Independence
Self-sufficiency
Safety
Destiny
Equality
Justice
God and Heaven or an Afterlife could be considered religious myths that give us comfort, too.
Which is the greater risk? Believing the myth, or assuming it has political power?
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Independence
Self-sufficiency
Safety
Destiny
Equality
Justice
God and Heaven or an Afterlife could be considered religious myths that give us comfort, too.
Which is the greater risk? Believing the myth, or assuming it has political power?
They aren't myths, they are goals that we always strive for.
Not sure at all what you're intending here, but everything you list is a myth or misconception to some degree. All are perpetuated intentionally or inadvertently, out of hope, idealism, delusion or for the sake of manipulation, or some combination of these.Quote:
Originally Posted by GGT
And God, Heaven and Afterlife are most definitely myths. Your wording there is odd - "could be considered...."
Then either we have misguided goals....or we're perpetuating a delusion.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreadnaught
It was my attempt at conceptualizing our modern problems and failures, from hurricanes to healthcare. And giving them context based on our expectations....which ultimately has a political angle. I was wondering how the hell did we get here? with Trump and our dysfunctional congress in mind, but those are symptoms and not causes.Quote:
Originally Posted by EyeKhan
Basically, questioning everyday propaganda. And wondering why it's considered more valuable if it gives false hope? Etc.
Some other comforting myths:
Free markets, free trade, free enterprise.
Freeedom in general is a myth, but I suppose it makes us feel better about the restraints of the human condition.....
So...how are we doing?
Is America still a shining light on a hill, a beacon of equality and justice for all? Are our ideals and goals reflected in our actions? Do we have an aspiring moral message backed up with facts, or are we just a bunch of hypocrites marketing lame memes? Is POTUS still considered the Leader of the Free World?
The internet will democratize data and information, with Liberty and Freeeedom for all!
When robots do the job of humans, people will have happier lives without having to do hard work.
Reminds me of Roman empire last days: When slaves do the job of roman citizens, roman citizens will have happier lives without having to do hard work.
What happened is that unemployment went to the roof and government had problems to collect taxes, and "panem et circenses" was needed (fod stamps and entertainment) to avoid riots.
Actually, in Rome being employed was only considered marginally better than slavery. The correlation you try to make didn't exist. Also, robots are not humans. There is no intrinsic good in physical labor.
Somewhere in some old reading or documentary, I got the idea that in the city itself (Rome, I mean), the majority of citizens didn't have any work at all. That's one of the reasons the arenas, like the Colosseum, were so important, to distract the masses from their boredom.
I do remember mid-century futurists and sci-fi writers had the idea that as productivity increased from automation and robotics, the work week would get smaller and everyone would enjoy the increased wealth and leisure. LO fucking L. Not in this conservative paradise.
That perpetuated the idea (myth?) that taking on thousands of dollars in school loans will guarantee future success.
Honestly we should change this quite a bit.Quote:
Originally Posted by GGT
1. Streamline course work to be focused on job skills - the amount of useless courses in college can gtfo and turn into electives.
2. Replace grades with third party administrated testing to demonstrate mastery of subject matter, this will be a degree. You attend college to learn and master a skill and must then prove you have done so. This allows people who have a natural aptitude to quickly get past education and become productive. It also forces people to actually learn, not just sit through class.
3. I'm not a fan of over regulation however if we are going to insist on student loans have a host of special laws around them, why not require a person to be 22 prior to getting into a mountain of debt? While we are at it, require student loans to only go toward tuition and books, not to general living expenses.
But then you'd bust the myth that capitalism is based on meritocracy. :bored:
I dropped your 3rd point cause it's fucking stupid and short sighted, but what you're describing here is pretty much a trade school. While they are extremely useful for certain tracks and people they lack the very important aspect of allowing mobility. A degree isn't seen as being a master in a specific set of skills but in the ability to adapt, learn, and retain. Turning colleges into trade schools would be disastrous. Then again, this is likely just a shitty attempt from your camp to slowly remove regulations and certifications from trade careers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lewkowski
My wife graduated from a trade school, she is about half way towards her certification expiring and the whole thing about her schooling being irrelevant outside of a very specific application is something we are dealing with right now.
Another comforting myth: choose a career that can't be outsourced (off shore) or replaced (by AI or robotics), and you'll be set.
People will always pay high market-value wages to the folks that cut their hair (a stylist), make their meals (a nutritionist or personal chef), clean their houses (an environmental engineer), help them bathe (a personal hygienist), or "train" them in cardio-pulmonary exercises (a personal trainer). Right? All those hands-on "human service" industries are erroneously lumped into one big ball....with the differences between Trade School and University degrees getting lost in the process.
(The massage therapist with a Masters in Physiology isn't guaranteed to give the best massage, they just command a higher price. Question why.)
Please expand, if you're comfortable talking about it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ominous Gamer
The issues that it solves are...Quote:
Originally Posted by Ominous Gamer
1. Plenty of colleges are 'pay us money we give you a degree' it doesn't really require someone to master the material.
2. It gets people who are already competent and have demonstrable mastery of skills taught in college out the door and into a productive field. Society is not helped by brilliant students wasting 4 years what they could learn in one.
Neither issue is solved by the trade school route, or even suggests that the concept of college is invalid. :bulb:
Didn't Lewk's byline used to be ~ knowing the Bible is better than having a college degree? :rolleyes:
More comforting myths: your employment has contractual obligations and legal protections. Federal employees included.
If you're a farmer hurt by Trump's tariffs, waiting for your special "subsidy" check, the Dept. of Agriculture is closed. Oops
If you're an airport traffic controller, or a TSA screener, or a Customs/Border patrol agent, work without pay. So sorry
Take out pay-day loans to meet your financial obligations. Or borrow from your parents, hold a garage sale, sell stuff on E-Bay, babysit, walk dogs. Once your job is active again, you'll be just fine!
You can have everything you need if you work hard enoughand save your money
Equal justice under the law
Manafort's sentence for tax evasion and bank fraud was pathetic. Far less than federal guidelines. We should stop calling it "white collar crime" and acknowledge the privileges given to wealthy white males.
Strictly merit-based college admissions?
Meritocracy is a popular AND comforting myth. :bored:Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreadnaught