2023-12-17


Worthy

  • Your tastes are a point in space

    Everyone seems to blame the internet for our ever-increasing polarization. It would be funny if the true culprit were education and economic growth.

    republicans are not really equally strong power in american democracy as democrats and they are propped up as one only due to intentional retention of very flawed, antique elections system. Basically republican party is allowed by democrats to exists just so they can have mock opposition (supposedly representing half of the people, which it really doesn't) so that they can swap out with them ever n years and it all seems like two party system on the surface.

etc


Rank Propaganda / Thought Policing / World Disordering

  • How to Develop Immunity to Nonsense: Lessons From a New Science - Fair Observer

    • Ideas are more like microbes than groceries. Bundles of information obey an evolutionary logic: The “fittest” tend to find hosts, survive and reproduce.
    • Cognitive immunologists classify relativistic ideas as mental immune disruptors. People employ them to evade accountability norms. This subverts those norms, leading to cognitive dysfunction. You know how we update our antivirus software to protect our computers from the latest digital pathogens? We need to do the same with our brains.
    • Even small concessions to willful belief damage the mind’s immune system. By all means, be resolutely hopeful, but renounce willful believing. When mere words trigger a heated response in you, you’re experiencing an unhealthy auto-immune reaction. Immunologists call some immune system overreactions “autoimmunity.” Yes, auto-immune disorders of the mind also exist.
    • Critical thinking is mostly a fine thing, but the combative attitude of a culture warrior is corrosive of mental immune health. With cognitive immunology to light the path, each of us just needs to do our part.
    • "cognitive immunologists" ...

Pox / COVID / BioTerror AgitProp

  • 1,374 days: my life with long Covid

  • (Nov 2023) 'Endemic' SARS-CoV-2 and the death of public health

    The unofficial alliance between big business and dangerous pathogens that was forged in early 2020 has emerged victorious and greatly strengthened from its battle against public health, and is poised to steamroll whatever meager opposition remains for the remainder of this, and future pandemics. The long-established principles governing how we respond to new infectious diseases have now completely changed – the precedent has been established that dangerous emerging pathogens will no longer be contained, but instead permitted to ‘ease’ into widespread circulation.

  • Topol caught COVID A Covid Update

    I consider myself extremely lucky compared with the experience of so many other friends, family members, colleagues and patients, particularly those at more advanced ages. Along the long course of the pandemic I had so many people write to me (or post on social media) about its inevitability and that I should just move on in life, stop masking, and don’t worry about it—”you’re not going to die.” I never agreed with that outlook, since we’ve made steady improvements throughout the pandemic in preventing severe Covid and Long Covid, such that the longer an infection can be delayed, the better. Of course, I’d much prefer to never have Covid, but there’s only so much one can do to prevent that from happening. I had received the XBB.1.5 booster in late September, but still got infected 6-7 weeks later. That’s not at all surprising, since the booster doesn’t do much against infection, especially after the first month, and at peak might suppress infection by only 30-40%. But it does markedly amp up neutralizing antibodies (and T cell response) and certainly would be expected to help prevent severe Covid.

Edumacationalizing / Acedemia Nuts

External Security / Militaria / Diplomania

  • A new Suez crisis threatens the world economy

    Since December 15th four of the world’s five largest container-shipping companies, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk and MSC have paused or suspended their services in the Red Sea, the route through which traffic from the Suez Canal must pass, as Iran-backed Houthi militants, armed with sophisticated weapons, escalate their attacks on global shipping flows. As one of the world’s major trade arteries suddenly closes, America and its allies are ramping up naval activity in the Middle East, and may even attack the Houthis, in order to re-establish free passage.

World