I agree that it is sloppy of journalists. I just have not read any such piece in a while and so I have to ask—are they wrong, about the violating? Most of the time? It might be a gross oversimplification, but is it untrue?
You make a good point, namely that my article would be improved with an example. I don’t have one at hand, although I think this behaviour comes up rather frequently in attacks on climate change deniers. I’ll see what I can do to find an example.
Perhaps I should write an article about the more general problem of journalists and politicians selectively using specious, (often pseudo-) scientific claims to attack their opponents? This originates mostly from the left. The right has long since accepted the idea that science arguments will always be against them, and whenever they hear “the scientific method..” they know they are about to be knocked in the head, and mentially prepare some ad hominem attack against some straw man figure of a scientist.
I don’t doubt the right could summon the intellectual resources to challenge instances of sciencism. Only it would all go over the heads of the average voter. Such is the level of and the motivating forces behind our political discourse.
Sometimes I feel sympathy for Plato’s critique of democracy.
I agree that it is sloppy of journalists. I just have not read any such piece in a while and so I have to ask—are they wrong, about the violating? Most of the time? It might be a gross oversimplification, but is it untrue?
You make a good point, namely that my article would be improved with an example. I don’t have one at hand, although I think this behaviour comes up rather frequently in attacks on climate change deniers. I’ll see what I can do to find an example.
Perhaps I should write an article about the more general problem of journalists and politicians selectively using specious, (often pseudo-) scientific claims to attack their opponents? This originates mostly from the left. The right has long since accepted the idea that science arguments will always be against them, and whenever they hear “the scientific method..” they know they are about to be knocked in the head, and mentially prepare some ad hominem attack against some straw man figure of a scientist.
I don’t doubt the right could summon the intellectual resources to challenge instances of sciencism. Only it would all go over the heads of the average voter. Such is the level of and the motivating forces behind our political discourse.
Sometimes I feel sympathy for Plato’s critique of democracy.