The 50.1% Doctrine vs. The Value of a Solid Majority

[tongodeon]

Democracy's incentives are structured to encourage triangulation toward winning the most votes. The conventional rules say that if you can identify the policies that are most popular and get behind them more effectively than your opponent you'll end up winning. Both candidates compete to win as much support as possible and the person who wins the

Comments

Fearmongering

[tongodeon]

Fearmongering is simply a word that is used to dismiss a differing risk assessment without consideration.

Well ... no.

Sometimes fearmongers are just plain wrong. When someone says that Barack Obama is an Arab Muslim they're not using "a different risk assessment". They are factually incorrect. They are mongering fear from total lies.

Sometimes fearmongers are not liars. Sometimes they are right - but still wrong. When someone says that Obama "pals around with terrorists" the are technically correct, inasmuch as a Distinguished Professor at the University of Chicago who turned himself into the authorities 18 years ago is a "terrorist" and serving on the same Republican board is "palling around". But they're still not using "a differing risk assessment". They're not assessing any risks at all. They're just saying something that sounds scary and letting everyone come to their own conclusions.

Of course sometimes people *are* making an actual risk assessment. For example if someone says we'd better fight the Arabs in Iraq before they invade America then you are correct: that person is using a "differing risk assessment". Specifically, a risk assessment that is detached from reality, not credible, and utterly crazy. Calling this third kind of person a fearmonger is implicitly saying "I have considered what you are saying and have determined that you are a loon for saying it".