Lets discuss: Homophobia

[civ_king]

Nah, more like malaria.

How are small pox and polio not deadly?

 

[Hitti-Litti]

What? Small Pox and Polio not 'dangerous' enough for you?

Well they are dangerous enough, but the fact that we have wiped them out means that they're not the "best" /most dangerous/effective diseases out there. Just that we've wiped out two diseases doesn't mean that we can beat them all.

But lets talk malaria. In looking at it, it seems that the problem isnt the nature of the disease itself, but the cost involved in wiping it out effectively...and in fact, in some areas, like the Southern USA where malaria was once common, its been effectively eradicated. So, its not a question could we eradicate malaria since the answer to that is 'yes', the question is how can we fund the eradication of it.

So....?

Wow, we humans are intelligent enough to form a system called "economy" that makes us unable to defeat deadly diseases even if we in theory could do that.

Seriously speaking, malaria was just an example, I'm quite sure that there are many other dangerous bacterial diseases that we haven't defeated yet or are unable to defeat. Just like we're not able to get rid of locust swarms, we don't have an effective and foolproof way to destroy them.

 

[Flying Pig]

Considering how badly humans (i.e. the smartest) are squeezing out all the rest, I would think reality disagrees with you.

That's because we are, to quote Darwin, 'the most responsive to change' as well. Now intelligence is one way to become that, but a species which bred very, very fast and with a large amount of mutation in its DNA could become equally responsive without a high degree of intelligence. Imagine a colony of ants which doubled in size every few minutes and had evolved resistance to pesticides and a poison deadly to humans - would our intelligence really do us all that much good? Mind you, I'm getting a bit apocalyptic - but the point stands. Means to an end and all that.

But I think the real issue is what you mean by 'higher'. Yes, we're cleverer than them. But are we 'high' enough that can subject ourselves to different rules? I think my thought experiment with the baby demonstrates that at the most basic level we're all the same: it's our upbringing that sets us apart, not our opposable thumbs.

 

[MobBoss]

Well they are dangerous enough, but the fact that we have wiped them out means that they're not the "best" /most dangerous/effective diseases out there. Just that we've wiped out two diseases doesn't mean that we can beat them all.

Actually, that remains to be seen. Neither you nor I have a crystal ball to tell us how far our medical science will eventually lead....so I dont think your assumption is necessarily a given, and one day it may be a reality.

Wow, we humans are intelligent enough to form a system called "economy" that makes us unable to defeat deadly diseases even if we in theory could do that.

Yeah, things cost money. Imagine that. We arent quite there to a Star Trek universe.

Seriously speaking, malaria was just an example

And its an example, upon closer inspection, that deadly diseases can be eradicated by humans if we want to do it bad enough.

In other words, it was a bad example for you. Great example for me, tho.

I'm quite sure that there are many other dangerous bacterial diseases that we haven't defeated yet or are unable to defeat. Just like we're not able to get rid of locust swarms, we don't have an effective and foolproof way to destroy them.

If we develop crops that are resistent to such pests, why do we have to destroy them? Generally, there is more than one intelligent way to solve a problem.

 

[Flying Pig]

Wow, we humans are intelligent enough to form a system called "economy" that makes us unable to defeat deadly diseases even if we in theory could do that.

Sorry, but without any sort of economy how the hell do you think we'd have got to where we are today with medicine? For every breakthrough there's a thousand researchers getting nowhere, and if we don't pay for those 1000 we'll never get the one Fleming who finds out something amazing, often by dumb luck

 

[choxorn]

And yet, we still can't eradicate mosquitos.

 

[Whiskey_Lord]

When you tell gay people that they shouldn't have sex with each other, you aren't asking them to "overcome" their instincts. You are asking them to suppress their biological programming indefinitely, which is both physically and psychologically unhealthy. Human beings have more developed cognitive functions, but that doesn't mean we are superior in any natural sense. We aren't equipped for living in trees like monkeys; our knees are adapted for traversing the African savanna and not good for much else. We can't see as well as cephalopods or even birds of prey. Most of us can't even hold our breath for more than a few minutes let alone a few hours like some marine mammals can. Everything is adapted to its environment. We are adapted to ours, which is why we are the way we are. There is nothing special or superior about that.

 

[warpus]

It's like asking me to stop eating bacon or MobBoss to stop believing in God.

 

[Elrohir]

This thread is getting nauseating so I think I'm done here. I'd be happy to continue the conversation on walls or in chat or whatever, if you like.

Yeah, basically. I'm happy to talk to you whenever, but I don't think this particular conversation really has anywhere to go right now.

 

[Moss]

I agree with Lucy and Elrohir.

Moderator Action: Thread closed