j123 · HackerTrans

This insight, I think, is key. Imagine the power conferred by controlling a nation's currency. People don't just let that sort of power go. The first 1000-fold increase in value has pushed Bitcoin into the spotlight. The next 1000-fold increase will be far more noticed and hence far likelier to attract some counteractions by governments.

j123

15 anni fadiscuss

Holding stocks can definitely hedge against a devaluation of currency. Even domestic stocks or others prices in the currency you're seeking to get out of can work, but are significantly worse at doing so than one priced in a "safer" currency. There are investment firms that specialize in investing in the stock of foreign companies.

j123

15 anni fadiscuss

Don't get me wrong, I'm not arguing that there is no such thing as culture (as opposed to innate behavior) or that it couldn't change. But there are innate behaviors too. That newborns are a blank slate, a "tabula rasa" as Locke called it in Latin, to have whatever new form of behavior we want imprinted upon them is a fallacy. It was a hypothesis at one point, but now it's known to be false. Some facets of human behavior are largely the same for all times and in all places. Tribalism and territoriality, e.g. These things will always be with us. It's hopeless to think a day exists on the horizon in which these will be eliminated. A more mature approach is to accept humanity for what it is. Improve what can be improved upon and don't aggravate those features which are here to stay. Fossil fuels rushed humanity into a new era of mass immigration comparable to the "people wanderings" which characterize Late Antiquity in Europe. But it's now happened globally. It's popular to pretend we can overcome tribalism and territoriality. We'll see. If not, though, we're in for some excitement in the coming years.

j123

15 anni fadiscuss

This I think is the wisest comment I've read here. We live in an age where many people earnestly believe they can reengineer society. They identify aspects of human nature which they don't like and think it's open to reeducation. There is such a thing as human nature. Tabula rasa is a myth.

j123

15 anni fadiscuss

It's as ridiculous as if he had casually tossed "overeating" into that list as well. Of course when something sticks out like a sore thumb, that individual part will get attention. Your point is that you can only reply holistically or something?

j123

15 anni fadiscuss

"With many of them you risk violence, drugs, abuse, sexual abuse, racism, etc."

This modern bugbear of racism is getting ridiculous. Did you really just equate "racism" with sexual abuse? What does racism even mean anymore? Is it only institutional discrimination, e.g. the refusal of the publicly funded government to hire some races? That's where it started. Now, you can be a racist if you have a type you prefer to date that doesn't suit the whims of your accuser.

Way to not "risk racism."

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