Human evolution gone awry

[Whaleboy]

"Fact is, who wants to educate some kids who are "bored of education" (for a nice phrase) in the ****lands of Salford, Liverpool or London?

The kids' education is ruined by the time they are five anyway, usually"

We gotta try. It would be irresponsible to simply allow them to slip back into that cycle, rather than to try make at least some impression on them. What about the children being born? It is important to stop this vicious circle dead in its tracks, rather than buring it under the carpet. Society works when people help each other, a basic altruism inherent to all humans is how civilisation starts. These people, with enormous potential, need our help, which as a society, we can at least offer, and we need them, more skilled jobs etc. First step is a big increase in education spending.

[Solly]

"First step is a big increase in education spending."

..funded by the privatisation of the NHS.

[Whaleboy]

"funded by the privatisation of the NHS"

Funded by a privatisation of the fire service, and the abolishion of speed cameras in all but built up areas.

Alternatively, the government could just screw the phone companies again!! That was an absolutely classic!

[Solly]

Funded by a privatisation of the fire service, and the abolishion of speed cameras in all but built up areas.

Build digital speed cameras everywhere and enforce the speed limit. Make the fines larger.

Should be a source of revenue from proven criminals.

Speeding is as acceptable as drink-driving.

[Sava]

1. Skills and knowledge aren't genetic.
2. The so called "weak" aren't "weak" because of any fault of their own... they were just born into the wrong system. Like skills and knowledge, it isn't genetic.
3. Diss, get help... please...

[Sava]

Originally posted by Boddington's
Build digital speed cameras everywhere and enforce the speed limit. Make the fines larger.

I like the idea of public surveillance. But speeding alone isn't as much of a danger as other driving violations. Tailgating is a much worse offense but is often over-looked. Germany has a unique surveillance system. They enforce tail-gating laws more than speeding. And they have less accidents per 100,000 people.

Should be a source of revenue from proven criminals.

I agree that criminals should make money for the state, not cost money.

Speeding is as acceptable as drink-driving.

They are very different. Speeding is not dangerous in all conditions. And by definition, someone going 26mph in a 25mph zone is speeding. Careless lane changes, tailgating, and driver distraction are bigger problems than speeding. Also... I think the weight of the vehicle should factor in to the penalty of speeding as well. A little Honda Civic speeding is less dangerous than a Lincoln Navigator or some other massive SUV speeding.

As with most things, government comes up with bad, ineffective solutions to problems.

[Solly]

Speed cameras should, without fail, kick in at the speed limit plus 10%.

So you would be caught doing 28mph in a 25 zone, or 80mph in a 70 zone, but not 26mph or 75mph respectively.

[Worthingtons]

Well you could always go down the 'Welfare to work' program 'making parents responsable' ect and end up with 6 yr olds Killing each other.

[TheStinger]

Originally posted by Rothy
Well you could always go down the 'Welfare to work' program 'making parents responsable' ect and end up with 6 yr olds Killing each other.

please explain that

[CerberusIV]

Oh dear, we seem to be having a "debate UK social policy" day today.

Don't confuse being smart with being educated. Anyone watch the Alvin Hall programme last night on Beeb two? Proof that you can get through the UK university system and still not be able to work out that spending more than you earn means you are in debt and going down.

Diss - evolution is about how organisms adapt to their environment. The issue with human beings is that we have stopped adapting to our environment and try to adapt our environment to our needs. In a way we are driving the evolution of the whole biosphere. When it crashes, whether through our actions or not, we are likely to go back to evolving to suit our environment again.

The last couple of hundred years isn't a long time compared to the 40,000 plus years that homo sapiens has been around. Give it time.

[Traianvs]

Or will technology save us all? So far, technology has been doing a great job. We have built machines to do most of the work. We in the U.S. don't have that high a need for skilled labour. We have been getting buy on a large pool of unskilled workers. Our economy is becoming serviced based. So perhaps technology can save us all. But I can't help but think somehow this is a fragile support. That if something happens, most people lack the basic skills of survival.

Too much technology also creates unemployment amongst the socially lower part of the population. When only high-tech, difficult jobs are vacant, people who are not that intelligent don't have much options anymore except being a waiter in a bar or something. You have to have a good balance between labour and technology I think. Also the fact that the majority of the population is not very smart is something to take into account.


America shouldn't worry really, their population is still growing, and they have enough room and space to house these people...
We on the other hand, especially in Belgium, have some serious problems... our population is veeeery slowly declining, due to less births, but on the other hand people live longer, and because the percentage of younger people who are able to work is too low, we won't be able to support the elder population... Basically we would be working in order to keep these old people alive, but we won't have any more $$$ for ourselves. big problem in the west here.

On top of that, we don't have any room for new people, so breeding new humans isn't a solution either.

[CerberusIV]

Originally posted by Trajanus
We on the other hand, especially in Belgium, have some serious problems... our population is veeeery slowly declining, due to less births, but on the other hand people live longer, and because the percentage of younger people who are able to work is too low, we won't be able to support the elder population... Basically we would be working in order to keep these old people alive, but we won't have any more $$$ for ourselves. big problem in the west here.

Don't plan on retiring anytime soon, whether in Belgium or the UK. It won't be long before the politicians panic and start to push retirement age upwards.

[TheStinger]

Of course the UK's pension problems are nothing compared to most of europes, at least our pensions are partially funded

[alva]

Don't plan on retiring anytime soon, whether in Belgium or the UK. It won't be long before the politicians panic and start to push retirement age upwards.

They already started in France, By the time we retire, count on having to blow out 70 to 75 candles .

[GePap]

Obviously we must follow the successful breeding techniques of primitive peoples: through disease and murder, they insure only the healthiest, most clever people live. I say,we send Bods (I waffle about diss) to the middle of the Amzon, to live among the Yanomami. That way, either they prove that they are as good as these folks at true survival, or they fail, thus self-actualizing their world view. See, its a win win for them!