Nice post. I believe before we see any change, society must participate as a collective. Education and awareness will be the cornerstone of any reform.
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Nice post. I believe before we see any change, society must participate as a collective. Education and awareness will be the cornerstone of any reform.
I think thats a fair point, we saw with the UK referndum on EU membership that a lot of misinformation was distributed (for both Leave and Remain) and the population was confused. In the OPs article on food safety this is a another highly emotional and little understood area, how will we decide accurately?
What is the difference between participating and following trends? Where is the educational material coming from? My hopes are high but my optimism is dampened by the financial losses that corporations (and their lobbyists and the politicians in their pocket and the employees content with the status quo) won't accept easily. Milk filled with hormones, antibiotics and who-knows-what receives a stamp of approval because it stays within the parameters the ruling class (scientists, health professionals and Louis Pasteur) has established but CSA's giving away raw milk alongside organic vegetables from healthy happy cattle will be persecuted by the same government.
However, the UK has taken an interesting step but one I feel was largely fueled by immigration. Interracial marriage, gambling, gay marriage, recreational marijuana use, abortions; each of these began with a state using their autonomy. Married couples used to have to drive to Reno to divorce and now stoners hotbox to Colorado.
The Civil War had many causes but states' trying to assert their rights was a catalyst. If a movement towards decentralization happens, what will the United States become? Provinces like Canada? I imagine larger cities and the surrounding areas will want to govern their own since a political machine is already in place. Rural areas will be chaotic and the racism that is being acknowledged may come to head. I enjoy the notion of returning to town hall meetings but fear much blood will be shed before our mindset returns to such humble beginnings.
Whew, these thought experiments are certainly fun.
Scientific results are impartial and not impacted by interested parties, however science doesnt claim to be the truth only the most accurate model we have so far. What is scientifically researched however is impacted by interested parties and what makes the news headlines is too. Thats why I help science by running BOINC and doing Zooniverse projects; by being active in direct scientific enquiry we can make sure we protect ourselves and others from interested parties and poor reporting.