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From: dbongard@netcom.com (Dan Bongard)
Subject: Re: Quake, Violence, Guns, Constitution, et al
Message-ID: <dbongardEHArJ4.GC8@netcom.com>
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Date: Tue, 30 Sep 1997 01:16:16 GMT
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Thomas Weigle (loop@127.0.0.1) wrote:
: In article <dbongardEHABHq.Iv7@netcom.com>, dbongard@netcom.com (Dan
: Bongard) wrote:

: > Your problem is that you think "the fittest" means "deer that can
: > survive and reproduce under conditions of starvation and resource
: > scarcity". It means that, of course, but it also means "deer that
: > can avoid getting killed by their predators". Ie, humans.

: Yup, we humans sure make fine predators with some assistance from the
: weapons we've made.

We are tool-users. Anybody who thinks gun use during hunting is
somehow "cheating" is a moron. The point of hunting is to kill your
quarry without endangering yourself. Cats and wolves would use guns
if they had the brains to figure them out.

But, yes -- with guns, we are the best predators.

: The deer's natural enemies could've taken care of the population
: problem had we not killed them off.

But we _did_ kill them off. So do we set things right by taking their
place, or do we waste time bemoaning our past folly while deer
fall victim to mass starvation?

: You know, there's such a good passage in one of the Hitchhiker 
: books by Douglas Adams (actually damn fine philosophical works for the
: 90's if you ask me).

Very funny books, but the fact that you consider them "philosophy"
really explains quite a bit.

: It's where the humans consider themselves more intelligent than
: the dolphins because of all the great inventions they've come up with...
: Cars, radios, guns, atom bombs... And the dolphins consider themselves
: more intelligent than the humans. For exactly the same reasons. 

A straw man argument. Humans are more intelligent not because we
have built bombs, but because we are more capable of abstract
reasoning and innovation than any other species in existance. Our
intelligence is our main survival tool. A dolphin's intelligence
isn't even sufficient to keep it out of tuna nets. When faced
with a new threat, humans develop the tools and techniques necessary
to avoid, neutralize, or eliminate the threat. We pool our resources
to solve the problem. When dolphins are confronted with a new threat,
they die. That's what makes us smarter. 

: Totally brilliant by Mr Adams, that one.

I am continually amused by people who take little science fiction
aphorisms and hold them up as rules to live by. People who think
the use of cars, guns, and radios are somehow a bad thing are
invited to compare 14th century Europe with San Diego, CA, 1997.

-- Dan
