Ten oz

Rand Paul's medical experience/education is in ophthalmology. Fauci has been working in immunosuppression for over 40's have initially started working for National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 1980. Paul doesn't have the background to make any claims about which unknown places (Paul himself admits he doesn't know) covid19 may have come from. In terms of discipline, experience and comprehension of data Fauci is the one in a position to set the odds.

Criticizing the scientific community broadly does not lend any credibility to J. Allen Hynek. Proof of alien life on Earth needs to exist on its own merits. Being skeptical of individuals is not evidence of anything.

What businesses can and cannot afford to pay people seems to monopolizes wage discussions in the media. Some point to wealthy people owning $100 million estates as proof there is plenty of money to go around while other insist the cost of higher wages will seemly be passed on to consumers. Such discussion ignores other key factors. Three of those factors that come to my mind are: Govt's cost, impact of economy as a whole, competitiveness among the market place. Govt costs. The more one earns the more taxes they pay. Not merely federal income and Soc Sec but local taxes as well. People who earn more also generally tend to spend more and numerous taxes are attached to consumption. So govts from local municipalities up benefit from residents who earn more money. With the right leadership that can translates into better infrastructure, public education, policing, parks, etc. On the flip side low income residents are very expensive for govts. Lower income residents are less like to invest in the community, more likely to require public assistance services, etc. Every business with low watch employees whom need govt assisted food, house, healthcare, etc programs is basically using those govt programs to supplement their (businesses) low pay. Impact on the economy. Consumer Spending is 70% of GDP in the U.S.. That is why stimulus is so broadly accepted across party lines. Both major parties engage in various types of stimulus packages whenever the economy slows. People having money to spend, even if that money creates debt, is the most reliable way to lift the economy. Having enough to buy homes, cars, clothes, dine out, etc spurs economic growth. The same Restaurant that may not want to pay their employees $15hr would arguable have more costumers overall if everyone in their community made at least $15hr. Competitiveness among the market place. By favoring business cost related arguments over those of voters Politicians run the risk artificially subsidizing a non-competitive business at the expense of their constituents. The govt has a role in ensuring markets are fair helping the economy where they can. Propping up certain business over others or the will voters isn't that role. In a market place where residents support and vote to have $15hr business unable to compete at that salary point will be replaced by ones who can in theory. Especially if consumer spending grows along with the increase in wages.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892678/

All is well. I just spend a whole lot of time out of internet service range as of late due to work.

History is a poor standard when considering legality or ethics in today's society. 30yr old men marrying 12yr girls is a historical norm for example. My understanding is that teenagers not yet having fully form brains is a consideration in the leniency. That teenagers do not have does yet poses the mental ability, even relative to their adult selves, to understand their actions thoroughly. In my opinion finding reason to rehabilitate people is more useful than find reasons to lock people in prison for longer periods of time. Rehabilitating child is simple easier politically.

I am not well read on the science behind why whales beach themselves. I have loosely read and heard that it is or can be related to illness.

I don't entirely agree. Fixing the weaknesses in our (USA's) Republic that enabled Trump to exist is very important. More will follow in behind the doors Trump kicked down just as Trump followed in behind the work done by those who came before him. Holding Trump accountable and defining his criminality in court will set the precedence for the future politicians. Doing nothing in the name of looking forward is what the nation did after Watergate, Iran-Contra, Iraq invasion/fake intel, etc. Things have only gotten worse.

Protesters at BLM events who committed felonious acts have been prosecuted for those crimes. To my knowledge no participants in BLM protests who can be identified have been allowed to get away with felonious acts. Nor am I aware of any govt officials arguing they (BLM protest participants) should be allowed to get away with felonious acts. So I see no useful/logical whataboutism comparison between BLM protests and the Capital Assault. Those who committed serious crimes and can be identified should be prosecuted. No double standard exists. The difference between the two and the reason I suspect people attempt to make the comparison is that with the capital assault platforms and groups are being called out in addition to just individuals. That exists because of the coordination and planning that was in place. During BLM protests there is no evidence that groups communicating via twitter, facebook, with govt officials, candidates for office, or etc conspired in advance to loot a specific RiteAid or burn down a particular Wendy's. All evidence indicates the BLM protest violence has been spontaneous. Evidence from the Capital Assault tells a different story. Also sedition and conspiring to murder govt officials are entirely different criminal offenses than are vandalism and assault. One should expect to see different investigations follow.

I don't personally view this question in terms of ethics or morality. I think under normal circumstances life always seeks to perpetuate life. IMO suicide is abnormal. It exists when there is an other than typical circumstance like an illness or disorder. I see it as beyond individual control (choice) which is why I do not apply morality and ethics to it.

@MigL the proverbial genie being out of the bottle is a point often made when discussing how far new tech, processes, behaviors, or etc might go from a concerned point of view. While it may be true it lacks degree. Nuclear weapons were last (and only) used in 1945. Efforts to prevent proliferation have been more successful than most reasonable person would have guessed they could be when they began 70yrs ago. of course the cat is out the bag and more nations will obtain nuclear weapons and time Marches. That said future wars will most likely be cyber and the usefulness of Nuclear weapons is actually diminishing. Only time will tell but its possible we've already crested the peak concerning Nuclear weapons and are on the backside of the mountain. Militarily cyber provides more bang for the buck. In which case proliferation efforts kept keep nuclear weapons scarce enough (less nations with them) long enough. Efforts regarding gene editing might be able to do the same. Prevent wide spread editing long enough that our understanding of the down stream consequences catch up. *the morality of various discussion made in the name of preventing nuclear proliferation can be debated at length. Poor execution and bad faith behavior weasel there way into everything.

Trump losing the popular vote by 7 million is even more significant considering the investment Republicans have made in voter suppression. Thousands of polling locations have been closed, new registration laws instituted, new deadlines, ballots designed to confuse, etc, etc. In the past Republicans hid their efforts but in the months leading up to this election were brazen about their desire to prevent people from voting. Despite the carefully imposed inconveniences Biden received 7 million more votes. I think it is obvious the number would have easily been in the double digits if elections were manage in good faith. Trump won NC by a percent and Texas by just 5.5%. Both potentially would've been Biden's if not for disenfranchisement. I keep seeing people discuss that we (USA) is a divided nation and implying we are split equally but that isn't true. Democrats have won the popular vote in 7 of the last 8 general elections. won the popular vote by millions that last 4 straight general election. The majority of the nation has a preference.

@CharonY It seems we have some of the same concerns. It isn't trivial but it is being attempted . We are in the early dawn. The reasons to encourage and push ever further ahead are powerful ones. What parent wouldn't want to ensure their child would be born without a life threatening genetic condition. I am not comfortable with it but ever I would be desperate for such assurance if it existed. Problem of course is things never stay as intended and all value is relative. What starts as preventing babies from being born with cancer quickly becomes parents selecting the gender, hair color, etc of their children. certainly there would be far more paying customers for the superficial than the rare genetic disorder. I have come to view it as unethical for people to make any permanent long term (greater than a lifetime) changes to the ecology. Whether its making land uninhabitable with radioactive waste or manipulating germline DNA I don't think humans are capable of making the needed calculations for the future that will exist far beyond our own.

Trump cannot pardon state charges. Only federal ones. Trump also cannot pardon himself from future civil suits. Trump have been manipulating the true value of his assets for decades. Trump has defrauded numerous investors. Once Trump's financials are fully turned over to Courts in NY and interested parties can petition to see them Trump will be in big trouble. Suits will come in from states across the nation where Trump has done business: FL, NJ, NY, NV, FL, etc.

I recently watched a Netflix Documentary called Human Nature which discusses how CRISPR is being used and could be further used to edit human genes. I found many of the ethical questions raised difficult to parse. I also found the prospect of the human genome being possibly polluted with superficial edits made out of vanity, bias, or per ignorance terrifying. I put this in speculation to open the discussion up to include peoples hopes, fears, ethical concerns, etc are for human gene editing.