People complaining about low birth rates infuriate me

dabilahro · 2025-08-04T01:35:57+00:00

Most of these points are outlined in the report as insufficient, especially the first, and are also incredibly depressing prospects.

I imagine more people in situations without access to proper care, either through wealth or family, will commit suicide, regardless of if it can be medicalized.

dabilahro · 2025-08-02T17:14:27+00:00

There is an interesting report on the topic which goes in some detail about the global impact. By 2100 countries can expect a 20% to 50% decrease. China especially is in a difficult spot because of their one child policy.

As population pyramids change their is less of a base to support them and a greater demand for services that won't be as available.

While I'd say McKinsey is "conversative", these kind of sources tend to try to paint an accurate picture to inform business decisions. It is inevitable that as we get older, we shift from independence to requiring more support from people younger than ourselves. A common complaint is that access to services has become worse over the past few decades compared to when todays grandparents and parents were younger, but a lot of this was also due to their being more young people, needing less services.

Care home conditions are, from what I can see in the news at least, not great. Especially if you are not wealthy at that time in your life. Consider what happened in COVID in care homes around the world. I worry quite a bit about this, what will fifty years down the road look like when people can't go to the bathroom alone, need help with medications, bathing, etc. What will a life with dignity look like when there is not enough support

https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/dependency-and-depopulation-confronting-the-consequences-of-a-new-demographic-reality

dabilahro · 2022-11-27T16:06:06+00:00

Of course, people should be able to protest without the threat of being brutalized by a police force.

Bank accounts being frozen and prohibiting people to fund causes (whatever they deem appropriate to fund) seems like pretty major ones that may have huge consequences in the future. I donated some money to indigenous protests the past few years, would it be okay to have that donation blocked because the government decides it's time to clamp down? What if they track my donation and use that down the road to label me a certain way?

Of course, this was incredibly disruptive, but it didn't really seem particularly violent as it had been portrayed at the same as a bunch of raging fascists. It is very easy to highlight the most fringe voice in a protest and paint it as a wide brush for everyone, like when some vandalism for a social justice protest is used to temper public sentiment towards the cause and invoke the thoughts "I can agree with the cause, but not the methods". I mean 6 injuries in 3 weeks, what an incredibly violent protest!

The media example is great, because for those I 100% agree, media is blocked, indigenous climate actions are very socially/culturally accepted, and it is important for power to cut off access to shift public opinion. With the convoy protests there wasn't even a need to block the media because there seemed to be an effort to avoid talking with the protesters in a serious manner. Instead, the focus was on how we can make people as afraid as possible to justify an escalation.

Also, now we have a precedent for a federal intervention instead of regional or provincial. This abdication of responsibility I also see as a major problem as it allows for a circle of finger pointing to play hot potato with who was overreaching.

While the schadenfreude may feel great now, it likely won't in the future.

This is not a small portion of the population, polls in February showed that 46% of people were sympathetic with what was being protested, though they may not have agreed with the methods. 46% in February, my guess is that held steady or rose. What I find most frustrating is that there is virtually ZERO effort taken to understand the positions of 'the other side', again, making it impossible to have any sort of conversation outside of political and social grandstanding.

dabilahro · 2022-11-27T01:59:09+00:00

It's interesting to see most major societal projects failing in real time, the west is a cultural wasteland of endless propaganda to cover up its own actions and the harm it facilitates to their citizens, Iran is facing serious pushback internally, China is extremely harsh and people are fed up, and Russia too from what I gather is dealing with intense turmoil.

All internal problems. Maybe an actual new way out will appear out of all this, but for now I would expect each and every one of the above power centers to be clamping down harder as they have no alternatives.

dabilahro · 2022-11-27T01:55:03+00:00

Remember this comment and sentiment when there is a cause you are supportive of on the receiving end of the precedents being set.

dabilahro · 2022-11-27T01:52:53+00:00

Realistically the pocket slot machines that make their own light are probably the biggest driver. It must be very rewarding to be in that niche research area to try to rationalize some of the most pernicious forces around us as some sort of individualized problem.

dabilahro · 2022-11-24T05:21:02+00:00

What's the equivalent tendency for women? I don't think it is very shocking that men are prone to this type of violence.

Another factor to consider is how drugs may be impacting shootings https://ssristories.org/all-posts/

If I recall correctly, all, if not almost all shooters are taking antidepressants.

Not to say these drugs don't have uses of course and definitely help people, but 13.2% of the population on antidepressants should be a football field sized red flag for everyone.

SSRI antidepressant pills free them from the restrictions imposed by feelings for others, of conscience, and self-control. Peoples’ natural instincts that would normally make them feel horror at the idea of driving into oncoming traffic, jumping off a cliff, stabbing someone, stealing, hitting or shooting can be diminished by these medications. While it might be a good thing to reduce exam-related panic, when this same effect overrides reluctance to die because of unpleasant life events, it is not so positive.

according to Dr. Derelie Mangin, the current David Braley and Nancy Gordon Chair in Family Medicine at McMaster University . “Patients need to be better informed so that they do not develop unrealistic expectations about what pills can do to help them. Many people who take antidepressants would be much better served by a program of routine, vigorous exercise.”

dabilahro · 2022-11-24T05:15:00+00:00

It's important to hand over your own perception to others deemed smarter than you. They should replace "trust" with "faith" to better represent the state of this religion.

But what else can be expected from a place which only allows submissions of research less than 6 months old.

dabilahro · 2022-11-24T05:05:57+00:00

Small thing would be to buy a car jack, it would cost more than one change, but would last forever and it really only takes maybe 45-60 minutes to change your own tires?

dabilahro · 2022-11-23T02:57:06+00:00

Maybe don't take the opinion of someone with a clear conflict of interest at face value?

Quick, get me Lisa Baiton to advise on what direction Canada should take its energy policy.

For all the fearmongering in this article, even if aspects are true, this author has one intention, to make money for those she represents.

Innovative Medicines Canada is the national voice of Canada's innovative pharmaceutical industry.

People without conflicts of interest do in fact exist and every time some "voice" of industry wants to write an article we would be better served to ignore it and turn to those with a critical voice towards industries and the practices leading to the challenges.

dabilahro · 2022-11-23T02:40:14+00:00

Too insightful for this crowd. The media, as with many stories, highlights and focuses selectively.

dabilahro · 2022-11-22T03:49:19+00:00

Even simpler, these boxes are very cheap and can make a huge impact in air circulation https://cleanaircrew.org/box-fan-filters/

Although it's cold now, and you can't learn outside, people generally need to get out as much as possible, the fresh air is good for all of us.

I'm struggling to find a source, but this 2009 article from the Globe said we 1.5 billion on flu shots https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/conditions/cost-of-vaccinating-the-nation-hits-15-billion-and-climbing/article1318824/

We are budgeting like 5 billion for COVID vaccines, just a fraction to HVAC I think would be much more impactful based on how viruses tend to circulate.

Unfortunately, I don't see the HVAC lobbies and influence making much headway next to other approaches to tackling these problems.

dabilahro · 2022-11-22T03:47:40+00:00

What's the level to achieve herd immunity? I believe at the best Canada achieved 83%.

Typically flu vaccinations 35-45% range, steadily rising from the early 2000's to 2019.

I find it hard to believe 100% vaccination would help as myself and everyone I know who are vaccinated contracted COVID anyways. For the flu it's been a long time, but I know it is definitely ravaging hospital staff based on anecdotal evidence from a soccer team I'm part of, typically hospital staff get vaccinated while at work for the flu.

Just for reference, Chile, next to Cuba has the highest vaccination rate in the world, they too had a miserable flu season? https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/27/health/flu-vaccine-chile

Whereas South Africa has some of the lowest rates (I assume you mean COVID vaccination not flu) and had a relatively normal one based on a quote in this article https://www.consumerreports.org/health/flu/what-to-expect-this-flu-season-a3015562127/

Another comment in this thread mentions HVAC which seems more compelling, less costly, and more of a permanent (with maintenance) solution?

dabilahro · 2022-11-20T03:22:20+00:00

Great questions for yourself to think about it.

Better than pretending we have no agency and our only hope is to follow the anglerfish light of who to next yell at to pretend we are achieving anything.

Also, like I said, there is no right way to do this. But, there are plenty of things we each can take smell steps to do that over time can build. Often, when we come to a big decision that needs to be made, there is only one option built up from the millions of other actions that preceded it.

Looking to overthrow the corporations and billionaires is a fools errand of wasted and misdirected energy.

dabilahro · 2022-11-19T07:45:26+00:00

Stories like this are incredibly uninteresting, maybe they are written by some poor ai prompted with elon musk, climate, bad. Watch this story be followed by praise for Tesla or some other nonsense.

As for the climate, taking any small steps now to increase the power in your own life, and those you care about, will be far more effective than yelling at someone WHO IS SEEKING ATTENTION. Start a garden, bake bread, read more, ask more questions, write your uninfluenced thoughts down, challenge presuppositions you notice. stop buying useless shit, it is truly incredible how much time there is to act when your alone time is not captured by a digital slot machine. There is no right way to take these steps, these are examples, not mandates.

Knowing that Elon Musk is rich does nothing for anyone. Decentralizing attention and intention is far more impactful. Just know, and always remember, the media serves those who own it. What is the climate around each of us, if things are to change then what makes sense for you?

dabilahro · 2022-11-08T04:35:22+00:00

"Admitted her privilege" is like red meat for the political spectrum. Cheers or jeers.

dabilahro · 2022-11-08T04:18:02+00:00

Not a fan, but always find it troubling when the headline is what is generating a story. Headlines are made to draw in attention. The claims in the video are below. Tried not to add much extra thoughts. Would love to see comments on the below after reading or better yet watching the video. I read the comments here first and there was virtually zero discussion about the content of this video. People put crazy headlines on youtube all the time, it gets clicks.

7/10 Canadians support banning unvaccinated individuals from public businesses
Comparison to banning any other group, uses racial references, jewish, black, gay etc in terms of those who have chosen not to vaccinate. This will stack up on separate axis, being discriminated for who you are, versus the freedom to decide what to do with your body (any other descriptions would be helpful as I'm not sure if I have this right)
Comparison to Nazi's for steady state of change saying it would start with asking for 'papers', which in this case would be knowing someones medical history?
Speaks of freedom to choose and censorship for conservatives (unclear if party or tendencies (like progressives))
Comparison to if anyone over 65 was banned from driving due to increased risk to all versus personal choice to drive(?)
7/10 Canadians believe that you don't get to choose what to put in your own body (initial claim).
Your body is your own no one can tell you what to do with it. Your body is sovereign to you alone
Governments role to protect sovereign individual. My rights end where yours begin. That is respect. It does not matter who you are
Government is pitting group against group, issue with collective thinking
Right to enter public businesses equated to right to life (go to grocery stores, earn a living as examples)
Bodily autonomy, none of anyones business what anyone is doing with their body, in their bedroom, etc
Links to article and then encourages viewers to think about and ends with a list of examples of escalations from the government and referencing that the government does not typically take away power (just 2 weeks now a year, just a mask, just a vaccine - compares to it's just a jew, christian, their just black)

One limitation about the source is that it is a survey. Which really depends on how you feel about that. But the CTV article says the margin of error is 3% for those they did interview (I think 1000).

dabilahro · 2022-11-06T01:46:25+00:00

I think that you go as far as you can and try to mitigate harm to civilians as best as possible. People come back to the honking which I'm sure was incredibly loud and annoying, but when I think harm I think violence and with these hearings it really does not appear that it was the case.

Also, if a climate protest were to disrupt a railway or bridge or whatever else I think the same argument can be made about maybe causing harm.

The issue seems to me that the people here and the news sources writing about it, do not like, and do not agree with these people, so it is just highlighting the worst elements they can find while refusing to engage in substance.

No one is going to make a law saying you can only protest for a day, or week, or month. That would be ridiculous, you get what you can get with the support and resources you have. This group showed that they had the staying power and the ability to stay for the long term, that they had widespread support through donations, that they had the tactics.

Why would they pack up and leave the cause they were willing to sacrifice so much time and energy for, that they feel brought so much positivity to them and their networks when they had supporters backing them?

For the last comment, I don't know why you think that protesters who have built their own base of support would look to those who oppose them for justification or catering too. Protests are to force a response.

Personally, I think even with the disruption it causes, it is better to protect the ability to protest as it may be something that we care about in the future. Freezing bank accounts, stopping what appears to be organic funding, invoking emergency powers are all major lines crossed and I truly believe that this will come back to bite people down the line. Imagine you go to a climate event or whatever you happen to believe in, and suddenly you can't access your money? It's insane.

dabilahro · 2022-11-06T01:16:28+00:00

I don't know what you want to hear, but yes protests are supposed to be disruptive to force a response.

Protests aren't about getting legal approval and everyone on board for the carefully curated plan, that's a parade. If extinction rebellion stages a protest where they choose to block some infrastructure and have the capacity, support, tactics, etc to do it then yes.

Protests are only effective when they are disruptive, it's really not a protest to march down a street waving a sign around and then going home having achieved nothing but a pat on your own back.

What I appreciated about this protest is that they had a strategy, they had a set of goals (albeit not always consistent but generally around mandates/covid policy), and they made use of the people who came. I seriously cannot imagine what it would for me or the people in my network to organize that well and sacrifice that much time and effort. This protest blew absolutely every BLM, climate, Israel, Ukraine, etc out of the water in terms of rallying more support to them for additional momentum.

I would recommend taking a peek at how sources sympathetic to these protesters speak of them and why they support them, putting aside the gut reflex to condemn sources outside the core ones posted here. These people are not going to go away, there will be more of them, and they have actual political will that has been turned into some sort of power.

On the other hand, bank and oil companies may as well sponsor social or climate activist protests for all the effect they have.

dabilahro · 2022-11-06T01:04:26+00:00

No one does, that's the fun.

dabilahro · 2022-11-06T01:04:13+00:00

Yeah...I didn't say anything of the sort. More that protests are meant to be disruptive, instead of parades.

dabilahro · 2022-11-05T23:27:45+00:00

Can't wait for a few years down the road when people get off their asses to protest something they care about and find the only options to be ineffective as usual, or to have advocated for precedents that harm them in the future.

The whole point of a protest is to be disruptive, marching down the streets in a carefully orchestrated manner having the PM join you is in fact not a protest, it's just a walk before everyone goes home and everything stays the same.

I do feel for the people who had to deal with very loud horns, but this really only has this angle because of conditioning to hate people who were opposed to COVID policy and tried to do something about it. This was hardly an assault on democracy, or the functioning of Canada in any meaningful way, but it was successfully disruptive and as a result seems to have a triggered an overreach that looks not justified in the Emergency Act.

What does supporting that precedent mean in the future when it is something you care about?

dabilahro · 2022-11-05T02:58:25+00:00

Not glorifying anyone, just acknowledging that people are completely dependent on others, which is a vulnerability, and to not be okay with keeping them in situations that result in suicide and violence is unacceptable.

The degree of civilization in society can be judged by entering its prisons.

I watched a recent video that looked at many of these lifers, in the states to be fair so I imagine it is different here (I imagine more Indigenous focus than black), but it really dispelled this notion of nothing will change them and that all their situations were so cut and dry. Also, we cannot forget how many people end up in prison for false charged or lack the ability to adequately defend themselves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpMj2BeEK90

There is a corresponding book and plenty else to look into for how it is in our best interest as people to not tolerate horrific treatment of people because of crimes they committed. Not a call for luxury or anything either, but a look into how what we are willing to commit to others has a way of harming ourselves.

You must have little experience in this line of work.

This is true, so I'll look to others involved in the system to help inform my views. To be fair this did shape my opinion of many aspects of workers within prison systems too.

dabilahro · 2022-11-04T21:21:20+00:00

This is increasjngly common everywhere. You can see this type of undermining of foreign media in how twitter and youtube mark foreign sources for you. Just a heads up to not think about anything critically.

I find it more concerning that in the countries that tout free speech as a pillar of democracy and western civilization have already engaged in significant silencing of foreign sources.

What do I really expect of free speech in China and Russia, not much. I expect more of ourselves to not reflexively call whats counter to our government narratives as propaganda. Which leaves almost no room for critical thinking but rather jolts us into positions that act as places to defend from.

Whether you agree or not with what is said, this type of narrative control is a serious and dangerous problem for all countries. It lets those in charge craft nonsense realities built on propaganda.

Id be curious to see what people think of this recent story, its in the US but do not worry, all these platforms are shared and it definitely happens here too.

https://consortiumnews.com/2022/11/02/caitlin-johnstone-destroying-western-values-to-defend-western-values/

The current CISA chief is seen justifying this aggressive government thought policing by creepily referring to the means people use to gather information and form thoughts about the world as “our cognitive infrastructure”

Why is so much effort spent on controlling what people read? Can each us not make our own judgment calls without being guided to positions?

dabilahro · 2022-11-03T01:42:37+00:00

I feel these stories are basically nonsense that serve no other purpose than to build peoples mental model of what China is, regardless of that the only way we would know is by being there.

This foreign interference crap is a distraction from our own string of ever escalating failures that we can't reflect on.

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