Maggie's Farm

bob sykes: In Darwinian terms, any species going extinct (as is the present human condition) is maladapted to its environment.

As the human population continues to grow, it is clearly not going extinct.

bob sykes: Based on the correlation between reaction times and IQ, it has been argued that at least in the UK the average IQ has fallen by 15 points since the late 1800's, one point per decade.

The Flynn Effect is well established, and it shows that average IQs in the industrialized world increased through much of the 20th century.

James4HJ: The current estimated global fertility rate is 2.25, below the replacement rate.

Replacement rate is about 2.1.

James4HJ: The Reverse Flynn Effect is now a thing. Developed world IQs are in decline.

The decline isn’t universal, and the reasons aren’t yet clear and may be environmental (e.g. pollution). It still doesn’t unwind the overall increase in IQs, contrary to bob sykes’s claim.

James4HJ: Replacement rate varies by region and culture depending on infant, child, adolescent, and young adult mortality rate and life expectancy.

Sure, but the replacement rate is falling in the developing world, where the fertility rate remains high. Keep in mind the claim at issue is the human “species is going extinct”. Rather what is happening is that the population of the developed world is contracting, while the population of the developing world, especially Africa, is expanding. That is not species extinction. See GBD 2021 Fertility and Forecasting Collaborators, Global fertility in 204 countries and territories, 1950–2021, with forecasts to 2100: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, The Lancet 2024.

That doesn’t mean there are not impending demographic challenges, but the world population will probably still be very large into the next century, and human reproductive behavior is likely to continue to evolve.

James4HJ: I don't really feel the need to provide such evidence

You are under no obligation to defend your position. We just note that you haven’t.

James4HJ: Replacement rate varies by region and culture depending on infant, child, adolescent, and young adult mortality rate and life expectancy.

Sure, but the replacement rate is falling in the developing world, where the fertility rate remains high. Keep in mind the claim at issue is the human “species is going extinct”. Rather what is happening is that the population of the developed world is contracting, while the population of the developing world, especially Africa, is expanding. That is not species extinction.

That doesn’t mean there are not impending demographic challenges, but the world population will probably still be very large into the next century, and human reproductive behavior is likely to continue to evolve.

James4HJ: Since you're so big on offering evidence for one's positions, what is your alleged evidence that the women who work in Trump's campaign don't challenge him in private?

Sorry. Guess you did just fall out of a coconut tree. Not your fault. Trump has a long history of attacking anyone who challenges him, including and especially those within his inner circle. It’s his nature.

DeGaulle: The principle reason for the ongoing decline in IQ is reduced childhood mortality.

Large and sustained reductions in childhood mortality in developed societies during the 20th century were accompanied by dramatic increases in IQs, seemingly contradicting your claim.

Reacting to hecklers, Harris’s leading sentence is “We are here because we are fighting for democracy.” So, the meaning is clear. She is saying the fundamental issue is fighting for American democracy. She continues, “Democracy can be complicated, sometimes it's okay. We're fighting for the right for people to be heard and not jailed because they speak their mind. We know what's at stake.”


He was referring to women who actually challenge Trump. Nevertheless, Cuban apologized (something Trump never does, no matter how outrageous his bloviations).


Such cases are being documented. Pregnancy is complicated and dangerous. From time immemorial, it has sometimes meant abortion to save the mother’s life or health. Not taking action until the fetus is dead can mean sepsis and death for the mother. Sorry the world is more complicated than allowed in a black-and-white world.


Geez, this is the same guy who wore a MAGA hat to show his lack of animosity towards Trump supporters. It’s clear that Biden stuttered and didn’t mean to insult the entirety of Trump supporters, but just those making racist comments at the MSG rally.

James4HJ: Harris and Waltz are both publicly on the record advocating for government prohibitions of political expression by US citizens.

Note we provided a specific example of Harris advocating for free speech. You waved your hands “over there somewhere”.

James4HJ: Neither you or Cuban have any basis for claiming that the women who work for Trump do not challenge him.

You just fall out of a coconut tree?

James4HJ: He said he was sorry that people got offended, not that he was wrong or shouldn't have said what he said.

Cuban issued an apology and clarified his meaning (something Trump never does, no matter how outrageous his bloviations).

OneGuy: Harris must lie, just as every pro-communist politicians must lie to get elected.

What is your evidence that Harris is a communist? And what do you consider communism? Marxism?

OneGuy: Communism is Marxism/socialism by force.

That’s a bit backwards. Communism as a general philosophy doesn’t entail force, but advocates for an egalitarian society. Marxism envisions violent revolution, then a period of dictatorship of the proletariat, followed by a withering of the state, leaving a classless, moneyless society of perfect social and economic equality. There are lots of non-Marxist doctrines that entail force, so leaving out the egalitarian nature of communism, leaves your definition woefully incomplete. Indeed, the rule of law itself entails force, so force applies to all governments. What we are left with is “communism” in your reckoning is any government you don’t like.

OneGuy: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn will be so relieved to hear that!

You had suggested that communism is a subset of Marxism/socialism. Rather, Marxism is a subset of communism. For instance, a hippie commune run by consensus is a form of communism, but it is not Marxist.

So, your claim that Harris is a communist fails even before any evidence because you misuse the word itself. What we are left with is “communism” in your reckoning is any government you don’t like.

SK: Awoman who didn't get a single primary vote as a presidential candidate, installed as nominee of a major party by three people

Democratic nominees are elected by delegates, of which she won a large majority. How did you think it worked?

SK: even the Whitehouse staff knew it and tried to clean it up by playing magic apostrophe

You do realize there is no phonetic difference between “supporters” and “supporter’s”? the latter supported by his use of the singular “his”. Biden also clarified his remarks (something Trump never does, no matter how outrageous his bloviations).

SK: As I said, not a single primary vote for president from any citizen of this country.

That’s correct. Harris didn’t run in the primary for president—Biden did. When Biden dropped out, his delegates were released, and he endorsed Harris, so most of his delegates voted for Harris.

Primary voters do not directly determine the nominee, the delegates do. Some delegates are elected in primaries, some are determined through caucuses, and some are selected by party leaders. You do understand that the Democratic Party is essentially a private club, and that they make their own rules, rules which were established well in advance. The Democratic Party seems highly pleased with Harris as their nominee. Again, how did you think it worked?

SK (quoting): “a breach of protocol and spoliation of transcript integrity between the Stenography and Press Offices."

The protocol was to confer with the supervisor of the stenographers office, but the supervisor wasn’t immediately available. Regardless, the supervisor did not comment on the validity of the actual edit. Biden clarified his remarks, and as noted above, it is out of character for him to blame the voters. That’s why his stuttered response has had little currency outside the MAGA-sphere.

SK: Not one single vote.

Harris received 4,567 Democratic Party delegate votes, or nearly unanimous. Again, how did you think it worked? Meanwhile, she has almost certainly received millions of votes in the general election. Do you understand that the Democratic Party is a private organization? They make their own rules.

SK: The supervisor's email speaks for itself--it was plain that he felt the statement should not have been altered

Agreed. Protocol should have been followed—even in the heat of the impending election. So, you apparently reject the so-called unitary executive theory of government.

SK: Maybe you should actually listen to Biden saying it.

We did. It could be interpreted either way; but from Biden’s history, it’s clear he was just upset at the speaker. People know Joe, the guy who donned a MAGA hat to make a friendly connection with a Trump supporter, which is why the gaffe has so little currency outside the right-wing echochamber.