Posted on 08/29/2014 7:10:56 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Whether the issue is climate change, healthcare or gun control, libertarians are on a permanent collision course with evidence.
The observation that science and politics make uneasy and often treacherous bedfellows is hardly revelatory. In science, all hypotheses must withstand the trial-by-fire of experiment; its methodology is self-correcting and objective, unconcerned with petty prejudices or personal conviction. Politics, by contrast, is deeply entangled with ideology – it is not bound to respect reality as science is, and thinks nothing of substituting convincing evidence for emotive rhetoric. And yet, when science and politics clash, it is all too often science that loses.
This is clearly seen in clashes between scientific evidence and economic liberalism, which is defined by the belief that economies should be founded along individualist lines, with minimal governmental regulation. Strong support for the free market and private property rights are identifying features. This latter axiom of faith states that those who have obtained property are free to exploit it as they desire, with no obligation to others. This right is considered absolute, and anything that would interfere with the property without consent – often even taxation – is considered an infringement.
With some variation, these principles form the basis of the political philosophy of many organisations, think tanks and even political parties, such as the Libertarian Party and Tea Party in the United States and Australia’s ruling Liberal Party.....
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
Meow?
Yea, what a load of bull.
What the F? This writer is a Moron...
Gun control? Science of the constitution and individual freedoms and the ability to protect oneself. Global warming...the RELIGION of the left. Religion and science dont mix (just ask a leftist). And health care. I don’t know where to begin on how bad the health care will and is being ruined by zer0care
What is this moron talking about. He’s throwing $h!t and hopes it sticks with the uninformed voter.
“In science, all hypotheses must withstand the trial-by-fire of experiment; its methodology is self-correcting and objective, unconcerned with petty prejudices or personal conviction”
That’s exactly the way “climate science” seems to operate
The claim isn’t that liberty results in perfect outcomes. Just that it results in outcomes that are generally good, and certainly better than if the left had its way.
Unfortunately for the left the 20th century exists, and the results have been documented, and it shows that their ideas lead to human suffering on a massive scale.
So maybe the left can STFU for a minute and let the rest of us figure out the right way forward.
Evidence shows very strongly that generally free economies provide greater freedom AND greater prosperity than command economies.
Does this mean libertarianism is the best way to address every societal problem? Of course not, but I think it’s entirely reasonable to have human freedom as the default position, with a pretty strong burden of proof before you are allowed to infringe on it.
The logical comparison is not between the group of all those who carry guns and the group of all those who don't.
It's between the risk for a particular individual of choosing to carry or not. Fairly obviously, those who choose to carry are more likely to be in dangerous situations, which is WHY they choose to carry.
“[Science] its methodology is self-correcting and objective, unconcerned with petty prejudices or personal conviction.”
How laughable. I will no longer wear the red jersey to my science debates.
Self-correcting? Must have reached very deep into their bag of expertise to come up with that notion.
despite overwhelming evidence of anthropogenic influence, there is a tendency for those with pronounced free-market views to reject the reality of global warming. The reason underpinning this is transparent – if one accepts human-mediated climate change, then supporting mitigating action should follow.That is the reason underpinning the fact that politicians with less scientific credentials than a doorpost promote claims of “overwhelming evidence” for this hoax. The “accelerating global warming” has inexplicably, according to CO2 theory, flatlined. And, not so inexplicably, we are told that we are experiencing “anthropogenic climate change. Though why “greenhouse” gas is supposedly cooling the climate is a little hard for the politicians’ “overwhelming evidence” to explain.
DR Grimes wrote this article without bothering to look up the definition of the Scientific Method.
His economic understanding is thus suspect also.
This author would be a great communist back in the day. Maybe he still is. Opponents of leftism are unscientific! Socialism is the historical imperative!
It appears that new proto-glaciers are forming in Scotland. Last winter’s snow has not all melted, But Manchester doesn’t recognize Scotland data.
Typical commie clap trap.
Pseudo-scientific leftist BS is the enemy of science.
“unconcerned with petty prejudices”
Apparently ignoring the biggest field of scientific study in the last century... eugenics
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