magfrump comments on Undiscriminating Skepticism - Less Wrong

97 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 14 March 2010 11:23PM

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Comment author: simplicio 16 March 2010 01:55:17AM *  14 points [-]

It was like a horrifying training session where students learn to ignore evidence, reason in favor of political hackery and bullshit.

I can't quite summon up all the splenetic juices I need to hate that sort of thing the way it needs to be hated. I live in Canada, and crikey are our politicians langues-du-bois. You should have seen the candidates debate at the last election. Every one of them just hit their keywords, as I recall. The Conservative Harper tinkled the ivories about "tough on crime," "fiscal responsibility" and "liberal corruption" (mercifully not "family values"). The Liberal Dion played a crab canon about "environment" and "recession." And the NDP (Social-Democratic) Layton just did a sort of Ambrosian chant incorporating every word that has ever made a progressive feel warm and fuzzy inside: "rights" "working families" "aboriginals" "choice" "fat cats" and "social spending." It made me want to elect Silvio Berlusconi.

Comment author: magfrump 16 March 2010 03:46:19AM *  11 points [-]

I did not understand any of this post, but I enjoyed all of it.

ETA: I am now envisioning a Canadian man just chanting those phrases, over and over, clapping his hands and stomping his feet.

Comment author: simplicio 16 March 2010 03:55:07AM 1 point [-]

I endeavour to give satisfaction. =)

Anything I can clarify? Probably did overdo the classical music metaphors a little...

Comment author: Jack 16 March 2010 04:10:38AM 4 points [-]

Looking over your comments, the breadth of your vocabulary really is splendid. Do words like "splenetic" just come to your tongue or are you commenting away with a thesaurus open?

Comment author: simplicio 16 March 2010 04:26:57AM 4 points [-]

Heh, it's kind of you to say. Basically, I grew up on a steady diet of shows like Black Adder, Jeeves and Wooster, Fawlty Towers... and authors like Douglas Adams, Rex Stout & Terry Pratchett. So my way of expressing myself has become more than a bit idiosyncratic.

Comment author: magfrump 16 March 2010 01:59:14PM 2 points [-]

Mostly I just didn't recognize any of the names, but I did recognize what you were talking about. I don't think clarification is what is really necessary here; since the purpose of your post seems to be more anecdotal evidence and venting than a fountain of new ideas.

If your post WAS supposed to be a fountain of new ideas, then it could use a little extra explanation.

I feel like that came off as a little more negative than I wanted it to so I'd like to note that I did enjoy and vote up your post.