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| Posted by: sarge33d
- [451057311] Thu, Nov 03, 2011, 15:24
I felt this deserved a thread of its own:
5 Logical fallacies that make you wrong, more often than you might think
#5. We're Not Programmed to Seek "Truth," We're Programmed to "Win"
Think about the last time you ran into a coworker or family member spouting some easily disproven conspiracy theory -- somebody who still thinks Obama's birth certificate is a fake or that Dick Cheney arranged 9/11 to cover up his theft of $2.3 trillion from the government. When they were shown proof that their conspiracy theory was wrong, did they back down? Did they get this look of realization on their face and say, "Wow ... if this is untrue, then maybe the other 'facts' upon which I've based my fringe beliefs also aren't true. Thank you, kind stranger, for helping me rethink my entire political philosophy!"
That has literally never happened in the history of human conversation. Whether it's a politician whose point has been refuted or a conspiracy theorist who has been definitively proven insane, they will immediately shift to the next talking point or conspiracy theory that backs up their side, not even skipping a beat.
Sound familiar? |
| | | 1 | DWetzel
ID: 53326279
Thu, Nov 03, 2011, 16:40
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Sort of, but fortunately, thanks to #2, I can mock you all for your foibles.
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| | | 2 | sarge33d
ID: 451057311
Thu, Nov 03, 2011, 16:59
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Under the "we're bad at math" heading;
Now take it into the realm of politics. The U.S. has spent $1.3 trillion on the war on terror so far. That was in reaction to about 14,000 total deaths from international terrorism from 1975 to 2003. That's more than $90 million spent for each person killed.
ASSUMING those nrs are accurate, the War on Terror *IS* stupid as hell.
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| | | 3 | Boldwin
ID: 35615181
Thu, Nov 03, 2011, 17:34
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So about what we are spending for each 'green job' then.
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| | | 4 | DWetzel
ID: 53326279
Thu, Nov 03, 2011, 18:01
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Let's see what the right wing hack end of the equation thinks:
link
Nope, they're only 1/4 as terrible at math and logic as you are.
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| | | 5 | Perm Dude
ID: 39961218
Thu, Nov 03, 2011, 18:26
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#3: We don't know yet (and neither do you).
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