[MD] Distinguishing Levels (Individual level)

[Case]

> [Case]
> Interesting... But leaving aside questions of blame, do you think such a
> threat exists?

[Platt]
No. 

[Case]
So how do you account for the scientific consensus that there is a problem?

[Platt]
What threat? Capitalism has already made the U.S. the cleanest nation 
in the world. Now if the environmentalists would just let us build 
atomic electric plants like in Europe we'd be cleaner still. :-) And we 
could sure use some more oil refineries.

[Case]
You said the continued 'betterness' in evolution was assured because human
beings have the ability to prevent big rocks from falling out of the sky and
ruining our day. I asked how capitalism would address a collective problem
of this sort. 

Why would you want to pepper the land with power plants that produce waste
products that can kill anything that comes near it for the next 40,000
years? 

As for refineries, why would you want to encourage continued reliance on an
energy source that is guaranteed to run out soon, is controlled by people
who hate us and appears to be escalating in cost with no end in sight?
 
[Platt]
Whatever. I think the theory is a cop out anyway. Evolutionists really 
can't explain sudden bursts of species formation any more than they can 
explain "Why evolve?" There are lots of holes in Darwinian theory.

[Case]
How would you explain sudden burst of species formation?
Things evolve because the alternative is to die. Lots of things do that.
It's evolve or die. What is mysterious about that? What holes are you
talking about?

[Platt]
How do you test to see if all crows are black?

[Case]
You continue making the statement with confidence until you find one that is
not. So what?

[Platt]
Are you saying your description isn't absolutely true? Sounds to me 
like you are absolutely convinced. :-) But, I'll retract the question 
since we've been around this block so many times before. You say there 
are no absolutes, I say there are except in the highest realms of 
philosophical discourse, as Matt Kundert kindly pointed out to me some 
time ago. 

[Case]
Something can be true by definition. I was providing my understanding of a
definition. It was a conditional understanding and if you have a better
definition or an example of such a truth, I am listening but as it stands I
find the idea of Absolute Truth just plain silly.