Global Warming [Comment by mortals only, please]

[Dukasaur]

I won't disagree with this part:

But as always the devil is in the details, and Canada has allowed some horrible things to slip into the wording.

That is true. I've known a couple of people who used the MAID program, and I was a little uncomfortable about how easy it was. I remember thinking how easy it would be for abuses to slip through. However, here's where I think you need another perspective:

People can debate whether it is intentional or an oversight, but currently the practical application ends up being the same.

I think the real issue is not whether it was intentional or not, but whether it was intentionally wrong or not. The system was intentionally made easy. That makes it relatively easy for abuses to slip through. I think (and I'll admit I'm not a mind-reader, I can only give my opinion based on what I read) the authors of the Act that created MAID knew that to be the case, but they thought the greater wrong would be to create a cumbersome system with many hoops to jump through that would add to the suffering of the afflicted.

I'm trying to remember the wording that was used in my macroeconomics textbook, but it isn't coming to me. Basically you cannot create a perfect ruleset that will avoid both false positives and false negatives. If you create a system that takes out more false negatives, it will create more false positives. And vice versa.

A common example is our criminal law. It has many checks and balances to prevent people from being wrongfully convicted. The unfortunate side effect is that often the guilty go free. In other countries, the rules are more determined to prevent the guilty from escaping punishment, but the side effect is that the there are many innocent people who get wrongfully convicted. There's no perfect solution. If you reduce the number of false negatives, you increase the number of false positives, and vice versa.

So currently, in order to be granted MAID, you need only to be twice interviewed by two medical professionals who attest that you have no medically foreseeable hope of recovery. Only one of the medical professionals needs to see you in the flesh, the other can attend the interview by teleconference. So, I totally agree. It is very easy. I've watched the process a couple of times, and I was definitely uncomfortable with how easy it was and how easy it would be to jig the system to murder someone. You really only need one homicidal medical professional, and a second who is either in on it or can be hoodwinked.

However, what would be the opposite? I can imagine a system where there are many checks and balances. For instance, I can imagine a system where five doctors have to review the diagnosis, and at least four of the five have to agree that there is no hope of a cure. Finally, a judge has to look over the their reports and issue the final death certificate. Apparently, it's something like that in Colombia, although I don't know the details. Such a system would be a lot more difficult to abuse than ours is, but on the other hand many people who want to die would suffer, either temporarily while they waited for the process to grind its way through, or permanently, because their application would be refused.

Again, if you decrease the number of false positives you will increase the number of false negatives. It's one or the other. Yes, Canada's system is very easy and therefore easy to abuse, and yes, it is the result that the writers of the act intended. But no, I don't believe there was evil intent. I think they thought it through and decided that the greater wrong would be to create a complicated system with many checks and balances, which would leave people suffering while they went through some complex process.

Did you catch the story of the female veteran that went seeking treatment and medicine, but instead Canadian Veteran services suggested the idea of Euthanasia to her?

Yeah, could hardly miss it. It was the lead on every radio talk show for a month. However, the fact that some bureaucrat in Veterans' Services was trying to lighten her caseload is not a reflection on the people at MAID. It's not like they were involved. I'm sure there are all kinds of people in a variety of positions who hope that their more troublesome clients go jump in the lake, but you wouldn't blame that on the Coast Guard, would you?

[Lonous]

Yeah you pretty much confirm what I first said Duk, that it seems we are pretty much on the same side of this issue.
You are just more focused on cutting the red tape for the process, with the patient in mind.
I am more focused on stronger oversight of the process so it doesn't get abused, with the patient in mind.

The only thing I will disagree with you on, or more accurately to simply point out to you, that MAID will definitely be ran by more bureaucrats.
It will be no different than any hospital, where 95% of the doctors are great, but they all have to listen to the administration gurus that never touch a patient.

Anyways, thanks for your in depth thoughts on all of it.

[bigtoughralf]

The most carbon neutral thing an individual can do is kill themselves. Not sure why either of you are getting so hung up on what someone chooses to do with their own body.

China did have a 1-child policy for decades. It was a total flop, the population kept growing.

That's because it was only a '1-child policy' for a few years in the early 80s. For most of its life the Family Planning Law allowed rural families, ethnic minority families, parents where both were only children etc to have 2 children, so in practice most people could have 2 (and well-off families could have more because they could absorb the financial penalties).

The real problem in China is that having a child is so expensive that lots of couples choose to only have one, even if they could have more, which is the issue that has now caught up with China and thrown the brakes on its population growth.

[Pack Rat]

The most carbon neutral thing an individual can do is kill themselves. Not sure why either of you are getting so hung up on what someone chooses to do with their own body.

China did have a 1-child policy for decades. It was a total flop, the population kept growing.

That's because it was only a '1-child policy' for a few years in the early 80s. For most of its life the Family Planning Law allowed rural families, ethnic minority families, parents where both were only children etc to have 2 children, so in practice most people could have 2 (and well-off families could have more because they could absorb the financial penalties).

The real problem in China is that having a child is so expensive that lots of couples choose to only have one, even if they could have more, which is the issue that has now caught up with China and thrown the brakes on its population growth.

What about India?

"The current population of India is 1,430,662,911 as of Sunday, August 27, 2023, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data 1.
India 2023 population is estimated at 1,428,627,663 people at mid year.
India population is equivalent to 17.76% of the total world population.
India ranks number 1 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population."

[bigtoughralf]

The most carbon neutral thing an individual can do is kill themselves. Not sure why either of you are getting so hung up on what someone chooses to do with their own body.

China did have a 1-child policy for decades. It was a total flop, the population kept growing.

That's because it was only a '1-child policy' for a few years in the early 80s. For most of its life the Family Planning Law allowed rural families, ethnic minority families, parents where both were only children etc to have 2 children, so in practice most people could have 2 (and well-off families could have more because they could absorb the financial penalties).

The real problem in China is that having a child is so expensive that lots of couples choose to only have one, even if they could have more, which is the issue that has now caught up with China and thrown the brakes on its population growth.

What about India?

India doesn't have a family planning law as far as I'm aware.

[GaryDenton]

In 1952, India became the first country in the developing world to create a state-sponsored family planning program, the National Family Planning Program. The program's primary objectives were to lower fertility rates and slow population growth as a means to propel economic development.
In the early 1970s, Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, implemented forced sterilization programs. Officially, men with two children or more had to submit to sterilization, but many unmarried young men, political opponents, and ignorant, poor men were claimed by opponents to have been sterilized. This program is still remembered and criticized in India and is blamed for creating low support for family planning, which hampered Government programs for decades. The focus of the family planning programs has shifted to women as sterilising men proved to be politically unpopular.
There is a too-long, needs more editing article in Wikipedia about abortions in India.
Abortion can now be performed until 24 weeks of pregnancy as the MTP Amendment Act 2021 has come into force in September 2021. The cost of the abortion service is covered fully by the government's public national health insurance funds with the package rate for surgical abortion being set at (US$190) which includes consultation, therapy, hospitalization, medication, ultrasound, and follow-up treatments. For medical abortion, the package rate is set at (US$19).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_India

[bigtoughralf]

lmao. Just goes to show how psy-opped your average Westoid is. Chinese government implements caps on number of children a couple can have, is villified as dystopian hell hole; Indian government implements widespread forced sterilisation, continues to be held up as model friend of the West.

Chinese government oppresses its Muslim population, is subjected to 24/7 cries of genocide; Indian government oppresses its Muslim population, most of you probably weren't even aware before reading this comment.

etc

[Pack Rat]

lmao. Just goes to show how psy-opped your average Westoid is. Chinese government implements caps on number of children a couple can have, is villified as dystopian hell hole; Indian government implements widespread forced sterilisation, continues to be held up as model friend of the West.

Chinese government oppresses its Muslim population, is subjected to 24/7 cries of genocide; Indian government oppresses its Muslim population, most of you probably weren't even aware before reading this comment.

etc

Thank you for pointing out our ignorance. Do you get tired of patting yourself on your back?

[jusplay4fun]

lmao. Just goes to show how psy-opped your average Westoid is. Chinese government implements caps on number of children a couple can have, is villified as dystopian hell hole; Indian government implements widespread forced sterilisation, continues to be held up as model friend of the West.

Chinese government oppresses its Muslim population, is subjected to 24/7 cries of genocide; Indian government oppresses its Muslim population, most of you probably weren't even aware before reading this comment.

etc

Thank you for pointing out our ignorance. Do you get tired of patting yourself on your back?

poor ralph now has a stoop and needs rotator surgery having done so THAT often, Pack Rat

Any intelligent person knows the reason for the creation of 1) Pakistan, and later, 2) Bangladesh. Do you, ralph?

[bigtoughralf]

Any intelligent person knows the reason for the creation of 1) Pakistan, and later, 2) Bangladesh. Do you, ralph?

Given my previous comment about India oppressing Muslims I'd have thought it'd be fairly obvious I probably do. It's not exactly niche knowledge.

[jusplay4fun]

Any intelligent person knows the reason for the creation of 1) Pakistan, and later, 2) Bangladesh. Do you, ralph?

Given my previous comment about India oppressing Muslims I'd have thought it'd be fairly obvious I probably do. It's not exactly niche knowledge.

Did you bother to actually find out the distance Hawaii is from the Mainland, USA? More carelessness by poorsillyralph.

[bigtoughralf]

Any intelligent person knows the reason for the creation of 1) Pakistan, and later, 2) Bangladesh. Do you, ralph?

Given my previous comment about India oppressing Muslims I'd have thought it'd be fairly obvious I probably do. It's not exactly niche knowledge.

Did you bother to actually find out the distance Hawaii is from the Mainland, USA? More carelessness by poorsillyralph.

Hawaii isn't in India. It's not your fault, it's the US public school system's.

[jusplay4fun]

Any intelligent person knows the reason for the creation of 1) Pakistan, and later, 2) Bangladesh. Do you, ralph?

Given my previous comment about India oppressing Muslims I'd have thought it'd be fairly obvious I probably do. It's not exactly niche knowledge.

Did you bother to actually find out the distance Hawaii is from the Mainland, USA? More carelessness by poorsillyralph.

Hawaii isn't in India. It's not your fault, it's the US public school system's.

I never said Hawaii is in India. You need to read more carefully, AND do better research before making "majestic proclamations" that are actually FAKE NEWS. It's your fault that you cannot read carefully and that you make false assumptions, poorSillyStupidralph. And read up on Irish History and learn what that is about. Your ignorance is quite wide on matters you claim to know something about; more fake news and falsehoods by ralph.

[bigtoughralf]

Ireland is also not in India. If you're having trouble focusing why not see if you can get hold of some Ritalin?

[jusplay4fun]

Ireland is also not in India. If you're having trouble focusing why not see if you can get hold of some Ritalin?

I am quite focused, sillyralph. It is YOU who confused India and Ireland. They both start with "I" ralph.

I do not need drugs, ralph. Sounds like you do, however. Or maybe you had TOO many and that has hindered your brain...??

[bigtoughralf]

It is YOU who confused India and Ireland. They both start with "I" ralph.

They also both have orange, white and green flags.

Ivory Coast is another. It's tough keeping up sometimes!

[jusplay4fun]

It is YOU who confused India and Ireland. They both start with "I" ralph.

They also both have orange, white and green flags.

Ivory Coast is another. It's tough keeping up sometimes!

Try harder, ralph. PUH-lease.

Anyway, who uses flags when discussing nations? Perhaps you are a vexillophile. Or you are at a diplomatic function or on a battlefield (not likely, I am sure).

Can we NOW get back on topic in this thread? We were not originally discussing flags or euthanasia. If so, perhaps new threads are in order.

[Dukasaur]

How about we discuss Galadriel, daughter of Finarfin?

[jusplay4fun]

Recent intense hurricane response to global climate change
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00382-013-1713-0
Abstract
An Anthropogenic Climate Change Index (ACCI) is developed and used to investigate the potential global warming contribution to current tropical cyclone activity. The ACCI is defined as the difference between the means of ensembles of climate simulations with and without anthropogenic gases and aerosols. This index indicates that the bulk of the current anthropogenic warming has occurred in the past four decades, which enables improved confidence in assessing hurricane changes as it removes many of the data issues from previous eras. We find no anthropogenic signal in annual global tropical cyclone or hurricane frequencies. But a strong signal is found in proportions of both weaker and stronger hurricanes: the proportion of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has increased at a rate of ~25–30 % per °C of global warming after accounting for analysis and observing system changes. This has been balanced by a similar decrease in Category 1 and 2 hurricane proportions, leading to development of a distinctly bimodal intensity distribution, with the secondary maximum at Category 4 hurricanes. This global signal is reproduced in all ocean basins. The observed increase in Category 4–5 hurricanes may not continue at the same rate with future global warming. The analysis suggests that following an initial climate increase in intense hurricane proportions a saturation level will be reached beyond which any further global warming will have little effect.

[jusplay4fun]

Did anyone say Global Warming? or Climate Change?

Hurricane Helene Did Billions in Damage. Milton Could Be Worse.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/insurance/hurricane-helene-did-billions-in-damage-milton-could-be-worse/ar-AA1rQyvw?ocid=BingNewsSerp

Please see my comments from just over one year ago, September 2023.

[Pack Rat]

Instead having us research your posts, try to copy/paste your posts here. Fukn year went by buddy.

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[jusplay4fun]

Instead having us research your posts, try to copy/paste your posts here. Fukn year went by buddy.

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Simply read UP, ONE post.....puny brained-rat. Don't be so lazy AND STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPID.