Thanks to Reliapundit for bringing me on board. Here's my insight for the day:
The NIE report that the Dems and their media spokesmen are getting so worked up about goes wrong by presenting data through the lens of a particular moral outlook, which clearly is by no means the only one, and as I see it is the incorrect one. These people are data collectors, they're not moral philosophers.
Specifically, to say that the NIE shows the war is "creating" jihadis is no different from looking at social science data showing a correlation between crime and poverty, and saying that poverty therefore "causes" crime. Wrong, it's just data, and the moral judgment you draw from that data is your own.
And of course, my view is that people are morally responsible for their own choices. If someone looks at a picture of a Burger King ice cream cone and sees something which justifies murder, I don't blame Burger King for that, I blame him. But that's just me. Read my entire outburst here.
The NIE report that the Dems and their media spokesmen are getting so worked up about goes wrong by presenting data through the lens of a particular moral outlook, which clearly is by no means the only one, and as I see it is the incorrect one. These people are data collectors, they're not moral philosophers.
Specifically, to say that the NIE shows the war is "creating" jihadis is no different from looking at social science data showing a correlation between crime and poverty, and saying that poverty therefore "causes" crime. Wrong, it's just data, and the moral judgment you draw from that data is your own.
And of course, my view is that people are morally responsible for their own choices. If someone looks at a picture of a Burger King ice cream cone and sees something which justifies murder, I don't blame Burger King for that, I blame him. But that's just me. Read my entire outburst here.
great one gormy!
ReplyDeleteu r 100% correctamundo!
(BTW i rearranged the jpeg - let's always keep them on the left. and medium or small
and i also justified the text. other than that, the post was perfect!)
Careful not to leave any of that stuff on the seat cushions, ok?
ReplyDeleteoh no, what have i spawned...
ReplyDelete(btw: if u r gormless, how can u leave ur gorm here!?)
oy
ReplyDelete