dennis_jeeves1

16. Have relationships with functional/reliable people who will help you in a crisis. ( easier said than done)

The headline can be rewritten/generalized as : "The boiling frog of freedom"

>we're forgetting the basics of civilization, like, what are ownership rights?

Most people always had poor memories, George Orwell make that observation. It's unfortunately one of the human conditions.

Flip the gender in the headline and there will be more comments. lol.

True, let me also include the ritual of shaving. It ain't fun.

>But while we are fine with different genetic groups having different incidences for hair color, nose shapes or skin pigmentation,

For most people differences among different groups stop at the brain ;)

>Needing to be your own scientist now is like needing to be your own farmer: completely unnecessary for most people.

I wish I could tell that you were right. But you are wrong. This tell me more about how much you have spent time on a even a simple subject like food if you lived in USA. How can I even have a more nuanced conversation on a complicated subject?

You have a fair point ( though I wasn't quite referring to that) , in the sense that we all make decisions based on best evidence that fits our own best analysis rather than be paralyzed by “we don’t know” stand.

My guess regarding most people that I know, is that a typical 'climate-denier' ( the ones I know) generally have investigated more that his 'climate-acceptor' counterpart who seems to have unequivocally accepted the official position.

Note I'm not saying that that the 'climate-denier' is right, I'm saying that he has made more efforts to understand the information available to him. Who is to say who brought into the 'propaganda'?

>Yet despite your inability to independently and directly verify it (which actually you could do)

No you cannot, unless you are willing to spend a few years on it. I can tell right away that have not explored any subject in depth.

Correct, I cannot verify if the earth is round, flat or trapezoid.

(I'll give some credence to astronauts, pilot, astronomers etc. who have relatively direct evidence that someone like me with a desk bound job)

>but has fallen into the propaganda trap.

How about the other way around?

My point being, for a subject like this, either you or your friend cannot verify the 'science' except take someone's word.

And now if only someone funded an ALS cure...

As far I know, I don't don't think mainstream medicine is close to solving _any_ chronic condition, except managing it.