Dennis Hackethal’s Blog

My blog about philosophy, coding, and anything else that interests me.

Tweets

An archive of my tweets and retweets through . They may be formatted slightly differently than on Twitter. API access has since gotten prohibitively expensive – I don't know whether or when I'll be able to update this archive.

But in case I will, you can subscribe via RSS – without a Twitter account. Rationale

Here's an article @paulg wrote on the subject:

paulgraham.com/wtax.html

For example, at a mere 1% wealth tax, the government will have taken almost 50% of the taxed assets at the end of your life.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Also, a wealth tax is particularly insidious because it taxes the same amount again and again. A percentage that may seem low can have devastating effects over the years.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ewarren

Their ability to afford it does not justify theft from them.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

The parasite keeps growing.

That’s how it starts: it affects “only” the top 0.1%. So most people don’t care. Then the parasite grows a little more. Which costs more. So then it’s 1%. Rinse, repeat. twitter.com/ewarren/status…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Cool. Was hoping browsers would add support for aspect ratios. twitter.com/Una/status/135…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@GavinNewsom

At whose expense?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@FallingIntoFilm

No, why do you ask?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@BetterCallSaul

Can't wait for the last season. Soon pls!

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Those teachers are indeed oppressors. But not because of racism. twitter.com/realchrisrufo/…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@TextSkizzen

Anscheinend nicht: duden.de/rechtschreibun… benutzt "5%ig"

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@TextSkizzen

Heißt es dann auch "50 %-ig"? Zum Beispiel in "Es gibt eine 50 %-ige Wahrscheinlichkeit".

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@TextSkizzen

Ganz richtig. Schade nur, dass die Leerzeichen manchmal dazu führen, dass die Abkürzungen von einer Zeile auf die nächste getrennt werden, wenn sie nicht mehr in die Zeile passen.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@jensspahn

Die Zeitangaben machen alle wenig Unterschied. Für Politiker, weil sie ohnehin weiter bezahlt werden, für Bürger, weil man sich in zehn Wochen wieder etwas Neues ausdenkt, um Restriktionen noch länger bestehen zu lassen.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@avalonpenrose

"I own stocks, so I have a pretty good understanding of the stock market" is a non sequitur.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@bhweingarten @realchrisrufo

And neither is desirable.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Those folks putting ever more masks on at ever more times of day are rather reminiscent of both the flagellants and the inhabitants of the Easter Island. “Let’s enact this lifestyle ever more faithfully, maybe it will save us! To hell with freedom and creativity!”

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @RitterJurgen:
was sind schon 34 Jahre?
#Berlin #DDR #Tucholskystraße
1987 - 2021 https://t.co/LZSbnmg9nr

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@liberty_deity @gregbacon

Literally the first question in the FAQ: blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/libertar…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dela3499

Memes exist in at least two different physical forms. Also, memes can go up and laterally across generations of people.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@florinpop1705

Variations on reduce with single-line arrow functions.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@micsolana

Another question we don’t always ask: at whose expense and with whose consent?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@POTUS @JoeBiden

Sounds wonderful. Who paid for this btw?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@SJ_Watson @GermanAtPompey

David Deutsch’s “The Beginning of Infinity”

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@HistoryNed @kreuzberged

I see the heaters haven’t changed much since.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@GavinNewsom

They thank you “for supporting struggling Californians.” But it wasn’t you. It was the other Californians from whom you stole that money at the threat of violence. And now you’re taking credit.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@kreuzberged

What mic is that and does it come with the audio cover thing around it?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

From a libertarian perspective, it's as though the headline read: "It's finally a Latino's turn to steal people's money." twitter.com/GavinNewsom/st…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @SpaceX:
Falcon 9 launches Starlink to orbit – the eighth launch and landing of this booster https://t.co/zyj8ZdDFql

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@RubyInside

And if anyone has trouble updating, as I did: stackoverflow.com/a/13626200/137…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@adekunle_dreams @CerebralWisdom

But the main thing children learn in school, even though it's not explicitly on the curriculum, is a very evil thing indeed: blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/the-true…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@adekunle_dreams @CerebralWisdom

I don't understand the second sentence, but re the first one:

Effectively, yes. Children are met with such overwhelming force in school that there's a metaphorical gun to their heads to learn what parents and teachers deem right. Some of those things are good, some terrible.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

"Ist GPT-3 die erste künstliche allgemeine Intelligenz?"

zephyrnet.com/de/ist-gpt-3-d…

Nein.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@bscholl @paulg

The whole site still looks like it's from pre 2010.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @stackblitz:
💡 JavaScript tip:

When destructuring multiple values you can set one as a default for another. https://t.co/ryrtrKDxCH

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@CerebralWisdom

I’d guess the secret of tyranny lies in both, for, “educating”, in practice, ends up being forceful indoctrination of “the right” things to learn.

Forcing people to learn certain things is another way to make them ignorant.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@popper1902 @ella_hoeppner

Rather CTP-esque at around 40:05.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

I respect her courage in the face of authority. twitter.com/TruthAbtChina2…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@BernieSanders

Property rights protect people.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@AmourKody @GavinNewsom

People under a certain threshold of income or with no income—i.e., poor people—pay no taxes. And the vast majority of taxes are paid by the rich.

You may think poor people are owed something they're not getting, hence "paying" for it. That's not the case.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Berlin_Type

Covid to blame?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@nixcraft

In fairness, people on SO seem to have gotten nicer ever since SO started saying “this is a new contributor, be nice.”

Also, they’re suddenly much nicer once your score goes up... 🤷‍♂️

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Special-purpose prisons and talk of country-wide, forced vaccinations. Disgusting. Glad I’m not there right now.

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ClimateWarrior7

“[...] not what in fact ... prison says it is.”

Caught himself at the last second there.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@AmourKody @GavinNewsom

To be clear, you’re suggesting poor people are paying for vaccination sites somehow, despite not being taxed?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@GavinNewsom

At whose expense?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

A compilation of interviews with and lectures from Karl Popper:

youtube.com/watch?v=sLDpj8…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@denicmarko

Nice. Smart approach.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @bnielson01:
A new episode of The Theory of Anything Podcast is available. This time we discuss theories of AGI:

anchor.fm/four-strands/e…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@hamzaproactive @Lindsey_design

Yup same here.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@BrouwersIO @_tessr @notwaldorf @github

I believe your domain registrar can help with that too if the copy of the site has a similar name as yours or uses your trademark.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

“We conquer problems by creating knowledge—or they conquer us.” twitter.com/DavidDeutschOx…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@oliverjumpertz

Why not just pass isFood to the filter fn directly?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Government-managed distribution of vaccines, and now this.

At what point are people going to call it a planned economy? twitter.com/JoeBiden/statu…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@MurraySuggests

Likewise, when asked if people should be forced to wear condoms, they say "no." But when it comes to masks they say "yes."

When this asymmetry is pointed out to them, they come up with excuses to do the latter but not the former.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @MurraySuggests:
While liberals are in favor of any sexual activity engaged in by two consenting adults, when consenting adults engage i…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

When was the last time you had a full day of doing only things you wanted to do?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@BernieSanders

At whose expense?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@cloroussy

Like the openness to criticism and scientific inquiry they display when they say it's "scientifically proven" that lockdowns and the destruction of lives and businesses are necessary to contain the virus, and then go ahead and force that on people?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Biden is making epistemological claims. Yet almost nobody recognizes them as such, or finds epistemology worth studying.

Epistemological mistakes can and have led to countless deaths and abysmal misery.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@reason_wit_me @conor64

Nice. Why the word "but" in the fourth-to-last line?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

“[...] ensure everything we do is grounded in [...] truth” is a disturbing sentence to hear from a politician.

Contrast this with Socrates’ and Popper’s call for political humility:

youtu.be/OZuYrzLvzPs twitter.com/JoeBiden/statu…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @ykomska:
Love this artfully collapsed “resting Bismarck” statue in Tiergarten, by Friedrich Seidenstücker, 1946. https://t.co/5HtzVw6ECM

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @michaelmalice:
If schools were positive environments for children, detention would be a reward and not a punishment

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dhh

A grand achievement for social justice.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@heder___

Also, that's what people say, but that's not really what lockdowns are about. See gitpretty.com/dchacke/git-bl…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@heder___

I'm well aware of that argument.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Note that there's no mention of ending lockdown measures—which is the one thing that would really help.

Everything on this list grows government at the expense of society's productive members.

It's a classic move by the government to abuse a crisis to increase its powers. twitter.com/JoeBiden/statu…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@JoeBiden

At whose expense?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

And here's more about what children really learn in school: gitpretty.com/dchacke/git-bl…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

I've summarized these views in a new blog post titled "Lockdowns: Science vs. Morals": gitpretty.com/dchacke/git-bl…

10/

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

But that won’t convince lockdown supporters, because they’re not after solving either of those problems. What they’re really after—and what they learned to do in school—is spreading altruism and forcing others to do what they think is right. Which is disgusting.

9/

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

New blog post: "Governments Are Involuntary"

gitpretty.com/dchacke/git-bl…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Voluntary self-isolation solves the moral problem and the medical problem.

8/

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

That's why lockdowns are redundant: it locks down those who don't want to lock down in addition to those who'd voluntarily do so. There's no added benefit to the latter group by having other people forced to stay home, too.

7/

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

To those concerned about ICU numbers, their loved ones, etc: their is another way. Lockdowns are not the only way. You can persuade people to stay home. And those who are vulnerable are free to stay home already, no lockdowns. required.

6/

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Same goes for lockdowns. Even if there were overwhelming scientific evidence that locking people into their homes lowers transmission rates, death rates, what have you, it would still be evil.

5/

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

..., and advocates of such force can always point to scientific evidence for that. It'd be "based on science."

And still, forcing people not to smoke is wrong. Forcing them to exercise is wrong. Force in general is wrong, and no amount of scientific evidence changes that.

4/

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Take an example where we know that the outcome of force, in purely scientific terms, is beneficial: that of forcing someone not to smoke. Or forcing them to exercise a few times a week. Scientifically speaking, their body will be healthier as a result of that force...

3/

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

It's still letting scientism off the hook too lightly.

And say the argument were refuted tomorrow, that would be fine, because the moral problems would remain, and lockdowns would still be a horrendous evil.

2/

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

I agree with the underlying message, but the thing is, even if lockdowns were scientific, that would say nothing about the morality of the situation.

So the argument that lockdowns aren't scientific runs the risk of being refuted tomorrow through new scientific findings.

1/ twitter.com/MichaelPSenger…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @cat5657:
@dchackethal

Are you stupid? It's our tax payer money. We earned it.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: do NOT take any government payments. You’d be trading your freedom for a dime.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

He calls it “The American Rescue Plan.” He actually sees himself as a savior.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

At whose expense? twitter.com/JoeBiden/statu…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@RyanShoots @micahtredding

And animals, too.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

This is why “learn to code” is great advice. twitter.com/tanoaksam/stat…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@CarolaHeibach @EGermroth @c_drosten

Ich bin kein Troll. Du könntest meinen Kommentar ernst nehmen, so, wie ich es bei deinem auch getan habe.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@randomdorkynig @ProJavaOrlovsky @ASpittel

It’s not really a conclusion but an interpretation.

Again, can you think of another?

If you can, you might realize that “aggressive involvement” is not only unnecessary but also counterproductive.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

For if you need legal help defending yourself against lockdown measures. twitter.com/angela4LNCChai…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@nickbulljs

“Master” is a big word. And the first two can be built without JS.

Mastering comes after maybe 10,000 hours, as they say, of coding in JS. For some it will be sooner or later, but it takes a significant amount of time either way.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@florinpop1705 @dvassallo

Nothing to be grateful about when the government robs you of your money at the threat of violence.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@randomdorkynig @ProJavaOrlovsky @ASpittel

There’s no reason to be mean to me.

There are other explanations for that data. Can you think of one?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

This is starting to look really good.

Watch yourself react to the robot. I caught myself thinking it was conscious for a second there.

youtube.com/watch?v=D8_VmW…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@randomdorkynig @ProJavaOrlovsky @ASpittel

That 90% of JS developers are men does not mean that women only have a 10% chance of becoming Js developers.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

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