Bad arguements for your cause

[Jeremy]

As I'm sure most of you know, I'm fairly politically active and also strongly left wing.

Something that has always bothered me about the left is the countless arguements against things with very little factual knowledge. It would be fair to say that the left is very often motivated by emotional reasoning rather than factual reasoning. There are certainly times when this is ok but there are also plenty of times when it's not.

For example right now in Australia there is a debate about nuclear energy. The left is typically opposed to nuclear energy and I certainly am in Australia. However many of the arguements put forward against it are fear mongering and have no factual basis at all. This annoys me but I guess the question is - should I tell people why these arguements are false or should I put up with them. I don't want to see nuclear power in Australia so if people believe these mistruths and it leads to the continued lack of nuclear power this is a good thing - but at the same time I feel that debate on any issue should be informed and I also feel that we live in an extremely paranoid society and pushing fear campaigns perpetuates this paranoia.

I guess ultimately this is a question of does the ends justify the means?

I believe not.

Also I'm starting a seperate topic about nuclear energy so please don't debate that here or I'll abuse my new admin powers

[janis]

Something that has always bothered me about the left is the countless arguements against things with very little factual knowledge. It would be fair to say that the left is very often motivated by emotional reasoning rather than factual reasoning. There are certainly times when this is ok but there are also plenty of times when it's not.

Unfortunately people are unconcerned when the "facts" are in conflict with the established framwork for viewing issues. In other words progressives need to reframe the debate, poiting out that there is little factual basis is important but ultimately if peoples framework for interpreting the "facts" isn't changed there is little point.

[MegaFighter_X]

I get what you're saying. Personally, I'd rather be informed and go from there rather than be misinformed and make a (possible) wrong choice. But sometimes the lies just sound so damned good...

(off topic: Jeremy, I thought you were admin prior to this. Was I delusional? All I need is a yes or no. )

[BainbridgeShred]

"The complexity of the human eye proves that their must be a intelligent creator behind it."

No it doesn't.

[Splint]

The real question is would the informed intelligent repsonse to no nuclear power have the same effect as the emotional one or are your lefties more interested in their own little worlds.

Most Righties are only interested in their little worlds which is why they are so easily led by emotional arguments. Lefties are usually the same, only lazier.

[Sporatical_Distractions]

"I heard it on TV/NPR (national public radio), so it must be true"