If there were a pill to make me straight, I would not take it

I wasn't suggesting you didn't know. Just wanted a bit of a vent. Also to clarify the discussion for others and state my agreement

 

For years, my view has been that all people are fundamentally and deeply selfish. I never really believe people who claim to think of others first and act as if there's no "what about me?" in their thoughts. The core is always "what about me?" Only by accepting that, in fact embracing it, can you look around with clear enough eyes to sometimes be a strong and reliable help for others.

That's my philosophy. It seems to not be entirely contradictory with what you say above.

 

It still exists in some US States though not really used.
Also, are you Auzzie?

 

Yeah, but maybe not for the reason you would like

Humans stereotype each other according to group instead of looking at each other as individuals:

"Muslims are terrorists" (the vast majority of the victims of ISIS are Muslims)

"Gays are pedophiles" (pedophiles are disproportionately likely to be straight)

"People on welfare are lazy" (the vast majority of them are working, and a very strong proportion are working multiple jobs)

"Humans stereotype each other according to group instead of looking at each other as individuals" (... yeah )​

I believe that a great many people are deeply selfish, that it's a lot harder to find an extremely selfless person than it is to find an extremely destructive person, and that it's not possible to find somebody who's 100% selfless, but the Law of Large Numbers – and how strongly I dislike humanity's drive to dehumanize – makes me hesitate to say that there isn't somebody out of the 7.4 billion people in the world who comes pretty close.

 

Huh. It's not like that on this side of the pond.

 

Why would that deserve an Oscar? I agree with him. But let's not strip words and awards of their meaning, please.

 

Minimum wage in the US is so low that you can be working more than full time and still be in poverty. (Edited to add: I don't know if it is or isn't the legal definition of poverty, but you're still in the position where the tiniest thing going wrong can mean that you become homeless. My understanding is that many military families are so poor that they qualify for food stamps.)

 

But--just to exercise one of my pet peeves about the US, not as a debate against you--a poor person in the UK who gets sick or injured won't, I believe, incur debts equal to a year's income (or far more) in one short hospital visit.

 

Only JSA/ESA. Most benefits aren't about unemployment - housing benefit, working tax credits, etc.

 

Nah, I assume they'd kill themselves so that other people could receive their organs.

 

Wouldn't they do as much as possible in the time that they have and then donate their organs after they've lived a life of good humanitarian work?

 

Well, you better hope the moves to impeach Trump don't succeed, because guess what. Vice President Mike Pence advocates electrocuting gay people to make them 'go straight.' And he's next in line, if Trump goes.

 

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I think it equates to benefits in general but I don't know. Muricans, help?

 

Well, old organs aren't exactly prime candidates for transplant.

 

I don't believe he could do that, even if he wanted too.
Firstly it is against the law. And secondly they lack
the manpower and resources to do such a thing,
Though it would be a huge wast of time for him
if he could, cause you can't just zap someone into
being something they are not. Also I would like to
think our allies would step in and kick his homophobic
ass, for acts that are surmountable to war-crimes.
Pretty sure actively torturing ones own civilians
would get someones attention, and actions taken
to put a stop to it.

Sounds like this Mike Pence guy is a Nazi enthusiast,
with thoughts like this. Whats next, forcing them to
wear triangles? Gonna have to watch this guy.