sense foreign policy. Preventing dangerous regime-change by our government. Ending the mentality of "just bomb it and it'll go away" that led to the proliferation of ISIS.

- Climate change

- Ending the war on drugs

- Income inequality

- Healthcare as a right to all citizens.

ΚΑΤΑΝΑΛΩΤΗΣ · March 08, 2016, 01:30:42 PM

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Verbatim · March 08, 2016, 01:35:30 PM

Quote from: Meta Cognition on March 08, 2016, 01:20:08 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on March 08, 2016, 09:47:25 AM
We need some socialist policy up in this bitch.
Like?

Oh, lots of free shit and subsidies that big corporations will be obliged to pay through the nose for (obviously). What else?

Mordo · March 08, 2016, 01:39:30 PM

Quote from: Chief Among Sinners on March 08, 2016, 01:30:42 PM

Quote from: Mordo on March 08, 2016, 01:19:48 PM
Quote from: Chief Among Sinners on March 08, 2016, 01:05:11 PM
From a moral standpoint I get where you're coming from fam, but from a legislative perspective trying to criminalize abortion is an absolute logistical nightmare.
Which is why I advocate a reversal of the normalization before any attempt to act against it. Nobody cares about the holocaust if they don't realize that jews, gypsies and slavs are human beings. The propaganda and bullying must be shut down before we can have an honest conversation. Right now any criticism of abortion is forced into the realm of misogyny and women's rights- a realm it has very little to do with.

Well, it technically is their body before a limited time period, unless you're gonna argue that a zygote is deserving of the same rights as a fully functioning human. I'm all for calling out legbeards that advocate abortion any time they want because they were too inconvenienced to use a condom at the time, but for me, abortion at an early stage in the pregnancy is preferable to raising a kid that was never wanted nor prepared to be raised as a mature adult.

Verbatim · March 08, 2016, 01:45:27 PM

Quote from: Mordo on March 08, 2016, 01:39:30 PM

I'm all for calling out legbeards that advocate abortion any time they want because they were too inconvenienced to use a condom at the time

why would that matter

if you're okay with abortion, why would it matter to you when or how often people get them

Mordo · March 08, 2016, 01:48:33 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on March 08, 2016, 01:45:27 PM

Quote from: Mordo on March 08, 2016, 01:39:30 PM
I'm all for calling out legbeards that advocate abortion any time they want because they were too inconvenienced to use a condom at the time
why would that matter

if you're okay with abortion, why would it matter to you when or how often people get them

I'm comfortable with abortion provided the pregnancy is in its early stages where the fetus cannot feel pain stimulus. What I'm not for is tumblrinas using abortion as wanton birth control whenever they please. The anti abortion argument actually makes sense in that respect.

snee0rp · March 08, 2016, 01:53:16 PM

Right to privacy and freedom from surveillance, especially online.
Net neutrality and the prevention of censorship.
Education reform in the US.
Government transparency, especially online.
Reasonable alternative energy.

Verbatim · March 08, 2016, 01:59:03 PM

Quote from: Hargbeast on March 08, 2016, 01:53:16 PM

Right to privacy and freedom from surveillance, especially online.

lmao

THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE:

"OH GOD I SURE HOPE NO ONE EVER FINDS OUT WHAT KIND OF PORN I WATCH"

snee0rp · March 08, 2016, 02:03:38 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on March 08, 2016, 01:59:03 PM

Quote from: Hargbeast on March 08, 2016, 01:53:16 PM
Right to privacy and freedom from surveillance, especially online.
lmao

THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE:

"OH GOD I SURE HOPE NO ONE EVER FINDS OUT WHAT KIND OF PORN I WATCH"

2scary4me

In all seriousness though, it's a ridiculous violation of the Fourth Amendment, and there's something off with the amount of money that goes into recording everything we do.

Anonymous (User Deleted) · March 08, 2016, 02:34:02 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on March 08, 2016, 01:59:03 PM

Quote from: Hargbeast on March 08, 2016, 01:53:16 PM
Right to privacy and freedom from surveillance, especially online.
lmao

THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE:

"OH GOD I SURE HOPE NO ONE EVER FINDS OUT WHAT KIND OF PORN I WATCH"

That's rich, coming from you.

Quote

It's merely the principle of the matter, guy. PMs should be special communication channels. If someone wanted to publicly reveal information, they wouldn't publicly revealed it. There's an unspoken trust pact, and if you violate that, you should be punished.

Thanks for describing the Fourth Amendment.

Verbatim · March 08, 2016, 02:41:33 PM

Quote from: Kupo & the Two G-strings on March 08, 2016, 02:34:02 PM

That's rich, coming from you.
Quote
It's merely the principle of the matter, guy. PMs should be special communication channels. If someone wanted to publicly reveal information, they wouldn't publicly revealed it. There's an unspoken trust pact, and if you violate that, you should be punished.
Thanks for describing the Fourth Amendment.

Caring about other people's right to privacy =/= Caring about my OWN right to privacy.

Just because nobody is as rational as I am doesn't give me the right to impinge upon their rights.

You're still irrational if you care AT ALL about your privacy.

You have the right. But you're irrational to care about it.

Anonymous (User Deleted) · March 08, 2016, 02:44:10 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on March 08, 2016, 02:41:33 PM

Quote from: Kupo & the Two G-strings on March 08, 2016, 02:34:02 PM
That's rich, coming from you.
Quote
It's merely the principle of the matter, guy. PMs should be special communication channels. If someone wanted to publicly reveal information, they wouldn't publicly revealed it. There's an unspoken trust pact, and if you violate that, you should be punished.
Thanks for describing the Fourth Amendment.
Caring about other people's right to privacy =/= Caring about my OWN right to privacy.

Just because nobody is as rational as I am doesn't give me the right to impinge upon their rights.

You're still irrational if you care AT ALL about your privacy.

You have the right. But you're irrational to care about it.

What are you even trying to say here?

Verbatim · March 08, 2016, 02:45:03 PM

Quote from: Kupo & the Two G-strings on March 08, 2016, 02:44:10 PM

What are you even trying to say here?

I couldn't have possibly made it more clear.

Anonymous (User Deleted) · March 08, 2016, 02:47:35 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on March 08, 2016, 02:45:03 PM

Quote from: Kupo & the Two G-strings on March 08, 2016, 02:44:10 PM
What are you even trying to say here?
I couldn't have possibly made it more clear.

You're contradicting yourself.

Verbatim · March 08, 2016, 02:49:27 PM

Quote from: Kupo & the Two G-strings on March 08, 2016, 02:47:35 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on March 08, 2016, 02:45:03 PM
Quote from: Kupo & the Two G-strings on March 08, 2016, 02:44:10 PM
What are you even trying to say here?
I couldn't have possibly made it more clear.
You're contradicting yourself.

Not even close.

Just because I don't give a fuck about my privacy doesn't give me the right to impinge upon the privacy of others.

If people were smart, like me, no one would care about their privacy. But they do. So I'm obliged to respect that.

Not complicated.

eggsalad · March 08, 2016, 03:15:07 PM

In descending order:

Nuclear Energy.

The sooner we cut back on emissions the less damage someone has to deal with later. Renewable would be nice, but isn't realistic right now.

Justice/Penal reform.

Prison is crippling a shit ton of people's ability to live productive and healthy lives. The justice system is also the actual frontline of racism in America right now. This of course includes the war on drugs.

Revising foreign policy.

Saudi Arabia is a massive contributor to destabilization in the Middle East and every day is proving itself to be less in line with Western ethics than fucking Iran of all places.

Also I've never fully understood the "we need to support Israel, because we need an ally in that region" when by at large the reason the US has weak relations in that region is their support of Israel.

Misc. Issues. (Eg Abortion, Transrights, removing shit like the Duluth model, or misandry in custody disputes)

Corporate ethics.
Don't know enough to really say much but the game of whackamole the consumer has to play against these is irritating.

Anonymous (User Deleted) · March 08, 2016, 03:20:05 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on March 08, 2016, 02:49:27 PM

If people were smart, like me

LOL

eggsalad · March 08, 2016, 03:53:54 PM

Quote from: Chief Among Sinners on March 08, 2016, 12:54:06 PM

Quote from: Incan on March 08, 2016, 12:41:31 PM
Quote from: Chief Among Sinners on March 08, 2016, 12:14:34 PM
3. Dismantling and destruction of institutions that provide abortions, as well as the social movement seeking to dehumanize unborn children.
I'm curious for your reasoning here.
I've come around to the position that abortion is murder. I've so far been presented with nothing to credibly suggest there is some arbitrary development date where a fetus *becomes* a human being based on the development of a certain organ or feature. I have, in fact, been pushed further toward and anti stance since I've encountered a few people who suggested that a fetus did not become a human and get "rights" until it was physically born. All of this strikes me as an attempt to otherize and dehumanize infants in order to legitimize and normalize their destruction- not unlike what genocidal regimes do to ethnic minority groups.

Frankly, I think women's rights have nothing to do with it. If a fetus is a human being, it is never acceptable to kill one (excepting very special circumstances). If it is not a human being, it is likely always acceptable to destroy one, regardless of muh body muh choice. If you really cared that much about freedom from coercion, you'd be an anarchist.

Kids aren't worth anything more than animals up until they're just becoming toddlers IMO.

Yeah it should be illegal to cause undue harm and anguish to them as they're living things that can experience pain, but from an egalitarian perspective the only value a baby has over smart animals like crows is the fact that their parents invested a lot of time and care into them and they serve a future potential for productivity in society, they're more like property than agents deserving of rights until a few months out of the womb.

"Human" being being "human DNA" is already a situation we have dealt with. We don't consider artificial organs and tissues in labs to be individuals. We don't consider the brain-dead to be themselves anymore.

Verbatim · March 08, 2016, 04:01:30 PM

Quote from: Kupo & the Two G-strings on March 08, 2016, 03:20:05 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on March 08, 2016, 02:49:27 PM
If people were smart, like me
LOL

I'm a genius.

Anonymous (User Deleted) · March 08, 2016, 04:02:03 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on March 08, 2016, 04:01:30 PM

Quote from: Kupo & the Two G-strings on March 08, 2016, 03:20:05 PM
Quote from: Verbatim on March 08, 2016, 02:49:27 PM
If people were smart, like me
LOL
I'm a genius.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect

Verbatim · March 08, 2016, 04:04:24 PM

Quote from: Kupo & the Two G-strings on March 08, 2016, 04:02:03 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on March 08, 2016, 04:01:30 PM
Quote from: Kupo & the Two G-strings on March 08, 2016, 03:20:05 PM
Quote from: Verbatim on March 08, 2016, 02:49:27 PM
If people were smart, like me
LOL
I'm a genius.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect

That would apply far more to you than it would to me.

I'm ACTUALLY a genius.

Turkey · March 08, 2016, 04:04:30 PM

Quote from: eggsalad on March 08, 2016, 03:53:54 PM

We don't consider artificial organs and tissues in labs to be individuals. We don't consider the brain-dead to be themselves anymore.

It's pretty disingenuous to compare a fetus to an artificial (or natural) organ or brain-dead patients.

Tsirist · March 08, 2016, 04:05:34 PM

An AI must be established. Lesser issues revolve around how we interact with/are incorporated by it. Biggest thing we should be focusing on right now in my opinion.

eggsalad · March 08, 2016, 04:15:48 PM

Quote from: HurtfulTurkey on March 08, 2016, 04:04:30 PM

Quote from: eggsalad on March 08, 2016, 03:53:54 PM
We don't consider artificial organs and tissues in labs to be individuals. We don't consider the brain-dead to be themselves anymore.

It's pretty disingenuous to compare a fetus to an artificial (or natural) organ or brain-dead patients.

Why specifically?

Turkey · March 08, 2016, 04:20:49 PM

Quote from: eggsalad on March 08, 2016, 04:15:48 PM

Quote from: HurtfulTurkey on March 08, 2016, 04:04:30 PM
Quote from: eggsalad on March 08, 2016, 03:53:54 PM
We don't consider artificial organs and tissues in labs to be individuals. We don't consider the brain-dead to be themselves anymore.

It's pretty disingenuous to compare a fetus to an artificial (or natural) organ or brain-dead patients.
Why specifically?

Because "fetus" refers to an entire organism, not a single organ of one.

eggsalad · March 08, 2016, 04:46:49 PM

Quote from: HurtfulTurkey on March 08, 2016, 04:20:49 PM

Quote from: eggsalad on March 08, 2016, 04:15:48 PM
Quote from: HurtfulTurkey on March 08, 2016, 04:04:30 PM
Quote from: eggsalad on March 08, 2016, 03:53:54 PM
We don't consider artificial organs and tissues in labs to be individuals. We don't consider the brain-dead to be themselves anymore.

It's pretty disingenuous to compare a fetus to an artificial (or natural) organ or brain-dead patients.
Why specifically?

Because "fetus" refers to an entire organism, not a single organ of one.

A brain dead patient is an entire organism. And even so the point was that a fetus holds no inherent value. Nothing about a fetus being an organism (not even independent at that) gives it anymore value than you could give a bacterium living in a human body.

Super Irish · March 08, 2016, 08:10:10 PM

(In no particular order)

-The inevitable resource crisis.
If not oil, it will be freshwater. If not those, REM's and other metals that are the basis of our technology.

-Natural Hazard prediction.
I'd love to know when a major earthquake or volcanic eruption near a major urban centre was soon to go off. This is ignoring the headline-attracting Yellowstone Hotspot or the more closer to home French hints of volcanism.

-Foreign Politics
The Syrian conflict, the refugee crisis, the spread of radical islam, the aggressive expansion of Russia, the collapse of the EU, all that shit.

-The current job market
Apparently not a brilliant time to be an up-and-coming geologist. Or anything, really. Kinda ties in with my future.

-Personal Freedom
I don't think this needs to be explained. Doesn't everyone prefer not being a robot, having things involving themselves being done against their will?