Who let’s facts get in the way of their opinions??
Okay boys and girls… today’s piece was inspired by an article in the Boston Globe (boston.com). The article How facts backfire: Researchers discover a surprising threat to democracy: our brains, was entertaining… in much the same way as certain French appetizers are entertaining. They’re not toxic so they’re not completely wrong, but no matter how you wrap it in elitist language and/or with a French accent… it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a slug with a shell and as such… should only be eaten if stranded in remote lands for extended periods of time with nothing else to eat. While the article leads with the conclusion that our brains are actually a threat to democracy… because facts don’t change people’s minds or opinions, it then follows with a string of sketchy so called facts to bolster its position.
The fact is that in a really distorted way, the article it correct that facts don’t generally change anyone’s mind, and then it exemplifies why facts don’t change anyone’s mind… by throwing out several non-facts and inferring in the end that normal people just can’t handle the responsibility of democracy… because of the non-facts that the author throws out as facts.
So, I’ll start with the few ‘facts’ that this article throws out as facts that so called conservatives take issue with;
- “In 2005, amid the strident calls for better media fact-checking in the wake of the Iraq war, Michigan’s Nyhan and a colleague devised an experiment in which participants were given mock news stories, each of which contained a provably false, though nonetheless widespread, claim made by a political figure: that there were WMDs found in Iraq (there weren’t), “
- Well… the (there weren’t), part isn’t exactly true. There were MWD’s found in Iraq, there were MWD manufacturing and research facilities found in Iraq, and there was evidence that large quantities of WMD’s were transported out of Iraq, however… there were NOT the large quantities of WMD’s found that the entire world’s intelligence agencies thought were there. But to say flatly that “there weren’t” any WMD’s in Iraq… is wrong.
- “that the Bush tax cuts increased government revenues (revenues actually fell)”
- That statement is patently false… Government revenues did rise. President Bush took office in 2001, in a year in which government revenues were steeply falling.
Year GDP-US Total Revenue-fed
1999 9353.5 1827.64 a
2000 9951.5 2025.46 a
2001 10286.2 1991.43 a
2002 10642.3 1853.40 a
2003 11142.1 1782.53 a
2004 11867.8 1880.28 a
2005 12638.4 2153.86 a
2006 13398.9 2407.25 a
2007 14077.6 2568.00 a
2008 14441.4 2524.00 a
2009 14258.2 2105.00 a
2010 14623.9 2165.12 b
Legend:
a – actual reported
b – budgeted estimate in US fy11 budget
Now, as the actual numbers show… revenues peaked in 2000, a year before Bush took office, then dropped precipitously until… by God… until 2004, the fiscal year following the full implementation of Bush’s tax cuts. (Please do not take this as a defense of Bush at all… because while his tax cuts did raise revenues… his spending outpaced his revenue increases dramatically)
So, two ‘facts’… that according to this article claims that so called ‘conservatives’ were so defensive about… weren’t even facts at all, but misrepresentations of facts.
Is it any wonder why so many people disbelieve these so called ‘facts’??
Then the article continues with this, ‘It’s unclear what is driving the behavior — it could range from simple defensiveness, to people working harder to defend their initial beliefs — but as Nyhan dryly put it, “It’s hard to be optimistic about the effectiveness of fact-checking.”’
Well, to the trained eye it is simple what the driving behavior is. I divide it up into two areas, agenda and simple values.
- Agenda… people have agendas to push. Everyone has agendas to push… from Katie Couric interviewing Sarah Palin to Sean Hannity interviewing Sarah Palin. The media, whether it’s CNN, Fox News, MSNBC to your evening news… they all have an agenda.
I have an agenda… only I freely admit that I have an agenda, and I’ll state my agenda openly an honestly. That is one of the few things that I think sets me apart from many others…
… other people cloak their agendas in the language of intellectual elitism and behavioral studies, etc.
Politicians wrap their agendas in GAO studies, CBO projections, economist speak, and greater good… and need and… my personal favorite, it’s for the children…
And of course, these ‘Fact Checkers’… themselves have agenda’s. Factcheck.org, MediaMatters.org and even to a slight degree… snopes.com all have agendas. Though snopes.com seems to have the least political agenda, factcheck.or mediamatters.org both have a steep political tilt and thus… their facts are about as reliable as the ones in this article.
2. Values… simple values. I’ll tell you what I value. I value individual liberty, namely my individual liberty and that of my children. I value your individual liberty, but not necessarily as much as my own, meaning… I’m not willing to let you swing your fist into my face for the sake of your liberty. Nor would I expect you to be willing to let me swing my fist in your face… or would I expect to party all the time and expect for you to pay for my house, run my business into the ground and expect you to bail me out.
That is what I value. I won’t make any bones about it. I don’t value your health-care. I don’t value your house. I don’t value your job… at least not as much as I value our liberty.
So, when faced with what may very well be absolute facts (for the sake of argument)… like that a new sweeping health-care bill might lower overall health-care costs and it might provide for a new Utopian society… at the cost of letting some bureaucrat to decide what kind of health-care I have…
… I’m going to completely ignore and disregard it. I don’t care.
It’s not some flaw in my brain. It’s not a threat to democracy… it’s a simply difference in VALUES.
So, take into account a difference in values, with the FACT that I recognize that like opinions and… well opinions… everyone has agendas, it’s no wonder why so called facts don’t seem to change people’s minds.
There has never been a pundit or politician yet that has let facts get in the way of their opinions… and it would seem that very few of these studies or articles let facts get in the way of their ‘facts’ or conclusions.
Topics: Political | No Comments »
Things that make you say… Hmmmm
Okay, so I was browsing the headlines this morning, one headline I ran across (after I flipped through the, Super Heroes: Where Are They Now? pictorial) was this one;
Terror Experts Blast Obama for Dropping References to Islamic Extremism
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration’s recent move to drop rhetorical references to Islamic radicalism is drawing fire in a new report warning the decision ignores the role religion can play in motivating terrorists…
Then, the following article;
Bombers Kill 64 World Cup Fans in Uganda
“Uganda is one of our enemies. Whatever makes them cry, makes us happy. May Allah’s anger be upon those who are against us,” Sheik said.
What??? Let’s not forget the story from a couple days ago
NASA Chief: Next Frontier Better Relations With Muslim World
So, when wrapped up together… you just have to ask where the priorities are for these people?? Why the need for the Muslim/Islam hand job?
Don’t even get me started on the use of our military for rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan while there are a bunch of perfectly good terrorists (namely the above mentioned “May allah’s anger’ asshole) to kill.
Topics: Political | No Comments »
I love Megyn Kelly
First of all… I love Megyn Kelly. Second of all, this interview explains a lot about race relations in this country… all you need to know is that it’s the “Right” that’s so blame for these people hating whites, wanting to kill white babies, wanting to kill ‘crackers’…
It’s Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity’s fault that …they want to kill the white man.
http://video.foxnews.com/v/4277314/new-black-panther-party-head-responds-to-allegations/
Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com
Topics: Political | No Comments »
Baby Cribs
Saw a report yesterday, consumer groups want the government to just do something about there defective cribs… yep… soon the government will tell you what kind of crib you can put your kid in because you’re not smart enough to make that decision on your own. Of course, being the “Land of the Free”, you’re already told what kind of light bulbs to own, how much water you can use per flush, what you can eat, drink, and smoke… so what’s the difference in them telling you what kind of crib you can buy?
Topics: Stupid People | No Comments »
Rulers vs. Leaders
During the last election I kept hearing (but I didn’t really take notice of it because it always seemed like it was in the periphery) this and that about how great we were because we elected our ‘rulers’. It was one of those things that feel like a splinter in your sock. It just kind of irritates you every time you take a step.
And the idea that we elect a ‘ruler’ just irritates the crap out of me.
I can’t speak for every American, but I thought that all Americans were created ‘equal, which means to me that I’ve got the same rights as any man or woman in America; be it Barack Obama or George Bush or Joe the Plumber. I don’t know about anyone else, but I take exception to the idea that anyone is going to ‘rule’ over me.
I learned growing up that part of being ‘American’ was the resistance to being ‘ruled’. From our Founding Fathers to John Wayne to Harley Davidson to Rock & Roll to Cowboys to the Alamo, hell the entire state of Texas… everything that I know about the spirit of America has its roots in not being ‘ruled’.
I know, there has to be some people out there that don’t mind being ruled, and to you I’d like to offer you a minimum wage job at the local McDonalds.
For everyone else out there, how do you feel about being ruled over?
Now, that’s not to say we don’t need leaders in the country. While we have an abundance of people who want to be our rulers; we have a distinct lack of leaders in this country.
What’s the difference between a ruler and a leader?
A ruler will sit in Washington DC and tell Americans how to live their lives, how to run their businesses, how to treat their employees, what kind of healthcare they must carry, and what people can eat, drink, smoke, listen to, watch on TV, and eventually think.
A leader will live their own lives and be an example of how to live their lives, how to run their businesses, how to treat their employees, what kind of healthcare they must carry, and what people can eat, drink, smoke, listen to, watch on TV, and eventually think.
Let’s take Barack Obama for example. As a ruler, he wants to legislate that you and I provide healthcare for our neighbor. In order for his plans to work he has to get as many healthy people into the system to pay for the sick people, and he’s willing to use every power available to him to enact it (be they Constitutional powers or not). Now, as a leader, Mr. Barack Obama would take a percentage of his millions and encourage his millionaire friends like Warren Buffet to dip into their own fortunes and help out a few million people who need healthcare.
A ruler writes legislation that mandates that all business owners will provide healthcare for their employers, hire a certain percentage of women, minorities, gay, lesbians and/or transgendered employees, and make sure that their business has a zero carbon footprint. A leader just does it.
A leader will go out and simply do it, and I’d be the first one in line to support them. If Barack Obama were to take a couple million dollars of his own money… and maybe even a few million from his rich Hollywood friends… and start a business using only private money and running on the same principles that he wants to force on everyone in America (and if he made a good product) I’d be the first in line to support his business.
If Barack Obama were to vow to veto any Federal mandate for healthcare, but pony up a few million dollars of his own money (and a few million from his Hollywood friends) to simply provide healthcare for people who need it…
… I’d be first in line to campaign on his behalf.
Because that’s the difference between a leader and a ruler. Barack Obama wants to be a great ruler…
… and I for one don’t want to be ruled!!!
(and this isn’t a partisian issue. The Republicans are just as guilty as the Democrats are… they just want to be ‘ruler lites’)
Topics: Political | No Comments »
Sorry for the absense…
Just a Note, I’m still here!! I’ve had a couple of rough months at work and at home and just haven’t had the time or the energy to sit down at the computer for more than 10 minutes at a time.
BUT, I’m back… and hopefully I’ll be able to put out a few more lines.
Topics: Political | No Comments »
Defining our Terms: Progressive
Once upon a time, in a land that seems far, far away, ‘Liberal’ was a term used to describe people like Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Locke, and Thomas Paine. They weren’t exactly those mad eyed leftists that argue for more and more government programs and higher taxes on those evil rich people who work for a living. Somewhere in the early 20th century the ‘socialists’, ‘fascists’ and ‘progressives’ somehow became ‘liberals’. It was right around the time when people started becoming aware of the prison camps and ovens that became associated with the European socialists, fascists and progressives. So, instead of looking at themselves and their ideals and the human destruction that those ideals led to in Europe… instead of changing the ideals, they changed the language and ‘progressives’ became ‘liberals’.
Then, 50-60 years later, the term ‘liberal’ started to lose its shine so, the progressives have started calling themselves ‘progressives’ again.
Not that they’re all that ‘progressive’. They want to ‘progress’ from the industrial world back to an agrarian world. They want to ‘progress’ from a world that embraces individual liberty and freedom back to a world of serfdom and dependency on the state, not unlike the feudal system that Europe was in until the United States of America smashed over 200 years ago. That’s not ‘progressive’, that ‘regressive’.
I try to avoid speaking for anyone else, but I don’t care to go back to farming my own little plot of land that was allotted to me by any lord, but I digress.
I’m still not thrilled with the term progressive, but that’s their term, so we’ll let them have it, but we should be clear in the fact that these people are going to ‘progress’ us right back into the dark ages… but that’s their term.
It should be noted that every ‘progressive’ regime that the world has ever known has led to an oligarchy. Even here in the United States, we have certain families, whether they’re the Clintons, the Kennedys, or the Bushs, we have a certain small percentage of the population that enjoys the power to decide for the rest of us. In Korea they have Kim jung il; in Russia, Putin; in China they have the ‘party’. All around the world, you can change the names and the nation, but there is little difference between the progressives of today and the lords and ladies of the middle ages. There’s also no difference between the great unwashed masses of today and the surfs and peons of days gone by.
The point is that progressivism is regressive. The progressives have created a caste system, where people of certain classes are set in a caste system. Notice the lines drawn by progressives between the rich and the ‘middle class’, and which oddly enough seem to exclude the political class from the evil rich class.
That, for reference, is how I define ‘Progressive’, which can be interchanged relatively easily with ‘Liberal’ and occasionally ‘Socialist’ and/or ‘Fascist’.
Topics: Political | No Comments »
Have You Slapped an Old Person Today? A Story about Social Security that is NOT About Social Security.
No, not just any old person, but a really old a really old person. Well, not just any really old person, but a really old person that voted for (or by proxy elected someone to vote for) the original Social Security program. That person would have to be somewhere in their 90’s or older so don’t slap them too hard, I would probably settle for yelling at the old farts for loading, not their children, not even their grandchildren, but their great-grandchildren down with debt.
We didn’t always have Social Security. It was originally a ‘New Deal’, Depression era program that was passed in August of 1935 and didn’t go in effect until several years later. It was originally set up as a welfare program for old, disabled and unemployed. I really doubt that even those that voted for it intended to be a burden to their great-grandchildren. At the time, it was a program to help the old and needed… and who could argue against helping the old and the needy?
Originally, the Social Security (aka OASDI & HI) tax was only 2% (1% from you and 1% from your boss for you). Now, 74 years later it’s only up to 15.3% (7.65% from you and 7.65% from your boss for you). Now, what kind of selfish person would argue with chipping in 2% of their income to help the poor and elderly? That argument goes a long way until that 2% grows to more than 15%.
Even the argument at 15% might go a little way, until you find out that 15% isn’t even going to be enough to cover what the government is owes in a very few years. That means that our kids aren’t going to be looking at 15%. They’re going to pay progressively more and more every year as more old people retire (and sit on their ass for 20 years drawing welfare), and the ratio between those who are paying into Social Security and those who are collecting Social Security gets smaller and smaller.
So, that really old person that voted for Social Security, and all of their good intentions, have really left a major screwed up mess for their great-grandchildren great-great-grandchildren.
Now, this as much as I’d love to talk about the royal screw-up called Social Security, this isn’t about Social Security. It’s more about the fact that my great-grandparents passed a program off onto me, that I don’t want, and I didn’t get a say about it. I didn’t get a vote on Social Security.
Did you?
Now, I really don’t care about your specific view on Social Security. I’d just like to hear from anyone who’s paying for it, that didn’t get a vote on it… and happy about it (‘IT’ being the fact that you did NOT get a vote for it).
Now, here is the real rub, and the point that I’ve been working towards… we’re ready to do the same thing to our children and grandchildren (and great-grandchildren) this healthcare system is going to be nearly ‘free’, not unlike the great-grandparents who only voted for a mere 2% tax that’s now grown to more than 15% (and will soon grow to more than 15%).
Even IF (and that’s a mighty big IF) these programs, like healthcare, cap-n-trade or whatever the program of the week is, didn’t grow out of control (like most government programs do) what kind of people impose these programs on their descendants who don’t have a say in it, but will be saddled with it.
Is that no better than the taxation without representation that we rebelled from England for?
How about… having a little foresight. Once these programs are in place, and once people get the idea that they’re ‘entitled’ to these programs, they’re impossible to rescind. Instead of imposing upon our children, a program that they’ll never be able to free themselves from, and our children will never get a say-so on, find a way to take care of ourselves without enslaving our kids.
How about… giving our children the respect that our great-grandparents didn’t have for us.
I don’t want to be sitting here in 50 years and have my grandkids mad at me because we made a decision for them, that they didn’t get a say in.
I don’t really want to get slapped by my grandkids because I loaded them up with bills that I ran up in their name. (and if my kids are any indication what my grandkids will be like, I’d be in trouble)
Topics: Political | No Comments »
Remembering 9.11 –
I’d like to take a moment to remember those who were lost that clear September day 8 years ago… remember those who ran towards the buildings while others where running away… remember those men and women who have fought for the last 8 years ago against the scumbags who perpetrated that attack… and the current administration who are prosecuting those brave men and women.
Remember, Obama wants to set the terrorists free and put the agents who tried to stop more attacks in jail.
Topics: Political | No Comments »
6 Simple Ways to Dramatically Cut Costs of Medical Care – at Zero Expense to Taxpayers
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=22843
“6 Simple Ways to Dramatically Cut Costs of Medical Care – at Zero Expense to Taxpayers” by Michael Cloud
Imagine that the federal and state governments imposed laws, regulations, restrictions, and mandates on medical care that drastically increased the cost – without improving medical care.
What if it were possible to cut your medical care costs by 20% or 30% or even 50% now – while keeping current levels of quality and service – by repealing and removing these government-created burdens and barriers?
Hmmm, so when President Obama says that it’s his way or do nothing at all… he’s a liar. God Bless SC Rep Joe Wilson for telling the truth. Obama is lying to you. The only answer does not lie in expanding the reach of the Federal Government into your life!!!
Don’t buy it… don’t buy a ‘reset’ from either party unless it means a big reset on the reach of Big Brother.
Topics: Political | No Comments »
