Recent content by ron damon

That's really something... so one must skip class in order to learn more and better? I've always felt formal educational institutions are worthless and pathetic. Now I know.

I feel it is the opposite. Mathematics can be too abstract and formal, while physics requires you to look at problems through a variety of concepts, and then apply the math. I *really* wish I had the type of mind that allows one to move freely and carelessly through mathematical reality. To...

All options regarding this issue are terrible. Will the civilized world tolerate a fanatical culture with a penchant for martyrdom and led by a neo-Nazi nut to posses nuclear weapons? How will the subsequent and very high risk of a nuclear attack on Israel be balanced out? But then, what...

Capitalism is the brightest incarnation of ourselves. If anyone wishes to glance at the beyond, she/he must start by embracing the human, not fleeing from it.

Fair enough. Let me then state explicitly what I have only depicted earlier: the concept of "equality" thought of as a simple particular, ie, "every bright person should be able to pursue higher education", is of course something no sensible person would oppose. However, when removed from the...

yeah, try telling that that to the girls I've dated... oh wait

In all seriousness, I think that a society should strive to push the human spirit further, to reach what has been unattainable to those who came before. That's why I cringe at anything that resembles past failures, foremost of which are the varieties of socialism. Every time someone mentions...

What I would like to see in the PaWA forum is the ability to post pictures. Many times I *need* to use a smilie not available in this forum to convey a specific meaning in a phrase, but can't because said smilie needs to be brought in in the form of a picture. I really need a very wide...

That is exactly what I said... :rolleyes: think a little bit harder before reaching for the insult. It's hard, I know, but generally yields better results. :smile:

But not arbitrary, dictated-from-above diversity; only diversity that thrives on its own merits.

That is exactly what "equality of opportunity" entails; reducing everyone to the lowest common denominator.

And then again, what if I fancy Equality requires equality of dress, like Mao did? Or equality of capabilities, culture, intelligence, imagination... after all, this discussion started with the question of what society should strive towards. Am I to stand still while the shadows of the...

Thinking about it further... let's say you have person A and person B, equal to each other. Person A then develops quality C, and person B develops quality D. Now, if quality C stands in relation to A as D stands to B, you can have value-equality, such as your example with flower colors or food...

So if I *value* a homeless person the same as a billionaire, am I living in the spirit of equality, or some action to bring one up and the other down is essential as well? Where do we stop in producing equality? Do we handicap bright people from becoming rich, and reward imbeciles who will...

Ultimately it does, because in an emerging system such a society, much like in nature, new features will appear at unequal rates and of unequal quality when let loose. If every element is to stay the same in relation to every other element, you need them to have the same properties to begin...