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Viliam_Bur comments on [POLITICS] Jihadism and a new kind of existential threat - Less Wrong Discussion

-5 Post author: MrMind 25 March 2015 09:37AM

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Comment author: Viliam_Bur 25 March 2015 05:23:05PM *  -1 points [-]

Any particular reason you prefer Bahais over, say, Alawis?

No. I just haven't heard about them before. I guess in every situation we should support the more peaceful alternative that is already there, so the preachers are genuine.

Comment author: Lumifer 25 March 2015 05:31:47PM *  2 points [-]

I guess in every situation we should support the more peaceful alternative

I don't think so -- pacifism fails rather badly. Sometimes you just need to kill the bastards.

But if I may ask a general question -- what led you to offer a suggestion in the area about which you know practically nothing? This isn't snark, I am really curious. You probably wouldn't offer advice on how all the surgeons in the world should operate, so why did you take it upon yourself to suggest changing religions for a billion people?

Comment author: Viliam_Bur 26 March 2015 03:08:12PM 0 points [-]

what led you to offer a suggestion in the area about which you know practically nothing? ... You probably wouldn't offer advice on how all the surgeons in the world should operate, so why did you take it upon yourself to suggest changing religions for a billion people?

I thought that saying "perhaps someone who knows more ... could tell whether ... might be a way to ..." was a sufficient disclaimer.

If I had an idea about how all the surgeons in the world might operate better (e.g. trying tools from materials with different physical properties, having other surgeons watch the operation on video in real time and offer advice when asked by the main surgeon, etc.), yeah, I might ask in the same way whether someone had thought about it.

Comment author: Ander 25 March 2015 08:25:55PM 0 points [-]

suggest changing religions for a billion people?

Indeed, it is humorous to suggest this as a solution. You have now created a task that is probably about as hard as defeating aging of creating a friendly AI. (Well maybe not quite as hard but close!)