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Barkey Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
BlackHumor Since: Jan, 2001
#152: Jun 27th 2011 at 1:05:28 PM

It's hard not to, in the friggin' EU.

MRDA1981 Tyrannicidal Maniac from Hell (London), UK. Since: Feb, 2011
Tyrannicidal Maniac
#153: Jun 27th 2011 at 2:59:17 PM

I notice DG is being rather hypocritically selective when it comes to drugs.

Enjoy the Inferno...
Tongpu Since: Jan, 2001
#154: Jun 27th 2011 at 3:08:19 PM

Selectiveness would be a relevant criticism if DG's opinion on drugs was based on deductive reasoning, but it seems to me that she's (mis)using induction. She's generalizing about pot from an exceedingly small and unrepresentative sample size.

BlackHumor Since: Jan, 2001
#155: Jun 27th 2011 at 4:28:01 PM

<tangential rant>

THAT IS NOT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEDUCTION AND INDUCTION! Deduction is the form of logic that causes the conclusion to be certain: "Socrates is a man, all men are mortal, therefore Socrates is mortal". Induction is the form of logic that causes the conclusion to be uncertain: "I see Mr. Watson has cigar dust on his coat, therefore he probably has been smoking (although he might have just been in a smoky room or something)".)

Either can be used either way. You can deduce from particulars to generalities: "My two hands both have thumbs, and I only have two hands, therefore all of my hands have thumbs", and you can induce from generalities to particulars: "Most people who pronounce 'th' as 'z' are French, therefore because you do that I assume you are French".

</rant>

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