re: #171 Cato the Elder

I once did know algebra, Ludwig. And trigonometry, and I had to pass courses in them to get out of high school.

They were not my thing. I have an artist for a mother and a scientist for a father. Her eyes glaze over when he talks equations, and his do when she talks color schemes.

I inherited his face and her brain.

The chances that I will ever need anything for basic life beyond basic math are close to zero, and if I do, I have a scientific calculator on my iPhone.

But, since you equate your particular kind of brain with the kind of brain we need to survive and thrive and beat AGW, I am persona non grata in your fantasy baseball version of Life As It Ought To Be.

Glad I am, very, that you’re not running things.

First of all Cato, saying that I would not be opposed to a fairly administered examination that did not discriminate against race or creed, is hardly calling for it to be implemented.

Second of all, if it were, and you cared enough to vote, you would and could l;earn it again.

Third of all, if you are so proud that you can’t look at an expression like (x^2-9) and instantly tell me the two roots, you are only marking yourself as the worst sort of lazy intellect rationalizing his ignorance, and no Cato, people who are that accepting of their own laziness do not have the moral qualification, let alone the intellectual qualification to address complex issues of government.

And I am actually being serious here. Basic, and I do mean basic micro economics rests on understanding a Volterra Predator Prey curve. I’ll bet you have never even heard of that. That does not make you a bad person, but where do you get off thinking you can say anything about what a good economic policy might be. For the record, understanding that requires calculus - its a bit more advanced than algebra.

In fact, how do you calculate interest in your finances? How do you know if you’ve paid enough taxes? How do you know if a loan or a mortgage is a good deal without this knowledge? It is certain that bakers and credit card companies feed off of and enrich themselves on the rampant and acceptable ignorance of most Americans.

And what about science? You periodically crank at me about things I write about AGW. Yet, you have just proudly proclaimed that you are in no position whatsoever to even grasp the most basic principles of it - and that more importantly, you have the sort of woefully lazy intellect that will proudly not look into them, but just as proudly spout a demonstrably meaningless opinion of it.

I suppose actually being educated is too much for some old Romans.