myata

In a democracy there can be no special places for wonderful orange and so on people who just don't have to obey the laws. Where such places exist they aren't called democracies (in essence at least) but "Venezuela", "Russia", "Iran" and so on. So we'll just have to decide: is this the new normal? Or is it something that is clearly wrong; to be avoided; and has no place in our democracy. Anyone with a bit of integrity can see that it's really down to these two.

Absolutely. Stop it now or it's the new normal. How and why not?

And to note (yes one has to note it): a new level of descent of basic morality. Anything can be done now (really, anything?) and is OK (really, we can accept it?) as long as the victim does not protest. There's no difference anymore between the right and wrong act (those people claim to speak on behalf of the God - which one though), as long as the victim stays silent. Can we afford to just ignore this kind of arguments, and behavior?

"Sh*t didn't happen. Fakenews!" (the motto). And the new standard?

What the OP and its proponents are saying, it's OK and can be the new normal and the standard of politics. All of what we have seen and know, having the eyes and memory no point in going over again. This is what they are saying. It just would make zero sense if it would be OK for same wonderful orange or otherwise, people and a big no-no for everyone else. That would be Venezuela, etc. in fact. This is exactly how they do it there. Yes its a free world and they can say it, they have this right. And what we do, consciously or tacitly, is to accept it, agree with it or to deny and refuse it. That we can and will have to do. Either its denied as normal, or even desirable behavior of the leader of a viable democracy. Or it's the new standard. How could one have it both ways? Just not possible.

OK boldface lying is now "a very high honor", in that world. One has to be careful about handing their brains (and honesty) over: it just can happen to be irreversible.

Nothing so far. Is this too supposed to just go away, like never happened? Can a prolific, patented liar be the leader of a first-world democracy and the new standard of it? Let's see it.

No let's give him the benefit of a doubt. Mistakes happen who haven't reposted some sh*t? Let's see if there will be an honest apology now that it's out in the open. Is he even capable of that, for once?

The liar, boldface and never feeling any shame. What we didn't know? Trump posts fake photo of Taylor Swift: The Independent.

The population of Finland was around 4 million around mid last century and is now 5 million. This is a normal growth. In Canada we can have up to a million in one year. Even in proportion, it's unsustainable and possibly, catastrophic. Nothing can be managed sustainably at this rate we'll be trying to juggle an increasing number of problems: jobs, housing, poverty, unemployment, crime etc on and on. There are no stable solutions when the reality of the country is in such a flux. The society, with one of the responsible governments, if we ever get to have one which is by far not a given, will have to have a conversation and understand how we can sustain the economy and social basis without massive and unsustainable immigration. So we can be done putting out fires and have a longer-term look at the development. It's been decades literally, since a large project was completed successfully in the country.

Liars don't want us to see the reality as it is and think with our own brains. Because then, the truth is obvious to anyone. Pathological, sick liars don't lead great societies - it. just. never. happened. and. we. know. it. So, what else could they do?

Really there are so many of these examples in the history of science. Yes, there are areas and disciplines where results are supported by enormous bodies of empirical evidence. They aren't the final truth from the gospel of Holy Science - remember Newton, but to overturn them one would need matching or larger bodies of evidence. Then there are problems and fields that haven't attained such level of confidence. There are hypotheses and directions, some more popular some less, and it can change any time if new ideas are presented and shown to be a closer match to the evidence. An example is the astronomy field on formation of our solar system, where ideas dominant today simply did not exist some years back. And then, there are problems that aren't solved yet, unknown. So what is there to believe in? Who can speak on behalf of science? Only the method, if it applied correctly, honestly, and rigorously.

Liars want to make it about faces, individuals but anyone can understand what's at stake really: the new normal. And standard. What will it be tomorrow? And where would it go from there? Of course we see and understand. There's nothing here one couldn't see.

1. Prolific lying about "rigged elections". Dozens of cases thrown out of court, had no effect on continuing lying even now. 2. Attempts to influence government officials to dereliction of duties. Participation in a conspiracy to overturn a free election before the courts. 3. Violation of campaign rules and repeated lying about it. Convicted by a jury of citizens. 4. Repeated lying about the causes of Putin's war and insinuations that a solution can be found at the expense of international law and rules-based order. Coddling and cowering to dictator thugs of the worst kind. 5. Repeated lying about pretty much anything. Vitriol, vicious attacks on political opponents that are causing concerns even within his own party. There's more and more and more. All the attributes of your regular neighbor guy (but obviously, all depends on the neighborhood). Having eyes and at least a small part of a working brain, there's nothing here one couldn't see or know. And without, no miracle cure can be found in this universe.

It's all here, right before our eyes. At least no one could claim ignorance and innocence: yes, lying and stupidity is a choice no one is and was obligated to go down that path. But it appears that some do that just naturally.

Yaaaaawn. Look at the dead brains here: you can be just like them. Stupidity is a choice first; then it can become the nature.

Just look at the dead brains and realize that it can be a one-way trip. Stupidity can be a choice initially, but then looks like they grow into it.

Dead brains are clearly trying to communicate something - but what? Science is baffled. Bullsh*t (but a different slice)? Adore Him? Anathema? A formidable challenge!

Sure, but they tried.

Dead brain harmonics, triggered by any objective fact or sound logic. 100% effective. Never failed.

Junior K looking up to science, that's positive. Dead brain a serious snag though, just in case.

"Believing in science" is an oxymoron: it undermines its very foundation that nothing should be "believed' and everything, has to be tested and retested and verified. The standard of science is: anyone who runs this correctly will obtain the same result. While the standard of belief is, anything is possible if I believe it (even if I run it and it fails 1 million times out of a million). Now, do we want the essence and process of science, or another belief? Those are just two different things.

What saddens me most in this period is the loss of the standard and credibility of science. Unfortunately many episodes were factual and contributed to public discontent. What is disturbing is the professional level and standing on which it was happening. I recall a study of Russian vaccine published in a leading edition, Lancet looking back now possibly a total bogus, fabrication. Then there was a study in 2023 I believe, by recognized experts in the field (back then) claiming to support the animal origin hypothesis. It was based on the DNA examination of samples from cages in Wuhan market in January 2020, where some traces of COV virus were discovered. But the first reported human cases were dating back as far as mid-November. And we know that with this virus it can take time to spread and become noticed as most infected would have a light form. So it's almost certain that it was already around in Wuhan in October- early November. And then you take samples from cages in January: what could it prove, about the origin? "Some animals in the market likely were infected with COV in January 2020": the honest science title. The actual one: "An evidence for animal origin". Ohoh. I just can't convince myself that leading experts could be this clueless. This kind of bad, unfaithful science goes into textbooks. And make waves of mistrust and lost credibility in the society. If there's an alternative explanation I will listen and try to see it. But a break of public trust of this proportion is certainly nothing ordinary.

Harrison Ford told a crowd Thursday to "stop giving power to people who don't believe in science". Though I can understand the rationale and respect the author, I cannot say that I agree wholly with the formula. Here's the reason why: science, it is not the Bible by another name and in a different format. Science is a way of looking at the Universe, trying to make sense of it and describe it. It is not always a commandment, but a processes of thought, act and the result, connecting it into a logical chain that can be understood, repeated and verified. Science may not have known and prescribed answers in all cases and for all problems. And this is why "giving power to people who believe" in science would be just as wrong as to those who believe in any kind of things. Belief, in itself, in anything by itself is not a virtue and certainly should not be a qualifier for political power. The process: rational, objective and transparent is. Delivering results; being honest and open; never lying boldface and being caught on it again and again. This can be the qualifier for the new age responsible democratic politics. So no beliefs, those can be made and remade by the people who care nothing about honesty and results. I do not want to live in a quasi-democracy run by hands of Dr Faucis making one questionable experiment after another for our own good that occasionally could run away even when they are told to stop, clearly. No no, we cannot worship the Idol of Holy Science any more that any and all the other ones. Honesty. Openness. Transparency. Respectful, intelligent dialogue based on the facts and reason. Acceptance of negative results. Preparedness to be proven wrong: no idols; no one is perfect; a better option can be proposed by an opponent. This is the standard. And if and when it's failed I don't care for what reason and for the sake of which idol. It just cannot be right.

Dead brains ohoh. The biggest scientific mystery here is that they are doing that out of own free will, nothing visible to blame for. On the other hand, whales and other marine life are known to throw themselves on land occasionally, could it be a similar kind of behavior only in the cognitive aspect? Who knows, mysteries are many in this Universe. But the fact is, four billion years of painstaking evolution, wasted.