Asimov was wrong, violence is not the last refuge of the incompetent

[Fumesucker]

Violence is the first choice of the incompetent.

[2naSalit]

1. You'd think

we'd have figured that out by now but...

apparently not.

[Ichingcarpenter]

2. People who think they know everything

People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.


Isaac Asimov

[Johonny]

3. lobbyist is the last refuge of the incompetent

I believe running in the GOP primary is the first choice of the incompetent

[mwrguy]

4. True

I had always thought he got it backwards.

[Motown_Johnny]

5. I disagree

Mostly because you misunderstand.

This is similar to always finding something in the last place you look. It is the self fulfilling prophecy. You always find something in the last place you look because once you find it you stop looking. Even if it is the first place you look, it is also the last place you look.

The Good Doctor understood this. It is the last refuge for all incompetents, even if it is the first one for many of them.


Asimov is seldom wrong. Play it safe and always agree with him. I do and it works out very very well for me.

[Fumesucker]

6. Asimov never listened to modern Republicans

What you said is what I used to think too, I changed my mind watching the Republicans.

Killing baby Hitler?

I'm rereading the Foundation books at the moment, picked them up for fifty cents at a yard sale, by fifty years after the establishment of Seldon's Plan Asimov had star ships in a milieu where fossil fuels are the only power sources, I've been trying to wrap my head around that for about a hundred pages now.

Asimov once said if you understand yourself you understand other people, again he never met modern Republicans

[Motown_Johnny]

8. He never really addressed the power sources well.

Did you get to the small personal "shields" about the size of a walnut?

Clearly that not is not powered by coal.

It has been many long decades since I read the Foundation Series so please excuse me if the details have faded. You do know that there are 7 books in the Foundation series, right?

BTW. All the Robot series books tie into the Foundation Series. The Galactic Empire Series is also in the same universe although with plots and characters that do not tie into the other story line. Also, many of the early short stories tie in with the Foundation Series plot line. At least all the U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men stories do.

In my opinion, these books (5 Robot novels, 38 Robot short stories, 4 Galactic Empire novels and 7 Foundation series novels) combine to create the greatest epic in modern history. I strongly suggest reading all of them. Hell, I strongly suggest reading anything and everything he wrote. This even includes the Lucky Starr series that he wrote under the pen name Paul French. The non fiction is great too.

There is one story out there available for free through the Gutenberg Project that is fun too. It's title is simply "Youth". You can read it on your phone if you want.

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31547



Sorry if I rambled on a bit but this guy is far and away my favorite author.

[Liberal_Dog]

9. The Foundation Still Had Nuclear Power

Anacreon and the other Kingdoms in the Periphery lost nuclear power and went back to fossil fuels.

The Foundation provided nuclear power to the Kingdoms in the form of a religion. That gave the Foundation economic control over their bigger and more powerful neighbors and the Foundation eventually dominates the Kingdoms.

[Fumesucker]

10. Terminus had nuclear power, it was Anacreon that had star ships and only fossil fuel

That was during the first Seldon Crisis.

I've read most of that at one time or another and a lot of Asimov short fiction and non fiction too.

My favorite Asimov story is still "The Last Question" although "Hell-Fire" is a close second.

[Motown_Johnny]

14. Again, it has been many long decades since I had read most of that stuff...

The three that were turned into novels still stick with me as being among my favorites (Nightfall, The Ugly Little Boy and The Positronic/Bicentennial Man). Besides them I really liked "Sally". "Youth" is a good one too, that is why I linked to it. Admittedly I have read that more recently so that could be clouding my judgement.

[BlueJazz]

11. I've often wondered why Hollywood hasn't scooped up his entire series for a 3-5 episode movie (s)

I remember spending many, many hours with the Doctor's writings.

[Fumesucker]

12. There's almost no actual action, it's virtually all dialogue or exposition

No one is killing people and breaking shit.

It would be a real challenge to bring it to the screen, look at what happened to I Robot.

[BlueJazz]

13. Good point. I was disappointed in I Robot. Strange how some writers/producers/directors can...

...pull off a film like Bridge of Spies and do it well but seem to have trouble making a good sci-fi film without turning it into a space cowboy fiasco.

[Motown_Johnny]

15. I expected the "Sci-Fi" network to do a series of movies...

..back when it was the "Sci-Fi" network, but it never happened. The Bicentennial Man and iRobot is about it.

Strange.

[BlueJazz]

16. Well, they did some wonderful movies for awhile like "Matumba, Giant Shrimp of the Sea"

"Yes, Captain...it's...it's like the shrimp are being told to attack us"

[hifiguy]

7. Close.

Republicanism is the first choice of the mentally incompetent.