tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734864.post5649170421327858393..comments2024-01-04T08:02:29.500-05:00Comments on Attempts: Politics, Opinions and LiesStephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16524368948187746248noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734864.post-24636091538978408822010-12-10T19:32:00.736-05:002010-12-10T19:32:00.736-05:00Steven: I did indeed see it, and thank you very mu...Steven: I did indeed see it, and thank you very much for the citation (which I also added to the post itself). I appreciate your taking the time to leave it for me.Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16524368948187746248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734864.post-80634732842299830622010-12-10T19:25:22.066-05:002010-12-10T19:25:22.066-05:00I know it's an old post.. but perhaps you'...I know it's an old post.. but perhaps you'll see this. I got here through googling the Pound quote, and it seemed like you might appreciate the source: http://books.google.com/books?id=uOQMlH_zYNAC&lpg=PR1&pg=PA64#v=onepage&q&f=falseChristopher Slyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00930697467936826632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734864.post-13715312891528608642008-09-19T00:35:00.000-04:002008-09-19T00:35:00.000-04:00Stephen,An amazing post, one that unfortunately I ...Stephen,<BR/><BR/>An amazing post, one that unfortunately I find quite familiar. My father-in-law, whom I love and respect, also seems to not be persuaded by facts and behave and talk in the same way as your relative, although I don't know about his views on global warming.<BR/><BR/>Your post immediately brought to mind a column by Matt Miller from a few years ago that expressed this concern <BR/><BR/>http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/04/opinion/04miller_oped.html<BR/><BR/>Al Gore's recent book, which I have not read, but by its very title, seems to also express this concern.<BR/><BR/>I also wonder whether or not Thomas Frank's What's The Matter With Kansas? alludes to this at all (I read about a third of it) but one would think it would come up. <BR/><BR/>I too am quite worried that reason, argument and persuasion seem to be slipping away from public life and that it portends grave things for our republic. <BR/><BR/>But in a nod to the first poster, is there an era or time when it was actually otherwise. <BR/><BR/>This may also be an instance of a larger inquiry as to whether human beings are mainly rational and act in their best self-interest as opposed to emotional and not always interest maximizing. Obviously there has been a lot of work on this in behavioral economics which unfortunately suggests that reason and true self-interest cannot prevail. <BR/><BR/>thanks again for a really great, thoughtful post. <BR/><BR/>DanielUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04585760905518289452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734864.post-43111568208596200462008-09-18T16:35:00.000-04:002008-09-18T16:35:00.000-04:00Thanks, anonymous -- it's now fixed.Thanks, anonymous -- it's now fixed.Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16524368948187746248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734864.post-15062274973055696572008-09-18T16:26:00.000-04:002008-09-18T16:26:00.000-04:00"Lose" is what happens when you don't get enough v..."Lose" is what happens when you don't get enough votes in an election. "Loose" is what happens when you don't tie your shoelaces tight enough.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734864.post-85960362826688313492008-09-17T10:57:00.000-04:002008-09-17T10:57:00.000-04:00Not to lapse into my habitual pessimism, but I won...Not to lapse into my habitual pessimism, but I wonder what, in recent American or indeed world history, inclines liberals to believe that politics is a clash of reason and reason, rather than brutal instinct and fear.<BR/><BR/>Put another way, any observer of professional sports knows that the team that finds itself saying "How can they do that? That isn't fair! That's against the rules! That excuse doesn't make any sense! Why isn't anyone listening to me?" is the losing team.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com