5-point guide to the "fiscal cliff"

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You're being a bit dense here 'yasha, VG clearly had some unpleasant personal experience with US government policy towards AIDS in the Reagan/Bush era, and he's just trying to get you to drop the subject as it's painful for him, not trying to get clarification on your views. Now why it's become a moderator function to fact check is beyond me, but that's a question for another day.

As to me and how I'm treated/viewed here and in PPR, that's a multifaceted situation that doesn't just come down to me arguing less lately, though it's true that I haven't been putting as much into the place as I used to, as there's more going on in my life than there was back in 2008. There's a number of things that contribute to my reception; my writing skill, personality, intelligence and general reasonableness being high among them, but the really important thing is that I'm honest and will give virtually anything at least a fair hearing. I'll admit mistakes when I make them, change my opinions when new information or different viewpoints come to my attention that alter my perceptions of things, and generally conduct myself in a way that is open minded and intellectually honest, and most people respect that sort of thing.
The problem is that when it becomes obvious that someone is playing for Team Red or Team Blue, people conclude that they're not to be trusted as they're always going to spin things in a way that benefits their "team" and/or hurts the other one rather than in a truthful manner, and that's a hard reputation to shake. In the same vein, broad brushing, hyperbole, over-certainty, and other obvious rhetorical tricks are not going to make people trust or believe you, quite the opposite in fact, which is why it's best to address other people's arguments head on when possible.

Anyway, I had and have to fight tooth and nail to distinguish myself from the liberal/conservative dichotomy that too many people think is the only political metric out there, and part of how I've done that is through what I call reverse bias sourcing. What that means is that if I post a story that seems to support a conservative point of view and/or attacks a liberal one, I source it from a liberal leaning establishment such as HuffPo, Salon, NYT, etc, and if I'm going with something that attacks conservative views or defends liberal ones, I source it from FOX or WSJ. I also use specific bloggers from major websites such as Conor Friedersdorf at The Atlantic or Radley Balko at HuffPo, and the relatively non-partisan Reason site, all to insulate my posts from stupid dismissals based on the source. This forces people to argue more on the merits and less on the source, which means less thankless typing for you. Trust me on this one, FOX and co aren't the only news organization out there reporting things that support conservative policies, you just need to pick and choose a bit more when you use other sources, find individual reporters and bloggers you like and trust within larger sites and follow them to start.

So the Honor System, where all IV Drug users, Sex Workers, and people in Prison, will limit the activity that gets them drugs and money, for the good of everyone else.

For something that has killed more people than all the wars from Viet Nam on, and perhaps Korea, and now infects 15 million Americans, 5% of the population, is a leading cause of death south of the border, in Africa, Southeast Asia, and is spreading, faster than people die, you propose the Honor System.

At this point dipping them in a vat of bright orange dye would not work.

Then you have those who do not engage in listed behaviors, just some small town hetro lust, who have no idea what their partners partners did on the weekend, five years ago.

Being politically correct, not doing anything to stop the spread, which is near impossible, as people travel, and last night is not testable. The future holds two outcomes, one is early death for many, the other the cost of Disability, Medicare, which cannot support a third of the population.

Anti virals only prolong the problem, making the spread more and less likely. Less due to lower viral loads, more because people feel just fine, look healthy, so engage in more behaviors.

While homosexuals get their panties in a wad if anyone else mentions it, They Own Aids!, From a news article on gay marraige, in California, that has to be gayer than most places, they claimed 90,000 couples, 180,000 people, more single, which might add up to 270,000, which is 1%. Be generus, say 2%.

Gayness does not equal HIV. It was the first community that did practice safe sex. So even if they all tested positive, it would only account for 40%, If half, only 20%. So four out of five cases are not in the gay community, and likely more than nine out of ten.

I hate to inform you that there is an underground of IV drug users and sex workers, that evades detection, lives a life of crime, and recycles through our prisons. They are not known for responsable behaviors.

What measures we have, we release 600,000 a year. This is a fountain of HIV and other things. Having been well fed, off drugs, when released they are out to get some, knock off store, buy some good stuff, and party.

Nothing short of an electric fence and guard towers will keep them from living their lifestyle to the fullest.

So the people you would depend upon to keep your Honor System working, are the least likely to care.

Due to the economic downturn, a third of the population has nowhere to turn, except the world of crime. This is not going to turn out well. In the next doubling to 10% 33,000,000 will be infected. That is the population of the west coast.

We are already up to New York City, with a fence and guard towers, to contain the spread. That might have been possible in 1980, Cuba did it, but that choice is long gone.

Heat, drought, poverty, massive debt, a world economy in decline, a spikeing population, maintaining food and basic medical services is doubful.

There is no answer.

^^^
hoping dec. 21 will be a mercifully blessed recess from all that, then.