tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039434.post4990662414578828417..comments2024-02-26T06:46:53.171-05:00Comments on Rajiv Sethi: Thine Every FlawRajivhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667685126282705505noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039434.post-13347612126835004782016-10-15T13:18:08.629-04:002016-10-15T13:18:08.629-04:00"But Trump has the support of about 40% of re..."But Trump has the support of about 40% of registered voters, which in my estimation is about 88 million people or 36% of the adult population. While many of them may hold views on some matters that are immensely distasteful and deeply hurtful to others, I think that JD Vance is right to point out that it is "difficult in the abstract to appreciate that those with morally objectionable viewpoints can still be good people." <br /><br />It's a trait unfortunately missing among many researchers (at least those in the public eye) these days. As a layman, I genuinely appreciate the combination of empathy with a willingness to follow the evidence (as best as can be done) where it leads. For those of us without the skills to properly evaluate the endless stream of data and research coming at us (speaking for myself anyway) it helps to have people you can trust, intellectually.Ronan Fitzgeraldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18232692852879648877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039434.post-74711645392979799362016-10-13T14:28:52.747-04:002016-10-13T14:28:52.747-04:00Rajiv:
I have a question for you. You seem to be...Rajiv:<br /><br />I have a question for you. You seem to be proposing redistribution as a way to reduce the political and economic tension that is motivating support for irresponsible candidates such as Trump. But I'd guess that most Trump supporters are conservatives who would strongly oppose economic redistribution. So how does this work?Andrew Gelmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02715992780769751789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039434.post-43248136353275077762016-09-27T18:40:06.986-04:002016-09-27T18:40:06.986-04:00I wasn't advocating pretense of understanding,...I wasn't advocating pretense of understanding, just making a case for actual compassion and reflection. Writing off tens of millions of people isn't just intrinsically wrong, it's also politically imprudent. Rajivhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13667685126282705505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039434.post-82323458418238009942016-09-27T18:33:31.585-04:002016-09-27T18:33:31.585-04:00Completely agree.Completely agree.Rajivhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13667685126282705505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039434.post-19471564088995679992016-09-26T14:05:06.918-04:002016-09-26T14:05:06.918-04:00I had a neighbour over to dinner last night and th...I had a neighbour over to dinner last night and this very issue came up. He was proposing an outreach, through his church, to racists in the area. At first I thought he was joking.<br /><br />We ended up agreeing that one can identify evil without writing off the people doing it, I guess. But sequencing is really important here. The pressing issue right now is to defeat Trump. <br /><br />If that requires holding your tongue and pretending to be understanding through some rantings of uninformed swing voters, then do it. Sincerity is very important. If you can fake that we got it made. <br /><br />The actual outreach can be done after Trump is sent to the dustbin. Knock on my door and I will sponsor you two dollars and pat you on the back for doing it.<br /><br />But don't try so hard to be nice. Focus on protecting the most vulnerable, not the dumbest. And now is not the time for a moral philosophy debate over the nature of evil. You can prove how terribly clever you are after the election. For crissake focus!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16179991031652560935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039434.post-91943658523474119162016-09-26T01:44:06.670-04:002016-09-26T01:44:06.670-04:00Frankly, I find it very, very easy to appreciate t...Frankly, I find it very, very easy to appreciate that people with objectionable views are still fundamentally good people; I'm not a believer in absolute evil. The necessary goal in encountering those with objectionable beliefs usually entails demonstrating to them that they're--in some way--mistaken about their own beliefs.aquatickohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17425472509796109024noreply@blogger.com