Comments for The Rationalist Conspiracy

Comment on On Political Movements by michealvassar

michealvassar — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:49:01 +0000

Agreed Jim.
I’m actually very skeptical that you can have a mainstream political movement with just an agenda. In so far as Libertarianism is about policy, it’s not mainstream. In so far as it aspires to being mainstream, it degenerates into right-wing witchhunts for ‘welfare queens’ and the like.

Comment on On Political Movements by Nick T

Nick T — Fri, 24 May 2013 19:12:22 +0000

Conversely, while abortion is strictly legal everywhere in the US, there’s plenty of variance in state laws regulating it, ease of access, funding, etc. for pro-{choice,life}rs to fight over.

Comment on On Political Movements by jimrandomh

jimrandomh — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:12:24 +0000

One trick is that the opposition doesn’t actually have to exist, it just has to be believed to exist; for example in the United States you have nationalism sustained by opposition to “terrorists”. Maintaining a convincing illusion of opposition normally requires some resources and media support. But some movements get by with *un*convincing illusions of opposition, ie conspiracy theorists. And the internet has lowered the bar, so that a few trolls can create the appearance of a side with adherents.

Comment on On Political Movements by Thomas Johan Eliot

Thomas Johan Eliot — Fri, 24 May 2013 07:48:55 +0000

The Libertarian villain is Tyrannical Big Government. This seems so obvious that I can’t help but wonder if your ignoring it was intentional, to paint Libertarians as reasonable, policy rather than story based folks, in contrast with their political opponents.

Comment on Getting A Software Job by Floor Employment | Slate Star Codex

Floor Employment | Slate Star Codex — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 07:47:40 +0000

[...] Vance makes the case for becoming a programmer if you don’t like what you’re doing [...]

Comment on Against Infinite Meta by Overcoming Bias : In favour of finite meta

Overcoming Bias : In favour of finite meta — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:24:28 +0000

[...] which Robin critiqued recently, wrote a response titled ‘Against Infinite Meta’ strongly disagreeing. I think her points are, in [...]

Comment on Personal Medical Research by Kenny

Kenny — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:11:30 +0000

Awesome! I checked out your website briefly after Tyler (of Marginal Revolution) posted a reply from Sarah Constantin to Robin Hanson’s blog post about your company. I like the idea. Keep us posted!

Comment on New and Old Elites by Eric Schulke

Eric Schulke — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 22:37:07 +0000

Like this essay is saying, part of the ruling class is built of the progressive platform. That platform displaced the agrarians as the majority, in order to help facilitate and grow the incoming industrial revolution. Now the progressives are slowly being displaced by those of the dawning of the transhuman era, like the entrepreneurs, the Musks, the Jobs etc. It seems that at some point there will be some sort of social structure revolution like the Zeitgeist movement but with roots and teeth, which it seems destined to evolve into unless its overtaken by something similar. People like those gone over by the gerontocracy essay on my page, where this essay was posted as a response, project out that the structure of today wont fit the visions of tomorrow, but they dont seem to correlate the notion that the structure tends to advance along to facilitate it.

Comment on America and Rome by Ed

Ed — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:59:22 +0000

“Rome in the Republican era was rapidly becoming more powerful”

Rome dominated the Mediterranean by 190 BC, after defeating Carthage and Macedon, annexing both countries in 146-145 BC. Actually, for the next century, Ceasar’s conquest of Gaul was their only major conquest, though some kingdoms in the Near East was absorbed more or less peacefully. The Romans during this period had problems dealing with the Spanish tribes, the Pontines, and the Numidians, not exactly the equivalent of Macedon and Carthage.

Comment on America and Rome by Joseph Hertzlinger

Joseph Hertzlinger — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 04:42:25 +0000

Let’s see… If 509 BC is the equivalent of 1649 (I regard the U.S. as an offshoot of Britain), then 145 BC sounds about right for today’s U.S.

Comparisons between Obama and Tiberius Gracchus (or maybe Marius) will be left as an exercise for the reader.