Hacker News Reader

> We can't even agree on carbon. There's no way we can agree on something like that.

Not with that attitude.

It's not so much that we "can't agree" but more that the main argumentative mode these days is sneering and insults, occasionally backed up by mob violence. No wonder people get stubborn about sticking to their positions.

View on HN

What attitude are you referring to? My conviction that humanity is unable to agree on what is in its best interest?

If you want everyone in the world to agree it's not going to happen. If you want enough people in the world to agree to move things a little towards what you want, it's possible.

The original premise here was that humanity would "leverag[e] our entire world economy to [a] single goal." You'd need a very significant chunk of humanity to agree in order to change the entire world economy. That's the part I find unlikely, and I think carbon is a decent example of why.

(And since you brought up the topic of sneering and insults, frankly, the only time I've felt insulted at at on this site recently was your "Not with that attitude" comment. Perhaps you're assuming some kind of ill will or political motivation on my part that was not in fact there. Regardless, your comment still reads like a sneer to me, three days later.)

Reply on news.ycombinator.com