Testing Our Beliefs

Xerographica · February 17, 2017, 06:22:10 PM

A: Each month every member of this forum should pay $1 dollar.

1. We'll elect one member to decide for us which threads our fees are spent on.

OR

2. We'll decide for ourselves which threads we spend our fees on.

Which belief are you interested in testing... A1 or A2?

A1 is pretty much our current system of government. And lots of you believe in this system of government. After all, we have defense, roads and schools. So perhaps you feel like this system of government has already been tested? Perhaps you feel that there's plenty of evidence that this system of government works?

Yet, as far as I know, there isn't a single website that's modeled after our system of government. Why is that?

Personally, I'm super skeptical about A1. So I'd love it if we could apply it to this forum. My guess is that we'd be pretty unhappy with how our representative was spending our fees. And rather than waiting for a couple years to try and elect a better representative, people would just foot vote for other websites (aka brain drain).

Of course I could be super wrong! Maybe the representative would do a great job of spending everybody's fees. As a result, rather than suffering severe brain drain, this forum would enjoy extreme brain gain. Lots of intelligent people would foot vote for this website.

I'd be very excited to test either A1 or A2. Science is all about testing ideas. And I sure love science. Do you love science? If you're not excited about putting your political beliefs to the test... then I'm pretty sure this makes you no different than a theist.

aitm · February 18, 2017, 05:10:51 PM

I think every month members should pay $5.00 cause my Jag payment is pretty high......so.........

PickelledEggs · February 18, 2017, 05:14:19 PM

I'm super religious and I hate science.

Cavebear · February 19, 2017, 02:55:35 AM

You should all pay ME the $1 because my posts are so brilliant.

Baruch · February 19, 2017, 07:13:02 AM

Quote from: Cavebear on February 19, 2017, 02:55:35 AM
You should all pay ME the $1 because my posts are so brilliant.

You forgot the (sarc) tag.

Cavebear · February 20, 2017, 01:10:01 AM

Send money to me to become dictator, I mean President! I understand everything. I'll be HUGE! I'll make America GREATER than great. Great will be just for LOSERS! I'll dye my hair green. We will have flying cars and slidewalks. I'll wear spandex. I'll demand the DOE invent warp drive. I'll eat a bug.

Just put me in charge and you won't ever have to think again. Life will be so EASY...

Draconic Aiur · February 20, 2017, 01:14:06 AM

im broke so i cant pay u shit

Cavebear · February 20, 2017, 01:17:54 AM

Votes are free.

SGOS · February 20, 2017, 06:41:30 AM

I assume I'm to have some some sort of insight about government that this thought experiment wants me to have, but I'm missing it.

Baruch · February 20, 2017, 07:07:12 AM

Quote from: SGOS on February 20, 2017, 06:41:30 AM
I assume I'm to have some some sort of insight about government that this thought experiment wants me to have, but I'm missing it.

Most people will choose #2 ... why have a representative do my toilet work for me?

Xerographica · February 20, 2017, 04:09:50 PM

Quote from: SGOS on February 20, 2017, 06:41:30 AM
I assume I'm to have some some sort of insight about government that this thought experiment wants me to have, but I'm missing it.

I suppose it can be seen as a thought experiment but it's actually a suggestion for a real-life experiment using this website. The implication being that applying our current (or alternative) government system to this website will help us better evaluate and judge the system.

A government and a website have some key and obvious differences... but from the perspective of economics... supply and demand is equally relevant to them both. For the government the issue is the supply of and demand for public goods. For this website the issue is the supply of and demand for threads. The goods are different but the supply and demand is exactly the same. This is why it would be very informative and insightful and potentially revolutionary to use this website to test our system or an alternative system.

What happens when we all pay fees but we allow one elected member to decide which threads/topics they are spent on? Will we be happy with how our representative is spending our fees? If not, then what? Will we complain? Will we wait a few years to try and get a better representative elected? Or will we simply just leave? Because... leaving a website is a lot easier than leaving a country.

Personally, I think that our current system is incredibly stupid. I predict that there will be a mass exodus because nobody wants to have their money wasted on threads that they aren't interested in. But maybe I'm wrong? Maybe you are all right that our government is a rational and effective economic system? Then there wouldn't be a mass exodus. Rather than brain drain there would be brain gain. This website would benefit, we'd all benefit...AND we would have provided solid evidence in support of our current system of government.

So are you interested in putting your beliefs to the test? If not, then don't criticize theists. Or, recognize that when you do so it's hypocritical. Neither of you are truly interested in reality and truth.

Baruch · February 20, 2017, 05:55:48 PM

Capitalism will degrade anything qualitatively, in favor of quantity, and with rent seeking (creation of a vampire class).

doorknob · February 20, 2017, 06:11:43 PM

Quote from: Xerographica on February 17, 2017, 06:22:10 PM
A: Each month every member of this forum should pay $1 dollar.

1. We'll elect one member to decide for us which threads our fees are spent on.

OR

2. We'll decide for ourselves which threads we spend our fees on.

Which belief are you interested in testing... A1 or A2?

A1 is pretty much our current system of government. And lots of you believe in this system of government. After all, we have defense, roads and schools. So perhaps you feel like this system of government has already been tested? Perhaps you feel that there's plenty of evidence that this system of government works?

Yet, as far as I know, there isn't a single website that's modeled after our system of government. Why is that?

Personally, I'm super skeptical about A1. So I'd love it if we could apply it to this forum. My guess is that we'd be pretty unhappy with how our representative was spending our fees. And rather than waiting for a couple years to try and elect a better representative, people would just foot vote for other websites (aka brain drain).

Of course I could be super wrong! Maybe the representative would do a great job of spending everybody's fees. As a result, rather than suffering severe brain drain, this forum would enjoy extreme brain gain. Lots of intelligent people would foot vote for this website.

I'd be very excited to test either A1 or A2. Science is all about testing ideas. And I sure love science. Do you love science? If you're not excited about putting your political beliefs to the test... then I'm pretty sure this makes you no different than a theist.

It's not that I don't agree with you how ever. We need a leader for a reason. Not saying politicians are leaders, they are not. But the point I'm trying to make is that in general people do not agree with each other. This leads to chaos! It's pretty much a proven fact that social animals who are organized work together and are much more problematic to deal with than individuals.
AKA the army would be a wreck! Other countries would just come in, take us over and we'd be in a much worse boat then we are already in now.

SGOS · February 21, 2017, 05:41:47 AM

Quote from: Xerographica on February 20, 2017, 04:09:50 PM
What happens when we all pay fees but we allow one elected member to decide which threads/topics they are spent on? Will we be happy with how our representative is spending our fees? If not, then what? Will we complain? Will we wait a few years to try and get a better representative elected? Or will we simply just leave? Because... leaving a website is a lot easier than leaving a country.

Personally, I think that our current system is incredibly stupid. I predict that there will be a mass exodus because nobody wants to have their money wasted on threads that they aren't interested in. But maybe I'm wrong? Maybe you are all right that our government is a rational and effective economic system? Then there wouldn't be a mass exodus. Rather than brain drain there would be brain gain. This website would benefit, we'd all benefit...AND we would have provided solid evidence in support of our current system of government.

Aren't there things besides money that should determine what threads are allowed (or government services)? However, money is what drives our current government spending.

It sounds like you would prefer a capitalist system, but we live in the most capitalistic society on the planet, just not capitalistic enough, apparently.

A medieval barter system might actually be better, with markets and services determined by needs of the moment, but I'm not completely sold on that as the perfect form of government either.

Baruch · February 21, 2017, 06:49:17 AM

Quote from: SGOS on February 21, 2017, 05:41:47 AM
Aren't there things besides money that should determine what threads are allowed (or government services)? However, money is what drives our current government spending.

It sounds like you would prefer a capitalist system, but we live in the most capitalistic society on the planet, just not capitalistic enough, apparently.

A medieval barter system might actually be better, with markets and services determined by needs of the moment, but I'm not completely sold on that as the perfect form of government either.

Visit any Medieval Faire ... just don't drink what the fire eater is drinking!

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Testing Our Beliefs