“How long will it be before we hand our election contests over to AI programs?”
As for me, I would abolish the electoral college, and I would assign to AI the task of redistricting congressional districts, nationwide, and presenting the results to the Congress. I’ve concluded that AI likely has the potential to design much more reasonable/fair congressional voting districts than any human has managed to devise so far.
I put both of the ideas in the pipe dream collection of nice things that we can’t have.
Perhaps we should rebuild Congress as well. The number of House Reps hasn't changed since 1911 - when there were about 93 million Americans.
And the antique Senate virtually guarantees minority rule. It ain't democracy if Iowa and Vermont have the same power to influence our futures as NY and California. A relic of trying to keep southern slave holding states within the union. Now WE are their slaves.
Republicans are currently attempting to reframe the very nature of our government - turning it into a monarchy. Shouldn't we try harder to become a real democracy?
I'd support the redistricting idea William and likely the electoral college as well since we've moved beyond the original justification for it and it serves no unifying purpose any more.
Thank you Bill, As a nontheist I totally agree with you. Every Homo sapiens on Earth is entitled to their own religious beliefs without interference. But grandstanding like trump and the eagles personnel, claiming their 'god' favors them over all others is pure crap
"And isn’t that belief, that a “God” is on our side, at the core of the justification for all manner of brutal human behavior - death, destruction, diabolical weaponry and leaving entire regions in desolation? "
I have been thinking about something similar for a couple of years Bill. My wife and I are "friends" with a couple of MD's who openly talk about how they are (and their kids) "genetically superior" to everyone. One of them is Korean the other is of German descent. Yes, paradoxically, I have remained "friends" with them for 20 years listening to this stuff.
Plus, I run across people, not exactly routinely, but fairly often, who think they are superior and, yes, sometimes it is because they are "Christian", sometimes because they are "Muslim" and sometimes because they are "Hindu". Or, sometimes it is because they live here, or there, or because they are white, or whatever odd reason. A very large number of humans feel superior to ALL other humans for (put pretty much anything here).
In each of the above cases, the net result is some human thinks they are superior to ALL other humans.
But, I don't, necessarily, think that the origin of that feeling many people apparently have is God, or genetics, or (pick whatever here). I think humans have evolved, each of us, for some reason that I don't know the origin of, to feel as if each of us is superior to, yes, crazy as it sounds, all other humans.
I don't know how this occurred, or why, but, I have evidence of this everywhere I look. It is the rare human I meet that models the New Testament teaching of humility and love for all. Very rare.
Interesting "friends". Our relationships are being tested daily. My "Christian" background taught me tolerance and forgiveness. That's getting harder to do all the time - especially when the "God folks" are practicing so much hate. It's hard not to hate the haters.
I like to call myself a "recovering Protestant" who is a tiny speck in the universe who couldn't possibly have the answers about supreme beings or not. I think it is above our pay grade. I settle in as an agnostic who just doesn't know and never will.
So what is important? I think it is how we treat people and the planet. Is it the way we would like to be treated? Is it with respect? If not, what's the point?
Why do so many people think "their way" - their religion - is the best and only way? The only answer I can come up with is "tribalism". We are not much different than ant colonies that battle each other for turf.
People who think they are somehow "superior" - whether it's due to race, religion, national origin, or their own chutzpah - tend to use that stance as justification to treat others poorly.
Maybe I'm a liberal snowflake (and PROUD OF IT!), but I don't feel that anyone is superior to anyone else. Certainly I am not!
Liberal Snowflake here. Every one of us is unique! Let's be a blizzard of fairness and justice. Are you in for the February 28 "Blackout"?
Isn't it incredible that the richest person on the Earth is pulling the plug on food and medicine for the poorest people - and fake "Christians" support him?
Thanks Bill. The God thing makes me sick as a practicing Christian. I firmly believe that God gives us the power and let's us live with our choices. There is no intervention.
I lived in a very red area of CA (yes there are those areas) for awhile and it was a regular thing for me to hear from someone something such as that they were selling their house and knew they'd get a great deal - more than it was worth - because they prayed about it daily. My reaction would be "if you get more, then doesn't the buyer lose money? What if the buyer is praying twice a day or harder? If God favors you, isn't He then shafting them?" and I never got a good answer. Mostly I just got exasperation for some reason. It was amazing how people just step into some attitude without giving it the slightest examination.
For some reason, the nation has almost fully embraced "me" thinking. What happened to the "we" concept? The earliest humans banded together in villages to survive. They needed each other.
President Kennedy and President Carter both asked us to make small sacrifices for the greater good. Where did that go? Why do we celebrate selfishness? Is that what "God" wants? Let's ask Joel Osteen! /s
Maybe we have embraced the "me" because we have been convinced that we're not all in this together? Something happens in a human brain at some point in its development. Is it nurture or nature? Both? I believe we are all in the same boat. Must be what my parents taught me. I remember my Mom scrubbing down the house they sold before they left. "I want the new people to enjoy this place as much as we did."
Your house seller was celebrating his success - but also his greed and lack of empathy for the buyer. Some of us would feel better if we got a "good" price but also one that felt fair to both parties.
"I want the new people to enjoy this place as much as we did"... and your Mom gained more out of that generosity and warmth of feeling than those cold souls who would have shirked any effort on another's behalf could ever guess. In fact, if one were to (and to an extent one can) place a monetary value on that work, those same folk might willingly pay that for a meditation class hoping to attain the sense of interior peace and well being they don't know they throw away daily in their life practices.
“How long will it be before we hand our election contests over to AI programs?”
As for me, I would abolish the electoral college, and I would assign to AI the task of redistricting congressional districts, nationwide, and presenting the results to the Congress. I’ve concluded that AI likely has the potential to design much more reasonable/fair congressional voting districts than any human has managed to devise so far.
I put both of the ideas in the pipe dream collection of nice things that we can’t have.
Interesting. I like it.
Perhaps we should rebuild Congress as well. The number of House Reps hasn't changed since 1911 - when there were about 93 million Americans.
And the antique Senate virtually guarantees minority rule. It ain't democracy if Iowa and Vermont have the same power to influence our futures as NY and California. A relic of trying to keep southern slave holding states within the union. Now WE are their slaves.
Republicans are currently attempting to reframe the very nature of our government - turning it into a monarchy. Shouldn't we try harder to become a real democracy?
I'd support the redistricting idea William and likely the electoral college as well since we've moved beyond the original justification for it and it serves no unifying purpose any more.
Thank you Bill, As a nontheist I totally agree with you. Every Homo sapiens on Earth is entitled to their own religious beliefs without interference. But grandstanding like trump and the eagles personnel, claiming their 'god' favors them over all others is pure crap
"And isn’t that belief, that a “God” is on our side, at the core of the justification for all manner of brutal human behavior - death, destruction, diabolical weaponry and leaving entire regions in desolation? "
I have been thinking about something similar for a couple of years Bill. My wife and I are "friends" with a couple of MD's who openly talk about how they are (and their kids) "genetically superior" to everyone. One of them is Korean the other is of German descent. Yes, paradoxically, I have remained "friends" with them for 20 years listening to this stuff.
Plus, I run across people, not exactly routinely, but fairly often, who think they are superior and, yes, sometimes it is because they are "Christian", sometimes because they are "Muslim" and sometimes because they are "Hindu". Or, sometimes it is because they live here, or there, or because they are white, or whatever odd reason. A very large number of humans feel superior to ALL other humans for (put pretty much anything here).
In each of the above cases, the net result is some human thinks they are superior to ALL other humans.
But, I don't, necessarily, think that the origin of that feeling many people apparently have is God, or genetics, or (pick whatever here). I think humans have evolved, each of us, for some reason that I don't know the origin of, to feel as if each of us is superior to, yes, crazy as it sounds, all other humans.
I don't know how this occurred, or why, but, I have evidence of this everywhere I look. It is the rare human I meet that models the New Testament teaching of humility and love for all. Very rare.
Great writing as always Bill. Thank you.
Thanks for the comments and observations, Mike.
Interesting "friends". Our relationships are being tested daily. My "Christian" background taught me tolerance and forgiveness. That's getting harder to do all the time - especially when the "God folks" are practicing so much hate. It's hard not to hate the haters.
I like to call myself a "recovering Protestant" who is a tiny speck in the universe who couldn't possibly have the answers about supreme beings or not. I think it is above our pay grade. I settle in as an agnostic who just doesn't know and never will.
So what is important? I think it is how we treat people and the planet. Is it the way we would like to be treated? Is it with respect? If not, what's the point?
Why do so many people think "their way" - their religion - is the best and only way? The only answer I can come up with is "tribalism". We are not much different than ant colonies that battle each other for turf.
People who think they are somehow "superior" - whether it's due to race, religion, national origin, or their own chutzpah - tend to use that stance as justification to treat others poorly.
Maybe I'm a liberal snowflake (and PROUD OF IT!), but I don't feel that anyone is superior to anyone else. Certainly I am not!
Liberal Snowflake here. Every one of us is unique! Let's be a blizzard of fairness and justice. Are you in for the February 28 "Blackout"?
Isn't it incredible that the richest person on the Earth is pulling the plug on food and medicine for the poorest people - and fake "Christians" support him?
Did 'God' care about the Super Bowl? My wife says she didn't.
The old question arises again - "Did Judas Iscariot have God on his side?"
Thanks Bill. The God thing makes me sick as a practicing Christian. I firmly believe that God gives us the power and let's us live with our choices. There is no intervention.
I lived in a very red area of CA (yes there are those areas) for awhile and it was a regular thing for me to hear from someone something such as that they were selling their house and knew they'd get a great deal - more than it was worth - because they prayed about it daily. My reaction would be "if you get more, then doesn't the buyer lose money? What if the buyer is praying twice a day or harder? If God favors you, isn't He then shafting them?" and I never got a good answer. Mostly I just got exasperation for some reason. It was amazing how people just step into some attitude without giving it the slightest examination.
Good analogy. And thanks for commenting!
For some reason, the nation has almost fully embraced "me" thinking. What happened to the "we" concept? The earliest humans banded together in villages to survive. They needed each other.
President Kennedy and President Carter both asked us to make small sacrifices for the greater good. Where did that go? Why do we celebrate selfishness? Is that what "God" wants? Let's ask Joel Osteen! /s
Maybe we have embraced the "me" because we have been convinced that we're not all in this together? Something happens in a human brain at some point in its development. Is it nurture or nature? Both? I believe we are all in the same boat. Must be what my parents taught me. I remember my Mom scrubbing down the house they sold before they left. "I want the new people to enjoy this place as much as we did."
Your house seller was celebrating his success - but also his greed and lack of empathy for the buyer. Some of us would feel better if we got a "good" price but also one that felt fair to both parties.
"I want the new people to enjoy this place as much as we did"... and your Mom gained more out of that generosity and warmth of feeling than those cold souls who would have shirked any effort on another's behalf could ever guess. In fact, if one were to (and to an extent one can) place a monetary value on that work, those same folk might willingly pay that for a meditation class hoping to attain the sense of interior peace and well being they don't know they throw away daily in their life practices.
'Live and let live......'