Is The American Well Being Poisoned? (1 Viewer)

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    TomT

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    Part 1 Current situation

    America is in distress. Our social media addiction has resulted in an America that has become a Tower of Babel. Babel is not a story about tribalism. It’s a story about the fragmentation of everything.

    America is living James Madison’s nightmare. Social Media has driven the explosive spread of anger that James Madison had tried to protect us from as he was drafting the U.S. Constitution. The Framers of the Constitution knew that democracy had an Achilles’ heel because it depended on the collective judgment of the people, and democratic communities are subject to “the turbulency and weakness of unruly passions.” The key to designing a sustainable republic, therefore, was to build in mechanisms to slow things down, cool passions, require compromise, and give leaders some insulation from the mania of the moment while still holding them accountable to the people periodically, on Election Day. Today the opposite is true.

    The current information environment makes it easy to spread misinformation, disinformation, and outright propaganda that distorts voter representation and leadership accountability. Algorithms disseminate false information widely to millions of people and convince them to cast ballots in ways that run contrary to their self-interest or further internal political divisions. Leadership accountability requires voters have access to reliable information, but the prevalence of fake news and false information undermines democratic elections and endangers the system as a whole. These risks not just with elections, but anti law enforcement animas against all levels of government. All of these flaws in our information ecosystem harm democracy and weaken popular sovereignty. However, it has led to the steady growth of the Flat Earth Society.

    CQ Roll Call asked every member of Congress whether they had received a death threat since 2020. Of the 147 who responded, 110 — or about 75 percent — said yes. While more Democrats replied to their inquiry than Republicans, 95 to 52, death threats were pervasive among both parties: 74 percent of Democrats said they had received one, compared with 77 percent of GOP respondents.

    Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, with 45,979 deaths in 2020. This is about one death every 11 minutes. The number of people who think about or attempt suicide is even higher. In 2020, an estimated 12.2 million American adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.2 million planned a suicide attempt, and 1.2 million attempted suicide.

    Almost 21 million Americans have at least 1 addiction, yet only 10% of them receive treatment. Drug overdose deaths have more than tripled since 1990. Alcohol and drug addiction cost the US economy over $600 billion every year. 138.543 million or 50.0% of people aged 12 and over have illicitly used drugs in their lifetime.

    A growing number have lost faith in organized religion. For the first time since the late 1930s, fewer than half of Americans say they belong to a church, synagogue or mosque, according to a new report from Gallup.

    New APA Poll shows sustained anxiety among Americans. More than half of parents are concerned about the mental well-being of their children.

    Disagreements about who is truly American are part of a broader cleavage in American culture. 70% of Republicans believe that America’s culture and way of life have changed for the worse since the 1950s, while 63% of Democrats believe that they have changed for the better. Strong majorities of Republicans agree that “Things have changed so much that I often feel like a stranger in my own county,” that “Today, America is in danger of losing its culture and identity,” and that “the American way of life needs to be protected for foreign influences.” Majorities of Democrats reject these propositions.

    Support for political violence is significant. In February 2021, 39% of Republicans, 31% of Independents, and 17% of Democrats agreed that “if elected leaders will not protect America, the people must do it themselves, even if it requires violent actions.” In November, 30% of Republicans, 17% of Independents, and 11% of Democrats agreed that they might have to resort to violence in order to save our country.”

    Recently, millions of Americans have come to believe that elections workers, systems, equipment and election audits are corrupt. Judges at all level are corrupt. The Department of Justice and the FBI are corrupt. Most media are corrupt. The IRS is corrupt. The opposition party is corrupt. All of which is fueled by self-serving social media algorithms crafted by billionaires to keep us all “informed.”

    https://www.csis.org/analysis/escalating-terrorism-problem-united-states

    https://www.brookings.edu/research/is-democracy-failing-and-putting-our-economic-system-at-risk/

    https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/the-rise-of-political-violence-in-the-united-states/

    https://www.psychiatry.org/newsroom...about-the-mental-well-being-of-their-children

    https://www.americamagazine.org/fai...hAcLHgdslW40S7UbdcMTOQdX_goXqqGwaAqSzEALw_wcB

    https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/i...s a serious public,one death every 11 minutes.

    https://thehill.com/opinion/campaig...e-left-or-the-right-its-a-dangerous-question/
     
    All of which is fueled by self-serving social media algorithms crafted by billionaires to keep us all “informed.”


    whats your point beyond this, above, fact.

    no mention of over population from the algorithms or writer.

    the planet cant support more humans. id suspect the anxious are aware of this.
     
    A growing number have lost faith in organized religion. For the first time since the late 1930s, fewer than half of Americans say they belong to a church, synagogue or mosque, according to a new report from Gallup.
    You make it sound like a bad thing.

    Neither here nor there, but the line about suicide being a leading cause of death... I don't know how far down the list would "leading" indicate... you linked an article from the CDC that says it is "a leading cause", with figures from 2020, but then, according to the CDC too, it was not even in the top 10.

    Billionaires don't craft algorithms. Coders craft algorithms.
     
    Seems like a copy pasta thread and a long-winded way of saying "America is forked." Which is true. And definitely agree with SystemShock that the rise of secularism is a good thing.
     
    Welcome to the board and for what might might be the longest declarative statement I have ever seen!

    While I can agree with most of you sentiments, there was something that made me pause.

    It may have been an omission (the word youth perhaps?), suicide is no where near the largest killer in America. Like not even close. Covid was killing more than that in a month in 2020. Again I am assuming you forgot something.

    Other than that you didn’t really pose a question or stake out a position so am not sure I really know what else to say.

    Again welcome to the Board!
     
    You make it sound like a bad thing.

    Neither here nor there, but the line about suicide being a leading cause of death... I don't know how far down the list would "leading" indicate... you linked an article from the CDC that says it is "a leading cause", with figures from 2020, but then, according to the CDC too, it was not even in the top 10.

    Billionaires don't craft algorithms. Coders craft algorithms.
    Cute. One coding computer code is guided by what the "organization" dictates. They are no freelancing. The Organization is executing the objectives set out by the management team who answer to the Billionaire in charge when it comes to any of the significant social media platforms. Go out to dinner at a new restaurant and then look at your social media ask you about your experience or give you a message from that restaurant. or show you that restaurant's competitors. Express a strong political opinion on social media and what how suddenly the "world" agrees with you. None of that is the result of a coder's intuition.
     
    Cute. One coding computer code is guided by what the "organization" dictates. They are no freelancing. The Organization is executing the objectives set out by the management team who answer to the Billionaire in charge when it comes to any of the significant social media platforms. Go out to dinner at a new restaurant and then look at your social media ask you about your experience or give you a message from that restaurant. or show you that restaurant's competitors. Express a strong political opinion on social media and what how suddenly the "world" agrees with you. None of that is the result of a coder's intuition.
    I don't care about questions about restaurants or other likes, although I never get asked, but I do care about the echo chamber. I tend to listen to and read mostly centrist to left leaning sites, so I have my own echo chamber, but I believe the information is supported by facts. That is the key. People can and should have opinions, but they need to be based on facts, while colored by subjectivity and feelings. However when the feelings are completely baseless, that's when the problems arise.

    The good thing is that we are becoming more aware of these problems, and I think we're slowly trying to amend our ways. The question is will we dig the hole too deep to be able to save ourselves. The great experiment of democracy is certainly challenged.
     
    I'm more of the rugged handsome type.
    One coding computer code is guided by what the "organization" dictates. They are no freelancing. The Organization is executing the objectives set out by the management team who answer to the Billionaire in charge when it comes to any of the significant social media platforms. Go out to dinner at a new restaurant and then look at your social media ask you about your experience or give you a message from that restaurant. or show you that restaurant's competitors. Express a strong political opinion on social media and what how suddenly the "world" agrees with you. None of that is the result of a coder's intuition.

    No matter the industry, a lot of the code coders write is driven by marketing and by infrastructure needs, not "the billionaire in charge",

    I guess you get blinded by seeing Suckerberg, Cook, Pichai, etc. in the news, because they are the faces of their respective corporations, but behind them, there are teams of very capable people who have ideas of their own.

    It'd probably come as a big surprise to you, but a lot of the things corporations like Google, Meta, Apple, Twitter, etc bring to the market are not even their original ideas; not even their main functions are their original ideas.
     
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    whats your point beyond this, above, fact.

    no mention of over population from the algorithms or writer.

    the planet cant support more humans. id suspect the anxious are aware of this.
    I hear that a lot. Is there actual proof of this or is this a theory?
     
    Seems like a copy pasta thread and a long-winded way of saying "America is forked." Which is true. And definitely agree with SystemShock that the rise of secularism is a good thing.
    Yeah, this new world is fantastic. We are fighting over basic established human biology.
     
    Yeah, this new world is fantastic. We are fighting over basic established human biology.
    Why does it matter to anyone what gender, sex and/or sexual orientation others consider themselves to be?

    What gives person A the right or authority to tell person B how they have to think of themself and identify themself?

    If person B wants to be identified as an aardvark, what gives anyone a non-tyrannical right to try to force and/or coerce them to conform to what person A thinks.
     
    Why does it matter to anyone what gender, sex and/or sexual orientation others consider themselves to be?

    What gives person A the right or authority to tell person B how they have to think of themself and identify themself?

    If person B wants to be identified as an aardvark, what gives anyone a non-tyrannical right to try to force and/or coerce them to conform to what person A thinks.
    It doesn't matter to anyone what anyone wants to consider themselves to be. The problem is when those people demand that others suspend reality and play along and if you don't then you are the problem.

    If person B demanded that I call them an aardvark is it tyrannical to just call them a loon and continue on my way or must I affirm their incorrect notion? If I must, why? What gives their self perception credence over my perception of the natural world?
     
    If person B demanded that I call them an aardvark is it tyrannical to just call them a loon and continue on my way or must I affirm their incorrect notion? If I must, why? What gives their self perception credence over my perception of the natural world?
    It's not tyrannical to call them a "loon" and go about one's way. It is unnecessarily disrespectful and judgemental. You could just think, I disagree and continue on your way.

    It is tyrannical to push laws that take away their and/or their parent's rights to make determinations about how they exist and live.

    It is tyrannical to push laws that discriminate against them for how they identify themselves.

    It is tyrannical to commit and/or condone shaming, harassment and/or violence against them for how they identify themselves.

    The only legal demands of these people that you see as "loons" are that that they not be discriminated against for how they identify themselves and/or how they live. Even if any of them demand that you personally affirm their self-identity, they aren't pushing for any laws that would take away your personal legal right to not personally affirm their self-identity.

    Unless you personally have employment, legal, governmental or medical decision making influence in regards to anyone, then you personally will never be required to confirm anyone's self-identity. If you do have that kind of influence on someone else, then you should be legally required to respectfully accept everyone's self-identity in your interactions with them in that capacity, even if you don't agree with their self-identity.
     
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    It's not tyrannical to call them a "loon" and go about one's way. It is unnecessarily disrespectful and judgemental. You could just think, I disagree and continue on your way.
    If I ignore them, is that disrespectful? If you ask me to suspend reality, it is on you to explain why after millennia after millennia my reality must be suspended.

    It is tyrannical to push laws that take away their and/or their parent's rights to make determinations about how they exist and live.
    Are you talking about kids or adults trans? HUGE difference. I don't think anyone care about adults dressing up as the opposite sex. The problem is the push to have children attempt (it is after all impossible) their sex before or during puberty.

    If a parent wants to pimp out their child for sex/money, are you saying it is tyrannical for society to have laws to protect against that type of abuse. What about incest? It doesn't hurt anyone right?

    It is tyrannical to push laws that discriminate against them for how they identify themselves.

    It is tyrannical to commit and/or condone shaming, harassment and/or violence against them for how they identify themselves.
    Again, are we talking about adults or children, because I am specifically talking about children.

    I identify as a maga facist or whatever term you all just invented. Should I not be shamed or harassed for my beliefs? Seem that only goes one way with the left

    The only legal demands of these people that you see as "loons" are that that they not be discriminated against for how they identify themselves and/or how they live. Even if any of them demand that you personally affirm their self-identity, they aren't pushing for any laws that would take away your personal legal right to not personally affirm their self-identity.

    Unless you personally have employment, legal, governmental or medical decision making influence in regards to anyone, then you personally will never be required to confirm anyone's self-identity. If you do have that kind of influence on someone else, then you should be legally required to respectfully accept everyone's self-identity in your interactions with them in that capacity, even if you don't agree with their self-identity.

    Might want look up the definition of 'tyrannical'

    We might be on the same side on this. One easy way to find out.

    Do you think it is appropriate for medical professionals to remove the otherwise healthy breast from a 16 year old girl in order to treat the mental illness of gender dysphoria (parental consent/Psychological evaluation and all that is a given)?
     
    Yeah, this new world is fantastic. We are fighting over basic established human biology.
    If only the US truly were this "new world" secular nation you keep suggesting it is... we might actually be a more advanced society rather than one held back by people believing in what has never been proven to be anything but a book of fiction.
     
    If only the US truly were this "new world" secular nation you keep suggesting it is... we might actually be a more advanced society rather than one held back by people believing in what has never been proven to be anything but a book of fiction.
    Good theory but proven false. These progressive ideas that you all think you just created have already been tried several times world wide with the only real similarities is how they failed and the death toll that was left behind.

    Can you give me an example of something you all want that will help advance the society that hasn't been tried before?
     

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