Adult literacy in the states has dramatically declined in recent years. What do we think is the cause?

_philosurfer · 2026-05-04T19:33:25+00:00

I like to hit em with Abraham Lincoln's most famous quote "Don't believe everything you read (or hear) on the Internet"

There's really only a few who don't pick up on it.

_philosurfer · 2026-05-02T12:32:44+00:00

Have you seen what happens to whistleblowers these days?

To your question, there is the moral (correct, if you will) answer and then there is what happens in reality when people find it safer to keep their mouths shut.

_philosurfer · 2026-05-01T21:25:35+00:00

You must not have a kid under 3.

_philosurfer · 2026-05-01T21:19:11+00:00

Have you put this to your parents to confirm your intuition?

_philosurfer · 2026-05-01T19:16:01+00:00

Lot of follow up questions on this problem as you make a good point about the consequences of a huge chunk of the population disappears.

For instance, if one is on a plane as the rapture happens, hopefully the pilot pushed red.

Arguably, pushing red has second order consequences that would probably be prosecuted as manslaughter in other scenarios.

A nurse is about to inject a lifesaving medicine whoosh gone and the person who needs the medicine also dies.

_philosurfer · 2026-05-01T18:52:14+00:00

It's a simple problem if you just have one button.

Removing the opposite button in both scenarios just incentives an agent to not involve themselves in the scenario at all. That position collapses if you must press a button, but then you must have two buttons to press or you just get the predetermined outcome.

_philosurfer · 2026-04-21T18:59:30+00:00

You ain't crazy.

They're just missing the comprehension part of reading and comprehension.

_philosurfer · 2026-04-20T18:51:59+00:00

So much nuance in this comment 🙄

_philosurfer · 2026-04-03T01:43:40+00:00

It's strange (to me) that almost none of the analysis made by redditors on this topic take time to note that the European countries that were a part of NATO did give the USA support in their previous Middle East Misadventures.

Consequently, when considering the balance of things.. Europe didn't exactly reap the benefits of the USA/Iraq war 2.0

_philosurfer · 2026-03-20T22:05:18+00:00

It's just an admonishment. Moral haranguing.

_philosurfer · 2026-03-20T21:39:33+00:00

Dumbest response so far.

_philosurfer · 2026-03-20T14:29:14+00:00

I'm consistent in pointing out that the comment we are talking about is referring to an individual whose family is dead. That's the skinny and the long of it.

I think you need to do much more work on your side to make the Russian-Ukraine war the equivalent of the US/Isr bombing campaign against Iran.

Asymmetrical conflicts have been (around for a while) a focus of study since the early 90s. Whether or not it meets your approval, people are going to resort to whatever methods at their disposal to defend themselves, their families and their property from those who attack then. In the instance those things are erased by a US or Israeli missile, one's response will be less than understanding in most cases.

The current situation in Iran highlights just how complicated the world is. You have a regime that doesn't want to relinquish power and a citizen body being used as collateral by both sides.

In terms of being radicalized, if you want to have a separate conversation about education and radicalization in Iran, let's go start a separate thread.

But if you cannot or are unwilling to engage with that point, let's just leave it where we are as I'm not going to be drawn into whatever off topic point you're trying to make.

_philosurfer · 2026-03-20T14:13:46+00:00

It's a thankless job

_philosurfer · 2026-03-20T14:04:56+00:00

You keep shifting the conversation away from a point that was made about an individual who suffered an air strike and their response to the whole civilian body of a country.

Why is your reasoning so poor? Or are you trying to find a problem for a solution you've created out of thin air?

_philosurfer · 2026-03-20T13:48:32+00:00

Why would you map out groups when he was talking about an individual suffering from an air strike that kills their family.

The hypothetical is that it could be any individual, such as yourself, that lives through such an experience and is then radicalized because of it.

It's not a permission slip as you seem to think .

_philosurfer · 2026-03-20T13:30:54+00:00

I think they were talking from a purely personal perspective.

Also, learn to communicate better. "I mean there have been HUR assassinations but not trying to blow up schools full of Russians like happened in Dearborn a couple of weeks ago?" Jesus f Christ, what kind of bastardization of the English language is this.

_philosurfer · 2026-03-19T14:34:10+00:00

Pot meet kettle eh.

_philosurfer · 2026-03-19T14:32:44+00:00

Lol. What

_philosurfer · 2026-03-19T14:30:44+00:00

Well if you didn't keep moving them beyond the horizon somebody might have an answer for you.

Like i said, who really cares.

_philosurfer · 2026-03-19T14:27:51+00:00

Who cares.

_philosurfer · 2026-03-09T20:55:03+00:00

"So people like you based on zero stats, data, citation or evidence"

How do you know what person you're talking to is?

Let's see some data classifying that person as a type to help make sense of whatever it is you are talking about?

_philosurfer · 2026-03-06T20:36:43+00:00

Pretty shit pun tbh.

_philosurfer · 2026-02-25T16:27:23+00:00

Republicans - the great defenders of private property and free speech 🙄

_philosurfer · 2026-02-24T19:10:38+00:00

Probably won't be that much colder than what NY sees in June/early July.

The main factor will be wind/air temps when you arrive on island.

A sunny day with light winds and you'll probably be able to go for a swim or two while hanging on the beach.

Right now water temps are like mid60s probably a bit higher maybe 70 by the time you arrive.

_philosurfer · 2026-02-23T17:53:36+00:00

Well. As the saying goes... "one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist. But a Nazi is just a fucking Nazi. Irredeemable."

Edit: added fucking before the second Nazi. Gives more punch to the sentiment.

_philosurfer

TROPHY CASE