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Posts categoriezed as Politics

The Curse of the Lying Dutchman

The Curse of the Lying Dutchman published on

Here, folks, is a good reason to treat research into social and psychological matters with great skepticism.

We all know that there are tricky ways of lying about these things by applying user-defined definitions that differ markedly from the conventional definitions, or by using hand-picked rather than randomly chosen groups of subjects, but when academics are lazy they don’t even bother with these tactics – they just make shit up.

This is what tulip-picking psychologist Diederik Stapel did. Why bother going out and asking people what they think? Why waste time carrying out fancy experiments? Just make up some figures and then get into a snit every time someone asks to see the actual research! That way you can claim that white people are more likely to discriminate against black people when in messy environments, that the very thought of eating meat makes you selfish, and that people see job applicants as more competent if they have a “male voice”, and few will be inclined to ask what you’ve been smoking.

More here.

 

 

 

 

 

Michele Bachmann is a Message from God

Michele Bachmann is a Message from God published on 1 Comment on Michele Bachmann is a Message from God

Far right Christian Looney Toon Michele Bachmann claims that the recent earthquake (I didn’t even know they’d had one, so we aren’t exactly talking Japan here) and hurricane in the eastern US are messages from God telling Americans that, since they haven’t already suffered enough disasters, they should put a dominionist in the Oval Office.

I know the batty bitch says this crap with a smile on her face, but then plenty of people make jests in all seriousness, and given her radical religious views I think it more likely than not that she means it. Worse yet, I am damn (sorry, I meant darn) sure that Bachmann knows that’s  how her deranged followers are taking it.

If  Bachmann wasn’t such a thickie I might think that there was also a subtext here about god hating liberals, as the east coast is just crawling with those dastardly rats. As it is, I doubt she even knows what a subtext is, much less how to use one.

Does Bachmann stand any real chance of getting her party’s nomination? No. Does she stand a good chance of helping fellow nutball Rick Perry to get it by making him look more moderate by comparison? Yes, yes she does.

London Crackdown Continues

London Crackdown Continues published on

In the wake of the recent lame-brained, half-assed, can’t-tell-shit-from-chocolate uprising in London, the politicians are being their usual predictable and authoritarian selves. One man has been charged with trying to start a water fight, another two are looking at terms of four years for trying to start a disturbance, and one man is looking at a jail sentence for looting two – count ‘em – two scoops of ice cream! I suppose the latter should simply have tried to steal the ice cream. Oh no, wait…

Bail is being denied at a far higher rate for these offences than for violent crimes, people are losing their government housing and welfare payments, and social media is being attacked for doing in Blighty what they were cheered for doing in Egypt. Why such a harsh response? Because it sends the message that rebellion, no matter how minor, will not be tolerated by the psychopaths who own your ass, that’s why.

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