Zompist Bboard Again

Thank you!

Another blog post:

https://guessishouldputthisupsomewhere. ... s-fallacy/

Raphael wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 4:02 pm Another blog post:

https://guessishouldputthisupsomewhere. ... s-fallacy/

Doesn't this go by many names? Eg. It's often called "idealism", "idealization", etc. Your name is more precise, though there could be a precise standard name I can't remember right now.

It's an interesting fallacy.
A lot of the time it's a useful heuristic because people's views do tend to come in neat little bundles. If someone makes an openly racist comment, I can guess their views on the economy with around 95% accuracy.
Paradoxically, if a politician claims to be neither left-wing nor right-wing they will be right-wing. Works almost 100% of the time.

Of course at times it's an annoying strawman or a dangerous caricature. If you express the idea that rich people should be taxed more, you'll be permanently asked to justify the view of Bernie Sanders or AOC even if it so happens you can't stand these people. Left-wingers will often assume Piketty is some sort of conservative because he's said a few good things for the free market.

Ares Land wrote: ↑Tue Feb 21, 2023 2:59 amIf someone makes an openly racist comment, I can guess their views on the economy with around 95% accuracy.

Really? Interesting. I thought the world's open and avowed racists would be all over the place about economic policy, ranging from libertarians to supporters of what Paul Krugman calls "herrenvolk social democracy".

Raphael wrote: ↑Tue Feb 21, 2023 4:27 am

Ares Land wrote: ↑Tue Feb 21, 2023 2:59 amIf someone makes an openly racist comment, I can guess their views on the economy with around 95% accuracy.

Really? Interesting. I thought the world's open and avowed racists would be all over the place about economic policy, ranging from libertarians to supporters of what Paul Krugman calls "herrenvolk social democracy".

Well, it also depends on country and culture. Open racists in France will have economic views consistent with the RN platform. (Supposedly the RN is divided on economic policy, personally I can't tell the difference and I suspect there's not even really one.) I'd have more trouble with Americans but I'm not as familiar with American culture and politics. I suspect it correlates with Trumpian views, ie a mix of protectionism and free market ideology.

Libertarians, neoliberals or conservatives can be pretty racist too but they will be more discreet about it. It's more the combination of racism + willingness to bring it up freely that's a telltale.

And of course it only works 95% of the time. As far as I know the remaining 5% can be spread out all over the spectrum.

Ares Land's comments are pretty spot on for the US as well. Any White person who throws around the N word will be pro-coal, anti-health care, and love Ron DeSantis. We do have "racist socialists," i.e. Bernie Bros, elderly Soviet-watchers, and some dirtbag leftists. But their racism is almost always extremely covert.

Unrelated: Ooops.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64717605

Raphael wrote: ↑Tue Feb 21, 2023 5:04 pm https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64717605

Funny you mention this. NSW recently got some Spanish-built trains, and they’ve caused no end of political difficulties, because those ones also turned out to be unsuitable…

Which country is the Milhouse Van Houten of countries?

Moose-tache wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 6:05 am Which country is the Milhouse Van Houten of countries?

None. Any country you might think of has at least some non-Milhouse-like traits.

You guys, I think it might be Germany.

Random: In a few weeks' time, there are going to be elections in Tulipland for the waterschappen (water boards, which help with planning the use of water and related resources) and also the provincial assemblies. Despite being a non-EU citizen, it turns out I have a right to vote in elections to the waterschappen (and I'll also have the right to vote in municipal elections after five years' stay). So now time to figure out who to vote for...

doctor shark wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 3:22 pm Random: In a few weeks' time, there are going to be elections in Tulipland for the waterschappen (water boards, which help with planning the use of water and related resources) and also the provincial assemblies. Despite being a non-EU citizen, it turns out I have a right to vote in elections to the waterschappen (and I'll also have the right to vote in municipal elections after five years' stay). So now time to figure out who to vote for...

Poseidon. The Dutch have had it too good for too long.

No, not Poseidon, I like tulips. Ignore the mean hyperbola.

Moose-tache wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 4:50 pm

doctor shark wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 3:22 pmRandom: In a few weeks' time, there are going to be elections in Tulipland for the waterschappen (water boards, which help with planning the use of water and related resources) and also the provincial assemblies. Despite being a non-EU citizen, it turns out I have a right to vote in elections to the waterschappen (and I'll also have the right to vote in municipal elections after five years' stay). So now time to figure out who to vote for...

Poseidon. The Dutch have had it too good for too long.

Meh, Poseidon's good at punishing individuals and even fleets...but has he actually done harm to a country since, say, Atlantis? (and even that was hearsay)

Okay, there was the saltwater spring in Athens...but that was him trying to win favor.

Valid points, but when was the last time a country was built on his turf?

Moose-tache wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 10:06 pm Valid points, but when was the last time a country was built on his turf?

(Statue of Liberty), New York, USA...at the very least.

I want to cite season 2 of Going to Extremes hosted by Nick Middleton, but those were elevated houses built on islands constructed in swamps or rivers (in New Guinea)...so that would be a nereid's domain - more specifically a crocodile...or was that the Sepik River's inhabitants? i fear its starting to blur in my brain.

otherwise, all I can think of are Iceland - but thats Gaia-made, not manmade - and those whales and other fishes that people make landfall at, set up a home or hunting lodge at, and then get drowned.


...to be fair, I sure as heck hope Posiedon isn't running for office either because he has "the home-court advantage" or wants to claim the "home-court advantage" as my generation used to phrase it.

doctor shark wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 3:22 pm Random: In a few weeks' time, there are going to be elections in Tulipland for the waterschappen (water boards, which help with planning the use of water and related resources) and also the provincial assemblies. Despite being a non-EU citizen, it turns out I have a right to vote in elections to the waterschappen (and I'll also have the right to vote in municipal elections after five years' stay). So now time to figure out who to vote for...

Looks like my kind of elections. I wish we had more of that sort of things!

Ares Land wrote: ↑Fri Feb 24, 2023 2:52 am

doctor shark wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 3:22 pm Random: In a few weeks' time, there are going to be elections in Tulipland for the waterschappen (water boards, which help with planning the use of water and related resources) and also the provincial assemblies. Despite being a non-EU citizen, it turns out I have a right to vote in elections to the waterschappen (and I'll also have the right to vote in municipal elections after five years' stay). So now time to figure out who to vote for...

Looks like my kind of elections. I wish we had more of that sort of things!

Actually, one of the first things I thought of when I saw doctor shark's post was the meme you posted on this page of the "Elections in various countries" thread:

https://www.verduria.org/viewtopic.php? ... &start=740