Paradox Point

Systems of Politesse   The trouble with PC is that it’s a system of politesse, and like all such systems, it is a stupid, absurd, arbitrary, and hypocritical imposition by clueless self-righteous elites. (I call this observation the “Brat’s Whinge”.) But on the other hand, some such system, however stupid and hypocritical, is necessary for the survival of civilized manners. (I call that observation the “Dotard’s Wheeze”.) Both Brat’s Whinge and Dotard’s Wheeze are correct. And really people don’t mind doing the idiotic humility rituals, as long as those idiotic rituals don’t waste too much time, and don’t change too much from year to year. But people hate to memorize a new list of taboos.           Pro tip: Never accidentally insult anyone who matters. And they get to say what’s insulting. But who matters changes with the circulation of aristocracies.      

          Abiotarians             Awhiles back I read a blog discussing veganism and vegetarianism. I wrote in to say that there are many entirely logical arguments for it (health, economic, etc.) but the moralism around it is sentimental. I asked; why valorize animals over plants? I called it “neurochauvinism”. This got me to thinking. Could it be possible to one-up the Vegans? Here’s my scenario:           The Space Marines find a way to ‘live off the land’; namely, the Artificial Food Machine. You feed it some dirty ice from a comet or an ice-moon; it processes that into a bland fibrous nutritious paste. Fibrous for regularity, of course, and it has every essential nutrient. The machine has no biological components; for the admirals did not want their troops’ life-support system to itself need a life-support system.    ...

Shot by the Arrow   I doubt that perfect government is possible. Consider Kenneth Arrow’s “Impossibility Theorem”. It is a mathematical proof that no social choice function can always have all four of these virtues: 1) it is fair; it divides power equally, 2) it is decisive; it answers all question set to it, 3) it is linear; it has no illogical preference loops A>B>C>A, 4) it is responsive; it never defies a consensus.   Or in other words: any society, however constructed, must at times be unfair, or indecisive, or illogical, or perverse. Cruelty, weakness, folly, and perversity are political evils; so Arrow’s Theorem proves the inevitability of political evil. The proof is mathematical; it has nothing to do with sin, or sex, or money, or power, or human nature, or what two kids stole from a fruit tree long ago. The theorem is cold, not hot; its diagnosis is impersonal. You can no more practice perfect government than you can draw a round square...

                 Good versus Ross   Consider the following encounter, recorded by the killer's cellphone, from a Christian point of view. Renee Good: (smiles.) I’m not mad at you. Jonathan Ross: (shoots her dead.) F***in’ bitch. If Christianity is true, then judging by this encounter, she went to Heaven, and he will go to Hell, unless he repents. I mention this even though I am not a Christian. But neither are Trumpists who side with the killer. They claim Christian piety, falsely.

The Trouble With Uploading     The trouble with uploading your mind into a computer (or into a clone, or whatever) is that the qualia get swapped around. Your experience of blue, red and green in your new body might not be the same as in your old. Ditto with the tastes; sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami get shuffled. High vs. low pitches might reverse.   You get used to it, eventually, but it’s never the same.