Genetically modified .... humans

[Cavebear]

Politics is THE life threatening disease.  You will be a sterile female worker in the future, just like in Cloud Atlas.

There is always a sting in the system.  Humans will always muddle through most problems on their way to "somewhere".

[trdsf]

OK, I've too far in support of an idea.  Mostly I support majority voting.  But I'm not ready to throw the Electoral College over board just yet.  Let's see what happens in the next election.  If it is Trump again, I'll say its time to change.

Ironically, the Electoral College was put in by the framers of the Constitution to prevent a Trump from happening.  Also, it's now twice in the last five elections that the EC has overturned the majority vote -- Gore won the popular vote in '00.  I bet he wouldn't have ignored that memo.

No, there's a better reason to get rid of the Electoral College.  It's anti-democratic.  It's the tyrrany of the minority.

Let’s take all the states that have 3, 4, or 5 EVs: Alaska, Delaware, DC, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming have 3 each; Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island have 4; and Nebraska, New Mexico and West Virginia each have five, and have a total of 59 electoral votes between them. So we should be looking at a total population comparable to California’s 55.

And we’re not.

The total population of those 16 states is about 21.5 million, compared to California’s 39.1 million.

So let’s keep adding states until we reach close enough to 39.1 million. Conveniently enough, that’s all six states that have six electoral votes: Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Nevada and Utah, for a total of 39.3 million.  Close enough.

And for that 39.3 million population, they get 95 electoral votes to California’s 55 for their 39.1 million.  Of these 22 states, you might notice something about the party they tend to vote for, as well.  There are 23 reliably Democratic EVs here.  The other 72 include 17 swing, and 55 reliably Republican.  They have a built-in California-sized chunk of the Electoral College that requires far fewer votes to attain -- states that they can ignore, that they don't have to spend money or time in -- plus an option on 17 more that they can reasonably target.

National popular vote -- eliminating the electoral college entirely -- means that even in the reddest of red states, your blue vote matters, and in the bluest of blue states, your red vote matters. It means that losing a state 55-45 is better than losing it 60-40, so it becomes worth it to campaign in the other party’s ‘firewall’ states. It means winning a state 55-45 is better than winning it 51-49, so it becomes worth it to campaign in a party’s own firewalls.

[Cavebear]

Ironically, the Electoral College was put in by the framers of the Constitution to prevent a Trump from happening.  Also, it's now twice in the last five elections that the EC has overturned the majority vote -- Gore won the popular vote in '00.  I bet he wouldn't have ignored that memo.

No, there's a better reason to get rid of the Electoral College.  It's anti-democratic.  It's the tyrrany of the minority.

Let’s take all the states that have 3, 4, or 5 EVs: Alaska, Delaware, DC, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming have 3 each; Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island have 4; and Nebraska, New Mexico and West Virginia each have five, and have a total of 59 electoral votes between them. So we should be looking at a total population comparable to California’s 55.

And we’re not.

The total population of those 16 states is about 21.5 million, compared to California’s 39.1 million.

So let’s keep adding states until we reach close enough to 39.1 million. Conveniently enough, that’s all six states that have six electoral votes: Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Nevada and Utah, for a total of 39.3 million.  Close enough.

And for that 39.3 million population, they get 95 electoral votes to California’s 55 for their 39.1 million.  Of these 22 states, you might notice something about the party they tend to vote for, as well.  There are 23 reliably Democratic EVs here.  The other 72 include 17 swing, and 55 reliably Republican.  They have a built-in California-sized chunk of the Electoral College that requires far fewer votes to attain -- states that they can ignore, that they don't have to spend money or time in -- plus an option on 17 more that they can reasonably target.

National popular vote -- eliminating the electoral college entirely -- means that even in the reddest of red states, your blue vote matters, and in the bluest of blue states, your red vote matters. It means that losing a state 55-45 is better than losing it 60-40, so it becomes worth it to campaign in the other party’s ‘firewall’ states. It means winning a state 55-45 is better than winning it 51-49, so it becomes worth it to campaign in a party’s own firewalls.

I agree very much.  But the Electoral College ALSO means that only a few States can't decide who is President.  Checks and Balances can be really annoying, but sometimes they work. 

US history is replete with examples the ebb and flow of power among the Branches.  I'll trust it to "balance" out...  For a while.

[aitm]

When I read Atwood, "The Handmaides Tale" I thought it was a pretty good read of what could happen. It seems more and more possible these days, and that is scary. Already I have seen life long associates whom I have always thought to be reasonable and socially conscious devolve into racsist, super-patriotic bullshit spewing nut jobs. Enough to realize we could be in real trouble if Trump doesn't get the luxury of a timely natural, health related demise. (note to FBI...I suggested a natural health related demise....no threat here.....but yeah, I would hide the shooter....)

[Sorginak]

When I read Atwood, "The Handmaides Tale" I thought it was a pretty good read of what could happen. It seems more and more possible these days, and that is scary. Already I have seen life long associates whom I have always thought to be reasonable and socially conscious devolve into racsist, super-patriotic bullshit spewing nut jobs. Enough to realize we could be in real trouble if Trump doesn't get the luxury of a timely natural, health related demise. (note to FBI...I suggested a natural health related demise....no threat here.....but yeah, I would hide the shooter....)

There's a television show related to that book.  It has great ratings and reviews, but I haven't yet geared myself up to actually watch it. 

[Baruch]

Genetic health makes sense to me.  I see it like getting a vaccine only better.  Its the other possibilities that worry me.  I read a short story once where all the children on a newly-colonized planet looke exactly like the colony's pregnancy manager.

Oops...

Problems exist.

Traditional genetic manipulation.  Early man didn't know where babies came from genetically.  When used goat salesmen arrived form the Middle East to bring the Neolithic to Europe, the goat salesmen were diddling the cave women while the cave men were out hunting.  Think of the used goat salesmen as like Woody Allen.  That is why at one point most of the people in W Europe ended up looking like used goat salesmen.  Who knew?  Our Kurgan ancestors swept in with their fancy Bronze Age hot rods (chariots) and got all the Neolithic girls pregnant in the back of the chariot.  Probably best we don't all look like Woody Allen or Fred Flintstone.  Much more like Conan.  I'll be back!

[Baruch]

There's a television show related to that book.  It has great ratings and reviews, but I haven't yet geared myself up to actually watch it.

No way I would watch it either.  Maybe for different reasons though.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

There's a television show related to that book.  It has great ratings and reviews, but I haven't yet geared myself up to actually watch it. 

Netflix.

[trdsf]

I agree very much.  But the Electoral College ALSO means that only a few States can't decide who is President.  Checks and Balances can be really annoying, but sometimes they work. 

US history is replete with examples the ebb and flow of power among the Branches.  I'll trust it to "balance" out...  For a while.

The Electoral College can really only serve to overturn the decision of the people.  We don't notice when it validates the popular vote, of course -- and that's what it usually does.

In fact, the four times the Electoral College has overturned the popular vote since the Democrats and Republicans became the two dominant parties, every single time it has selected a Republican over a majority or plurality-winning Democrat:



Yes, I know, the Democrats and Republicans of the late 1800s aren't the same as the parties today, but it does seem to suggest something structural.  I think the data is in, it needs to go.

[Blackleaf]

So long as the genetic modification is simply to remove life threatening diseases, I don't see a problem.

If, on the other hand, a parent wants to genetically modify a child to be straight instead of gay, then I will have a problem because homosexuality is not a life threatening disease no matter how much one's prejudice toward gay people makes them think it is.

One hundred years for now, or whenever genetic modifications become the norm, I doubt that people will be holding the same prejudices we have today. Homophobia will seen in the same light as racism soon, I'm sure. I mean, it already is to most people, but it'll just take a little time for the dumber people of today to die out and be replaced.

[Baruch]

The Electoral College can really only serve to overturn the decision of the people.  We don't notice when it validates the popular vote, of course -- and that's what it usually does.

In fact, the four times the Electoral College has overturned the popular vote since the Democrats and Republicans became the two dominant parties, every single time it has selected a Republican over a majority or plurality-winning Democrat:



Yes, I know, the Democrats and Republicans of the late 1800s aren't the same as the parties today, but it does seem to suggest something structural.  I think the data is in, it needs to go.

So?  The people shouldn't be able to vote, unless they vote as their betters tell them to!

[trdsf]

One hundred years for now, or whenever genetic modifications become the norm, I doubt that people will be holding the same prejudices we have today. Homophobia will seen in the same light as racism soon, I'm sure. I mean, it already is to most people, but it'll just take a little time for the dumber people of today to die out and be replaced.

Homophobia kind of already is seen in the same light as racism.  The stunning turnaround on equal marriage in just the last ten years... well.  I really didn't think I would see it in my lifetime.

[Blackleaf]

Homophobia kind of already is seen in the same light as racism.  The stunning turnaround on equal marriage in just the last ten years... well.  I really didn't think I would see it in my lifetime.

We're not quite at the finished line yet. Homophobes still have too much power. It'll be shamed into obscurity soon, as long as we don't elect too many Trumps, but a significant portion of the older population will probably have to die out first.

[Baruch]

We're not quite at the finished line yet. Homophobes still have too much power. It'll be shamed into obscurity soon, as long as we don't elect too many Trumps, but a significant portion of the older population will probably have to die out first.

Dying off happens every year.  Don't ask for whom the bell tolls ... and the young in turn become the old, and around it goes ...

[trdsf]

We're not quite at the finished line yet. Homophobes still have too much power. It'll be shamed into obscurity soon, as long as we don't elect too many Trumps, but a significant portion of the older population will probably have to die out first.

Oh, certainly.  I mean, generally speaking, even young Republicans are more supportive of marriage equality than the old guard and powers-that-be in the party.  Not necessarily actually supportive, just moreso than their party elders.