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@Vader
I'll bite. How are you doing as far as your IRL debate career is concerned?
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@oromagi
My previous coach is actually on the PF wording committee. From my understanding, they come up with a bunch of topics before the month is over, and then students vote on the topics. So, I would imagine that they have to prepare a little bit beforehand to come up with enough topical concerns to be put into resolutions.
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@oromagi
I do not know what you mean by far out, but I debated this topic before perhaps 5-10 times in Congress debate due to the ensuing chaos in Yemen. I think that their is a lot of room on both sides of the debate.
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@Alec
You bring up the GDP, and while it is a good indicator of economic health, it definitely does not tell the whole story. For one thing, the measure of all that is produced would naturally be small because African nations, in comparison to the US, has a smaller population to produce. If my country only has 4,000 people, compared to the millions that live in the US, then there would be a disparity. Also, the GDP does not take into consideration homelessness or internal violence. The initial anger at the US overthrowing their nation, as well as the internal displacement of people because of war, will cause much suffering. Groups like Boko Haram and al-Shabab would obviously fight against the US as well. Sects of Al Qaeda also exist within the region. Once again, there are more than 2 terrorist groups in Africa. This violence limits economic investment domestically and abroad as businesses realize the dangers of setting up shop in an active war zone. While the war between African nations and the US rages on for years, economic devastation will worsen already horrid conditions within many African nations.
You want to spend $500 billion every year, or half a trillion dollars, to fix the issues in Africa. Even if it only took one decade to fix up Africa completely, (which, given bureaucratic deficiencies, the existence of terrorist groups, and the severe lack of infrastructure is seriously unlikely,) we would still pay $5 trillion dollars. This is not even counting the cost of keeping thousands of troops to keep the peace,prevent terrorist groups from taking over land, and overthrow Africa. Without any guarantee that greedy politicians even want a better life for Africans, why should this money be invested? If we are trying to pay for the entire cost using the precious metal industry in Africa, then we still end up losing more money than we gain. Maketwatch reports that roughly 75% of South Africa's goldmines and 66% of their platinum mines are not earning much profit despite their immense reserves of both metals (4). Moreover, how do we know that $500 billion for entirety of one continent is enough? The US spends roughly $12,000 dollars for every man, woman, and child within the country, or expressed differently,over $3.8 trillion every single year (5). Suddenly, $500 for every person in Africa doesn't sound like a lot. This is especially true when we consider that 1.2 billion people live in Africa according to the Guardian (6).
The military might of the US is great but looking at only three African nations (out of 53,) should immediately illustrate the flaw with the idea that we can take over Africa. Global Fire Power lists the military powers of the world, and found that three countries,Algeria, Egypt, and South Africa, have more than 2 million military personnel collectively (2). These are only 3 countries though, and we need to overthrow 50 more. Estimates of our active duty troops are around the ballpark of 1.3 million (3). I understand that manpower is not everything, but the odds are against us. Allies are not going to support us taking over an entire continent,especially since they receive no tangible benefit from doing so and would probably face international scrutiny in the form of sanctions. China is trying to establish their presence within Africa through their aid and would not sit idly while the US erodes their sphere of influence.
Even if I have zero moral qualms with taking over numerous countries that we trade with and aid while destroying plenty of lives on both the American and African side, the practical concerns are massive.
Sources
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@Alec
AQAP, known as Al Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula, is a terrorist group that has amassed vast power and land-holdings after the US-backed Saudi military operation intervened. As the troops and airstrikes moved North, toward the Houthis, AQAP grew stronger. They took control of the port town Mukalla, and offered medical supplies, food, lower taxes etc. By doing this, they ended up recruiting a lot of people and garnering support for their cause. There were even videos on YouTube of them delivering basic goods to the inhabitants of Mukalla, demonstrating their care for the people. Our objectives had nothing to do with humanitarian assistance though, so our presence was mostly destructive. The populist agenda pushed by AQAP led to more recruitment, which is obviously a threat to regional security.Our intervention causes more of these issues when our gunfire destroys schools and homes. AQAP capitalizes on these conditions to push their agenda, and so do other nations.
Out of curiosity, where would the $500 billion go to primarily? With the multitudes of needed investments in medical infrastructure, agriculture, schools, energy etc. it seems impossible to put an accurate price-tag on the operation. Diseases such as malaria becoming epidemics is something that we do not see so much in the US, but in Africa, mosquito borne illnesses kill a lot of people. How would the US fight this? Obviously, mandatory vaccinations would work. However, our ability to deliver quick medical aid to the region is complicated by the lack of roads and infrastructure. Political institutions are also corrupt and would have to be replaced to deliver this aid to the right people in the first place. This operation, even if it is successful, would mean practically all our active troops being reallocated to overthrow 53 countries. Bases, such as the ones in Guam and South Korea would be vacated, ceding a strategic post that our military needs.
As far as keeping our presence within nations to stabilize them, it should be noted that the US annexed the western region of the US years ago, and basically slaughtered plenty of Native Americans to get that land so that people from the US could settle there, (or, in the case of the Dawes Act, so railroads could be built there.) I do not think that you would want to do the same to the inhabitants of African nations, so I find this analogy faulty. Also, we made Puerto Rico a territory,but it is far from the utopia that you would think it is. The Borgen Project estimates that over 40% of those that live in Puerto Rico live below the poverty line, and median incomes are only about $19,000 annually (1).
My thought experiment with the Italian troops was to demonstrate how it would feel to people who think that their country is being invaded. Even if the troops were Norwegian, British, or French, I guarantee you that people would be upset that the US is being taken over by a foreign power.
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@Alec
I really do not trust the people in power to actually concern themselves with the lives of people within Africa. Even if we decided to forcefully take over every single government in the continent, (which there are 54 of, good luck with that,) I think that politicians would prioritize policies that benefit the people on the US mainland. Also, Boko Haram, radicalization on account of our intervention, and international scrutiny are also complicating factors. I do not see our allies supporting us as much, potentially leading to trade embargoes and other sanctions. We are historically bad at implementing new governments. Consider our activity in Cuba and Puerto Rico, where we initiated regime change simply for the economic benefit of the US. Also, consider the military coup that we sponsored in Iran. We put in charge a leader who, while giving the US lucrative deals as far as oil, still abused their own people.
I do not know if you want to make these nations autonomous of the US, or if they are going to become states no different in status from Arizona, Florida, or Texas. Regardless, an expansion of the land that we control also means that we inherit all of the problems in Africa as well. Africa carries 1/5th of the global disease burden, and yet only has 2% of the world's doctors (1). Not only would we be tasked with handling medical care to a region racked by disease, but countless other issues are prevalent as well. I have already mentioned Boko Haram, which operates near Nigeria. However, groups such as al-Shabab in Eastern Africa also hold land and influence as well. Both of these groups have caused the deaths of thousands. Not only would we have to deal with terror groups, (of which there are more than 2, I assure you,) but we would also need to prevent radicalization. Imagine numerous Italian troops parachuting down onto US soil and demanding that they liberate us from what they see to be a corrupt, ineffective government. How would you or I feel? We would likely view these new troops as imperialist threats, and would support the idea of the military opposing them. People within Africa who see American troops invading their land would likely think the same thing. Moreover, the destruction on account of inevitable war to overthrow the nations in question would worsen medical infrastructure, schools, and homes. People would turn toward the promise of money and fraternity from terrorist groups out of necessity, worsening the violence in the region. Terrorist groups have used the destruction of war to boost support in the past. AQAP used this very method to hold their position within Mukalla, a prominent port town in Yemen.
I do sympathize with those who suffer from cruel treatment, but US intervention is not always the answer.
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Gonna be honest, this is one of my weaker performances. If you want to vote, go ahead and do so.
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@Zeichen
@coal
@Wylted
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@Wylted
Good explainer of a Kritik. It should download as a PDF.
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I just realized that some of what I posted seems caustic. When I claimed that people were not needed for people in the long run, I meant that when we converse with people, it is an opportunity cost.
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@Nd24007
If people were that intent on staring at me while I was feeding the ducks, I would suspect "fowl" play.
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I am definitely not the first to recognize this, but it seems that in modern American society, being alone is synonymous with emotional and psychological problems. Media representations of those who withdraw from society seem to characterize these loners as social deviants with misanthropic tendencies (i.e. refusing to engage with peers.)
While there are plenty of silent misanthropes who want nothing to do with other people, it should be noted that the relationship between social isolation and psychological harm is more nuanced than most people think. There is extensive evidence from medical journals that show the increased risk of cardiovascular complications and suicide on account of perceived loneliness. Yet, most people neglect to mention the limits to our current research. BBC provided a wonderful explanation of the issue in their article exploring common myths about loneliness. They mention that most of the studies conducted are performed on a cross-section (essentially a snapshot) of a population in any given point in time. In other words post hoc ergo propter hoc, or correlation does not always indicate causation. Other factors, including socioeconomic health, the household that someone grows up in, and the society in which one lives could potentially impact the health conditions of people in the future more than perceived loneliness.
Also, there is the operative word: perceived. I could be surrounded by friends and still consider myself lonely due to many superficial relationships as opposed to a few deep connections. Introverts with less social engagement can still have fulfilling relationships with others. Also, when people feel less obliged to spend time with others, they can use that time to study or work more. If one were to be objective, roughly 90% of the people that we talk to on a daily basis are not important to our well-being. How many people pay you, give you good grades, or could possibly be used to negotiate your way into a higher paying job? While some relationships are necessary to maintain normal cognitive functioning and not spiral into depression, there are plenty of people who are just worthless to the survival of someone.
While not studied often, there are cited benefits of social isolation. Jack Fong of the California Polytechnic University explains that:
"When people are experiencing crisis it’s not always just about you: It’s about how you are in society... " "When people take these moments to explore their solitude, not only will they be forced to confront who they are, they just might learn a little bit about how to out-maneuver some of the toxicity that surrounds them in a social setting."
When people are removed from the context of society, they can analyze their actions and behavior better, often having a therapeutic effect. In fact, there are documented incidents of this therapeutic effect helping people. The Atlantic recounts the story of Italian author and journalist Tiziano Terzani, who isolated himself for years only to feel less anxious as a person. He declared:
“At last I had time to have time.”
In no way am I suggesting that social isolation is always healthy. However, it seems to be unfairly stigmatized.
Thoughts?
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@Zeichen
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@RationalMadman
I'm surious, what do you think I am as a flamewarrior?
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INTP...
Did I do it right?
JK, I don't know what I am, but probably sychophant and eagle scout without all of the positive aspects of either classification.
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@Zeichen
@SamStevens
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@thett3
What wit! What literary prowess! Surely, you are a Mark Twain in a sea of Stephanie Meyers.
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Мир, в котором мы живем. Это так ... Удивительно. Таинственный. Даже волшебный. Нет ... Нет, нет, нет. Не тот мир. Я имел в виду это. Смартфон Каждое приложение системы и программы - это своя маленькая планета совершенства. Технология. Все услуги, необходимые так важно, так важно, так невероятно глубоко. Смотри, кто только что отправил мне сообщение! Эдди МакКаллистер? Это должно быть ошибкой. Или шутка. Или мошенничество! Не отправляйте ей свой номер социального страхования. Она прямо там! Это наш пользователь, Алекс. И, как и каждый новичок в старшей школе, вся его жизнь, все вокруг вращается вокруг его телефона. И, потому что темп жизни становится все быстрее и быстрее ... Телефоны снизились в пять. И интервалы внимания становятся все короче ... И ... Вы, наверное, даже сейчас не слушаете меня. У кого есть время, чтобы напечатать реальные слова? И вот тут мы вступаем. Самое важное изобретение в истории общения! Emojis. Это мой дом! Textopolis. Здесь каждый из нас делает что-то одно, и мы должны это делать каждый раз. Елка просто должна там стоять, все празднично. Счастливого Рождества! Это все еще сентябрь, Тим! И принцессы ... Я такая красивая. Они просто должны носить свои короны и держать прическу. Мы такие красивые. Дьявол, Poop, Thumbs Up, они просто появляются, и они готовы идти. Но для лица давление на. Крайер всегда должен плакать, даже если он только что выиграл в лотерею. Ура, я миллионер! Смех всегда смеется, даже если он просто сломал руку. Ааа !! Ах! Я вижу кость! Ах, ах, ах, ах ... А я, я Мех. Знаешь, я все время должен быть над этим. Как Мех, кого это волнует. Что не так просто, как кажется. Я должен быть mehhhhhhhh Я ДОЛЖЕН! Быть! Mehhhhhhhhh. Утро, миссис Д, я вижу, у вас есть маленький мини с тобой! О, они такие ... милые! NYAH, ТАК ЧТО В ИЗУЧЕНИИ, Я НЕ МОГУ ЭТО СДЕЛАТЬ! Я никогда не получу их спать! Придерживайтесь своего лица, чудо. OLE! OLE! О НЕТ! О НЕТ! Трудно действовать только бласе. Когда жить в Textopolis это ... Просто так интересно! Привет, хорошие симеаны! Это некоторые острые атташе! Да, у нас есть бизнес, которым нужно заниматься. Какой вид бизнеса? Бессмысленная работа. Ха-ха-ха-ха, я звучал по-британски. Мех ... О, это было действительно хорошо .. Мех? Мех ... Мех, ха-ха ... Что, черт возьми, ты там делаешь, приятель? Придерживаюсь. Сегодня мой первый день на телефоне. О, Дройт Я буду таким .. Мех. Чем ты планируешь заняться? Мля! Я и мальчики бросимся на Барби! Woo! Puh-ZOW! Добрый день, приятель! Эй, Коничива! Извините смайлики !! О, я ненавижу опрокидывать стариков .. Позвольте мне помочь, позвольте мне помочь ... О, моя толстая кишка !!! Утки ... Эй, это время? Эй, мои глаза здесь, приятель! Ву-о-о-о! Woo Hoo! Как раз вовремя! А на прошлой неделе Алекс отправил меня рядом с этим текстом! А? А? ХА ХА ХА, ЧТО СЛОН ВЫБИРАЛ СЕБЯ САМОЙ ХА ХА ХА АХ ХА ХА ХА ХА ХА ХА ХАХ ХХХХХ, почему ВЫ смеетесь, урод? Хо-хо-ха-ха-ха! Теперь, в отличие от меня, мои родители абсолютные профи. Джин, пожалуйста, скажи мне, что ты не смеялся только сейчас. Джин, помоги мне, клянусь, он был, я помню. Давай посмотрим, сможешь ли ты сделать это правильно. У меня плохие новости, Джин, и я боюсь, что у тебя будет неправильная реакция. Хорошо, какова неправильная реакция? Что-нибудь кроме меня. Давай! Я не хочу опаздывать! Я не позволю тебе идти на работу сегодня. Чего ждать? Ты просто не готов, сынок. Давай!! Работа в кубе - это целое предназначение эмодзи в жизни! Все мои ровесники работают на телефоне, кроме меня! О, дорогая, это не правда. Оу! ДА УЖ! Я собираюсь работать по телефону, и мне всего десять! Это потому, что я верю в тебя! Должны ли мы мыть руки? Ха ха ха ха ха ха ха! Мы номер два! Мы номер два! Увидеть? Я знаю, что я другой, хорошо? Но мне нужно ... Я могу быть ме ... Я просто ... Хочу быть работающим смайликом, ну знаешь, как ... Все остальные ... А потом ... Я бы наконец вписался, ты знаешь? Ах, ты вписываешься, дорогая. Нет, я не мама У меня никогда не было. Но я мог бы изменить все это, если бы ты позволил мне! Просто дайте мне шанс! Но что, если тебя отправят по телефону, сделав не то лицо? Нет, папа, я сделаю правильное лицо! Смотри! Мех? Ты такой красивый, когда делаешь это лицо. Я думаю, что он готов, Мел. Мех. Давай, папа. Позволь мне доказать это тебе. Если вы действительно думаете, что готовы ... ДА! Да, я! Я обещаю, что не подведу! Вот Это Да! Поздравляю всех! Какой захватывающий день для всех вас! О, это действительно она! О, пицца! Первый день на работе, привет, привет! Не нервничай! Я не буду кусаться! Привет, я Smiler! Хо-хо-хо-хо ... Не трогай меня! Привет! Я имею в виду .. Эй .. Как вы знаете, я Smiler, я здесь системный администратор, потому что я был оригинальным эмодзи. Вот как это работает. Ничего особенного! Подожди минутку ... Это действительно модно! У каждого из вас есть свой кубик на панели эмодзи! Если Алекс выберет вас, если вам повезет, ваш кубик загорится! Это шоу-время! Сканер просканирует вас, и это сканирование будет отправлено прямо в текстовое поле Алекса. И позвольте мне сказать вам, ребята, что нет ничего лучше, чем первое сканирование. А, ты будешь любить это. Теперь здесь есть раздел избранного, где вы найдете все самые популярные смайлы
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@Goldtop
While often classified as "common," it is important to note that both psychological disorders that you bring up are not as common as one may think. The National Institute for Mental Health estimates that Bipolar Disorder affects nearly 3% of the adult US population (1). Mentalhealth.net, a resource available to aid those seeking help for mental illnesses, estimates that Schizophrenia occurs in 1.2% of the US population (2).
While both of thee conditions affect millions, the chances are already slim that someone would rightly diagnose someone else based on a few posts in a forum. Absent from a diagnosis would be, among other things:
a) The person's medical history
b) Ingestion of drugs that may influence mood
c) Professional services that deliver psychological exams (i.e. IQ tests, regardless of their validity)
d) Observations from healthcare professionals that the patient had contact with.
e) Information about whether traumatic events that may have recently occurred that could have influenced their posts
...
You get the idea. By diagnosing someone online, you end up adding a stigma to someone who really does not need it if they want to get actual help. Perceptions about violent tendencies generally affect the mentally ill population more than other groups, even if the data is not available to support such a conclusion. A 2008 "Psychiatry" journal article detailed an experiment in which doctors:
"followed several cohorts of recently discharged American psychiatric patients for one year and compared rates of violence with violence rates in a community sample in the same neighborhood. The mean number of violent acts among the discharged psychiatric patients was 1.6 acts per discharged patient per 10-week period; at 50 weeks, the average number of acts per patient was 2.12. The rate of violence among psychiatric patients was higher than the community sample only during the first 10 weeks after discharge (3)."
Despite evidence suggesting that severe mental illness alone only accounts for 4% of violent crime (per research done by Jeffrey Swanson and company in the Annals of Epidemiology,) prejudice still occurs (4). Perhaps the mixture of substance abuse, other psychological ailments, and a violent history accounts for some violence, but if you believe the constant churning of the press, you would think that mentally ill people are the most dangerous subset of people in the US.
So, the question that one needs to ask themselves is this:
Do I really want to suggest that this person is mentally ill despite the fact that I am likely to be wrong, and ignoring the erroneous social stigma affecting mentally ill people?
The answer would likely be no. Now, if the person in particular, say, PMed you and told you that they had a psychological disorder and need help, then you could direct them to resources to help them. Even if you are sure that someone has a disorder, the likelihood that they would follow your advice is minimal at best anyway though.
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@Tejretics
I miss him too. He promised me a live debate years ago. I still have the case on my computer. I think he was an economics major.
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@Zeichen
@SamStevens
Come one, come all!
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@Zeichen
@SamStevens
Sorry for yesterday, it was a bad time to get on hangouts.
I can talk now if you are available.
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@Mharman
@ Waluigi
Did you get a scumread from her?
Why are you so adamant about her faking?
In any case, is there any idea what the phrase is before I guess my final letter?
P.S.
Sorry about spamming the thread about the words puzzle. I did not know time didn't run out unless you are online.
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@Kamikaze
What do you BEElieve is the BEEst part about beekeeping? Do you get to keep some of the honey.
Also, thoughts on the Bee Movie?
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@thett3
I just read your entire series. This is golden. :-)
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@Vader
@Mharman
@ Skittles and Waluigi
Perhaps "Supa is town" or "Supa is scum"
If that's the case, then I imagine that the secret beloved or hated role has something to do with the answer.
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@Vader
@Mharman
@Skittlez and Waluigi
My guess is that the phrase ends with "is town" or "is scum."
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@Castin
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@Vader
@Mharman
I am just going to go over what I just saw happen.
@ Skittlez, Waluigi
Skittlez VTLed for no apparent reason. For some ungodly reason, Waluigi changed and voted for Wylted for no reason given. Waluigi was trying to "test" reactions apparently.
I do not know if I buy this or not. How would me reacting to Wylted getting voted for result in a scum-tell? I have played a few hangout mafias, where this tactic may have been useful. (I am still fairly new to this game, so perhaps my reasoning is as green as I am.) I would like justification from Waluigi. What reaction are you looking for.
Skittlez seems neutral at the moment. To assume that she is being portrayed as a "noob" at this moment seems correct, but she could be just pretending. She is familiar with her role as the visitor, which means she may have some understanding of Mafia roles. She did mention also reading the beginner's guide, so perhaps she just checked their or googled it.
Also, SupaDudz, could you explain what you meant by this?
Your very early for asking a visit NP1. This is a scum statement asking for a "guilt"We don't know how many maf there is to some extent so he could bait himself out.VTL Waluigi for now
Why is it inherently suspicious for him to want to be visited? According to mafiawiki, a visitor gets no information from their visit.
It is just activity for the sake of a different role.
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