George Rebane
Of the several correspondences in which I am currently active, one is on the perennial topic of the Great Divide and America’s irredeemable polarization. In these correspondences with two of my left-leaning intellectual friends, we are attempting to create a mutually acceptable inventory of ideological belief tenets. These would form a starting point for another attempt at finding any common ground to support dialogue from which some form of rapprochement could result. This is a work-in-process in which I think some of our readers might be interested, and to which they could contribute their own thoughts toward progress in this enlarged conversation.
I attach the following pdfs for your critical comments and perhaps even reading pleasure. The first piece - 'Versions of Fundamental Transforms (2020) - serves as background, and the second piece - 'Right/Left Belief Inventory' (v14jun22) - is a WIP currently in discussion with my correspondents. Notwithstanding general interest, I do want to include these in the RR archive.
Download BeliefInventory_220614
[17jun22 update] A longtime RR reader posted the link to an important or possibly a milestone essay – ‘Heading Toward the Abyss’ - by David Horowitz on the nature of the Left, and particularly the Democratic Party, with which America is contending today for its survival. The points that Horowitz expands on are familiar to RR readers. I highlight the essay in this update so that it does not get lost in the comment stream below. H/T to Mr Tozer.
"Occam’s razor states that when two or more competing theories explain all that is observed, select the simpler one because it inevitably turns out to be the correct one."
Inevitably? That is a version of Occam's of which I was previously unaware.
Posted by: Gregory | 16 June 2022 at 01:54 PM
Gregory 154pm - A counter example would do nicely.
Posted by: George Rebane | 16 June 2022 at 03:37 PM
I can't find anyone besides you that puts any certainty to the cut.
Posted by: Gregory | 16 June 2022 at 03:57 PM
I had always thought the main idea of Occam's razor was that if there was more than one way to proceed or 2 or more competing solutions - the simpler one was usually best. And this would only apply if the decision was up in the air. A republic is obviously a better solution to governance than a dictatorship but is vastly more complicated.
Posted by: Scott O | 16 June 2022 at 05:05 PM
BTW, George - have you and your port-side buddies come to any sort of Kumbaya on anything?
Posted by: Scott O | 16 June 2022 at 05:10 PM
Gregory 357pm - while Occam's razor cannot be proved as a theorem, it is relatively easy to identify the simpler of two explanations (theorems). And that's why the best that can be stated is "inevitably". The other attribute that Occam leaves out, but could be applied here is the ability of the competing theorems to predict the future - i.e. observations yet to be made or experiments to be conducted. So far we haven't had a more complex theorem do better even in that task. But like with a black swan, the first time we see a more complex explanation for all observations/experiments to also be a better predictor, then Occam will have to do with an attribute weaker than 'inevitably'; perhaps 'overwhelmingly in most cases'. Odd that this explanation is not uniformly taught in the standard freshman science curriculum.
ScottO 505pm - My response to Gregory withstanding, your first sentence is correct for a number of practical reasons. However, I'm not sure of its application to the affairs of society. And actually, I would contend that dictatorships managing the affairs of state require quite a bit more complex machinations than does governance based on well-written foundational documents. Evidence for that comparison abounds - the collapse of the USSR and the ongoing writhings of Red China are cases in point.
Posted by: George Rebane | 16 June 2022 at 05:28 PM
ScottO 510pm - Not yet.
Posted by: George Rebane | 16 June 2022 at 05:33 PM
Another spawn of soros is getting whacked -
Liberal Virginia DA hit with bar complaint following judge booting her office from criminal case
The top prosecutor in Loudoun County, Virginia, was hit with a bar complaint on Thursday following a circuit court judge booting her office from a criminal case for "deliberately misleading the Court and the public."
https://www.foxnews.com/us/liberal-virginia-da-hit-bar-complaint-judge-booting-office-from-criminal-case
;-)
Posted by: Don Bessee | 16 June 2022 at 05:50 PM
It is halarious that the hard left thinks this shit is going to help them especially in light of the dramatic shift in hespanic and black votes. Keep it up it will just continue to alienate dissatisfied voters of color. -
https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2022/06/16/left-wing-salon-gop-worlds-largest-white-supremacist-group-de-facto-terrorist-organization/
;-)
Posted by: Don Bessee | 16 June 2022 at 08:18 PM
Repost (moved) from Sandox.
HEADING TOWARD THE ABYSS
In this bracing essay, David Horowitz calls out the Left for what it is–criminal, racist, and sometimes fascist. David argues that conservatives need to understand the utter bad faith with which the Left conducts itself, and stand up bravely to defend our country from the ravages of the Left.
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2022/06/heading-toward-the-abyss.php
Posted by: Bill Tozer | 17 June 2022 at 08:56 AM
BillT 856am - Thank you for reposting this important comment Mr Tozer. As you and other longtime RR readers know, Horowitz's assessment has been a seminal part of Rebane Doctrine and predates this blog. Horowitz's recent arrival at this conclusion still does not take the next step to point out that because of the intrinsic evil in our political opponents, it is very difficult to impossible to find any common ground that would eventually obviate the Great Divide. Victor Davis Hanson is already there.
Posted by: George Rebane | 17 June 2022 at 11:08 AM
Dr. Rebane
Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. It’s the journey, not the destination, right? Same complaint against the now old man. He has not crossed the bridge yet. Hmmm. Horowitz saw evil alright…..the nigh that changed everything. He founded the most read Marxist Intelligential Lefty mag in America at the time and got his trusted and most able aid to voluntarily do the books for Black Panthers. She found something and that night she was to meet and discuss things in a bar. That was evil…he said back then.
“During the early 1970s, Horowitz developed a close friendship with Huey P. Newton, founder of the Black Panther Party. Horowitz later portrayed Newton as equal parts gangster, terrorist, intellectual and media celebrity.[11] As part of their work together, Horowitz helped raise money for, and assisted the Panthers with, the running of a school for poor children in Oakland. He recommended that Newton hire Betty Van Patter as bookkeeper; she was then working for Ramparts. In December 1974, Van Patter's body was found floating in San Francisco Harbor; she had been murdered. It is widely believed that the Panthers were responsible for her murder, a belief also held by Horowitz.”
She was his right arm.
Evil is personified. Saw a editorial headline in the local community asset newspaper the read something about not calling people evil. Not interested in reading that. Yes, a bottle of booze is not evil in and or itself and is neutral, neither good or bad. Right. Tell that to an alcoholic. Its get personified. Evil people do evil things.
Posted by: Bill Tozer | 17 June 2022 at 01:41 PM
So they bounce from scarry poppins to the queen of the word salad to run disinformation board. I think we know how thats going to turn out. Can we say border czar?
https://www.oann.com/vp-harris-to-head-new-disinformation-task-force/
;-)
Posted by: Don Bessee | 17 June 2022 at 04:59 PM
Where did they find this one who can only read from a binder and still lie her ass off -
Karine Jean-Pierre: When Joe Biden “walked into this administration … 20 million people were on unemployment insurance benefits.”
PolitiFact's ruling: False
By January 2021, when Biden was being sworn in, the number of unemployed Americans had fallen by more than half, to 10.2 million. So according to this metric, Jean-Pierre cited a figure roughly double the actual number.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/fact-check-were-20-million-140021503.html
;-)
Posted by: Don Bessee | 17 June 2022 at 06:20 PM
With federal welfare rules destroying generations of families of color and the takeover of education and this you know why its more shithole than ever -
https://www.breitbart.com/faith/2022/06/18/gallup-poll-belief-god-u-s-adults-dips-all-time-low/
;-)
Posted by: Don Bessee | 18 June 2022 at 08:19 PM
Left vs Right,..what distinguishes us? Sanity, common sense, and reduction of damage.
The Assault on Children’s Psyches
California’s ethnic-studies curriculum is fueling a mental-health crisis among teenagers.
https://www.city-journal.org/the-assault-on-childrens-psyches
Posted by: Bill Tozer | 20 June 2022 at 09:42 PM