What are your unpopular opinions?

[Rostfritt]

Funkycoldribena said:

I find that more scary than being shot.
Thank bugger you weren't around in the forties.

Maybe if there were more people like me in Germany in the 30s we wouldn't have had a war in the first place.

[amusingduck]

Rostfritt said:

aaron_2000 said:

Yeah I was thinking that, nothing I want less than people from places like Somalia being able to come here with absolute ease.

Is someone from Somalia less of a human because of where they were born?

Like I said, for this to work there would have to be a similar level of development, security and wealth in every country. Somalia, for example was quite a safe place to be in the 60s, somewhere you could possibly go on holiday. It would be great if anyone could pack their things and try their luck anywhere in the world and there to be a reason to go anywhere. Only then would we actually be free.

How is there ever going to be a similar level of development, security, and wealth in every country?

[Disastrous]

amusingduck said:

How is there ever going to be a similar level of development, security, and wealth in every country?

I’d wager that’s why he described it as a pipe dream?

[Rostfritt]

amusingduck said:

How is there ever going to be a similar level of development, security, and wealth in every country?

There was when we were hunting with sticks and stones, why can't there now? Africa is developing at an alarming rate, China as we know is levelling off from absurd growth, South America too. Eventually if all wealthy countries continue to give development aid to the poorest we would all eventually reach a level where everyone has access to education, health, food, sanitation etc and there would be little economic migration and people would just move for a different climate or culture or for job opportunities.

[Funkycoldribena]

Rostfritt said:

There was when we were hunting with sticks and stones, why can't there now? Africa is developing at an alarming rate, China as we know is levelling off from absurd growth, South America too. Eventually if all wealthy countries continue to give development aid to the poorest we would all eventually reach a level where everyone has access to education, health, food, sanitation etc and there would be little economic migration and people would just move for a different climate or culture or for job opportunities.

How are NK,Syria, etc going to fit into this?
Or is Miss World type peace going to break out?

[amusingduck]

Rostfritt said:

amusingduck said:

How is there ever going to be a similar level of development, security, and wealth in every country?

There was when we were hunting with sticks and stones, why can't there now? Africa is developing at an alarming rate, China as we know is levelling off from absurd growth, South America too. Eventually if all wealthy countries continue to give development aid to the poorest we would all eventually reach a level where everyone has access to education, health, food, sanitation etc and there would be little economic migration and people would just move for a different climate or culture or for job opportunities.

Not why, how.

How are the developing countries going to catch up? How will development aid eventually level the playing field?

I can't see how it's possible without the masses from every rich country actively attempting to achieve your utopia, and I don't see the masses signing up for such altruism for such extended periods for no benefit to themselves or their families.

[Disastrous]

amusingduck said:

Rostfritt said:

amusingduck said:

How is there ever going to be a similar level of development, security, and wealth in every country?

There was when we were hunting with sticks and stones, why can't there now? Africa is developing at an alarming rate, China as we know is levelling off from absurd growth, South America too. Eventually if all wealthy countries continue to give development aid to the poorest we would all eventually reach a level where everyone has access to education, health, food, sanitation etc and there would be little economic migration and people would just move for a different climate or culture or for job opportunities.

Not why, how.

How are the developing countries going to catch up? How will development aid eventually level the playing field?

I can't see how it's possible without the masses from every rich country actively attempting to achieve your utopia, and I don't see the masses signing up for such altruism for such extended periods for no benefit to themselves or their families.

I’d wager that’s why he described it as a pipe dream.

[julian64]

Rostfritt said:

I think that nationalism is one of the worst human traits. The sooner we can get to being a world with no border controls and complete freedom of movement the better. Obviously this is a pipe dream and to make it happen all countries would have to be relatively equal in wealth and opportunities but that has to be something for humanity to work towards.

I would agree with this. Nationalism is one of the worst human traits. Only one step up from supporting a football team.

[Too Drunk to Funk]

paulguitar said:

p1esk said:

paulguitar said:

p1esk said:

paulguitar said:

E34-3.2 said:

singlecoil said:

Who are the 'they' you are referring to here?

awaits response along the lines of "do your own research"

Read books such as :
" icon of evolution" by J.Wells
"The devil's delusion" by D. Berlinski
" signature in the cell" by S.C Mayer (might be to religious for you)

Plenty more but after is more about if you are interested in the subject or not. I find it very interesting. Some good debates on YouTube as well opposing some very bright people.

A cursory scan of the works there has already set off some serious red flags. Belinski, for example, thanks Ann Coulter for inspiration...

Oh, Ann Coulter - I thought that name seemed familiar. I seem to recall she has presented some 'interesting' views. She's not a very politically correct lady from what I recall; and she's all the better for that, I'd say.

She is a person so bitter and twisted that she looks like she is being physically eaten from inside. A truly horrendous character. She accused women widowed by the 911 tragedy as 'enjoying their husband's deaths', thinks America should invade other nations to 'Convert them to Christianity' and wrote 'God gave us the earth. We have dominion over the plants, the animals, the trees. God said, 'Earth is yours. Take it. Rape it. It's yours.'

You may think differently.

You would certainly be right there.

Coulter is deranged, like so many on the far-right.

[Antony Moxey]

julian64 said:

I would agree with this. Nationalism is one of the worst human traits. Only one step up from supporting a football team.

That's not an unpopular opinion, it's a just plain stupid one.

[Rostfritt]

Disastrous said:

I’d wager that’s why he described it as a pipe dream.

Obviously it is a pipe dream, but something to aim towards, like eliminating smoking or zero road deaths.

[singlecoil]

Antony Moxey said:

julian64 said:

I would agree with this. Nationalism is one of the worst human traits. Only one step up from supporting a football team.

That's not an unpopular opinion, it's a just plain stupid one.

It's my opinion that if someone holds a different position they shouldn't just call someone else's opinion stupid, they should explain why they think it's stupid. Otherwise they've added nothing other than an insult.

[98elise]

julian64 said:

Rostfritt said:

I think that nationalism is one of the worst human traits. The sooner we can get to being a world with no border controls and complete freedom of movement the better. Obviously this is a pipe dream and to make it happen all countries would have to be relatively equal in wealth and opportunities but that has to be something for humanity to work towards.

I would agree with this. Nationalism is one of the worst human traits. Only one step up from supporting a football team.

Its just another form of tribalism. You want to protect your yourself and your tribe by acting as a one. Its the same for family, friends, colleagues, team, country etc.

Most people that advocate a world with no boarders would still want to keep their home and family safe above all else. Tell them that they will need to give that up and open their doors to all and very few would be ok with that.

[l354uge]

I'm pretty certain humanity will be extinct in my lifetime.
This is not an opinion I share with people at work with young kids.

[Funkycoldribena]

singlecoil said:

It's my opinion that if someone holds a different position they shouldn't just call someone else's opinion stupid, they should explain why they think it's stupid. Otherwise they've added nothing other than an insult.

Thinking there's going to be world peace is stupid, his idea is just the same.

[Disastrous]

Rostfritt said:

Disastrous said:

I’d wager that’s why he described it as a pipe dream.

Obviously it is a pipe dream, but something to aim towards, like eliminating smoking or zero road deaths.

I actually agree. I was just pointing out that it’s pretty pointless to try and attack an ideal as amusingduck was by demanding to know how it would work, when the person putting it forward has already described it as a pipe dream.

That said, my caveat to universal wealth and movement (essentially a future utopia I suppose) would be that it doesn’t curtail individual freedom and responsibility. I want to be able to choose to drink too much, eat red meat, drive too fast, even smoke if I want to (I don’t smoke, but I want to be able to).

To take your road deaths example, I don’t think there are enough road deaths (in this country) to make the case for further restrictions on speed etc. At some point the inconvenience of a system overtakes the benefit.

[singlecoil]

Funkycoldribena said:

singlecoil said:

It's my opinion that if someone holds a different position they shouldn't just call someone else's opinion stupid, they should explain why they think it's stupid. Otherwise they've added nothing other than an insult.

Thinking there's going to be world peace is stupid, his idea is just the same.

Nobody is thinking there's going to be world peace, put the context back in and you will see that for yourself.

[Antony Moxey]

singlecoil said:

Antony Moxey said:

julian64 said:

I would agree with this. Nationalism is one of the worst human traits. Only one step up from supporting a football team.

That's not an unpopular opinion, it's a just plain stupid one.

It's my opinion that if someone holds a different position they shouldn't just call someone else's opinion stupid, they should explain why they think it's stupid. Otherwise they've added nothing other than an insult.

So be insulted then. A stupid opinion shouldn't need explaining why it's stupid. Nationalism one step up from supporting a football team - if you genuinely can't see why that's stupid then you're genuinely stupid as well.

[singlecoil]

Antony Moxey said:

singlecoil said:

Antony Moxey said:

julian64 said:

I would agree with this. Nationalism is one of the worst human traits. Only one step up from supporting a football team.

That's not an unpopular opinion, it's a just plain stupid one.

It's my opinion that if someone holds a different position they shouldn't just call someone else's opinion stupid, they should explain why they think it's stupid. Otherwise they've added nothing other than an insult.

So be insulted then. A stupid opinion shouldn't need explaining why it's stupid. Nationalism one step up from supporting a football team - if you genuinely can't see why that's stupid then you're genuinely stupid as well.

It's not me you've insulted, which gives me yet another reason to think that your comprehension would improve if you put more effort into following the conversation.

[amusingduck]

Disastrous said:

I actually agree. I was just pointing out that it’s pretty pointless to try and attack an ideal as amusingduck was by demanding to know how it would work, when the person putting it forward has already described it as a pipe dream.

I didn't attack him, I asked him how he thinks it could be achieved.

I don't think it can be achieved, not without measures that are pretty unthinkable right now. I was hoping to hear from people who think it could be achieved, and how.

If there is no other side of the debate, what's the bloody point in raising it in the first place?!