• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 15:59
CET 20:59
KST 04:59
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
[ASL21] Ro24 Preview Pt1: New Chaos0Team Liquid Map Contest #22 - Presented by Monster Energy7ByuL: The Forgotten Master of ZvT30Behind the Blue - Team Liquid History Book19Clem wins HomeStory Cup 289
Community News
Weekly Cups (March 16-22): herO doubles, Cure surprises3Blizzard Classic Cup @ BlizzCon 2026 - $100k prize pool48Weekly Cups (March 9-15): herO, Clem, ByuN win42026 KungFu Cup Announcement6BGE Stara Zagora 2026 cancelled12
StarCraft 2
General
Potential Updates Coming to the SC2 CN Server What mix of new & old maps do you want in the next ladder pool? (SC2) Blizzard Classic Cup @ BlizzCon 2026 - $100k prize pool Weekly Cups (March 16-22): herO doubles, Cure surprises Weekly Cups (August 25-31): Clem's Last Straw?
Tourneys
WardiTV Mondays Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament World University TeamLeague (500$+) | Signups Open RSL Season 4 announced for March-April WardiTV Team League Season 10
Strategy
Custom Maps
[M] (2) Frigid Storage Publishing has been re-enabled! [Feb 24th 2026]
External Content
The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 518 Radiation Zone Mutation # 517 Distant Threat Mutation # 516 Specter of Death
Brood War
General
Gypsy to Korea BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ Soulkey's decision to leave C9 How much money terran looses from gas steal? mca64Launcher - New Version with StarCraft: Remast
Tourneys
[ASL21] Ro24 Group C [Megathread] Daily Proleagues [ASL21] Ro24 Group B 2026 Changsha Offline Cup
Strategy
What's the deal with APM & what's its true value Fighting Spirit mining rates Simple Questions, Simple Answers Soma's 9 hatch build from ASL Game 2
Other Games
General Games
Darkest Dungeon Nintendo Switch Thread Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread General RTS Discussion Thread Path of Exile
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion The Story of Wings Gaming
League of Legends
G2 just beat GenG in First stand
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread Five o'clock TL Mafia Mafia Game Mode Feedback/Ideas Vanilla Mini Mafia
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Canadian Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine
Fan Clubs
The IdrA Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
[Req][Books] Good Fantasy/SciFi books Movie Discussion! [Manga] One Piece
Sports
Cricket [SPORT] 2024 - 2026 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion Tokyo Olympics 2021 Thread General nutrition recommendations
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Laptop capable of using Photoshop Lightroom?
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
Funny Nicknames
LUCKY_NOOB
Money Laundering In Video Ga…
TrAiDoS
Iranian anarchists: organize…
XenOsky
FS++
Kraekkling
Shocked by a laser…
Spydermine0240
Unintentional protectionism…
Uldridge
ASL S21 English Commentary…
namkraft
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 1810 users

US Politics Mega-thread - Page 7739

Forum Index > Closed
Post a Reply
Prev 1 7737 7738 7739 7740 7741 10093 Next
Read the rules in the OP before posting, please.

In order to ensure that this thread continues to meet TL standards and follows the proper guidelines, we will be enforcing the rules in the OP more strictly. Be sure to give them a re-read to refresh your memory! The vast majority of you are contributing in a healthy way, keep it up!

NOTE: When providing a source, explain why you feel it is relevant and what purpose it adds to the discussion if it's not obvious.
Also take note that unsubstantiated tweets/posts meant only to rekindle old arguments can result in a mod action.
zlefin
Profile Blog Joined October 2012
United States7689 Posts
June 02 2017 17:00 GMT
#154761
On June 03 2017 01:57 Buckyman wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 03 2017 00:45 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:
Those actual results include the fact that Republicans have historically denied that climate change had even occurred in the first place...


Once again, you're putting optics ahead of results.

iirc you cited a single example with limited explanation; that's not sufficient to demonstrate results. something much more comprehensive would be required. especially given that policies do tend to at least loosely follow rhetoric.
Great read: http://shorensteincenter.org/news-coverage-2016-general-election/ great book on democracy: http://press.princeton.edu/titles/10671.html zlefin is grumpier due to long term illness. Ignoring some users.
jcarlsoniv
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
United States27922 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-06-02 17:01:42
June 02 2017 17:00 GMT
#154762
On June 03 2017 01:51 Danglars wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 03 2017 01:45 Godwrath wrote:
Giving credence to an article that attempts to discredit the Paris accord because it's "merely symbolic" just to be able to missdirect the criticism about the self-denial running rampant amongst republican party, that's rich and deep. As if, the republicans actually gave a shit about the issue and left it because "it wasn't good enough".

Of course the Paris accord wasn't good enough. It is a first fucking step.

This is part of the reason I linked a fairly reasoned article concluding that it's likely the last step and people that think otherwise are fooling themselves. What's rich and deep is your deflection and misdirection while claiming others do so. I wonder if it will ever sink it that inattention to counterarguments isn't sufficient to restate your primary argument. I conclude x, and any articles that conclude otherwise are obvious misdirection.


But I'm not really following the conclusion that he believes it's the last step and not the first.

I think that’s the case here. I think Paris was not just the first step, I think it was likely the last step, that those who hoped it would lead to “deepening future commitments” were fooling themselves and others. I think Paris was agreed to only because national leaders realized it was impossible to get a numerically meaningful set of binding national commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by specific large amounts.


If I'm trying to address a problem, especially a big problem (and affecting long term positive change for the environment is big), I'd start by defining it. Put some framework around an issue, get consensus, start working towards solutions. I acknowledge that you don't believe the costs of action are being sufficiently considered, and that's an ok argument to have. But the US staking the position of "nah, we're just gonna go home instead" doesn't put us in a better position to solve the problem.

Unless I'm missing something, I don't get the assumption that there would be not further steps taken beyond Paris. Getting the globe on the same page is where it starts, but it feels like the US was spacing out while reading, so we've had to flip back to the last chapter before we can move forward again.
Soniv ||| Soniv#1962 ||| @jcarlsoniv ||| The Big Golem ||| Join the Glorious Evolution. What's your favorite aminal, a bear? ||| Joe "Don't call me Daniel" "Soniv" "Daniel" Carlsberg LXIX ||| Paging Dr. John Shadow
a_flayer
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Netherlands2826 Posts
June 02 2017 17:00 GMT
#154763
On June 03 2017 01:58 LegalLord wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 03 2017 01:51 Doodsmack wrote:
On June 03 2017 01:12 Danglars wrote:
On June 03 2017 00:57 LegalLord wrote:
On June 03 2017 00:38 Artisreal wrote:
On June 03 2017 00:16 LegalLord wrote:
On Ted Cruz' post, I have to say that he's not wrong. The billionaires who quit the "rent seeking committee" certainly aren't anything special by any stretch of the imagination. One of them is more upset about the federal subsidies he wanted to line his pockets, and the other is as he said a symbolic gesture.

That comment, albeit not being wrong, is still just a distraction of the government's unwillingness to combat climate change in any form or shape. No matter the cost.

Yup. But a momentary "fuck those hypocrites" is permissible as we look for a way to properly address the fact that Trump acted really stupidly here.

It's important to acknowledge your bad apples to prove it's about science and results instead of narrative. Inconvenient facts that cause "distraction" isn't much of a step up from alternative facts.


Question is, what is Musk's net effect on the environment? His work is obviously a massive net positive. He should not be considered a bad apple and told to fuck off.

By moving around the emissions in such a way that the cars his company produces (on the back of billions of dollars subsidies) don't emit while driving? Or his solar company that is a scam? I'm surprised SpaceX isn't trying to peddle being green yet.

Well... they *are* into recycling....
When you came along so righteous with a new national hate, so convincing is the ardor of war and of men, it's harder to breathe than to believe you're a friend. The wars at home, the wars abroad, all soaked in blood and lies and fraud.
Danglars
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States12133 Posts
June 02 2017 17:01 GMT
#154764
On June 03 2017 01:51 a_flayer wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 03 2017 01:34 Danglars wrote:
On June 03 2017 01:28 a_flayer wrote:
On June 03 2017 01:23 Danglars wrote:
Both President Obama’s 2016 signing of the Paris Agreement on climate change and President Trump’s withdrawal from that agreement today fit into a category I will label as QTIIPS.

QTIIPS stands for Quantitatively Trivial Impact + Intense Political Symbolism.

QTIIPS policy changes provoke fierce political battles over trivially small policy impacts. Passionate advocates on both sides ignore numbers and policy details while fighting endlessly about symbols.

A policy change is QTIIPS if:
  • its direct measurable effects are quite small relative to the underlying policy problem to be solved;
  • it is viewed both by supporters and opponents as a first step toward an end state that all agree would be quite a large change;
  • supporters and opponents alike attach great significance to the direction of the change, as a precursor to possible future movement toward that quantitatively significant end goal; and
  • a fierce political battle erupts over the symbolism of this directional shift. This political battle is often zero-sum, unresolvable, and endless.


Advocates on either side of a QTIIPS policy change have desired end states that represent fundamentally different policy outcomes. But while the policy gap between their desired end states is measured in miles, on a QTIIPS policy, actual changes are measured in inches. The battle rages over which end state is the right one, but when policy shifts back and forth it changes direction often but moves only a tiny bit each time. Political constraints make the theoretical debate about miles-apart differences irrelevant because neither end state will ever occur, but that does not deter the theoretical war from raging during the real-world battles over a tiny actual change in direction.

If you listened to President Trump’s remarks today you would think staying in the Paris Agreement would destroy the U.S. economy. If you listen to many advocates who support the agreement, you would think you need to start building an ark, soon.

I therefore read the text of the agreement to see for myself. Doing so reinforced the view I developed when the agreement was concluded. Relative to the scope of the problem it is trying to solve, the Paris Agreement is quantitatively trivial. It is a set of weak process agreements, with many areas of ambiguous language and “flexibility” for countries to reinterpret their only loosely binding quantitative commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions many years from now.

Keith Hennessey highlights the intersectionality between politics, debate, and impact in the Paris agreement. It reflects the absurdity of imputing symbolic battles to actual battles.

Symbolic, maybe, but at least it was a global recognition of the factual world around us and that we need to act. Meanwhile, you're still up there practically denying that climate change will impact our habitat in any significant way, which is why there is a battle in the first place.

Conversely, highlighting meaningless symbolism teaches others that you don't want to act, either. You'll choose to advance agreements that predicate recognizing the problem on knowing it doesn't mean you have to do anything about it.

But this shared assumption, of a first step or slippery slope, could easily be wrong. If the Paris Agreement were never to have led to a more significant next step, then a key premise of the fight is wrong. The intense political symbolism and the fierce battles waged over both President Obama’s and President Trump’s relatively small policy moves would then be unsupported by strong policy arguments.

I think that’s the case here. I think Paris was not just the first step, I think it was likely the last step, that those who hoped it would lead to “deepening future commitments” were fooling themselves and others. I think Paris was agreed to only because national leaders realized it was impossible to get a numerically meaningful set of binding national commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by specific large amounts. They therefore grabbed the best agreement they could, however weak, kicking the can down the road in the hope that somehow their successors might have more luck. Because I am so skeptical about the first step claim, and because I care far more about the policy impact than about the symbolism, my reaction is mild both to President Obama’s signing in 2016 and to President Trump’s withdrawal announcement today. I think neither agreeing to Paris nor withdrawing from it would have changed future global temperatures by any meaningful amount. Even before today I was skeptical that it would lead to any significant next steps, so I conclude that these symbolic battles about the Paris Agreement are almost meaningless.

It's good to hear that you would have wanted the US to agree to a climate change treaty that said every country must cut emissions by 98% in 2025. Something that would have real significant impact, and wouldn't be symbolic in nature.

It wouldn't have to be 98% to be a solid first step in letting the world know the US is the odd one out in making sacrifices to combat global warming. You could actually look at the list of countries that ratified it and passed legislative acts limiting pollution. Now, you just have a wonderful international agreement with tons of countries signing on to show how serious they are about talking of the problem and doing nothing about the problem. You may have noticed in your own personal life how much people talk about changing habits who have no intention of actually investing the effort to change them.
Great armies come from happy zealots, and happy zealots come from California!
TL+ Member
Danglars
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States12133 Posts
June 02 2017 17:04 GMT
#154765
On June 03 2017 02:00 jcarlsoniv wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 03 2017 01:51 Danglars wrote:
On June 03 2017 01:45 Godwrath wrote:
Giving credence to an article that attempts to discredit the Paris accord because it's "merely symbolic" just to be able to missdirect the criticism about the self-denial running rampant amongst republican party, that's rich and deep. As if, the republicans actually gave a shit about the issue and left it because "it wasn't good enough".

Of course the Paris accord wasn't good enough. It is a first fucking step.

This is part of the reason I linked a fairly reasoned article concluding that it's likely the last step and people that think otherwise are fooling themselves. What's rich and deep is your deflection and misdirection while claiming others do so. I wonder if it will ever sink it that inattention to counterarguments isn't sufficient to restate your primary argument. I conclude x, and any articles that conclude otherwise are obvious misdirection.


But I'm not really following the conclusion that he believes it's the last step and not the first.

Show nested quote +
I think that’s the case here. I think Paris was not just the first step, I think it was likely the last step, that those who hoped it would lead to “deepening future commitments” were fooling themselves and others. I think Paris was agreed to only because national leaders realized it was impossible to get a numerically meaningful set of binding national commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by specific large amounts.


If I'm trying to address a problem, especially a big problem (and affecting long term positive change for the environment is big), I'd start by defining it. Put some framework around an issue, get consensus, start working towards solutions. I acknowledge that you don't believe the costs of action are being sufficiently considered, and that's an ok argument to have. But the US staking the position of "nah, we're just gonna go home instead" doesn't put us in a better position to solve the problem.

Unless I'm missing something, I don't get the assumption that there would be not further steps taken beyond Paris. Getting the globe on the same page is where it starts, but it feels like the US was spacing out while reading, so we've had to flip back to the last chapter before we can move forward again.

You quote a paragraph in the middle of the article that follows from the argumentation in the paragraphs preceding. Pay special attention to the political interest and comparison between changing direction in inches when different outcomes are miles apart.
Great armies come from happy zealots, and happy zealots come from California!
TL+ Member
Doodsmack
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States7224 Posts
June 02 2017 17:06 GMT
#154766
On June 03 2017 01:54 Danglars wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 03 2017 01:51 Doodsmack wrote:
On June 03 2017 01:12 Danglars wrote:
On June 03 2017 00:57 LegalLord wrote:
On June 03 2017 00:38 Artisreal wrote:
On June 03 2017 00:16 LegalLord wrote:
On Ted Cruz' post, I have to say that he's not wrong. The billionaires who quit the "rent seeking committee" certainly aren't anything special by any stretch of the imagination. One of them is more upset about the federal subsidies he wanted to line his pockets, and the other is as he said a symbolic gesture.

That comment, albeit not being wrong, is still just a distraction of the government's unwillingness to combat climate change in any form or shape. No matter the cost.

Yup. But a momentary "fuck those hypocrites" is permissible as we look for a way to properly address the fact that Trump acted really stupidly here.

It's important to acknowledge your bad apples to prove it's about science and results instead of narrative. Inconvenient facts that cause "distraction" isn't much of a step up from alternative facts.


Question is, what is Musk's net effect on the environment? His work is obviously a massive net positive. He should not be considered a bad apple and told to fuck off.

Question is, what is Musk's net effect communicating he is leaving a symbolic council while flying around on his private jet. I disagree with LegalLord on the Paris agreement, but agree that [Ted Cruz is] not wrong. The billionaires who quit the "rent seeking committee" certainly aren't anything special by any stretch of the imagination. One of them is more upset about the federal subsidies he wanted to line his pockets, and the other is as he said a symbolic gesture.


Doesn't make Musk a bad apple and doesn't mean liberals need to do anything to "prove it's about science". Criticizing his private jet is just nitpicking at the margins.
Godwrath
Profile Joined August 2012
Spain10139 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-06-02 17:07:19
June 02 2017 17:07 GMT
#154767
On June 03 2017 01:51 Danglars wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 03 2017 01:45 Godwrath wrote:
Giving credence to an article that attempts to discredit the Paris accord because it's "merely symbolic" just to be able to missdirect the criticism about the self-denial running rampant amongst republican party, that's rich and deep. As if, the republicans actually gave a shit about the issue and left it because "it wasn't good enough".

Of course the Paris accord wasn't good enough. It is a first fucking step.

This is part of the reason I linked a fairly reasoned article concluding that it's likely the last step and people that think otherwise are fooling themselves. What's rich and deep is your deflection and misdirection while claiming others do so. I wonder if it will ever sink it that inattention to counterarguments isn't sufficient to restate your primary argument. I conclude x, and any articles that conclude otherwise are obvious misdirection.
This idiotic beyond levels and you know it. It's kindergarden rhetoric. The reason why people has concluded x in the first place is because there is a scientific consensus around the issue. Is it debatable ? Yes, as anything in science, but then bring scientific facts into the table and not an emotional rambling about the symbolic value to feel entitled to be against the Paris accord rather than to have the conversation you pretend to want to have but you really don't want to.
xDaunt
Profile Joined March 2010
United States17988 Posts
June 02 2017 17:07 GMT
#154768
On June 03 2017 01:56 LegalLord wrote:
The way I see it, the most important link in the Paris Accords and why I put so much stock into it is not as much the US as it is China. Sure, first worlders will get greedy and attempt to skirt the regulations to the extent that it is possible. But China is notorious for dragging their feet something fierce, almost unwilling to even acknowledge that climate change is a problem worth addressing. Yet China finally started to "get it" and have made efforts to (albeit slowly) reduce their carbon footprint.

The US will, as it always has, move slowly. The writing on the wall suggests that it's not economically feasible to skimp on climate forever. It still looks stupid though.

Please. The Paris Accords were a boon to China. Built-in comparative advantages and subsidies afforded to the Chinese with no enforcement mechanism to ensure that the Chinese meet their own obligations? Yeah, that's a tough one for the Chinese to accept....
LegalLord
Profile Blog Joined April 2013
United States13779 Posts
June 02 2017 17:09 GMT
#154769
On June 03 2017 02:00 a_flayer wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 03 2017 01:58 LegalLord wrote:
On June 03 2017 01:51 Doodsmack wrote:
On June 03 2017 01:12 Danglars wrote:
On June 03 2017 00:57 LegalLord wrote:
On June 03 2017 00:38 Artisreal wrote:
On June 03 2017 00:16 LegalLord wrote:
On Ted Cruz' post, I have to say that he's not wrong. The billionaires who quit the "rent seeking committee" certainly aren't anything special by any stretch of the imagination. One of them is more upset about the federal subsidies he wanted to line his pockets, and the other is as he said a symbolic gesture.

That comment, albeit not being wrong, is still just a distraction of the government's unwillingness to combat climate change in any form or shape. No matter the cost.

Yup. But a momentary "fuck those hypocrites" is permissible as we look for a way to properly address the fact that Trump acted really stupidly here.

It's important to acknowledge your bad apples to prove it's about science and results instead of narrative. Inconvenient facts that cause "distraction" isn't much of a step up from alternative facts.


Question is, what is Musk's net effect on the environment? His work is obviously a massive net positive. He should not be considered a bad apple and told to fuck off.

By moving around the emissions in such a way that the cars his company produces (on the back of billions of dollars subsidies) don't emit while driving? Or his solar company that is a scam? I'm surprised SpaceX isn't trying to peddle being green yet.

Well... they *are* into recycling....

You know, that reminds me of one funny story of a friend I had who was for some reason really strongly into effective recycling. He wrote a speech on the problems with paper recycling - the de-inking process, reprocessing of the paper, and how it all made the entire aspect of recycling paper worse than worthless. He managed to undermine a few recycling communities by going to their meetings and reciting his speech, causing most of the members to quit.

As I've said before, though, the real journey to reducing emissions starts not with feel-good "green" technologies, but forcing companies to clean up the emissions they produce. Internalize their externalities with strict emission controls and carbon recovery requirements.
History will sooner or later sweep the European Union away without mercy.
Nyxisto
Profile Joined August 2010
Germany6287 Posts
June 02 2017 17:09 GMT
#154770
The moralisation of the issue is typical. People who make perfectly valid points are attacked on irrelevant personal grounds. If some person would actually manage to talk sense into the American right on the issue of climate change I'd not care if they drive a monster truck to work. The individual contribution of Musk or anybody else is irrelevant, it doesn't touch the systemic problems.
Doodsmack
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States7224 Posts
June 02 2017 17:11 GMT
#154771
On June 03 2017 01:58 LegalLord wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 03 2017 01:51 Doodsmack wrote:
On June 03 2017 01:12 Danglars wrote:
On June 03 2017 00:57 LegalLord wrote:
On June 03 2017 00:38 Artisreal wrote:
On June 03 2017 00:16 LegalLord wrote:
On Ted Cruz' post, I have to say that he's not wrong. The billionaires who quit the "rent seeking committee" certainly aren't anything special by any stretch of the imagination. One of them is more upset about the federal subsidies he wanted to line his pockets, and the other is as he said a symbolic gesture.

That comment, albeit not being wrong, is still just a distraction of the government's unwillingness to combat climate change in any form or shape. No matter the cost.

Yup. But a momentary "fuck those hypocrites" is permissible as we look for a way to properly address the fact that Trump acted really stupidly here.

It's important to acknowledge your bad apples to prove it's about science and results instead of narrative. Inconvenient facts that cause "distraction" isn't much of a step up from alternative facts.


Question is, what is Musk's net effect on the environment? His work is obviously a massive net positive. He should not be considered a bad apple and told to fuck off.

By moving around the emissions in such a way that the cars his company produces (on the back of billions of dollars subsidies) don't emit while driving? Or his solar company that is a scam? I'm surprised SpaceX isn't trying to peddle being green yet.


Yes, electric cars and solar roofs are green. Yes, Musk is making progress that no one else is making.
Danglars
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States12133 Posts
June 02 2017 17:11 GMT
#154772
On June 03 2017 01:59 Nyxisto wrote:
International agreements aren't toothless or symbolic just because there is no sovereign to enforce them. They function by holding nations to their word, nobody wants to be a pariah within the international community because they constantly violate international agreements. The US should know the effectiveness of this because it has more or less justified every single one of their military adventures in recent years, and it is what enabled Trump to take action against Assad, because the international consensus on chemical weapons is another such agreement.

No way of enforcing an agreement is the absolute gold standard of describing an agreement as toothless or symbolic. See how much "holding nations to their word" because "nobody wants to be a pariah" affected Trump in his decision today. See North Korea, or the former Soviet Union, or Israel, or Palestine.
Great armies come from happy zealots, and happy zealots come from California!
TL+ Member
Trainrunnef
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
United States601 Posts
June 02 2017 17:11 GMT
#154773
On June 03 2017 01:57 Buckyman wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 03 2017 00:45 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:
Those actual results include the fact that Republicans have historically denied that climate change had even occurred in the first place...


Once again, you're putting optics ahead of results.



You're also cherrypicking positive results, What about the Wyoming bill proposed by republicans that would have banned utilities from using large scale renewable energy sources. The bill died, but it is proof that there are republicans who still deny and actively attempt to obstruct the development of renewable resources.
I am, therefore I pee
Mohdoo
Profile Joined August 2007
United States15742 Posts
June 02 2017 17:12 GMT
#154774
On June 03 2017 02:07 Godwrath wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 03 2017 01:51 Danglars wrote:
On June 03 2017 01:45 Godwrath wrote:
Giving credence to an article that attempts to discredit the Paris accord because it's "merely symbolic" just to be able to missdirect the criticism about the self-denial running rampant amongst republican party, that's rich and deep. As if, the republicans actually gave a shit about the issue and left it because "it wasn't good enough".

Of course the Paris accord wasn't good enough. It is a first fucking step.

This is part of the reason I linked a fairly reasoned article concluding that it's likely the last step and people that think otherwise are fooling themselves. What's rich and deep is your deflection and misdirection while claiming others do so. I wonder if it will ever sink it that inattention to counterarguments isn't sufficient to restate your primary argument. I conclude x, and any articles that conclude otherwise are obvious misdirection.
This idiotic beyond levels and you know it. It's kindergarden rhetoric. The reason why people has concluded x in the first place is because there is a scientific consensus around the issue. Is it debatable ? Yes, as anything in science, but then bring scientific facts into the table and not an emotional rambling about the symbolic value to feel entitled to be against the Paris accord rather than to have the conversation you pretend to want to have but you really don't want to.


I think this is something that means something very different to people who don't work in science. When a scientist says they are 90% sure of something, that is equivalent to someone working in another industry saying "I am downright fucking certain". As scientists, we are always modest about certainty to the point of absurdity. A good example is how people will say "evolution is just a theory" ignoring the fact that "theory" means something entirely different in the science world.

I don't think I've said I was certain of something in the past 5 years at work. But my opinions, conclusions and whatnot are always acted on because it is statistically a good idea.
jcarlsoniv
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
United States27922 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-06-02 17:15:17
June 02 2017 17:14 GMT
#154775
On June 03 2017 02:04 Danglars wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 03 2017 02:00 jcarlsoniv wrote:
On June 03 2017 01:51 Danglars wrote:
On June 03 2017 01:45 Godwrath wrote:
Giving credence to an article that attempts to discredit the Paris accord because it's "merely symbolic" just to be able to missdirect the criticism about the self-denial running rampant amongst republican party, that's rich and deep. As if, the republicans actually gave a shit about the issue and left it because "it wasn't good enough".

Of course the Paris accord wasn't good enough. It is a first fucking step.

This is part of the reason I linked a fairly reasoned article concluding that it's likely the last step and people that think otherwise are fooling themselves. What's rich and deep is your deflection and misdirection while claiming others do so. I wonder if it will ever sink it that inattention to counterarguments isn't sufficient to restate your primary argument. I conclude x, and any articles that conclude otherwise are obvious misdirection.


But I'm not really following the conclusion that he believes it's the last step and not the first.

I think that’s the case here. I think Paris was not just the first step, I think it was likely the last step, that those who hoped it would lead to “deepening future commitments” were fooling themselves and others. I think Paris was agreed to only because national leaders realized it was impossible to get a numerically meaningful set of binding national commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by specific large amounts.


If I'm trying to address a problem, especially a big problem (and affecting long term positive change for the environment is big), I'd start by defining it. Put some framework around an issue, get consensus, start working towards solutions. I acknowledge that you don't believe the costs of action are being sufficiently considered, and that's an ok argument to have. But the US staking the position of "nah, we're just gonna go home instead" doesn't put us in a better position to solve the problem.

Unless I'm missing something, I don't get the assumption that there would be not further steps taken beyond Paris. Getting the globe on the same page is where it starts, but it feels like the US was spacing out while reading, so we've had to flip back to the last chapter before we can move forward again.

You quote a paragraph in the middle of the article that follows from the argumentation in the paragraphs preceding. Pay special attention to the political interest and comparison between changing direction in inches when different outcomes are miles apart.


I did read it, and I don't necessarily disagree with your point that symbolic gestures are meaningless if there's no plan for follow through. But it seems that he (and you) are starting on the assumption that there will be no follow through, and as a result, this gesture is meaningless.

If it were up to many of us, there would but a more expedited and stringent framework for follow through. But when we have to continually argue internally about whether or not we even have to do anything about the problem (or, in some cases, whether the problem even exists), that significantly slows down the capacity for follow through.

So, I guess my question to you is - what should be done to make it (any plan, not necessarily Paris) less symbolic and actually effective?
Soniv ||| Soniv#1962 ||| @jcarlsoniv ||| The Big Golem ||| Join the Glorious Evolution. What's your favorite aminal, a bear? ||| Joe "Don't call me Daniel" "Soniv" "Daniel" Carlsberg LXIX ||| Paging Dr. John Shadow
LegalLord
Profile Blog Joined April 2013
United States13779 Posts
June 02 2017 17:15 GMT
#154776
On June 03 2017 02:07 xDaunt wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 03 2017 01:56 LegalLord wrote:
The way I see it, the most important link in the Paris Accords and why I put so much stock into it is not as much the US as it is China. Sure, first worlders will get greedy and attempt to skirt the regulations to the extent that it is possible. But China is notorious for dragging their feet something fierce, almost unwilling to even acknowledge that climate change is a problem worth addressing. Yet China finally started to "get it" and have made efforts to (albeit slowly) reduce their carbon footprint.

The US will, as it always has, move slowly. The writing on the wall suggests that it's not economically feasible to skimp on climate forever. It still looks stupid though.

Please. The Paris Accords were a boon to China. Built-in comparative advantages and subsidies afforded to the Chinese with no enforcement mechanism to ensure that the Chinese meet their own obligations? Yeah, that's a tough one for the Chinese to accept....

Then what do we need? A stronger deal? A symbolic withdrawal from the commitment as a means of protest? A show of "two can play at that game" and an unwillingness to reduce emissions? While I'm skeptical of a lot of aspects of the deal, even this is a big deal compared to the attitude China had towards this as recently as five years ago which could be effectively summarized as "fuck the environment that shit don't matter to us."
History will sooner or later sweep the European Union away without mercy.
Nyxisto
Profile Joined August 2010
Germany6287 Posts
June 02 2017 17:16 GMT
#154777
On June 03 2017 02:11 Danglars wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 03 2017 01:59 Nyxisto wrote:
International agreements aren't toothless or symbolic just because there is no sovereign to enforce them. They function by holding nations to their word, nobody wants to be a pariah within the international community because they constantly violate international agreements. The US should know the effectiveness of this because it has more or less justified every single one of their military adventures in recent years, and it is what enabled Trump to take action against Assad, because the international consensus on chemical weapons is another such agreement.

No way of enforcing an agreement is the absolute gold standard of describing an agreement as toothless or symbolic. See how much "holding nations to their word" because "nobody wants to be a pariah" affected Trump in his decision today. See North Korea, or the former Soviet Union, or Israel, or Palestine.


North Korea is isolated, the Soviet Union doesn't exist any more and Palestine is in a miserable state too, constantly having damaged their position on the world stage by ruining their reputation within the international community. Those are not great examples.

Sure the US are a big and powerful country but they're losing their international position with this. No global leader has ever isolated themselves and come out better at the other end, it usually signifies a period of decline. No nation is special, the US isn't immune to bad decisions even if some subset of the voters apparently thinks that this is true.
LegalLord
Profile Blog Joined April 2013
United States13779 Posts
June 02 2017 17:18 GMT
#154778
On June 03 2017 02:11 Doodsmack wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 03 2017 01:58 LegalLord wrote:
On June 03 2017 01:51 Doodsmack wrote:
On June 03 2017 01:12 Danglars wrote:
On June 03 2017 00:57 LegalLord wrote:
On June 03 2017 00:38 Artisreal wrote:
On June 03 2017 00:16 LegalLord wrote:
On Ted Cruz' post, I have to say that he's not wrong. The billionaires who quit the "rent seeking committee" certainly aren't anything special by any stretch of the imagination. One of them is more upset about the federal subsidies he wanted to line his pockets, and the other is as he said a symbolic gesture.

That comment, albeit not being wrong, is still just a distraction of the government's unwillingness to combat climate change in any form or shape. No matter the cost.

Yup. But a momentary "fuck those hypocrites" is permissible as we look for a way to properly address the fact that Trump acted really stupidly here.

It's important to acknowledge your bad apples to prove it's about science and results instead of narrative. Inconvenient facts that cause "distraction" isn't much of a step up from alternative facts.


Question is, what is Musk's net effect on the environment? His work is obviously a massive net positive. He should not be considered a bad apple and told to fuck off.

By moving around the emissions in such a way that the cars his company produces (on the back of billions of dollars subsidies) don't emit while driving? Or his solar company that is a scam? I'm surprised SpaceX isn't trying to peddle being green yet.


Yes, electric cars and solar roofs are green. Yes, Musk is making progress that no one else is making.

No one else is making an unviable variant of solar panels that goes on the roof? No one else is making electric cars? No one else manages to attract as much unwarranted hype to feed his massive ego?

What progress is Musk making that no one else is?
History will sooner or later sweep the European Union away without mercy.
Danglars
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States12133 Posts
June 02 2017 17:19 GMT
#154779
On June 03 2017 02:09 Nyxisto wrote:
The moralisation of the issue is typical. People who make perfectly valid points are attacked on irrelevant personal grounds. If some person would actually manage to talk sense into the American right on the issue of climate change I'd not care if they drive a monster truck to work. The individual contribution of Musk or anybody else is irrelevant, it doesn't touch the systemic problems.

It's an important bulwark against accusations that you won't practice what you preach or want to make rules for others to live by that you don't want to abide by for yourself. We must all make sacrifices to fight climate change, particularly your job in the coal industry, but don't ask me to give up my private jet for cross-continent vacations (and don't worry, I'll give a ten-minute speech there in support of climate change action).
Great armies come from happy zealots, and happy zealots come from California!
TL+ Member
xDaunt
Profile Joined March 2010
United States17988 Posts
June 02 2017 17:21 GMT
#154780
On June 03 2017 02:15 LegalLord wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 03 2017 02:07 xDaunt wrote:
On June 03 2017 01:56 LegalLord wrote:
The way I see it, the most important link in the Paris Accords and why I put so much stock into it is not as much the US as it is China. Sure, first worlders will get greedy and attempt to skirt the regulations to the extent that it is possible. But China is notorious for dragging their feet something fierce, almost unwilling to even acknowledge that climate change is a problem worth addressing. Yet China finally started to "get it" and have made efforts to (albeit slowly) reduce their carbon footprint.

The US will, as it always has, move slowly. The writing on the wall suggests that it's not economically feasible to skimp on climate forever. It still looks stupid though.

Please. The Paris Accords were a boon to China. Built-in comparative advantages and subsidies afforded to the Chinese with no enforcement mechanism to ensure that the Chinese meet their own obligations? Yeah, that's a tough one for the Chinese to accept....

Then what do we need? A stronger deal? A symbolic withdrawal from the commitment as a means of protest? A show of "two can play at that game" and an unwillingness to reduce emissions? While I'm skeptical of a lot of aspects of the deal, even this is a big deal compared to the attitude China had towards this as recently as five years ago which could be effectively summarized as "fuck the environment that shit don't matter to us."


China is going to get its own shit in order regardless of the Paris Accord because its people are tired of living in filth. But if you're going to bother with a treaty, then it needs an enforcement mechanism.
Prev 1 7737 7738 7739 7740 7741 10093 Next
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
OSC
18:00
OSC Elite Rising Star #18
SteadfastSC165
Liquipedia
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
mouzHeroMarine 251
elazer 237
SteadfastSC 165
UpATreeSC 116
JuggernautJason56
MindelVK 26
LamboSC2 2
StarCraft: Brood War
Britney 13732
Calm 2816
EffOrt 563
Horang2 427
ggaemo 69
Backho 54
HiyA 38
soO 20
ivOry 4
Counter-Strike
fl0m1607
Other Games
summit1g5574
tarik_tv3264
Grubby2342
B2W.Neo1102
Beastyqt732
C9.Mang0121
mouzStarbuck121
ArmadaUGS88
QueenE62
Mew2King58
Trikslyr55
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick1966
BasetradeTV42
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 19 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• IndyKCrew
• sooper7s
• Migwel
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• intothetv
• Kozan
StarCraft: Brood War
• RayReign 20
• 80smullet 13
• ZZZeroYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• BSLYoutube
Dota 2
• C_a_k_e 1583
• WagamamaTV584
League of Legends
• Nemesis3859
• TFBlade948
Other Games
• Scarra1329
• imaqtpie950
• Shiphtur139
Upcoming Events
Replay Cast
4h 2m
WardiTV Team League
16h 2m
Big Brain Bouts
21h 2m
Fjant vs SortOf
YoungYakov vs Krystianer
Reynor vs HeRoMaRinE
RSL Revival
1d 14h
Cure vs Zoun
herO vs Rogue
WardiTV Team League
1d 16h
Platinum Heroes Events
1d 19h
BSL
2 days
RSL Revival
2 days
ByuN vs Maru
MaxPax vs TriGGeR
WardiTV Team League
2 days
BSL
2 days
[ Show More ]
Replay Cast
3 days
Replay Cast
3 days
Afreeca Starleague
3 days
Light vs Calm
Royal vs Mind
Wardi Open
3 days
Monday Night Weeklies
3 days
OSC
4 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
4 days
Afreeca Starleague
4 days
Rush vs PianO
Flash vs Speed
Replay Cast
5 days
Afreeca Starleague
5 days
BeSt vs Leta
Queen vs Jaedong
Replay Cast
6 days
The PondCast
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-03-25
WardiTV Winter 2026
Underdog Cup #3

Ongoing

KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 1
BSL Season 22
CSL Elite League 2026
CSL Season 20: Qualifier 1
ASL Season 21
Acropolis #4 - TS6
RSL Revival: Season 4
Nations Cup 2026
NationLESS Cup
BLAST Open Spring 2026
ESL Pro League S23 Finals
ESL Pro League S23 Stage 1&2
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026
IEM Kraków 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter Qual

Upcoming

2026 Changsha Offline CUP
CSL Season 20: Qualifier 2
CSL 2026 SPRING (S20)
Acropolis #4
IPSL Spring 2026
BSL 22 Non-Korean Championship
CSLAN 4
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
HSC XXIX
uThermal 2v2 2026 Main Event
IEM Cologne Major 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 2
CS Asia Championships 2026
IEM Atlanta 2026
Asian Champions League 2026
PGL Astana 2026
BLAST Rivals Spring 2026
CCT Season 3 Global Finals
IEM Rio 2026
PGL Bucharest 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 1
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.