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No real inspiration here save the overabundance of stupid people that populate the world around us. Unfortunately, too many continue to espouse unsupported and unfounded rhetoric without any way to substantiate or validate their claims. So to them.... read. Hey kids, just feel like going out on a bit of a tangent here.... As of late I have been particularly bothered by the vast proliferation of nonsense and gibberish that the folks I know pass on as common knowledge. When making an argument, one cannot simply state something and have it carry the weight of fact. Just because, "Everyone knows that immigrants are all on welfare," or that, "Reaganomics didn't work..." your ability to speak those words does not make them true. Should one wish to make the case that immigrants are all on welfare (or, a more likely argument, that a disproportionately high percentage of them are) one needs to present either raw data supporting this conclusion or at minimum state the report, essay, or journal in which this data can be found. For example, one wishing to debunk Reaganomics would be well better off to state, "Reaganomics didn't work... In fact, Demause goes so far as to attribute 150,000 American deaths to the cuts and fiscal policies implemented by Reagan in his book the Reagan Years." Wow, look at that... a citation in an argument. Novel idea, eh? But nonetheless, this still does not a fact make. Although this is highly preferable to the inane ramblings of those who spout off without any documentation, citing a source does not necessarily clear your argument. Generally speaking, you should be able to cite multiple sources. (Ideally, on both sides of the issue.) You should be able to note that while (hypothetical) Murray attributed the lower test scores to poor educational opportunities and a general lack of higher level education, a later study of the students by Clawhill deemed the test questions biased and noted that on an adjusted examination the students outperformed those in comparable private schools. (To get even further you might just want to consider who funded the study in the first place and what their agenda was.) So there it is kids. In a nutshell, do not argue facts if you don't have any. Simply put, say, "I believe that immigrants are lazy," or , "I believe that Reaganomics sucked..." and when someone asks why.... be honest: "I don't know... I heard a lot of other people say that and it fits with my political ideology.... Really, it just lets me keep hating the right people and then I don't have to think too much.... " And when you actually do encounter someone with a different view who can concisely point out why you are a fucking moron, please take a minute to shut your mouth and listen. It will save your pathetic lazy ass from having to take the time to read and you just might learn something. ~JM, 7/20/01
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Read.... You Need To...