linate

Do u believe in an afterlife?

If you're not capable of violence you're not peaceful. you're harmless. Important distinction.

I saw this posted recently, what say you all? Is it fair to call radical nonviolence as not peaceful?

Im a black male immigrant. And my answer is... we work hard, and we play hard

we already know that more educated and wealthier people vote democrat. we know that trump supporters are prone to being lower information voters. we know just by virtue of IQ distributions that half are below average intelligence and at least a third are genuinely dumb as rocks. what about the educated well informed ones? i think they are mostly people who are genuinely conservative and dont like the guy much but go along with it given general ideology alliances. we know a third of the population never waivers in their support for him. we know half the population might be willing to vote for him. we know he's not popular any more and the most approval he's ever got is half the population to approve of him. that portion who might vote for him or be there when his approval ratings have risen, beyond his solid base, are probably low information people who dont know much about our government or the real world. that third that never waivers then, are probaby a subset, ten percent dumb as rocks, ten percent very low infoamtion, and ten percent who just go along with him cause they are generally conservative. so what we might also say, is only ten percent of people aren't low information and maybe educated, that still reluctantly approve of the guy. not too many well informed and educated people happily approve of him or are big supporters. it's fair to say trump's base of approval is a pretty big dumpster fire.

Good to see u made it to the new site

We need the resident hyper educated and rational liberal to keep the magats in line

culture definitely comes before language. some people say there's no answer to the chicken and egg thing, and if they are correct then it's not directly analogous to culture and language since culture comes first. but with that said, i think it's clearly the egg coming first before the chicken.

i would argue the egg is culture, cause culture comes before language and i have soundly argued before that the egg comes before the chicken

Who is the real poster behind this account? I love the creativity but its almost overkill and underappreciated at an obscure site like this

Do you also accept unsolicited monetary donations to mcdonalds, with no strings attached?

That is dsffinitively not equal, as you say, but, again, we, the voting public, do not directly vote for presidents, but for the electors, even though the candidate names are on the ballot

Are there still hard core maga on this site like dart?

I know its tempting to be a skeptic no matter what, but science is science no matter the outcome and this seems vetted by corraborating studies. Skeptics have nothing to offer, other than a careful eye but mostly just pure skepticism, for the sake of skepticism

I concur. Im mostly addressing the hard line skeptics

It's not very speculative. If guns are not a major driver of murder rates then non gin murders should be wildly out of proportion with the rest of the world especially the English world. The fact Canada is right next to the usa and has an overflow of guns and gun violence while not as bad as usa helps support the idea. The fact gun presence and lack of gun control corresponds with murder is also very illustrative. That weebly link is pretty overwhelmingly damning against the gun nut crowd. Basically the overall picture that gun science paints, is that the presence of guns causes problems than if there weren't as many

Mindsight” and other Peer-Reviewed Evidence of Vision-Like Perception in the Blind During NDEs and OBEs

There exists a growing body of peer-reviewed, well-documented cases in which blind individuals—including those blind from birth—report visual-like experiences during Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) or Out-of-Body Experiences (OBEs). These cases challenge conventional materialist explanations of consciousness and perception.

🔍 Ring & Cooper Study (1997) — Journal of Near-Death Studies

Kenneth Ring and Sharon Cooper conducted a landmark study involving:

1. Sample: 31 blind participants, including 14 who were congenitally blind
2. Key Findings:
3. Nearly 80% reported vivid visual impressions during their NDEs or OBEs
4. Participants described people, locations, light, their own bodies, and other scenes with confident visual language
5. Verification: Some accounts were independently corroborated by third parties, such as family members or medical staff

1. Vicki Noratuk (aka Vicki Umipeg): Blind from birth, she reported floating above her body, seeing surgical staff, recognizing her own body, and perceiving a tunnel of light—hallmark elements of classic NDEs.
2. Brad Barrows: Also blind from birth, he described seeing his roommate’s actions from above his hospital bed during an OBE—actions which were later confirmed by the roommate.

🧠 Harvey Irwin (1987) — Journal of Near-Death Studies

In a separate psychological survey of blind adults, Harvey Irwin found that:

1. OBEs among the blind are relatively rare, but
2. A small number of confirmed, visual-like experiences pose significant implications for how we understand perception and consciousness

🔄 Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

1. Scholars refer to this phenomenon as “mindsight”—a term coined by Ring & Cooper to describe vision-like perception without the use of eyes.
2. Mindsight appears as a cross-study pattern, especially among NDE and OBE reports from blind individuals.
3. Meta-analyses have documented similar metaphysical and veridical elements across cases, noting implications for neuroscience, theology, and consciousness research.

🛡 Credibility and Scientific Integrity

What separates these cases from anecdotal claims?

1. All the above studies are published in peer-reviewed journals, offering a degree of academic rigor
2. Several reports include external confirmation of what the blind experiencer claimed to have “seen”
3. Researchers took care to distinguish visual metaphor from actual perceptual content, even among those blind from birth
4. Skeptics suggest language-based conceptual learning or sensory substitution might explain some cases—but this fails to explain the accuracy and clarity of some first-hand reports
5. 
   

What is Mindsight?

Mindsight refers to a mode of perception reported by blind NDErs in which they “see” using non-retinal, non-physical awareness. Ring & Cooper’s study highlighted these key traits:

Non-physical vision: Participants see without eyes—using what some call the “mind’s eye” or “spiritual body”

360° awareness: Unlike ordinary sight, this perception often includes omnidirectional awareness and complete clarity

Cognitive and emotional knowing: Mindsight is holistic—incorporating emotion, understanding, and direct intuitive insight

Corroborated events: In some cases, participants accurately described real-world details confirmed by others

✨ Implications

Challenges the assumption that consciousness and sensory awareness are strictly brain-dependent

Supports the possibility of a “spiritual” or non-material aspect of the self

Suggests that perception and consciousness may not be entirely neurobiological in origin

Opens new avenues for research into transpersonal consciousness and non-local perception

✅ Final Takeaway

Yes—peer-reviewed, academically rigorous studies document blind individuals (including those blind from birth) who report accurate, visual-like perception during NDEs. Please see the reference section for more examples of this. Some of these reports have been externally verified, and many include descriptions that strongly resemble sight, despite lifelong blindness.

This phenomenon—mindsight—does not disprove materialism, but it seriously complicates it. It suggests that consciousness may not be fully explained by brain activity alone and invites interdisciplinary research bridging neuroscience, philosophy, theology, and phenomenology.

📚 References

Ring, K., & Cooper, S. (1997). Near-Death and Out-of-Body Experiences in the Blind: A Study of Apparent Eyeless Vision. Journal of Near-Death Studies. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/a%3A1025010015662

Irwin, H. (1987). Out-of-Body Experiences in the Blind. Journal of Near-Death Studies. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/bf01073268

Ring, K. (n.d.). Mindsight. NDERF. https://www.nderf.org/NDERF/Books/Mindsight.htm

Mango, B. (n.d.). NDEs in the Blind. NDERF. https://www.nderf.org/NDERF/Articles/barbara_blind.htm

Gallant, J. (2018). Eyeless Vision. The Fortnightly Review. https://fortnightlyreview.co.uk/2018/09/side-sight-eyes/

Drasin, D. (n.d.). Mindsight Overview. https://www.dandrasin.com/mindsight

Frontiers in Psychology. (2023). Explanation of Near-Death Experiences: A Systematic Analysis of Case Reports and Qualitative Research. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1048929/full

ResearchGate. (n.d.). Near-Death Experiences: Between Spiritual Transmigration and Psychopathological Hallucinations. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267330185

Reddit. (n.d.). Discussions and Confirmations of Blind NDEs. https://www.reddit.com/r/consciousness/comments/1ipl2y0, https://www.reddit.com/r/afterlife/comments/icnqnn, https://www.reddit.com/r/NDE/comments/ijgk8n

UNT Digital Library. (n.d.). Page 113: Near-Death and Out-of-Body Experiences in the Blind. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark%3A/67531/metadc799333/m1/13

Thanks means a lot

Lift the taxable income cap on social security payroll taxes. Cut benefits by ten percent of top 20 percent income of social security beneficiaries. Increase pay roll tax on everyone by two percentage points for social security. Consider having new revenue invested in real estate rental funds

Make it so when u click on a forum reply notification that it takes u to the actual post, not just the page of the thread that its in

Make the list of new recent topics on the forum main page very long or better yet without end. It'd be a chronological list with newest posts first. Otherwise topics get lost in the maze of forum sections before people can really see them

Treating guns like cars when it comes to regulation is a good idea, though that's more like an ideal and not all aspects of car regulation needs copied

.....

Wealth and Income Tax Reform

Modest Wealth Tax (1–2%) on Top 1–2%

A wealth tax of 1–2% on the top 1–2% of Americans would generate hundreds of billions in revenue annually, targeting dormant capital while avoiding disruption of productive investment. With the top 1% holding more wealth than the bottom 90% combined, this tax would help counterbalance systemic inequality without discouraging entrepreneurship.

Income Tax Hike (2–4%) on Top 10–20%

Increasing income tax rates by 2–4 percentage points on the top earners ensures those who gain most from the system reinvest in its health. This group currently benefits from historic wealth appreciation, globalization, and tax avoidance schemes. Modest rate hikes restore balance and fund essential services.

Targeted Spending Cuts

Cap Non-Essential Cuts at 10%

A 10% reduction in discretionary spending (excluding Social Security and healthcare) would streamline government without harming the social safety net. Defense, corporate subsidies, and bureaucracy can absorb smart cuts through modernization and oversight. Social Security and healthcare should be treated as independent programs with their own sustainability paths.

Close Wealth Borrowing Loophole

Tax Personal Consumption Borrowed Against Assets

The ultra-wealthy often borrow against investments to avoid capital gains tax. A progressive consumption tax on borrowed funds used for personal spending closes this loophole, ensuring wealth consumption is taxed fairly, just as working-class consumption is.

Fiscal Discipline Through GDP-Based Budgeting

Anchor Spending to GDP Ratios

Fixing discretionary spending categories as percentages of GDP stabilizes government finances. For example, defense might remain at 3.5% of GDP annually. Congress retains override power during recessions or emergencies. This mechanism minimizes debt-ceiling brinkmanship while allowing automatic fiscal discipline.

Targeted Support for Low-Income Americans

$100 Stipend + $100 in Food Aid

Individuals earning below the median income would receive $100 monthly in cash and $100 in food assistance. This modest supplement reduces economic pressure without bloating the budget. It also avoids the inefficiency of universal basic income by targeting those most in need.

Work Requirements

Requiring part-time work, job training, or volunteer service reinforces the principle of mutual responsibility and maintains political support across the ideological spectrum.

Student Loan Reform

Income-Based Repayment System

Replace student loans with a policy where graduates pay 5–10% of their income for 10 years. The government provides colleges with the net present value of future graduate contributions, incentivizing institutions to prioritize economic value.

Curriculum Reform

Require basic foundational courses while encouraging colleges to align degree programs with real-world economic needs. This avoids overproduction in low-demand fields and raises the value of postsecondary education.

Health Care Reform

Cost Containment Before Expansion

Other nations cover everyone at half the U.S. cost. We must first adopt cost control via:

1. Expanding Medicare-style price negotiation to all payers
2. Capping administrative costs
3. Converting insurance companies into regulated nonprofits

Universal coverage is only feasible if we address these root inefficiencies first. Without cost control, expansion could bankrupt the system.

Election Structure Reform

Replace Plurality Voting with RCV or STAR

The current winner-take-all voting model fuels polarization and discourages new ideas.

1. Ranked Choice Voting (RCV): Voters rank candidates, and instant runoffs ensure winners have broad support.
2. STAR Voting: Voters score candidates, and the top two enter a runoff where majority support prevails.

These systems reduce spoilers, empower moderates, and foster coalition building.

Campaign Finance Reform

Restore Voter Trust and Reduce Corruption

1. Publicly finance campaigns to reduce big donor influence
2. Cap political donations and independent expenditures
3. Close loopholes for Super PACs and dark money
4. Require real-time disclosure of political spending

These measures are essential to ensure democratic legitimacy and reduce regulatory capture.

Housing Access and Regulation

Boarding Houses and Micro-Housing Development

Encourage the development of communal housing with private rooms and shared amenities, priced at 1/3 of residents' income. This model supports workforce housing in cities and dignified shelter for low-income individuals and families. Government can support via zoning reform, low-interest loans, and public-private partnerships.

Limit Property Accumulation

1. Primary residences are tax-exempt
2. Second homes taxed at 10% of income produced
3. Third at 20%, and increasing to 90% for excess holdings
4. Foreign ownership of residential real estate prohibited

These measures prevent speculative hoarding and prioritize housing for residents.

Incentivize Vertical Development

Apply per-building taxes to apartment complexes to encourage vertical over horizontal development, improving density and affordability.

Illegal Immigration and Labor Reform

Rational, Humane, and Enforceable Framework

1. Raise minimum wage to $12.50/hour—a historic average that balances inflationary risk with humane compensation
2. Cap undocumented worker pay at the same minimum wage
3. Grant two-year window for undocumented immigrants to register as guest workers
4. Allow employers to house and provide medical care to guest workers
5. Enforce E-Verify nationally
6. Defer wall construction, but keep the option if enforcement fails
7. No constitutional rights or voting privileges for guest workers
8. Maintain birthright citizenship, unless legally reconsidered

This balances market need, compassion, and enforcement. It stabilizes immigration flows and protects American labor.

Conclusion

This policy framework reflects a comprehensive and integrated approach to 21st-century governance. It emphasizes:

1. Fiscal sustainability
2. Economic fairness
3. Regulatory discipline
4. Political reform
5. Social safety without dependency

It bridges partisan divides by rooting each proposal in practical benefits, fairness, and systemic integrity.

We cannot address 21st-century challenges with 20th-century thinking. Restoring the "policy" in politics starts with vision, courage, and a return to principled pragmatism.

the face that we use electors is irrelevant for this discussion, the way it's currently done. those electors almost always rubber stamp the will of the popular vote based on the electoral college set up.

also you said im wrong that every vote isn't equal given the electoral college, and then at the end of your argument you acknowledge that maybe every vote actually isn't equal.

you're lost in all kinds of illogic.... very educated, but finer points of logical analysis doesn't seem to be your strong point

see above

did you just ignore the science that i posted? it clearly shows people are more likely to kill when they have guns versus other weapons.

holla atcha mass debaters

You aren't informing me of anything I didn't already know. You made another illogical statement that the constitution says all votes are equal under the electoral college. It says no such thing. It explains the electoral college but diesnt call everyone's vote equal. That's a You thing. So, just admit it, own that shit. Under the electoral college every vote isn't equal. That's by design.

You get your head so far up your ass on your high horse that u r constantly saying illogical things, ive noticed

From the Atlantic article

'As for Friedman’s claim that keeping a gun out of someone’s hands won’t disincline them to commit murder, Cukier said, “The evidence doesn’t support that. Look at the numbers.” She went on to analyze homicide statistics from 2016: “If you look at the rate of murders not caused by guns and you compare Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and Australia, what you see is that it’s roughly the same in all four countries, although the U.S. rate is slightly higher,” Cukier said. In other words, in a scenario without guns, the four populations exhibit roughly similar rates of homicidal behavior.

That changes when you look at the rate of murders that were caused by guns. “As soon as you add guns into the mix, you see that the U.S. has six times the rate of gun murders as Canada has. And Canada has 15 times the rate of gun murders as the U.K., and four times the rate of Australia. It’s very clear that the difference in the murder rates between those countries is a function of the availability of firearms, period.”