Comments on: So Much Good News http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/so-much-good-news.html Overcoming Bias is economist Robin Hanson’s blog, on honesty, signaling, disagreement, forecasting, and the far future. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:09:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Judicial rulings are worse than Wikipedia « Entitled to an Opinion http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/so-much-good-news.html#comment-442299 Judicial rulings are worse than Wikipedia « Entitled to an Opinion Sat, 06 Feb 2010 06:06:52 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21549#comment-442299 [...] shorter comments to John Robb, IOZ and La Rana. I didn’t bother in the original thread at Overcoming Bias because the argument had already gone in all sorts of directions I didn’t feel like engaging [...] [...] shorter comments to John Robb, IOZ and La Rana. I didn’t bother in the original thread at Overcoming Bias because the argument had already gone in all sorts of directions I didn’t feel like engaging [...]

]]> By: Marc Erickson http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/so-much-good-news.html#comment-441329 Marc Erickson Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:04:00 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21549#comment-441329 Amazon.com What Liberal Media? The Truth about Bias and the News (9780465001774) Eric Alterman Books http://www.amazon.com/What-Liberal-Media-Truth-about/dp/0465001777/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220878355&sr=8-3#reader_0465001777 Amazon.com What Liberal Media? The Truth about Bias and the News (9780465001774) Eric Alterman Books
http://www.amazon.com/What-Liberal-Media-Truth-about/dp/0465001777/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220878355&sr=8-3#reader_0465001777

]]> By: TGGP http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/so-much-good-news.html#comment-441212 TGGP Sun, 24 Jan 2010 05:04:59 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21549#comment-441212 I agree regarding reform. In the absence of any changes, healthcare will eat up larger and larger portions of GDP. The averted change may not have done any good, but the outlook is still bad. A pretty low standard for "good news". I agree regarding reform. In the absence of any changes, healthcare will eat up larger and larger portions of GDP. The averted change may not have done any good, but the outlook is still bad. A pretty low standard for “good news”.

]]> By: uberVU - social comments http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/so-much-good-news.html#comment-441097 uberVU - social comments Sat, 23 Jan 2010 08:16:27 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21549#comment-441097 <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Twitter by GoodNewsToday: Overcoming Bias : So Much Good News http://bit.ly/4PiLkC... Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by GoodNewsToday: Overcoming Bias : So Much Good News http://bit.ly/4PiLkC...

]]> By: Hal Finney http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/so-much-good-news.html#comment-441085 Hal Finney Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:34:07 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21549#comment-441085 I agree, good point. Democracy has great potential but capturing the diversity of independent thought and opinion is necessary for full effectiveness. To the extent that corporate/labor donations will harm the democratic process, I'd like to see more public discussion of why and how we allow ourselves to be so influenced by money. Maybe we could raise awareness of this problem and get people to try to be more resistant to manipulation. I don't recall any organized campaign telling people not to allow themselves to be bought. A strong effort along these lines comparable to public health activism could have positive results. I agree, good point. Democracy has great potential but capturing the diversity of independent thought and opinion is necessary for full effectiveness. To the extent that corporate/labor donations will harm the democratic process, I’d like to see more public discussion of why and how we allow ourselves to be so influenced by money. Maybe we could raise awareness of this problem and get people to try to be more resistant to manipulation. I don’t recall any organized campaign telling people not to allow themselves to be bought. A strong effort along these lines comparable to public health activism could have positive results.

]]> By: richard silliker http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/so-much-good-news.html#comment-441082 richard silliker Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:10:18 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21549#comment-441082 retired phlebotomist ; No wonder they cannot appreciate the really central Kafka joke: that the horrific struggle to establish a human self results in a self whose humanity is inseparable from that horrific struggle. You can tell them that maybe it’s good they don’t “get” Kafka. You can ask them to imagine his stories as all about a kind of door. Kafka's jokes; is it humor or just about tickling ones ambivalence? Students lack of a robust intuition, perhaps. Sounds like your students dislike the idea that they are the sacrifice and are unable to see the door as a doorway. Go through the doorway and there, where to sought to slay another, you will slay yourself. retired phlebotomist ; No wonder they cannot appreciate the really central Kafka joke: that the horrific struggle to establish a human self results in a self whose humanity is inseparable from that horrific struggle.

You can tell them that maybe it’s good they don’t “get” Kafka. You can ask them to imagine his stories as all about a kind of door.

Kafka’s jokes; is it humor or just about tickling ones ambivalence?

Students lack of a robust intuition, perhaps.

Sounds like your students dislike the idea that they are the sacrifice and are unable to see the door as a doorway. Go through the doorway and there, where to sought to slay another, you will slay yourself.

]]> By: mtraven http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/so-much-good-news.html#comment-441077 mtraven Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:55:00 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21549#comment-441077 Make whatever distinctions you like, but the presence of large concentrations of wealth is dangerous to democracy and the American ideal. This is not just my opinion but the opinion of <a href="http://www.tompaine.com/Archive/scontent/7082.html" rel="nofollow">many of the founders of the country</a>, ie Ben Franklin: "An enormous Proportion of Property vested in a few Individuals is dangerous to the Rights, and destructive of the Common Happiness of Mankind; and therefore any free State hath a Right by its Laws to discourage the Possession of such Property." The law overturned by the Supreme Court was much less radical; it wasn't trying to prevent concentrations of wealth, just trying to keep them somewhat removed from politics. <a href="http://eyeofthestorm.blogs.com/eye_of_the_storm/2010/01/maybe-im-just-in-a-leftist-mood-or-something-but-if-money-is-speech-according-to-the-conservative-court-then-constitutional.html" rel="nofollow">Here's another version</a> of my point, more or less. Make whatever distinctions you like, but the presence of large concentrations of wealth is dangerous to democracy and the American ideal. This is not just my opinion but the opinion of many of the founders of the country, ie Ben Franklin: “An enormous Proportion of Property vested in a few Individuals is dangerous to the Rights, and destructive of the Common Happiness of Mankind; and therefore any free State hath a Right by its Laws to discourage the Possession of such Property.” The law overturned by the Supreme Court was much less radical; it wasn’t trying to prevent concentrations of wealth, just trying to keep them somewhat removed from politics.

Here’s another version of my point, more or less.

]]> By: diogenese http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/so-much-good-news.html#comment-441076 diogenese Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:40:36 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21549#comment-441076 I'm not sure what the right answer to this question is --- but its pretty obvious that labor unions are in dramatic DECLINE. I would lean to treating labor unions similarly to corporations, but pragmatically speaking, since they are already losing power due to other forces -- I'm not sure there would be a need to kick them in the butt on their natural way out anyway. I’m not sure what the right answer to this question is — but its pretty obvious that labor unions are in dramatic DECLINE.

I would lean to treating labor unions similarly to corporations, but pragmatically speaking, since they are already losing power due to other forces — I’m not sure there would be a need to kick them in the butt on their natural way out anyway.

]]> By: billswift http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/so-much-good-news.html#comment-441075 billswift Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:36:34 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21549#comment-441075 >Some of these guys lose control of their whole personalities. Have any of the last four presidents even <strong>had</strong> a personality? >Some of these guys lose control of their whole personalities.

Have any of the last four presidents even had a personality?

]]> By: rob http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/so-much-good-news.html#comment-441074 rob Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:16:48 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21549#comment-441074 retired phlebotomist, I have long held that the dramatic recent increase in the world's wealth is the reason Kafka's wit is inaccessible to children. retired phlebotomist, I have long held that the dramatic recent increase in the world’s wealth is the reason Kafka’s wit is inaccessible to children.

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