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I’m surprised that you did not mention - at least in this recap - the high degree of cultural homogeneity in the Scandinavian countries as a major source of their cohesiveness and ultimately happiness. Not to mention a largely white and highly educated population that has avoided the brunt of European wars and has largely remained politically neutral. From my experience, the predominant culture was formed from their Christian roots, and kept alive by a strong tribal instinct that has led to a b…

> homogeneity in the Scandinavian countries as a major source of their cohesiveness and ultimately happiness....largely white

Happy by what standard? There is no such fact as race. And innate ideas are the absurdity of knowing reality prior to knowing reality. Why for what or whom is cohesiveness good?

The definition of happiness is what BC discussed in his recap - there are metrics to measure this, which he accepts. I would argue that tribal affiliations are ingrained in our evolutionary makeup, and allow (demand) for the members of the tribe to act in accordance with the cultural norms of that tribe, including putting group membership often ahead of individual impulse. This is what makes for better social conditions, IMHO.

>happiness...metrics to measure this

And, yet, curiously, very curiously, you dont tell us.

> tribal affiliations are ingrained in our evolutionary makeup

Man has free will to focus or evade focusing his mind. This is known by common human experience, not science. Evolution stopped w/mans free will mind because that is the most powerful method for mans life. You rationalize the cowardly sacrifice of independent judgment to social approval. Better social conditions protect and reward mans free will mind.

Incoherent, scientifically illiterate nonsense. Just as "race" doesn't exist (as good science), race denialism is equally bad science. Gene pools matter. Classical liberalism only appeared 1,000 years ago in the outbred gene pool in NW Europe. Inbred gene pools are never classically liberal, with high-social-trust institutions such as formal/constitutional law, they are always clannish and low trust.

See Samuel Bowles' 2008 Ulam Lectures, Santa Fe Institute.

Are you a Rand fetishist. or similar?

Yes, Im a Rand fetishist. Ive grown weary of statistical studies of emotions posing as science.

Have you ever considered science as the product of a focused mind? As bluesman, Johhny Winter almost sang it,"Realitys out there,babe, its sneakin' up on ya Its gonna git ya wherever you go.

>"race" doesn't exist (as good science), race denialism is equally bad science.

If you mess up your mind w/contraadictions, it will respond w/demons.