I Posed This Question to a Conservative Message Board

[Nielsio]

The question to ask statists is not 'whether' the state should continue, but 'how'?
http://www.freedomainradio.com/Traff...rough_Debt.mp3


Enjoy!

[AlexM]

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The Republicans have run the deficit up to unprecented levels

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While I'm against deficit spending, both it and taxation are largely sham issues. Neither one of them influences whether Congress spends or not, and whether Congress spends affects both taxation and deficit spending tremendously in the long run.

[AlexM]

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Event X is what you despise in the practices of both A and B. But since event X is the same in both choices, you really have no control over X and your choice should be based purely on the assumption (preference) number 4 above. (I.e. that you prefer Truth over Lies.)

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I agree with what you're saying here, but when applied to the real world situation of Republicans vs. Democrats, they're all liars, so it doesn't really apply.

[surftheiop]

Mempho i dont think you even understood the post.... you just like it because it agrees with your attack on the republicans

[Mickey Brausch]

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Essentially, then, you have the following set of choices:

Choose A --> You will get probably lies + event X
Choose B --> You will get probably truth + event X

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Your analysis has neglected one thing: *given his assumptions* (and preferences), event X is the *worst* case if A is chosen, but the *best* case if B is chosen.

[/ QUOTE ]Yours are non-applicable characterizations. The person who makes the choice is essentially indifferent to X.

[Mickey Brausch]

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[ QUOTE ]
Event X is what you despise in the practices of both A and B. But since event X is the same in both choices, you really have no control over X and your choice should be based purely on the assumption (preference) number 4 above. (I.e. that you prefer Truth over Lies.)

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I agree with what you're saying here, but when applied to the real world situation of Republicans vs. Democrats, they're all liars, so it doesn't really apply.

[/ QUOTE ]The poster JimBob2232 was very specific about that particular assumption. He stated : "I vote for republicans because I believe in what they say. I dont vote for democrats because I believe they will do what they say."

Your "real world situation" is different to the "real world situation" of JimBob2232.

Mickey Brausch

[pvn]

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Event X is what you despise in the practices of both A and B. But since event X is the same in both choices, you really have no control over X and your choice should be based purely on the assumption (preference) number 4 above. (I.e. that you prefer Truth over Lies.)

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I agree with what you're saying here, but when applied to the real world situation of Republicans vs. Democrats, they're all liars, so it doesn't really apply.

[/ QUOTE ]The poster JimBob2232 was very specific about that particular assumption. He stated : "I vote for republicans because I believe in what they say. I dont vote for democrats because I believe they will do what they say.

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Right. So your assessment:

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The person who makes the choice is essentially indifferent to X.

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Is false. He believes group A will do Y, but they do X. He believes group B will do X, and they do X. It seems pretty clear that he would prefer Y over X.

[Mickey Brausch]

I'm surprised you did not understand. Please read again the relevant post.

[pvn]

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I'm surprised you did not understand. Please read again the relevant post.

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I understand, your point being:

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your choice should be based purely on the assumption (preference) number 4 above. (I.e. that you prefer Truth over Lies.)

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But your idea of what his choice *should* be based on is subjective, and isn't necessarily what he has actually based his decision on. The end of his post:

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Now if only we can get republicans to do what they say, we will be in business.

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Implies that if someone would actually *do* what the "republicans say they will do" he would prefer that even if they lied about it ahead of time; given this preference, your analysis that he should just vote for the evil that claims to be evil is wrong, and he should still go with the choice with the higher probability of producing the result that the republicans say they will deliver. The given assumptions place this as a small probability (but non-zero) for group R, and roughly zero (possibly non-zero, but smaller than R) for group D.

[Mempho]

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Mempho i dont think you even understood the post.... you just like it because it agrees with your attack on the republicans

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I do understand the post. I don't know why you'd make such a statement just because I didn't give a long dissertation about it.