- November 2, 2016
David Burress
I do not know an exact or specific name for the following language fallacy, although it is closely related to linguistic prescriptivism.
In prescriptive approaches to language, a would-be authority figure lays down alleged rules of correct usage. In contrast, scientific approaches to language are descriptive–they study how language actually gets used in various circumstances. In ...
- November 1, 2016
David Burress
Privatization of government services is always sold as an “efficiency” measure. Efficiency is a weasel word. It has meanings in business and politics that are vastly different from what it means in economics. In economics it means increasing output without hurting anyone (a.k.a. “social efficiency). In business it means increasing profits, no matter who gets ...
- October 26, 2016
David Burress
The US Geological survey has determined that injecting wastewater from fossil fuel fracking near fault lines causes earthquakes.
The Kansas Corporation Commission has restricted fracking but not eliminated it.
Waste injection is still causing earthquakes in south central and now north western Kansas. The earthquakes are causing millions of dollars in damages. Insurance companies say they ...
- October 25, 2016
David Burress
Citing this article, esteemed Kansas University Professor in Political Science, Burdett Loomis claims that voters are “irrational.”
Let us suppose that voters are truly “irrational” in the sense that they follow the opinions of the groups they belong to in a knee-jerk partisan manner, and they rationalize doing so as to persuade themselves they are thinking. ...
