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The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

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Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#601

Post by Retric »

fsflover wrote: post #594
Retric wrote: post #587

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s hardly the only option, still… Let’s assume we could kill off all the sociopaths, your point is?

My point is, your expectation of genes being directly connected with the good or evil, or with sociopathy, is naive at best and racist at worst, while at the same time you're using it as an attempt to deny the devastating impact of procreation on the environment.

Ahh, many of your basic assumptions here are false.

A goldfish can’t be an environmentalist so some minimum cognitive function is required thus demonstrating a genetic component. Note however that doesn’t suggest a goldfish or a human with such extremely diminished capacity is evil. Your good/evil axis and environmentalism is thus clearly separated.

Even if you assume as you suggest there is some good or evil DNA suggesting “it’s racist” would imply a specific distribution of these genes along racial lines. Which is itself deeply offensive because it comes from a place of deep seated racism.

People of extremely diminished capacity are also still worthy of adoption. I could go on, but people as horrible as you should be shunned.

Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#602

Post by friend_and_foe »

esailija wrote: post #418
friend_and_foe wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't tell if you're being sarcastic, but it definitely is a deal breaker for me. It speaks to someone's priorities. If they're more concerned about outdoing their girlfriends over cosmopolitans or worthless trinkets than the fiscal health of their family I don't want to start a family with them. And that's what this is all about right, family. I'd like to leave my kids with something significant and more than I was…

In reality even having a several "deal breakers" means you would need infinite options to find a match that doesn't have any of the so called deal breakers. Most guys don't get to pick from infinite, or even 10s of options. So you need to settle or stay single.

I get that, but I'm just pretty all or nothing. I wandered through the desert for a decade until I found mine. I was 100% willing to stay single the rest of my life rather than start a family with someone who wasn't good to start a family with. Luckily I didn't have to, I understand that that's not an option for many, but honestly I think most men could do better than they think they can, and I don't think enough men have a clear set of behavioral standards, enough foresight or self respect.

Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#603

Post by gofixurcode »

bjackman wrote: post #407
oblio wrote: post #393

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was thinking that about 2 months ago. And then I saw people doing bikepacking/long distance bike touring, and I was quite amazed. With wide enough tires, adequate tire pressure control and seat suspension, people ride huge distances with no problems, on old fashion dirt roads. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QSrBIIC4po The reason I linked a bike above was that they truly are a modern marvel. So unassuming and yet…

I don't think you need seat suspension for bicycles to beat walking. On the kinds of surfaces that foot traffic naturally forms, am average commuter bike is gonna perform very decently. I think the only qualitative difference would be that modern roads are usable all year whereas natural tracks are generally gonna get unusable when it rains a lot. It's incredible that we have machines that can take that kind of a bea…

I think the word we are looking for here is horses lol

Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#604

Post by [deleted] »

gofixurcode wrote: post #603
bjackman wrote: post #407

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think you need seat suspension for bicycles to beat walking. On the kinds of surfaces that foot traffic naturally forms, am average commuter bike is gonna perform very decently. I think the only qualitative difference would be that modern roads are usable all year whereas natural tracks are generally gonna get unusable when it rains a lot. It's incredible that we have machines that can take that kind of a bea…

I think the word we are looking for here is horses lol

[deleted]

Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#605

Post by bjackman »

gofixurcode wrote: post #603
bjackman wrote: post #407

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think you need seat suspension for bicycles to beat walking. On the kinds of surfaces that foot traffic naturally forms, am average commuter bike is gonna perform very decently. I think the only qualitative difference would be that modern roads are usable all year whereas natural tracks are generally gonna get unusable when it rains a lot. It's incredible that we have machines that can take that kind of a bea…

I think the word we are looking for here is horses lol

Horses are not "affordable to the poorest members of society" though

Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#606

Post by fsflover »

Retric wrote: post #601
fsflover wrote: post #594

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My point is, your expectation of genes being directly connected with the good or evil, or with sociopathy, is naive at best and racist at worst, while at the same time you're using it as an attempt to deny the devastating impact of procreation on the environment.

Ahh, many of your basic assumptions here are false. A goldfish can’t be an environmentalist so some minimum cognitive function is required thus demonstrating a genetic component. Note however that doesn’t suggest a goldfish or a human with such extremely diminished capacity is evil. Your good/evil axis and environmentalism is thus clearly separated. Even if you assume as you suggest there is some good or evil DNA sug…

> A goldfish can’t be an environmentalist so some minimum cognitive function is required thus demonstrating a genetic component.

Show me any evidence that cognitive capacity of humans depends on genes.

> Note however that doesn’t suggest a goldfish or a human with such extremely diminished capacity is evil.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eichmann_in_Jerusalem

> People of extremely diminished capacity are also still worthy of adoption

I never suggested otherwise.

Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#607

Post by eru »

xp84 wrote: post #232
fyokdrigd wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

that guy selling glass with a Russian royalty like name in every mall around the world beat him to it anyway

That place always confused me. I was like, "So what's this stuff made of? Uh huh, okay, and why exactly are these tchotchkes and brooches and stuff worth this much?"

What is the Mona Lisa made of, and how much is it worth?

Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#608

Post by Dylan16807 »

eru wrote: post #607
xp84 wrote: post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That place always confused me. I was like, "So what's this stuff made of? Uh huh, okay, and why exactly are these tchotchkes and brooches and stuff worth this much?"

What is the Mona Lisa made of, and how much is it worth?

It wouldn't be worth much if there were a million of them and none had a credible claim on being original.

Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#609

Post by iancmceachern »

rexpop wrote: post #578
iancmceachern wrote: post #575

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It doesn't represent either of those things to us, and to many. Ultimately it's about tradition. I wear the ring my father (a master jeweler) made for my grandfather who wore it as his favorite ring for most of his life before passing it on to me when he passed. My wife's ring was hand made by my father, with a diamond which sat in his safe for years prior waiting for me. It's not about the things. It's about the peo…

I will admit that, as I was writing my little tirade, I was thinking "damn, though, if that ring is passed down even one generation, it gathers enough meaning to invalidate my claim." I won't begrudge anyone their personal family heirlooms. I completely understand your perspective, because it's a nice story. That being said, you've shifted the goalposts with your anecdata. Familial inheritance is an exception which p…

Do you have a life partner? How do they feel about your thoughts here?

Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#610

Post by spott »

luca3v wrote: post #335

I understand that diamonds are the kind of Veblen goods for which people are willing to spend a lot of money because they are expensive, in a logic-defying circular way, and that the presence of a cartels- makes prices artificially high, but there are still two things that I can never wrap my head around: 1) That if someone wants to sell a used diamond, they get pennies on the dollar. It's reasonable that they would…

The answer to both of those is “de beers” I think.

Monopolies/cartels can create all sorts of market inefficiencies if they want to.

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