http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eUSaNN0LTWk#!
http://www.theonion.com/articles/drunken-ben-bernanke-tells-everyone-at-neighborhoo,21059/
Very insightful, for a left leaning paper.
Since you brought up the Onion (Slightly not safe for work (language)):
http://www.theonion.com/articles/voice-inside-cheering-libyan-rebels-head-oh-fuck-n,21204/
Andrew Klavan’s rules for wannabe pundits
heh
Wen someone says that war helps economies, is it a good refutation to point at African countries at civil war and ask why war is not making them better? Or is it a bit of a straw man?
Why do you even have to go there?
I agree that there is that argument as well, but many listen to it. Is mine any good or no? (But also thanks for the vids)
Your argument specifically looking at African countries is poor at best. There are too many variables for them to retreat to and too many facts you would have to present, too many concepts you would have to explain, and most importantly, too many indoctrinated myths you would have to debunk. It opens the door to too many other myths and flawed arguments. They’ll come right back and ask you “how come WWII got us out of the Great Depression?” Then you’ll have to go into all that, because if you try to stay focused on the issue they’ll think they made a good point and that you’re dodging. Then they’ll say “Well then how come the US did so well after WWII?” And if they know anything about history they’ll say “how come things got so good after the Civil War?” It goes on and on. When you’re talking with people who not only know so little to begin with, but also know so much that isn’t so, you’ll never get anywhere by following their Gish Gallop all over the place.
And this is even more difficult if you’re not intellectually and informationally equipped enough to answer all those questions. It’s just not an effective way to argue, at least not for the purposes you’re talking about. This is the whole point of hypotheticals and analogies. It breaks arguments down to their bare essentials so that people can see the logic of the case…as well as stay focused.
If people will not accept something as basic as a parable about a broken window, there is no way you will have any success with using a specific real world examples they know virutally nothing about. (And which, I would have to assume, you don’t know enough about yourself.)
For more information on how to effectively deal with these situations, see here and here.
And look what was just published today…
The Broken Window Fallacy
Gotta love the world we now live in:
All Wikipedia Roads Were Forced to Philosophy
And as coincidence would have it, I come across this today for the first time:
Keynesian Economics in under 1 minute (courtesy The 5th Element)
http://news.yahoo.com/ap-impact-automation-air-dulls-pilot-skill-070507795.html
Imagine what will happen when we have automated cars. shivers
Ha. That’s funny…check out what I just read a few hours ago…
What it takes to win:
http://www.dailypaul.com/176742/what-it-takes-to-win-ron-paul
Here is a man speaking on principle and not simply on “votes” and “political figure.” He will live long past his last breath.
Also, just thought this was interesting:
First 4 articles on Yahoo currently:
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Young lady moved to tears by NFL star
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Why Aniston always wears the same bikini
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Racy Kardashian music video leaks
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NCAA hits Miami with suspensions
And then we wonder why voter turnout is low and ignorance high.
I am by no means against entertainment news. But all of it entertainment and on stupid stuff? Have a “diversify your knowledge” segment on there or something.
Michael Allison Faces 75 Years In Illinois Prison for recording police
Broken windows, anyone?
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/30/in-wake-of-disasters-some-see-economic-opportunity/
David Boaz and Nick Gillespie present Walter Block’s book!:
John Stossel - Defending The Undefendable
@John James, I found a loop that didn’t lead back to philosophy!
Britney Spears → McComb, Mississippi → Pike County, Mississippi → Country (United States) → U.S. state → Federated state → Constitution → State (polity) → Social science → List of academic disciplines → Knowledge → Facts → Latin → Italic languages → Indo-European languages → Language family → Language → Human → Species → Biology → Natural science → Science → Knowledge (repeat loop)