Sure, intelligence has a strong genetic component, along with most every other biological attribute. But I would want to see evidence to back any claim that stupidity correlates with willful ignorance - I've known far to many extremely smart people who are willfully ignorant in certain realms.

Briefly, but usually the masterminds behind the revolution maneuver themselves into the position of being the replacement government, and things rapidly devolve into pretty much the original situation.

>ignorance is not inherited

True, but a predisposition toward willful ignorance might be. (ignoring experts in favor of celebrities or authority figures)

I don't want to "weaken government", I want to weaken the federal government.

Acckhh! No true Scotsman would ever drink cherry... port...I mean... eat Walkers.... no Taytos... ; More Haggis Agatha, I'veana'other swoon kim 'pon mea.

But as long as the common livestock never catch wind of it they will happy continue to graze, chew their cud and pick on of the two "different" options presented for their approval every 4 years and things will continue as they have done for decades now.

People do not have much of a chance against a system which forces them to operate by its rules. The system is dysfunctional, a failure of process has occurred. It does not matter if people are engaged in politics, the "sheeple" you disdain, or apathetic cynics like yourself.

All efforts to change a dysfunctional system from within its own rules will fail miserably. Case in Point: Occupy, an abysmal failure of a movement, based on the absurd notion that the system can be changed from within or by asking politely. Frankly I think that's worse than being sheeple or apathetic as it legitimizes the corrupt at the reigns of power.

So lay off the general voting population. Change is really, really hard, and I don't see you proposing many solid alternatives.

Do they always jump in feet first with these new teaching methods or something? Don't they test it on a small control group or a dozen to make sure it's not the latest new-age garbage?

Teaching methods are almost never subjected to experimental verification. They are devised by 20-35 year old academics with little teaching experience and a desperate need to get enough publications to be put on tenure track. Experiments would get in the way of such promising careers.

You're absolutely right. And as a matter of fact sex is positively ancient, we should probably abandon that as well.

Your hypothetical NAMBLA bill raises some major issues regarding the age of consent, which complicates things significantly. So it's a pretty lousy comparison.

As for normalcy, gays are clearly not normal in the same sense that red hair is clearly not normal: only a small percentage of the population possesses the trait, and "normal" is generally based on the majority. On the other hand, unlike red hair, as best we can tell most every culture in history that hasn't actively persecuted gays (and thus driven them into secrecy and out of the historical record) has shown roughly the same percentage of gay members, so it would appear that having a certain percentage of gays in the population is normal for our species. The question is simply should that percentage of the population be denied the right to get the same legal recognition for their long-term relationships as we have for ours.

They're not asking us to celebrate anything. They're not demanding that your pastor perform the ceremony. They just want to be able to go down to the county courthouse and establish the same legal rights of inheritance, medical visitation, etc. than heterosexual couples enjoy. I don't see how them doing so harms society in any way, and so I see no rationale by which society can claim a legitimate interest in denying them such rights. Maybe if being gay was contagious then you would have some good arguments for suppressing it's spread, but it's not.

Hey! Show some respect! Anyone who had to live through an attack of that magnitude, all while having to put up with both Micheal Bay shouting inane directions and Ben Affleck acting is a God Danm American hero and don't you forget it!

Management knew changing the part was akin to admitting the fault. The engineer did it on his own to save lives - company be damned.

And by betraying the sacred orders of management, and placing the safety and lives of fellow moochers above the right and holy profits due to his Executive betters, this man has betrayed the Almighty Market in word, deed, and heart, and his treachery must be uncovered, defamed, and justly punished as an example to all who would turn against the Word of Galt.

See you in the Club.

And how exactly is that different than in "civilized" society? Except that the elite are far more powerful here, and more socially stratified from "normals", so the odds of them ever noticing you personally are far smaller.

When that mine is played out where will the raw material for new advances come from?

The Free Market!!

I'll concede the point on personal taxes, for the most simple solutions, but once you start adding in business income, corporate taxes, and the like, the complexity level goes way up. And if you happen to run a business in an HST jurisdiction? Forget about it. Many tax lawyers haven't yet figured that shit out.

If the deaf are worried about losing their culture perhaps they should endeavor to share it with the world so that it gets absorbed rather than abandoned. My brother took a few semesters of ASL courses for his foreign-language requirement, and just from what I've picked up second-hand I'm seriously considering taking a few semesters myself - the language has much to recommend it over the spoken word, and the combination of spoken and signed language can be *extremely* potent.

On the other hand, I'd gladly take them over the 400lb person in speedos.