• exocrinous@startrek.website
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    9 months ago

    You’re talking about cancer breakthroughs like they’re not politics. Cancer breakthroughs are political. The allocation of resources towards particular kinds of research and its payoff is a contentious subject. The breakthrough serves to justify money that has been spent on cancer research. Although critics may say that there’s too much focus on cancer research when other illnesses are more widespread and more pressing. And for that matter, should we be putting more effort into limiting carcinogens in the first place instead of researching cures? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Maybe I’d prefer the government subsidize induction stoves so that I don’t have to inhale carcinogenic stove fumes and later get my cancer cured in a hospital. That sure sounds like less stress for the patient, and it has the side benefit of improving climate change. Ultimately cancer breakthroughs are a deeply political subject, with a lot of different conflicting opinions on the subject.

    • huginn
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      9 months ago

      Oh my God you really don’t get it. Politics doesn’t mean “anything that is political” - politics is an act of governance. Politics is what politicians do.

      • exocrinous@startrek.website
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        9 months ago

        I disagree. I think anyone can do politics. According to your definition, 10,000 people blocking the streets for a rally isn’t politics. A man self immolating in front of the supreme court isn’t politics. A scientist appearing before the UN to talk about the dangers of climate change isn’t politics. That’s silly. It’s also a circular definition, given a politician is defined as someone who does politics.

        • huginn
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          9 months ago

          You define a politician as one who does politics for the same reason you define an artist as one who does art.

          Everything you mentioned above is political but that doesn’t make it politics.

          It’s defined as “the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power.”

          Politics is what politicians, aspiring or otherwise, do. Just like art is what artists do. And music is what musicians make.

          You’re using words wrong and then bitching at people for not using words wrong with you.