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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: neolib who wrote (51227)3/1/2008 7:19:16 PM
From: Bearcatbob  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 542970
 
Let me be more clear. If there are say $3 trillion to spend - with all the suffering in the world - why spend it something that is a maybe?



To: neolib who wrote (51227)3/1/2008 7:29:31 PM
From: Lane3  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 542970
 
there is never room for alarm?

There is no utility in alarm if the "it" doesn't merit alarm or if you can't do anything about it or if the alarm does more harm than good.

I'd say alarm is quite useful for motivating people to achieve things under duress which they would not achieve otherwise.

If there's something that desperately needs to be done and motivation is key in doing so. Otherwise it's counter-productive aka "bad."



To: neolib who wrote (51227)3/1/2008 8:21:05 PM
From: Cogito  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 542970
 
>>That is an odd argument: Either the alarmists are right so we can do nothing, or we have enough time to do something so the alarmists are wrong.<<

Neolib -

There's another possibility, too. Perhaps the alarmists are correct that the tipping point is near, but it's still far enough out that taking action now can avert a tragedy.

- Allen


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