tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806136543904112143.post4004412569225447686..comments2023-10-30T09:23:42.803-05:00Comments on Some Assembly Required: SAR #9346Charles Kingsley Michaelson, IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04364694465614330540noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806136543904112143.post-66715743559214687572009-12-12T07:56:37.875-06:002009-12-12T07:56:37.875-06:00Yes, education and improved economic security work...Yes, education and improved economic security works wonders for birth control. Teaching girls calculus is nearly 100% effective.<br /><br />But here in the real world, with an economic system that lurches about, how are we to provide education, employment and economic security for 10 - 15 million newcomers each month? We can't (or don't) take care of those who are here now. Not even those here in the USofA now.<br /><br />I suspect that both government coercion and education are non-starters and that Mrs. Nature will find Another Way. <br /><br />But it is not a bad idea to get people to think about the problem - maybe someone in a garage somewhere will come up with a solution.<br />ckmCharles Kingsley Michaelson, IIIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04364694465614330540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806136543904112143.post-46309066333093111632009-12-11T22:54:30.680-06:002009-12-11T22:54:30.680-06:00re: One Per Customer
According to the CIA World F...re: One Per Customer<br /><br />According to the CIA World Fact Book, China ranks 150 out of 223 in terms of birthrate (lower ranking = more births). The U.S. ranks 153. In fact most industrialized nations have lower birth rates than China. Equal access to education & civil rights are far more effective tools in this regard than are centralized edicts intruding into the most personal decisions & aspects of peoples lives.TomOfTheNorthhttp://outsidethe-cardboard-box.tumblr.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806136543904112143.post-83470933722145053742009-12-11T15:17:15.996-06:002009-12-11T15:17:15.996-06:00Anony 2:45. I could admit that my version of pop...Anony 2:45. I could admit that my version of population limitation would involve parental testing (knowledge and biologic), educational requirements, intrusive monitoring of child rearing and still a 1 per customer limit. But I'm not going to admit that, so no viscous attacks, please.<br />ckmCharles Kingsley Michaelson, IIIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04364694465614330540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806136543904112143.post-29199322987139199732009-12-11T14:45:39.655-06:002009-12-11T14:45:39.655-06:00Progressives wanting to emulate China? Why am not...Progressives wanting to emulate China? Why am not surprised? <br /><br />But if you insist, I don't like China's egalitarian approach to population control; rather, it should be based on means testing. However, that approach would reduce your voting base. <br /><br />I would be disappointed if we weren't using our drones for spying on Iran and Pakistan. Both countries, together with North Korea, represent a threat to not only the west, but the entire world.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806136543904112143.post-38023186154665656802009-12-11T13:45:11.241-06:002009-12-11T13:45:11.241-06:00Taxing the Goose: Wall Street execs say levying hi...Taxing the Goose: Wall Street execs say levying high taxes on their obscene bonuses is likely to drive the best and the brightest out of finance. I doubt it, for there's little evidence that any of the best and the brightest are in finance.<br /><br />There is a "best and brightest"? For the last thirty years in the US, all I've seen is the Worst and the Dimmest which perfectly proves the existence of a self serving and self perpetuating Oligarchy. Since the US is not a meritocracy, the last thing in the World it can produce is a "best and brightest" in any sector of Society.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806136543904112143.post-48621478695053926992009-12-11T11:02:07.973-06:002009-12-11T11:02:07.973-06:00eric: thanks for your comment, took a quick scan o...eric: thanks for your comment, took a quick scan of the site you suggested, looks like of lot of interesting stuff there.<br /><br />i'm not suggesting that alternatives will ride the same efficiency curve we saw in computers - few technologies have or will. fortunately we don't need anywhere near that kind of growth to eventually to substantially diminish our reliance on fossil fuels.<br /><br />one thing worth considering is that there's a whole lot more capital being dedicated to the alternatives proposition today than 10, 20, or 30 years ago, which is likely to result in an acceleration of gains. <br /><br />also, consider that it's still relatively early days for alternatives, and the possibilities for its eventual productivity are probably hard for us to imagine at this point. <br /><br />i would bet that if you told someone in 1920 that we would find a way to extract, refine and deliver to market 75 million barrels of oil per day, or told someone in 1970 that we would today be able to access a thing called the internet from ubiquitous mobile phones, they would have called you stone crazy...<br /><br />regds.linesidenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806136543904112143.post-2312684132450823782009-12-11T08:27:11.688-06:002009-12-11T08:27:11.688-06:00lineside,
I think your exponential expectations a...lineside,<br /><br />I think your exponential expectations are not backed up by the real data. Please show links.<br /><br />A real example: Near me is Solar Now, http://www.solarnow.org/ which was initially funded and built in 1981 through government research into solar initiated by Pres. Carter. Although it would certainly cost a lot less to replace all the solar panels now than when they were initially installed, it still does not make financial sense to do so. <br /><br />That is, the efficiency of new solar panels has not improved significantly enough in 30 years to justify replacing the old solar panels. Imagine saying the same thing with a 30 year old computer where improvements have been exponential.<br /><br />I suggest you take a look at http://www.withouthotair.com/ for some realistic number crunching on the availability of alternative energy.Eric Hackerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03288021379443566141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806136543904112143.post-79491056289583322352009-12-11T08:01:03.453-06:002009-12-11T08:01:03.453-06:00ck, re "refining":
greer's error is...ck, re "refining":<br /><br />greer's error is that he sees things only through the lens of the knowledge and technology that exists today. he takes no account of the substantial probability that the cost and effectiveness of solar and other alternate energy sources will improve exponentially from where they are now (as they indeed have from where they were 20 years ago), or that the energy efficiency per unit of GDP will continue to improve as well (as it has). I'm not saying the transition will be easy, but it is by no means hopeless.<br /><br />cheers.-linesidenoreply@blogger.com