. . . then the same EXACT argument applies to wealth distribution, which means all wealth must be also equally redistributed --- except the minions of the super-rich are the ones pushing all these "divide and conquer" programs, forever successful in what they do --- the very same ones behind the offshoring of as many American tech jobs as possible!

nerd who codes for hours in their parent's basement which is how many computer programmers became computer programmers.

Although I wasn't fortunate enough to have a basement in which to code, having been raised in a Catholic orphanage, that is how I and every decent coder learns how to code: practice, practice, practice!

Truly, the tech companies, banksters and such have long since killed that goose's egg: with the massive offshoring of tech jobs and importing of foreign visa scab workers to take the place of American workers, this entire topic is completely specious.

What happened to merit?

I'd love to see that in practice, but when has it truly been the case. Had we in America a truly meritocratic education system, all school systems would have equal access to resources across the spectrum, but that has never been the case!

The problem I somewhat agree with you --- albeit on the economic or socioeconomic side --- is that invariably it is the disadvantaged whites who always suffer, who will be pushed out, while those connected, i.e., the wealthy and richer, still keep their advantages. This is just what I have observed over and over again, which is the norm in a capitalist educational system, which would be completely different were it really a meritocratic educational system.

Well done, naasking --- you are bringing analytical thinking into the matter, something the parent poster appears to be unfamiliar with?!

You just completely destroyed the parent poster's thesis. Bravo!!!!

First, you cited the Pew Research Center, which a few years back claimed that the majority of American media was "liberal" ---HUH?????

Next you said: The biggest gap between scientists and the public came on issues that may elicit fear: the safety of genetically modified (or GMO) foods (37 percent of the public said GMOs were safe, compared to 88 percent of scientists) and the use of pesticides in agriculture (28 percent of the public said foods grown with pesticides were safe to eat, versus 68 percent of scientists).

I don't give a rat's ass, and nor should anyone capable of thinking for themselves, what Neil Degrasse-Tyson, an astrophysicist, has to say about GMOs, or anyone else except for the fellow who originally created them at Monsanto, and turned into the first whistleblower on Monsanto's GMOs, and other top-level molecular biologists, etc.

Recommended reading: Open Secret by Erin Arvedlund (she's the financial reporter who wrote the first articles (back in 2001) and the number one book onr Bernie Madoff.

excellent interview here on her Bernie Madoff reporting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

But what about all those semiconductor chips out of China, which are part of those American drones, which allow Iran to bring them down (when they are illegally overflying their airspace)?

The socialist response to Obama's SOTU:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

And the Real Obama:
https://firstlook.org/theinter...

I'd agree with that!

Quite a few Feng Shui experts in IT. Is Feng Shui deadly?

Loved CB's comments!

I guess this just means we still have quite a few fuckwits in the IT Security arena (Exception: Chris S.).

In reading an interview with Verhoeven about the movie, Verhoeven believed both the book and Heinlein to be pure fascist, never understanding the concept of meritocracy and citizenship responsibility RAH was pushing. Just don't think Verhoeven grasped the book, and therefore the movie was skewed accordingly.

Heinlein was at his best with that story (zombies referring to the blithelessly ignorant, if I recall correctly). It was a flashback to his old self, when he was a progressive and before he became a righwing libertarian type, and Goldwater supporter.

Best time travel story I've read recently, The Revisionists, by Thomas Mullen (while comparisons are odious as Voltaire once opined, his writing style is a combination of Robert Silverberg, John Varley on his best day, and Graham Greene).