Non-pub questions

Cleaning out the inbox -- again

Reminder: until the comment system on this blog is fixed please send all comments to:  CMConserve@Outlook.com.

Comments are appreciated and answered as appropriate; however the sender must be identified. We won’t publish your comments without your permission. There are lots of reasons to request that your identification not appear with your comment; we’ll honor your request.

Some unpublished questions

Why don’t you answer Geoff West’s remarks in the (Daily) Pilot?  Geoff West doesn't want us to see his posts.

Why do you criticize the racist (Martin Millard, CMPress) so rarely?  Today, “racist” is just a general insult used to damage someone’s image. It’s similar to “communist” as used during the McCarthy era.

One could criticize his choice of news items as slanted. However, the same criticism –biased selection of subjects or events -- could be applied to most blogs (including this one), newsletters, and even many newspapers. The few of his science references we've checked were accurate and well-supported. All of the events he reports that we've fact checked happened as he states. His opinion pieces are identified as his opinions.

No dog in the fight

He has spats with West from time to time. We’re not going to jump into those scuffles, unless there’s a lesson or a logical fallacy involved. One lesson was, “let the wrath subside and read what you wrote before you press the send key.”*

Short answer is, his writing is direct and precise and his logic well-supported, so whether we agree or not, offering a reasonable debate to most of his premises takes a lot of work. There are many easier targets.

Party lines and in groups 

Why do you support the “party line,” support the Mayor/Pro Tem, etc., etc.? We don’t know what the party line is and frankly, don’t particularly care. In fact we don’t even know who is in the “in group” beyond the Mayor and Pro Tem. We suspect that the composition of the “in group” depends upon who is being critical of whom at the time.

This blog’s primary focus is identifying propaganda and misinformation, with occasional diversions to poke fun at stupidity, deliberate or inadvertent. We address the stupidity, not the person. If we notice propaganda or stupidity from the Mayor/Pro Tem, just as with anyone else, we may address it here.

What else

Some blog posts feature visits with candidates, studies of leadership or other positive methods for influencing opinion, or subjects we found interesting and want to share with the readers.

We correct blog errors as the error is noted or as new information becomes available. If groups appear different to us now than  they seemed when we looked at them in the past, we adjust our opinion, which affects future posts. 

The same goes for disagreements with other bloggers or with members of the “in group;” if we’re wrong it’s not a surprise and it’s no big deal. We adjust to the new information by reforming our opinion based upon the best evidence available.

Why take comments

Discussing and debating with the commenters is a lot of fun.

* Example post:  Here