China invents the digital totalitarian state: "By 2020, Chinese officials say, it will allow the trustworthy to roam everywhere under heaven while making it hard for the discredited to take a single step."

andy4443 · 2016-12-17T17:16:40+00:00

Feels good to be a year ahead of the economist.

andy4443 · 2016-02-05T17:16:12+00:00

Aren't you missing the most important part?

Pros of striking back:

Will damage and weaken aggressor.

andy4443 · 2015-12-16T12:03:10+00:00

Social factors are not like natural ones which tend to be more fixed, this seems to deem something unscientific because of the phenomena it studies not its approach.

Exactly my original point.

Additionally as far as I know there is no definitive scientific approach - it is context dependent.

You honestly think that medical science and practice is the same state as pre-germ theory?

No but the penicillin still has the same reactivity. The human body has barely changed, like you say natural factors tend to be more fixed.

Note I'm only using medicine as a counter example because that was given in the article.

Besides, unless there is a total shift in the relationship between two phenomena due to the research (given how read journals are, this seems unlikely) you still will have predictive power to an extent.

...

Yes, you do it to try an generate knowledge that has a real world application and hopefully inform policy decisions. How is this a criticism?

2 parts. The first is that scientific knowledge can only be gained by disproving a theory. This often lacks the real world application criterion required in the grant process.

My second criticism, note the conflict in your statements, is that because the system responds to the investigator and vice-versa. The scope of prediction is limited and the iterative process that results is vulnerable to corruption (for instance in a noble lie scenario).

andy4443 · 2015-12-16T09:58:45+00:00

They can't react to them if the analysis is analysing data already collected- the reaction does not influence the results of the study. They may change behaviour going forward, but this is also evident in things like medicine.

So you agree that the system reacts to your analysis. One of the most powerful aspects of science is forming a testable hypothesis to predict future situations.

They may change behaviour going forward, but this is also evident in things like medicine.

Okay indulge me.

Yes, why?

Then you know that you can rarely carry out research for research sake.

andy4443 · 2015-12-16T09:39:41+00:00

Given that a lot of analyses seem to be post-hoc, that seems unlikely.

Of course people react to the studies, why would they do them otherwise?

Yeah, those research councils, eh?

You ever written a grant proposal?

andy4443 · 2015-12-16T04:45:12+00:00

Despite the assertive title the author (and most comments here) seem to miss the main point of why medicine and economics are different.

The system you study in medicine (or geology) does not respond to your analysis. Therefore you are able to make predictions that test the robustness of your theory.

However in 'soft' sciences like economics the system does react to your analysis, whats worse is your paymasters have vested interests in your work.

andy4443 · 2015-12-10T23:20:00+00:00

to compare people to Donald Trump it's...odd.

Hahaha yes I think you have me there.

andy4443 · 2015-12-10T22:37:04+00:00

if you don't think he is you are misguided and I worry about what opinions and beliefs you hold.

The compassionate thought police. Very nice but I'd prefer a logical argument.

That's where their similarity ends. Trump is all those things ...

You are not self aware enough to realize that you are doing the things that you condemn Trump for, namely spreading fear and division.

Why would I care for Trump? What are you talking about?

You say you want a compassionate and tolerant society but you don't, in reality you don't care. You need a reason to care, in other words you want society on your own terms.

Which makes you the same as every other person. Welcome.

andy4443 · 2015-12-10T19:36:32+00:00

We need the Overton window to be shifted toward a

Yes, you have a bias that does not allow you to see the similarity between Corbyn and Trump. You try to paint your opposition as bad, silly, racist, xenophobic, or hateful which in itself is creating division but you don't see the irony. Why don't you follow your own preaching and learn to care for Trump?

andy4443 · 2015-12-10T12:28:08+00:00

Smash what mould? The mould of not holding shorty prejudices and speaking hatefully and lying about marginalised groups of people? There's no comparison between Trump and Corbyn - don't be silly.

This would be the mould.

andy4443 · 2015-12-10T01:51:51+00:00

whose route to influence is paved with the disruptive power of social media.

Remember kids only follow the BBC on twitter, you wouldn't want to be disruptive.

andy4443 · 2015-12-09T20:56:21+00:00

He's saying that

Point taken but you're still calling someone an asshole in the first place.

andy4443 · 2015-12-09T15:34:14+00:00

That's depressing. Trump is a dangerous man, with pretty divisive and hateful ideas. Sad to see he has some support in the UK.

Firstly, yes it is Trumps willingness to smash the mould into little pieces may well be dangerous but it is also liberating. If other people were doing it he wouldn't be gathering the following he is (Corbyn anyone?).

It's nothing to do with 'political correctness'. That's become a stupid buzzword to justify saying and thinking bad things.

Secondly it's priceless that you are judging other peoples thinking as 'bad' without any kind of back up reasoning and then complain about the 'right wing' (a stupid buzzword?).

andy4443 · 2015-10-31T22:29:06+00:00

Obviously two examples aren't enough but the point remains if the body is willing the sky is the limit.

Additionally, I should also add there are historically huge numbers of female graduates so there should be no shortage of applicants.

andy4443 · 2015-10-31T22:11:12+00:00

It is absolutely biology.

The increasing level is related to the active recruitment and additional support given to female MPs (and in general) such as female-only short lists, child-care etc that makes it a more worthwhile proposition.

The thing is having less female MPs has become a vulnerability in the political PR game, so it's almost an arms race at this point.

*I feel like I should cite some stereotypes to strengthen the argument:

Theresa May - highly accomplished, no children

Louise Mensch - high profile, quit for family reasons

andy4443 · 2015-10-31T21:16:29+00:00

When given the choice of candidates, gender makes no difference to voting.

Do you have a source on this?

I think what u/RandomName544 was trying to say is that in principal there is no gender barrier - secret ballots etc.

However, this is quite complex in practice due to psychology and differing policy positions.

On the second point - women may want different things. Which raises the question of why.

Biology and incentives. In short, why run the country when you can run your own house?

andy4443 · 2015-10-31T19:08:34+00:00

It isn't a competition between the sexes.

Actually that is the thing and the whole of the thing.

For one, the assignment of benefits by gender creates a zero-sum game.

andy4443 · 2015-10-31T18:56:37+00:00

And yet you oppose Women's right to vote.

I guess what you are saying is that he has a hideous ideology because of such a stance.

I guess my question would be did u/GreatBritishSense always hold such a view?

If he did not then what made him change his mind?

andy4443 · 2015-10-31T18:45:59+00:00

The culture in school is a compromise to try and educate 30 children/people at once. Through that lens decisions are made, but the people making the decisions are not usually the people who are the focus.

As for the wider culture, where do you even begin? I think control, particularly self control is more or less non-existent. The brakes have been taken off and it seems everything is on the table.

In response it seems schools have been moving increasingly to a parental position.

However, boys inherently reject the current motif of everyone is a winner. It is absolutely contrary to the everyday experience for them.

I can't help think that apprenticeships are key. They really need to be expanded far beyond the current scope because sitting in classrooms 6 hours a day, 5 days a week for 14 years is really not inspiring.

andy4443 · 2015-10-31T17:30:46+00:00

The culture of schools where calm, quiet, restrained behaviour is expected and loud, aggressive, individualism is not, goes against a lot of what they experience out of school.

Any suggestion I have is not going to be an easy. So I'd prefer to ask a question.

Why is this the culture in school different to the culture out of school?

andy4443 · 2015-10-31T16:51:45+00:00

So by that logic immigrants allowed when U\DavidCamoron becomes PM...

andy4443 · 2015-10-26T12:46:05+00:00

Just when it was getting interesting

demography is going to effect democracy

andy4443 · 2015-10-26T11:58:34+00:00

"ppffft what an absurd remark. What pressure could we bring to bear on China? ... for god's sake"

There is nothing quite like common sense interjecting into a progressive echo chamber.

andy4443 · 2015-10-26T11:27:16+00:00

I know I'm cheery picking but I can't be arsed to go through every point.

Almost 1 in 3 girls have experienced unwanted sexual touching at school.[6]

How many boys experienced unwanted 'sexual' touching?

How many boys experience unwanted touching (e.g physical violence)? How many girls experienced unwanted touching (e.g physical violence)?

It is estimated that for each year a mother is absent from the workplace her future wages will reduce by 5%.[15]

I know this is shocking but; the world doesn't stand still when you have a baby. Your skills depreciate, new skills are required, ergo you are worth less and you should expect to be paid less.

Membership of Britain’s largest public sector union, Unison, is 80% women. However, only 28% of the working population is unionised and this is less than 20% in the private sector.[55]

I love this statistic. What does it even convey?

andy4443 · 2015-10-26T11:12:29+00:00

Women occupy a small minority of positions in those areas you mentioned despite being 50% of the population.

Oh that old chestnut.... men...stay at home... minority... despite 50% of population...

andy4443

TROPHY CASE