I think I am getting your point, Vam. I am reading a book on racism at the moment, about how and why the race separator was set up/constructed/made up, but it is so boring that they chopped it up in 101 questions.
On Wed, Sep 26, 2012 at 2:03 AM, Vam <[email protected]> wrote: > > <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h-R3GAZaKpc/UGJGUcebnJI/AAAAAAAABzw/PpFO9coVQi0/s1600/On+Competition.jpg> > > > On Sunday, September 23, 2012 5:02:05 AM UTC+5:30, archytas wrote: >> >> I don't think competition works as Don suggests. In business we are >> urged to focus on the best customers and rid ourselves of the others. >> >> On 22 Sep, 12:36, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: >> > We don't get to dictate the behavior of our neighbors but we can sue >> > or move. We don't get the same care/benefits- it's arbitrary- based on >> > our best information and ability to be covered or to pay. >> > >> > On Sep 20, 11:33 pm, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > On Thursday, September 20, 2012 8:25:16 PM UTC-5, rigsy03 wrote: >> > >> > > > It is also the joy of work- accomplishment, etc. rather than >> > > > competing- maybe you are testing your own skills or mastering your >> > > > abilities to repair something, create something. >> > >> > > One can certainly enjoy sprucing up one's home or automobile or >> garden and >> > > keep one self busy making sure our home appliances and robots are in >> good >> > > working order. We have plenty of practice so we get quite good at >> these >> > > chores that help ourselves and our families. But our neighbor prefers >> to >> > > play video games and watch cooking shows on tv instead of being >> > > industrious. Well that won't work because we are all "entitled" to >> the same >> > > things, correct? So maybe I should go to my neighbor's house and work >> on >> > > his robots and appliances and prune his trees and cut his grass for >> him. >> > > This will, of course, require me to work much harder and the chores >> around >> > > my living space will suffer for it but that's ok because we all >> deserve the >> > > same benefits don't we? >> > >> > > Maybe not. >> > >> > > dj >> > >> > > > On Sep 20, 12:03 am, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: >> > > > > Reminds me of the Fritz Lang classic Metropolis. Who's going to >> build >> > > > and >> > > > > repair and innovate the robots? Other robots? Haven't you seen >> "I, >> > > > Robot" >> > > > > or "Terminator?" There will always be greener grass somewhere and >> people >> > > > > will "compete" to occupy it. If it's not Financially perhaps we >> will >> > > > have >> > > > > gladiatorial competitions to weed out the weak. Maybe we'll play >> chess >> > > > for >> > > > > favors. Maybe we'll keep building robots to fight for us and play >> chess >> > > > for >> > > > > us, I dunno. But we will always compete for what we want and we >> will >> > > > always >> > > > > WANT what we don't HAVE. Doesn't matter if we already have >> everything >> > > > maybe >> > > > > I want HER. Or HIM. Or that PARTICULAR view from that SPECIFIC >> condo or >> > > > > whatever. I'm no sociologist but I'm pretty sure the compitition >> gene is >> > > > > hardwired in the best of us and if we lose it we are doomed. I >> mean >> > > > extinct >> > > > > doomed. >> > >> > > > > dj >> > >> > > > > On Wednesday, September 19, 2012 4:56:36 PM UTC-5, archytas >> wrote: >> > > > > > Thought experiments are devices of the imagination used to >> investigate >> > > > > > the nature of things. Thought experimenting often takes place >> when the >> > > > > > method of variation is employed in entertaining imaginative >> > > > > > suppositions. They are used for diverse reasons in a variety of >> areas, >> > > > > > including economics, history, mathematics, philosophy, and >> physics. >> > > > > > Most often thought experiments are communicated in narrative >> form, >> > > > > > sometimes through media like a diagram. Thought experiments >> should be >> > > > > > distinguished from thinking about experiments, from merely >> imagining >> > > > > > any experiments to be conducted outside the imagination, and >> from >> > > > > > psychological experiments with thoughts. They should also be >> > > > > > distinguished from counterfactual reasoning in general, as they >> seem >> > > > > > to require an experimental element. >> > > > > >http://plato.stanford.edu/**entries/thought-experiment/<http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/thought-experiment/> >> > >> > > > > > One I like is the notion of robot heaven. It's easy enough to >> imagine >> > > > > > a time when machines grow our food, build our shelter and do >> our >> > > > > > work. The interesting stuff comes in thinking what this would >> mean >> > > > > > for wealth distribution and the nature of society. What work >> would be >> > > > > > left to do? One can also wonder what place any of our work >> ethics >> > > > > > would have in such a society. There may be some deconstructive >> effect >> > > > > > on just what current work ideologies are in place for. >> > >> > > > > > One of the great improvements technology brought to my life is >> more or >> > > > > > less never having to go into a bank. The only real innovations >> in >> > > > > > banking are the ATM and electronic banking. This kind of >> technology >> > > > > > and similar in agriculture and industry fundamentally reduce >> the >> > > > > > amount of human effort to grow and make what we need. We are >> in >> > > > > > partial state of robot heaven. >> > >> > > > > > Our ideologies are not up to speed. Real unemployment is >> massive and >> > > > > > education does little to provide job skills. We are sold >> life-styles >> > > > > > and products by insane advertising. Job creation seems to be >> in >> > > > > > perverse areas like financial services or bringing back >> attended gas- >> > > > > > pumps. With more efficient production we should be able to >> afford a >> > > > > > bigger social sector and I can't for the life of me understand >> why we >> > > > > > allow competition through crap wages and conditions. >> > >> > > > > > A great deal of what we pay for could be available more or less >> free. >> > > > > > Educational content and utility banking are examples - these >> are areas >> > > > > > that could be ratinalised like agriculture and manufacturing. >> > > > > > Millions of jobs would go. We should be asking why jobs are so >> > > > > > central to out thinking on wealth distribution and how we might >> > > > > > encourage work without the rat race.- Hide quoted text - >> > >> > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - >> > >> > > - Show quoted text - >> > -- > > > > --
