Anecdotal Evidence

[Michael Hardner]

Some posters on here seem to love to post anecdotal or - worse - one off stories as evidence of some kind of political perspective on problems.  

Should the wiser pundits on here accept this or respond ?  Does our political system do enough to elevate the discussion of problems beyond that ?  

Are small problems "local" and big problems "national" ?

I would favour putting some actual thought into our political systems rather than letting them be purchased by advertising-seeking for-profit institutions.   That way, wacky teachers in backwater jurisdictions, or blowhard firebrands can't hot the spotlight so much...

[Michael Hardner]

2 hours ago, Contrarian said:

1. Is not going back, no matter how many discussions you and the Ivy League commentators have over stake at The Keg this weekend if you allow me a joke.  

2. There is an angry crowd which was also created by the arrogance of a lot of elitist types of thinking on top of the Artificial Intelligence changing the economic game.

3. Also, population growth plays a role, when such a switch happened before, the population was finite, now look at what happened after WW2.

4. Personally, I consider you one of the most intelligent posters,

5. but you have a weakness ?, we all have weaknesses, you can't and will never grasp the mob.

6. And in your idealism for certain changes in society, you push those traditions to such an extent, it creates a reaction. I strongly believe this is the type of thinking that brought us, Trump. People went into the voting booth giving the Middle Finger to everyone that talked from a higher level to them, even though Trump was lying to them.

7. I think bombarding the mob with information and sticking it with knowledge and data ...

1. One joke.  Another and you're in my own special Michael prison.  This is in fact another joke.
2. Anger is pervasive.  Discontent too.  You can make slaves happy if you tell them they are.  Put all of this together and you will find that populism grew out of some masters telling their slaves that they were, in fact, not happy.  Orwell said that the Bourgeois foment unrest so they themselves can trade places with the elite.
3. Well the period you select had a higher population than fifty years before.  And in the US there was stability, although the population was many times higher than Canada today.  As such, population itself is not the issue. "Growth" though, may be about change happening too fast and infrastructure (physical and social) not keeping up so there's that.
4. I will TRY not to be insulted here in not being selected as THE most intelligent...
5. Pffft.  Me ?  Arrogant ?  I laugh at your peasant ways.  ( Can you tell I am joking here throughout ?  I hope so.). Anyway, telling me that I don't understand the mob is like coming to my house after the toilet explodes and saying "Michael only wants to talk about shit everywhere, not more important things".  The "mob" is a creation of malcontents at the highest levels who want to switch places with the elite, who want more more more.
6. Yes, yes.  But the elites who exploit the ignorant don't understand the mob better than I do.  I work every day.  I ride transit.  I walk on city streets.  Who understands the common person better - me or people who inherit wealth like Tucker Carlson ?
7.  That's an example of poor social design I agree.  

[Guest]

15 minutes ago, Michael Hardner said:

4. I will TRY not to be insulted here in not being selected as THE most intelligent...

Well, obviously... 

I mean, really...

[herbie]

Partly because we have access to too much information. All sorts of news from all over the world all the time.

Anecdote: my step daughter blew up at me for saying she was 'helicopter Mom' because she walked her 11 yr old daughter to and from school one and a half blocks away. She said there were SEVEN 'registered child molesters' in her complex alone. She lived in Terrace BC at the time, I doubt there were 7 in the entire town. If there was ONE in her complex everyone would know his name, they could verify it at the cop shop.
Where did she get the info? From her FB friends... from a local paper report of someone caught with kiddy porn on their computer... from TV news reports that could've been from any big city,,, and from her dropout level perception of blending everything together and assuming.

That's why we're full of Hunter Biden's laptop, panics over balloons and rages against woke and never real political issues.
 

Edited February 21, 2023 by herbie

[TreeBeard]

14 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

Some posters on here seem to love to post anecdotal or - worse - one off stories as evidence of some kind of political perspective on problems.  

Should the wiser pundits on here accept this or respond ?  Does our political system do enough to elevate the discussion of problems beyond that ?  

Are small problems "local" and big problems "national" ?

I would favour putting some actual thought into our political systems rather than letting them be purchased by advertising-seeking for-profit institutions.   That way, wacky teachers in backwater jurisdictions, or blowhard firebrands can't hot the spotlight so much...

The reason many posters like anecdotes is because they lack actual data.  And because they’re just trolls trying to get a rise out of people.  Their goal isn’t conversation and debate over facts.  How do you have a meaningful discussion about a topic with someone whose goal isn’t to discuss the topic?

Edited February 22, 2023 by TreeBeard

[CdnFox]

On 2/21/2023 at 5:26 AM, Michael Hardner said:

Some posters on here seem to love to post anecdotal or - worse - one off stories as evidence of some kind of political perspective on problems.  

At the risk of being labeled a shit disturber.....  you realize that's anecdotal right?

 (i'm so sorry - i couldn't help it.  Honest i tried.  I'll go sit in my corner now..... )

[Michael Hardner]

22 minutes ago, CdnFox said:

At the risk of being labeled a shit disturber.....  you realize that's anecdotal right?

 (i'm so sorry - i couldn't help it.  Honest i tried.  I'll go sit in my corner now..... )

Sure... but I'm not providing it as evidence of some larger trend.

I'm saying that they're shit disturbers and trolly trolls....

[CdnFox]

4 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

Sure... but I'm not providing it as evidence of some larger trend.

I'm saying that they're shit disturbers and trolly trolls....

I know, the comment was intended entirely for amusement purposes

[OftenWrong]

So what? Just take it at face value and move on.

This is for discussion and we are not bound to prove anything. Many people are not "scientists". Just as we are allowed to hold our own personal opinions, we may give anecdotes. Everyone does it.

Besides, the blessed internet is full of misinformation and so links to websites, blogs, etc are not guaranteeing the truth. There is nothing wrong with giving anecdotes as they are personal experiences and might be more "true" on a local level, than some spew from an armchair philosopher... with a pipe.

[Michael Hardner]

1 hour ago, OftenWrong said:

1. So what? Just take it at face value and move on.

2. This is for discussion and we are not bound to prove anything. Many people are not "scientists". Just as we are allowed to hold our own personal opinions, we may give anecdotes. Everyone does it.

3. Besides, the blessed internet is full of misinformation and so links to websites, blogs, etc are not guaranteeing the truth. There is nothing wrong with giving anecdotes as they are personal experiences and might be more "true" on a local level, than some spew from an armchair philosopher... with a pipe.

1. "Move on" meaning don't say anything about it ?
2. Not about being a scientist but about not talking sh*t...
3. "There's garbage everywhere so who cares if I drop this pop can on your lawn"

[Nationalist]

On 2/21/2023 at 11:24 AM, Michael Hardner said:

1. One joke.  Another and you're in my own special Michael prison.  This is in fact another joke.
2. Anger is pervasive.  Discontent too.  You can make slaves happy if you tell them they are.  Put all of this together and you will find that populism grew out of some masters telling their slaves that they were, in fact, not happy.  Orwell said that the Bourgeois foment unrest so they themselves can trade places with the elite.
3. Well the period you select had a higher population than fifty years before.  And in the US there was stability, although the population was many times higher than Canada today.  As such, population itself is not the issue. "Growth" though, may be about change happening too fast and infrastructure (physical and social) not keeping up so there's that.
4. I will TRY not to be insulted here in not being selected as THE most intelligent...
5. Pffft.  Me ?  Arrogant ?  I laugh at your peasant ways.  ( Can you tell I am joking here throughout ?  I hope so.). Anyway, telling me that I don't understand the mob is like coming to my house after the toilet explodes and saying "Michael only wants to talk about shit everywhere, not more important things".  The "mob" is a creation of malcontents at the highest levels who want to switch places with the elite, who want more more more.
6. Yes, yes.  But the elites who exploit the ignorant don't understand the mob better than I do.  I work every day.  I ride transit.  I walk on city streets.  Who understands the common person better - me or people who inherit wealth like Tucker Carlson ?
7.  That's an example of poor social design I agree.  

2. So who's the Bourgeois? Everyday working people? Or Pixie-Dust and his pals? The professor? Or the university administration? The cop? Or the mayor? Just who's screwing whom here Michael?

5.

6. Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back there Mike.

[OftenWrong]

4 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

1. "Move on" meaning don't say anything about it ?
2. Not about being a scientist but about not talking sh*t...
3. "There's garbage everywhere so who cares if I drop this pop can on your lawn"

Yes, #3 is correct. Which misinformed individual spewing internet lies do you like to follow?

My main message here is to point out the irony that we live in the Age of Information, yet the internet is so full of lies (Re: Politics) that we cannot trust it anymore. 

At least the anecdote is coming from a human being. Today we hear of AI powered software that tells people complete lies. Pick yer poison

[Michael Hardner]

2 hours ago, OftenWrong said:

1. Which misinformed individual spewing internet lies do you like to follow?

2. My main message here is to point out the irony that we live in the Age of Information, yet the internet is so full of lies (Re: Politics) that we cannot trust it anymore. 

3. At least the anecdote is coming from a human being. Today we hear of AI powered software that tells people complete lies. Pick yer poison

1. ?  The 'nobody' option.
2. Well, sure, but I don't see the irony there.  But I agree with your message.
3. ?  The 'no poison' option.

[OftenWrong]

1 hour ago, Michael Hardner said:

The 'no poison' option.

Sure. Drink this kool-aid.