1. The Catbird's Seat
    Joined
    21 Oct '06
    Moves
    2598
    14 Apr '14 22:08
    Originally posted by AThousandYoung
    Including the military?
    The military is one of the few government agencies authorized by the Constitution, but yes it needs to be pared back. We need to defend the US, not the rest of the world.
  2. Germany
    Joined
    27 Oct '08
    Moves
    3118
    15 Apr '14 15:42
    Originally posted by normbenign
    Politicians who wish to be elected seldom do by proposing taking away rather than giving. There is always a point where giving exceeds the revenue, and responsible adults must recognize that before this host of spending programs existed, everyone didn't die. Oh yes they did, and they still do.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_solution_fallacy
  3. The Catbird's Seat
    Joined
    21 Oct '06
    Moves
    2598
    15 Apr '14 16:47
    Originally posted by KazetNagorra
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_solution_fallacy
    You have stumbled into the exact tool that progressives use to alter perfectly good, working systems, into social perfection.
  4. Joined
    29 Dec '08
    Moves
    6788
    15 Apr '14 16:541 edit
    Originally posted by normbenign
    You have stumbled into the exact tool that progressives use to alter perfectly good, working systems, into social perfection.
    That's not how I read it. According to the description, thse fallacies can be used to block a new idea on the basis that there is a better ('perfect" ) one; even though that better one is not pragmatically achievable.

    My disagreement on this should not be taken as a defense of progressivism; instead it is about the technical meaning of the term "perfect solution (or Nirvana) fallacy".
  5. The Catbird's Seat
    Joined
    21 Oct '06
    Moves
    2598
    15 Apr '14 17:08
    Originally posted by JS357
    That's not how I read it. According to the description, thse fallacies can be used to block a new idea on the basis that there is a better ('perfect" ) one; even though that better one is not pragmatically achievable.

    My disagreement on this should not be taken as a defense of progressivism; instead it is about the technical meaning of the term "perfect solution (or Nirvana) fallacy".
    This nirvana fallacy is the type of argument that says "the free market has been proven faulty" when in reality the alternatives prove no better, and no one claims perfection of laissez faire, just the best yet conceived and tried in limited measure.

    The claims of 40 million uninsured, never mention the obvious 270 million that were insured.
  6. Standard memberfinnegan
    GENS UNA SUMUS
    Joined
    25 Jun '06
    Moves
    64930
    15 Apr '14 21:44
    Originally posted by normbenign
    This nirvana fallacy is the type of argument that says "the free market has been proven faulty" when in reality the alternatives prove no better, and no one claims perfection of laissez faire, just the best yet conceived and tried in limited measure.

    The claims of 40 million uninsured, never mention the obvious 270 million that were insured.
    The alternatives are nearly all better in the real world - not your "Laissez Faire" Nirvana. By what criteria is it better to have the American system rather than - say - Britain's NHS? America's model costs more and has worse outcomes than the British alternative. One third of the American health expenditure goes on administration for pity's sake - you are paying for a monkey on a monkey's back, not even decent health care.
  7. The Catbird's Seat
    Joined
    21 Oct '06
    Moves
    2598
    16 Apr '14 01:28
    Originally posted by finnegan
    The alternatives are nearly all better in the real world - not your "Laissez Faire" Nirvana. By what criteria is it better to have the American system rather than - say - Britain's NHS? America's model costs more and has worse outcomes than the British alternative. One third of the American health expenditure goes on administration for pity's sake - you are paying for a monkey on a monkey's back, not even decent health care.
    The Nirvana is always the claim of the left. Read over your post, assuring us on your say so that the British NHS outperforms the not free market American system.

    We fully admit our system has warts, mostly created by the parts of our system that are not market oriented, and run by government.
  8. The Catbird's Seat
    Joined
    21 Oct '06
    Moves
    2598
    16 Apr '14 01:29
    Originally posted by JS357
    That's not how I read it. According to the description, thse fallacies can be used to block a new idea on the basis that there is a better ('perfect" ) one; even though that better one is not pragmatically achievable.

    My disagreement on this should not be taken as a defense of progressivism; instead it is about the technical meaning of the term "perfect solution (or Nirvana) fallacy".
    The nirvana fallacy can be used to block new ideas and to defend the status quo, or the opposite.
Back to Top

Cookies help us deliver our Services. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn More.I Agree