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Bill Gates: Why I Decided to Edit an Issue of TIME

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Re: Bill Gates: Why I Decided to Edit an Issue of TIME

#11

Post by GuiA »

vinhboy wrote: post #7
goalieca wrote: post #5

> So why does it feel like the world is in decline Because our environment is on the decline. Our oceans are full of plastic, our forests are converted to farmland for cattle, pollution from electronics is rising, and our global climate is changing for the worse. Even optimistic areas like health care are being confounded by obesity and malnutrition. It’s great that global health care and poverty rates are improving.…

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Trump got 62,979,636 votes. That's 46% of voters, but 24% of the population eligible to vote (and 20% of the total population).

Re: Bill Gates: Why I Decided to Edit an Issue of TIME

#13

Post by chickenfries »

johnwheeler wrote: post #8
goalieca wrote: post #5

> So why does it feel like the world is in decline Because our environment is on the decline. Our oceans are full of plastic, our forests are converted to farmland for cattle, pollution from electronics is rising, and our global climate is changing for the worse. Even optimistic areas like health care are being confounded by obesity and malnutrition. It’s great that global health care and poverty rates are improving.…

Yet, you write this on a Computer, which wouldnt be possible without those fossil fuels that pushed us through the industrial revolution and onto the technical revolution and gave us those plastics. I think it’s crazy to assume we won’t find answers to the problems you bring up and take a sky is falling attitude when you look at the track record of human progress. Even though your friends are struggling to find jobs,…

I would really like to see you say that with a straight face to someone stuck in a minimum wage jobs who can’t afford healthcare. Seriously. This optimism about the long term does nothing for someone who is suffering in the short and medium term.

That comparison to Rockafeller is nonsense. Go ask someone working at McDonald’s if they’d trade places with one of the richest men ever.

Re: Bill Gates: Why I Decided to Edit an Issue of TIME

#14

Post by chickenfries »

trevyn wrote: post #10
goalieca wrote: post #5

> So why does it feel like the world is in decline Because our environment is on the decline. Our oceans are full of plastic, our forests are converted to farmland for cattle, pollution from electronics is rising, and our global climate is changing for the worse. Even optimistic areas like health care are being confounded by obesity and malnutrition. It’s great that global health care and poverty rates are improving.…

You sound unhappy, which is confusing to me, because you just listed a bunch of great challenges to work on. Working on challenges tends to remove feelings of hopelessness.

Would you say this to someone who told you they had cancer? Or lost their job?

“I‘m surprised your not happy about hardship?”

Do you actually look at something like obesity, or addiction and say “ah, what a great PROBLEM to work on.”

Re: Bill Gates: Why I Decided to Edit an Issue of TIME

#15

Post by dragonwriter »

codingdave wrote: post #3

Just because the world is a better place than it was 50 years ago does not mean it is a better place than it was 2 years ago.

And even if it were a better place in some aggregate measure than 2 years ago doesn't mean that it's better for most people than it was 2 years ago, and even if it is better for most people, it doesn't mean it's better for most people in some particular country, say THE USA, and even if it's better for most people in your country, it doesn't mean it's better for you.

Re: Bill Gates: Why I Decided to Edit an Issue of TIME

#16

Post by johnwheeler »

chickenfries wrote: post #13
johnwheeler wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yet, you write this on a Computer, which wouldnt be possible without those fossil fuels that pushed us through the industrial revolution and onto the technical revolution and gave us those plastics. I think it’s crazy to assume we won’t find answers to the problems you bring up and take a sky is falling attitude when you look at the track record of human progress. Even though your friends are struggling to find jobs,…

I would really like to see you say that with a straight face to someone stuck in a minimum wage jobs who can’t afford healthcare. Seriously. This optimism about the long term does nothing for someone who is suffering in the short and medium term. That comparison to Rockafeller is nonsense. Go ask someone working at McDonald’s if they’d trade places with one of the richest men ever.

Health insurance, minimum wages, fast food even... This is but a sampling of the human progress I mentioned parsed out of a single misguided post you made. There are people in the world far worse off than your friend making minimum wage.

You take these things for granted because you live in a rich enough society that enables you to do so.

Re: Bill Gates: Why I Decided to Edit an Issue of TIME

#17

Post by thallukrish »

Human race has evolved from that sub-atomic particle of star dust since eons and reached this point where we are typing this comment. Obviously this cannot happen without the necessary checks and balances throughout history and it will be this way going into the future. So no need to spell doom, though the cautious gene in us still keeps vigil.

Re: Bill Gates: Why I Decided to Edit an Issue of TIME

#18

Post by jacquesm »

johnwheeler wrote: post #4

Two things have always been true about human beings. One, the world is always getting better. Two, the people living at that time think it`s getting worse. Penn Jillette

The viewpoint that things are getting better is usually reserved for those that were pretty lucky in the birth lottery to begin with.

Re: Bill Gates: Why I Decided to Edit an Issue of TIME

#19

Post by ABCLAW »

johnwheeler wrote: post #8
goalieca wrote: post #5

> So why does it feel like the world is in decline Because our environment is on the decline. Our oceans are full of plastic, our forests are converted to farmland for cattle, pollution from electronics is rising, and our global climate is changing for the worse. Even optimistic areas like health care are being confounded by obesity and malnutrition. It’s great that global health care and poverty rates are improving.…

Yet, you write this on a Computer, which wouldnt be possible without those fossil fuels that pushed us through the industrial revolution and onto the technical revolution and gave us those plastics. I think it’s crazy to assume we won’t find answers to the problems you bring up and take a sky is falling attitude when you look at the track record of human progress. Even though your friends are struggling to find jobs,…

>they’re likely living better than John D. Rockefeller did

When you make absurd conclusions, you should examine your premises.

Re: Bill Gates: Why I Decided to Edit an Issue of TIME

#20

Post by Letmesleep69 »

johnwheeler wrote: post #4

Two things have always been true about human beings. One, the world is always getting better. Two, the people living at that time think it`s getting worse. Penn Jillette

I thought things always getting better is a relatively recent phenomenon. Things didn't get better for hundreds of years for the native Americans when Columbus came to America. Or after the fall of the roman empire was Europe as good the next few hundred years? Maybe there has been a general trend up but if the trend can drop drastically for the few years you're living in does the general trend up make a difference?
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