Greatest Threats

[Diamondback 2/2]

Switching gears a bit, how many of you view transhumanism, gene manipulation and animal & human crossing as a major threat? Not even looking at it from a biblical aspect, there are a lot of scientist and major research org's out there calling for global restriction and regulations. My personal beliefs tell me it wronger than two little boys in a dark closet. My curiosity is fascinated by it.

Everything being listed on other topics or issues I am pretty much in agreement with at the baseline, but one thing that has really not been getting much discussion on here or on other boards I'm on is the whole "playing god/manipulation of our species". Is it a threat? The scientist doing the research seem to think so....

 

[TLDR20]

In order to pay teachers more you would have to raise taxes. Since most education funding takes place at the local level, some districts simply don't have the funding to just pay teachers more. I personally believe that education is a national security concern, and should be funded much more at the federal level. So for example, a kid in Chapel Hill NC, doesn't get a way different education than a kid in let's say Raeford NC.

 

[Deleted member 2517]

I agree that education is the greatest issue we face. I don't think things are as dire as some would lead us to think though- if you look at the education rankings, the U.S. as a whole has fallen behind, but if you look at individual states, several are actually doing very well- Massachussetts, if it were it's own country, would be second in the world in science and 6th in math. Many of the nations that did better than the U.S. as a whole are much smaller in terms of population than the U.S. And are comparable in size and GDP to a small state like MA. I say all this because, in terms of being a huge country that faces issues that most developed nations don't face (it would be better to compare the U.S. and the entire EU's rest results). So I don't think we can all jump up and say our education system is totally fucked- yet.

 

[TLDR20]

I agree that education is the greatest issue we face. I don't think things are as dire as some would lead us to think though- if you look at the education rankings, the U.S. as a whole has fallen behind, but if you look at individual states, several are actually doing very well- Massachussetts, if it were it's own country, would be second in the world in science and 6th in math. Many of the nations that did better than the U.S. as a whole are much smaller in terms of population than the U.S. And are comparable in size and GDP to a small state like MA. I say all this because, in terms of being a huge country that faces issues that most developed nations don't face (it would be better to compare the U.S. and the entire EU's rest results). So I don't think we can all jump up and say our education system is totally fucked- yet.

It is easy to say that, but I go to college with kids who can barely write a complete sentence.

 

[Deleted member 2517]

In order to pay teachers more you would have to raise taxes. Since most education funding takes place at the local level, some districts simply don't have the funding to just pay teachers more. I personally believe that education is a national security concern, and should be funded much more at the federal level. So for example, a kid in Chapel Hill NC, doesn't get a way different education than a kid in let's say Raeford NC.

Adding to this- when one state teachers creationism in their science textbooks, you have a major issue. I think a national curriculm would be a good idea (I don't believe that is implemented at this point, but I could be wrong).

It is easy to say that, but I go to college with kids who can barely write a complete sentence.

We could all present anecdotal evidence about how the people we go to school with are undereducated idiots or how there are plenty of extremely intelligent people still coming out of public education system, but the numbers don't point to a system that has totally collapsed yet. In the same test MA did so well, the U.S. Came in 10th out of 63 nations. Not too shabby- though it could and should be better.

ETA: here is the article that has all the results http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/09/03/science/expecting-the-best-yields-results-in-massachusetts.html

 

[AWP]

While this is a great discussion, at the end of the day if we don't address the collapse of "the human condition" it won't matter what education or any other topic looks like. Laziness, self-entitlement, a lack of responsibility, a fundmental lack of respect for others and simple civility....if we create a nation of highly educated assholes then we're still a nation of assholes.

You can maybe argue that education will help reverse trends seen in the US today, and I can't argue with that, but much like any other war this requires a "full spectrum" solution. Treating the leaves of our plant when the roots are rotting is short-sighted. You have to start somewhere but we shouldn't kid ourselves that if we want a better country then we need to be better people. The thing is, we aren't going to turn it around, not without a catastrophe.

 

[x SF med]

It is easy to say that, but I go to college with kids who can barely write a complete sentence.

an example... When I was in grade school, yes, primary school, I learned to diagram a sentence. That 'skill' is now sometimes taught in the last part of a Master's In English Language and Rhetoric... why?

 

[Brill]

It is easy to say that, but I go to college with kids who can barely write a complete sentence.

And those kids go to college with a Chargers fan. The horror...

 

[Brill]

an example... When I was in grade school, yes, primary school, I learned to diagram a sentence. That 'skill' is now sometimes taught in the last part of a Master's In English Language and Rhetoric... why?

Good question! Why indeed? Personally, I've only used that skill at DLI...repeatedly over four different courses...but outside of that, never!

Just like algebra: NEVER used it...except in Afghanistan...Africa...the ME...wait, I use it almost everyday. Never mind.

 

[CDG]

Switching gears a bit, how many of you view transhumanism, gene manipulation and animal & human crossing as a major threat? Not even looking at it from a biblical aspect, there are a lot of scientist and major research org's out there calling for global restriction and regulations. My personal beliefs tell me it wronger than two little boys in a dark closet. My curiosity is fascinated by it.

Everything being listed on other topics or issues I am pretty much in agreement with at the baseline, but one thing that has really not been getting much discussion on here or on other boards I'm on is the whole "playing god/manipulation of our species". Is it a threat? The scientist doing the research seem to think so....

I think this is a huge potential threat. I was just reading an article on convergent technologies and it talked about not only the convergence of organic sciences, but even possibly a fusion between something like gene manipulation and robotics. Something where it starts off as a medical/science based application, but the inevitable happens and it ends up weaponized and possibly in the wrong hands. I definitely think more attention should be paid to the interplay of some of the different fields out there.

 

[Centermass]

The fading Family Unit with a decent moral compass.

 

[JBS]

I want to change my answer to a new generation of pot head kids now that the President of the United States of America condones smoking marijuana.

 

[reed11b]

The fading Family Unit with a decent moral compass.

I've seen the loss of the "Nuclear Family" as the destruction of America argument made a lot, but the "Nuclear Family" is pretty damn recent phenomenon, and was part of the destruction of the "Extended Family" and before that it was the "tribe". Now say loss of sense of community and my "disagree" becomes an "agree".
Reed

 

[AWP]

Switching gears a bit, how many of you view transhumanism, gene manipulation and animal & human crossing as a major threat? Not even looking at it from a biblical aspect, there are a lot of scientist and major research org's out there calling for global restriction and regulations. My personal beliefs tell me it wronger than two little boys in a dark closet. My curiosity is fascinated by it.

Everything being listed on other topics or issues I am pretty much in agreement with at the baseline, but one thing that has really not been getting much discussion on here or on other boards I'm on is the whole "playing god/manipulation of our species". Is it a threat? The scientist doing the research seem to think so....

You make valid points, but I think now you're talking about a threat to the world, not just our country.

People talk about how we should have never built the atom bomb. On the surface, and for humanitarian reasons, I agree. When you look at the world and the people in it, particularly in the 1940's? No, we HAD to make the bomb. I think what you describe will fall into the same argument.

 

[tova]

Lack of true imagination, honesty and common decency.

 

[Centermass]

I've seen the loss of the "Nuclear Family" as the destruction of America argument made a lot, but the "Nuclear Family" is pretty damn recent phenomenon, and was part of the destruction of the "Extended Family" and before that it was the "tribe". Now say loss of sense of community and my "disagree" becomes an "agree".
Reed

And exactly what makes up America? The same that makes up a community. FAMILY. Nuclear, tribe, as you call it. Whatever. When you now have mom trying to make ends meet, or mom, who doesn't give a flying F and continues having kids, they are then left to their own devices more often than not. And instead of becoming a person with those solid foundations that need to be built upon from age 2 on up, by a family, as a unit, I don't even need to finish the sentence or this post for that matter.

 

[CQB]

Education. Our schools are terrible.

Out govt had an aid program where they fund madrassas. Sound fucked up? No, not really. Apart from learning the Koran the Indo kids weren't learning much else in some cases so they would leave a madrassa illiterate. The program gives them the 3 Rs' so at least they have some basic life skills. As for cyber, IMO it's over hyped.
Financial? Germany wanting its gold back could be a worry.

 

[Blizzard]

Switching gears a bit, how many of you view transhumanism, gene manipulation and animal & human crossing as a major threat? Not even looking at it from a biblical aspect, there are a lot of scientist and major research org's out there calling for global restriction and regulations. My personal beliefs tell me it wronger than two little boys in a dark closet. My curiosity is fascinated by it.

Everything being listed on other topics or issues I am pretty much in agreement with at the baseline, but one thing that has really not been getting much discussion on here or on other boards I'm on is the whole "playing god/manipulation of our species". Is it a threat? The scientist doing the research seem to think so....

And robots. I hate robots.

 

[DA SWO]

I don't think we should put ourselves in the box of "more quantity means more quality". For instance, that line of thought was used for school funding. We now spend more than almost every other nation on education - yet our world ranking has fallen. I think getting rid of tenure for teachers is a great start, and instead of buying iPads for every student they should think about increasing teachers' pay so as to attract more talent to the profession.

Increased pay doesn't do shit when the unions protect the old guard, I'll support increased pay when I see an increase in quality, or some sort of proficiency measure for teachers and administrators.

 

[TLDR20]

Increased pay doesn't do shit when the unions protect the old guard, I'll support increased pay when I see an increase in quality, or some sort of proficiency measure for teachers and administrators.

I am no fan of unions, but in states like NC where there are not unions, teachers barely make a living wage.