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Are We Idiocracy Yet?

idiocracy.wtf

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Re: Are We Idiocracy Yet?

#221

Post by pbhjpbhj »

jacquesm wrote: post #134
pluc wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd argue that as soon as Camacho became aware of Not Sure's IQ test, he reached out. He didn't call on him before because he didn't know he existed (and/or he wasn't around), so he couldn't have helped prior. If Trump spots a mentally capable person that is also stupid enough to eat his slop (or evil enough), he gets a job.

> If Trump spots a mentally capable person that is also stupid enough to eat his slop (or evil enough), he gets a job. Isn't that a bit like a wooly mammoth? In theory it could exist but in practice you're not going to find anybody that is both mentally capable and at the same time stupid enough to eat his slop. That leaves evil enough and there are plenty of those...

There are plenty of intelligent people that are willing to ride on the back of the Trump regime. That seems mostly to be the problem, in fact.

Whoever suggested that using Tariffs to provide a handle to move stocks that they could use to trade, I very much doubt it came from Trump. That was provided the means to keep all the greedy grubbers in the Republican party onside whilst they hid Trump's involvement with Epstein so the train could keep running.

Musk is evil. But he's clever, he knew to over pay for Twitter so he could use it to help swing elections and put himself in political power. He failed to get the response to his salute he expected, and knew enough to slink off into the background (or listen to his advisors telling him that). Amazingly he's still making money hand-over-fist from USA's regime. You'd think standing on a dais and thinking you're Hitler reincarnate would have been enough to make tax-payers rise up; clearly not.

They've absolutely destroyed USA, there is no Constitution now, there's not even lip service to war crime treaties. But there's a lot of intelligent people onboard that we underestimate at our peril.

Re: Are We Idiocracy Yet?

#222

Post by singpolyma3 »

Rygian wrote: post #145
everdrive wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not claiming that Idiocracy is accurate, however IQ scores have been declining. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/search/research-news/3283/

Is there any strong relationship between IQ scores and innate intelligence, as opposed to mental agility gained through education?

In general the methodology for IQ is highly questionable

Re: Are We Idiocracy Yet?

#223

Post by [deleted] »

prerok wrote: post #50
clejack wrote: post #22

I watched this movie really late. Let's say within the past 2 years or so. After watching it, all I could think was, "This isn't a comedy, it's a tragedy." It felt way too close to home.

Yeah, same. I also felt like this when watching Office Space and Sillicon Valley. Hits too close to home. I know that through comedy you are supposed to get a sense of catharsis and a sort of relief, but to me it was just frustratingly sad. I guess I just take life too seriously.

[deleted]

Re: Are We Idiocracy Yet?

#225

Post by singpolyma3 »

fainpul wrote: post #196
davemp wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always have a problem when folks bring up idiocracy because the of the eugenics angle. It’s extremely unlikely that people are getting inherently stupider, just less educated. The former is some sort of prophecy of doom and the latter is actually actionable.

There is no eugenics angle in Idiocracy. Nobody tries to achieve some "genetic ideal" by manipulating people.

The premise of the movie is that smart people stop having kids and dumb people have lots. It's "reverse eugenics"

Re: Are We Idiocracy Yet?

#226

Post by wombat-man »

jfengel wrote: post #173
everdrive wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not claiming that Idiocracy is accurate, however IQ scores have been declining. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/search/research-news/3283/

I'd be curious to know the average IQ of, say, climate deniers. I suspect it's still a perfect 100. I don't think it's about general intelligence. In some ways just the opposite: very smart people have a talent for convincing themselves that they are right. Unfortunately I fear it's more like EQ than IQ. The driver is more about the people. They do not like the kind of people who are trying to prevent climate change,…

Yes, it's hard for some to believe, but there are people in my family who are otherwise very intelligent but will not change their opinions on some things. Like climate change.

Re: Are We Idiocracy Yet?

#227

Post by names_are_hard »

altmanaltman wrote: post #117
prerok wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, same. I also felt like this when watching Office Space and Sillicon Valley. Hits too close to home. I know that through comedy you are supposed to get a sense of catharsis and a sort of relief, but to me it was just frustratingly sad. I guess I just take life too seriously.

I mean, Office Space and Silicon Valley are legit funny. I doubt how I can be "frustratingly sad" after watching either of the two because in Office Space, (spoilers ahead) but the ending is actually quite happy and more about realizing life's about what you want and it might not be a desk job and Silicon Valley is hilarious in terms of how it parodies the 2010s tech culture but its more about "look what tech has bec…

Yes, Silicon Valley has some bits that don't quite match real life. But every now and then there's some true insight in it.

Like the bit where the crazy VC tells them that the last thing they need is revenue.

https://youtu.be/BzAdXyPYKQo?si=fU3Y3-ucHqgoBDLU

Re: Are We Idiocracy Yet?

#228

Post by coldtea »

tovej wrote: post #189
coldtea wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. Which is why there are also IQ tests for pre-school kids. Besides the declining groups have the same education with the earlier ones.

All of these effects are explained much better by social factors. If you're poor or discriminated against, you get less nutrition, less education, and face barriers in trying to improve both.

>If you're poor or discriminated against, you get less nutrition, less education, and face barriers in trying to improve both.

Which doesn't matter, since they measured rich and middle class, and poor and discriminated against both before and after.

Did you think the new measurements were done at some ghetto and the earlier higher ones at Martha's Vineyard?

Re: Are We Idiocracy Yet?

#230

Post by clejack »

davemp wrote: post #88
netcan wrote: post #33

Idiocracy hit a lot of superficial/thematic nails on the head with its silliness. "Don't Look Up" captures a lot more of the actual dynamics. Instead of anti-eugenics making brains feeble, the people are just normal humans made stupid by their cultural environment, incentives and suchlike.

I always have a problem when folks bring up idiocracy because the of the eugenics angle. It’s extremely unlikely that people are getting inherently stupider, just less educated. The former is some sort of prophecy of doom and the latter is actually actionable.

Even if the creator specifically had eugenics in mind, I think he stumbled upon a greater truth.

Consider this. You can take anyone from any group in your nation, place them in a different nation, with a different culture, and they will adopt the mannerisms and accents of that culture.

We focus on race constantly, but it's clear that culture drives the norms that we see in any group. And culture may be persistent (especially now with technology allowing every culture to potentially spread everywhere), but it's not intrinsic.

With this framing, I interpreted Idiocracy's intro as being about a culture of intelligence or learning being harder to maintain in a modern world, than a culture of apathy or fun.

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