Skuz wrote to All <=-I think its a few things. Forgetfullness, .. the past isn't known to most people and newer generations.
Can an understanding of math and statistics save America's freedoms?
The other day John Silveira and I were walking by a gas
station in Gold Beach, Oregon, where this magazine is
located, when I remarked, "The price of gas went up again;
that must be killing the motel business in this town."
Silveira replied, "They raised it a nickel. That's a dollar a
tank. Most people reach their destination on a tank of gas,
which means they need two tanks to get there and go back
home. It's hard to believe people will change their vacation
plans over an extra two dollars, yet they barely put up a fuss
when the federal government takes a third of their paycheck in taxes."
"That's because people don't think like you," I said. "You
consider the actual statistics involved, but ordinary people
hear on TV that gas prices are high so they change their
plans. The media never mentions how high taxes are."
As soon as I said it I realized I had just discovered the
Holy Grail of how to save America's freedoms from being
further eroded by big government-just get them to think
the way Silveira thinks, namely, with the actual numbers,
the math and statistics, that apply to the decisions they must make.
Math and statistics, after all, underly science. If a scientific
theory is statistically more accurate than other theories, it
is considered true enough by scientists, and they use it to
advance mankind's knowledge of the world. A knowledge
of statistics should work as well with social and political
problems as it does with scientific problems. If all of us
understood statistics, and were as honest with ourselves as
scientists seem to be when they seek answers to scientific
problems, I believe liberals and conservatives would see things differently.
For example, if liberals understood what the gun statistics
say, namely that guns in the hands of law abiding citizens
are used two million times a year to prevent crimes, including several thousand murders and many thousands of rapes, liberals would no longer favor gun control. They would tell government at all levels to repeal
the 20,000 gun laws now on the books.
Conversely, if conservatives understood what the War on
Drugs statistics say, namely that the drug war has made
minimal impact on drug use but has spawned numerous
laws that violate our Constitutional freedoms, conservatives
would no longer favor the War on Drugs. They would tell
the government to free our prisons' drug offenders, who
comprise 66% of our nation's prison population, giving
America the highest per capita incarceration rate in the world.
An understanding of math and statistics would also change the
views of other groups in society. For example, if senior citizens understood that the statistics on the social security trust fund
show the fund will run out of money by the year 2012 unless federal
taxes are raised on their grandchildren to about 40%, they would
vote for a presidential candidate who promises to fix social security properly rather than one who promises to give them more benefits that
must be extorted from their grandkids.
And environmentalists would look at endangered species
differently if they understood that statistics show that 99.9%
of all species that ever existed are now extinct, that it is
nature's way of evolving. And they would act differently
towards trees if they understood that statistics show that
there are more trees now in America than at the turn of the
century. They would tell the government to stop confiscating
people's lands for national preserves that save bugs and trees.
If people understood the statistics on education, namely
that the public education system is turning out high school
graduates who can't read, whereas private schools turn out
graduates who can, they would vote to allow school voucher
programs and other types of private school funding.
In all of these areas-guns, drugs, social security, the
environment, and education-it has been the lack of an
understanding of the actual statistical evidence that has led
people to make the foolish decisions they have. Doesn't that
make sense?
Sure, there are other factors in there too.
Some people, like politicians, are familiar with the statistical
evidence but they choose to ignore them for selfish gain.
Politicians want to get elected so they play to people's fears
with anecdotal evidence about children being shot, drugs
wrecking families, old people starving, old growth forests
disappearing, and religious nuts educating our children. But
an understanding of the actual statistics would allow people
to see these anecdotal tidbits for the lies they actually are.
Wouldn't it?
Am I missing something? If scientists use statistics to come up with
the correct solution to problems, why don't we. Are we just stupid, or what?
-- Dave Duffy Backwoods Home Magazine BWHM
__&%~[_] [__ _&[&__ _] :_ ] ! b7 member board
[&___ [& _[&] [&][][&]:__&] __ dA flupHly squirrel ate my nuts!
[&] ~~&_&]~#_&][&]~~ [&][&]&] @ http://fluph.bbsnexus.com
--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A31 (Windows)
* Origin: flupH | fluph.darktech.org (9:91/1)
instead of culture. Race can't change but culture can, but all we see is about racial polerization.
Masive mind control via advertisments and consumerism.
They want mindless labor and wage slaves, not healthy americans.
I think its a few things. Forgetfullness, .. the past isn't known to most people and newer generations.
Emotionally charged, .. info delivery is polerized via emotional hooks. Mass division .. the wrong problem is being discussed, like race,
instead of culture. Race can't change but culture can, but all we see is about racial polerization.
Masive mind control via advertisments and consumerism.
They want mindless labor and wage slaves, not healthy americans.
Skuz wrote to All <=-I think its a few things. Forgetfullness, .. the past isn't known to most people and newer generations.
Can an understanding of math and statistics save America's freedoms?
The other day John Silveira and I were walking by a gas
station in Gold Beach, Oregon, where this magazine is
located, when I remarked, "The price of gas went up again;
that must be killing the motel business in this town."
Silveira replied, "They raised it a nickel. That's a dollar a
tank. Most people reach their destination on a tank of gas,
which means they need two tanks to get there and go back
home. It's hard to believe people will change their vacation
plans over an extra two dollars, yet they barely put up a fuss
when the federal government takes a third of their paycheck in taxes."
"That's because people don't think like you," I said. "You
consider the actual statistics involved, but ordinary people
hear on TV that gas prices are high so they change their
plans. The media never mentions how high taxes are."
As soon as I said it I realized I had just discovered the
Holy Grail of how to save America's freedoms from being
further eroded by big government-just get them to think
the way Silveira thinks, namely, with the actual numbers,
the math and statistics, that apply to the decisions they must make.
Math and statistics, after all, underly science. If a scientific
theory is statistically more accurate than other theories, it
is considered true enough by scientists, and they use it to
advance mankind's knowledge of the world. A knowledge
of statistics should work as well with social and political
problems as it does with scientific problems. If all of us
understood statistics, and were as honest with ourselves as
scientists seem to be when they seek answers to scientific
problems, I believe liberals and conservatives would see things differently.
For example, if liberals understood what the gun statistics
say, namely that guns in the hands of law abiding citizens
are used two million times a year to prevent crimes, including several thousand murders and many thousands of rapes, liberals would no longer favor gun control. They would tell government at all levels to repeal
the 20,000 gun laws now on the books.
Conversely, if conservatives understood what the War on
Drugs statistics say, namely that the drug war has made
minimal impact on drug use but has spawned numerous
laws that violate our Constitutional freedoms, conservatives
would no longer favor the War on Drugs. They would tell
the government to free our prisons' drug offenders, who
comprise 66% of our nation's prison population, giving
America the highest per capita incarceration rate in the world.
An understanding of math and statistics would also change the
views of other groups in society. For example, if senior citizens understood that the statistics on the social security trust fund
show the fund will run out of money by the year 2012 unless federal
taxes are raised on their grandchildren to about 40%, they would
vote for a presidential candidate who promises to fix social security properly rather than one who promises to give them more benefits that
must be extorted from their grandkids.
And environmentalists would look at endangered species
differently if they understood that statistics show that 99.9%
of all species that ever existed are now extinct, that it is
nature's way of evolving. And they would act differently
towards trees if they understood that statistics show that
there are more trees now in America than at the turn of the
century. They would tell the government to stop confiscating
people's lands for national preserves that save bugs and trees.
If people understood the statistics on education, namely
that the public education system is turning out high school
graduates who can't read, whereas private schools turn out
graduates who can, they would vote to allow school voucher
programs and other types of private school funding.
In all of these areas-guns, drugs, social security, the
environment, and education-it has been the lack of an
understanding of the actual statistical evidence that has led
people to make the foolish decisions they have. Doesn't that
make sense?
Sure, there are other factors in there too.
Some people, like politicians, are familiar with the statistical
evidence but they choose to ignore them for selfish gain.
Politicians want to get elected so they play to people's fears
with anecdotal evidence about children being shot, drugs
wrecking families, old people starving, old growth forests
disappearing, and religious nuts educating our children. But
an understanding of the actual statistics would allow people
to see these anecdotal tidbits for the lies they actually are.
Wouldn't it?
Am I missing something? If scientists use statistics to come up with
the correct solution to problems, why don't we. Are we just stupid, or what?
-- Dave Duffy Backwoods Home Magazine BWHM
__&%~[_] [__ _&[&__ _] :_ ] ! b7 member board
[&___ [& _[&] [&][][&]:__&] __ dA flupHly squirrel ate my nuts!
[&] ~~&_&]~#_&][&]~~ [&][&]&] @ http://fluph.bbsnexus.com
--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A31 (Windows)
* Origin: flupH | fluph.darktech.org (9:91/1)
All good points, other problems .. are values, morals and ethics. After all who the hell shapes this culture? A culture that has pretty much lost it's way.. over the years. I heard "this is not the same world that I grow up in" from so many people. It kinda makes me sad to be honest.. I know that raisin a family in a society that is fast-paced and ever changing can make it confusing.
Anyway .. It's sad to say, but someone has dropped the ball here in the USA.
Yeah it is a bit sad, and it makes me a bit scared at times.I'm (cautiously) optimistic about the future, now that we have a POTUS who seems to want to right the sinking ship. Hopefully he can -- though in many ways it's likely too late (socially, for example..)
One of my friends made a comment about the women's march today. Not against the march but about all the trash left in the city, and people just hammered him.Aside from the literal trash they left all over the city, most of them are trash, figuratively..
This entire 3rd wave feminist movement are nothing but a bunch of bitter whiney assholes. And the whole SJW thing needs to be expunged asap too. All products of helicopter parenting, participation awards, and a distinct lack of discipline during the formative years of much of the current 20-something crowd.Its their world now. ... I'm on the decline unless I can double my natural expiration. We are gonig to have to learn to understand insantiy.
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