"Anybody know a quick and dirty way, a good formula,"

Why sure. We demonstrate the amazing power of DIVISION:

24 hours
-----------------
1.7 ms/100 years

= 5.0823529e+09 years

Solution there, it seems to me, is to inhabit unchangeable-spin planets.

I "couldn't" care less.

They could get some of it by selling valuable services that the market couldn't satisfy. Aw heck, even if you force-sell to the population at large, at least keep up the appearance that this is in exchange for specific goods or services of value provided to the population, as opposed to some sort of general entitlement by the state to your money. That mindset would come along with burdens upon the state to show minimality, necessity, etc., rather than mere majority whim.

I do believe the grandparent was fully aware, and speaking ironically.

"We like it that way,"

Wonder if you'd like 50% or 90% or whatever better, because it would pay for more stuff like your socialized healthcare and stuff and more stuff.

be thankful I don't take it all

"An evidence-based mindset on the state of the world would bring many benefits."

Perhaps evidence can be gathered to support that hypothesis.

It's funny that the slashdot teaser - and your response - both latch onto the "private" part of the picture, as though there was inherent reason to dread private enterprise when providing some important service, to presume government would do better.

bravo

We reject [this] false choice.

Sorry, that was certainly not the intent. Of course "the" (this particular topic: AGW) was implied, and everyone else understood it that way.

"utilizing the scientific process honestly, let alone correctly"

Well ok, mistakes happen ... but these don't meet the suggested criterion of "ignoring science entirely".

"skeptics would like [to own the term skeptic]"

And the people's front of judea would like the splitters to call themselves the front of judean people.

"other than that, the story was accurate"