On Fri, Jan 27, 2012 at 11:44 AM, Jim Devine <[email protected]> wrote: > Robert Naiman wrote: >> You are certain that Iran is different from Venezuela in asserting >> without evidence that Ahmadinejad is engaged in "vote buying," whereas >> Chavez is engaged in "social programs." This just seems like an >> ideological axe on your part. > > I'm sure that someone wondered what I meant by "substantive > correction" (which I asked for in my last missive in this thread). > References to an "ideological axe" does not fit as a substantive > correction, since it doesn't involve logical or empirical criticism; > nor does it say "you left an important factor out of your analysis." > It's simply name-calling. > > If my distinguishing between Ahmedinijad and Chávez is merely a matter > of my using an ideological axe, does that say that the two regimes are > substantially the same?
You're being deceitful, and you know it. We already agreed that the two regimes are not substantially the same. In particular, the two regimes are not substantially the same with respect to civil liberties, as I previously stated. You just refuse to concede the point that with respect to the provision of social services to the majority, they could have something in common. You're just exhibiting a stubborn attachment to your own previously expressed position. > BTW, it would be interesting to know what the nature of my ideological > axe is. (Or is this a reference to my guitar?) > >> I think you are suffering from network bias. Your friend told you >> something, so it must be true. The idea that your friend might be >> reflecting class bias can't be considered. > > That's _less than_ non-substantive; rather, it's an insult. I only > said that my friend said so. That doesn't mean I believe it because he > said it. Rather, it fits my (admittedly incomplete) knowledge of Iran > and Ahmedinijad. I may be wrong. Some people may get all their > information from only one person, but I don't. > > It's quite possible that a professional engineer in a rich country > would suffer from class bias, just as with anyone who lives in the US. > But his main criticism of Ahmedinijad concerns issues of religion, > theocracy, and civil liberties. That criticism makes sense. > -- > Jim Devine / It's time to Occupy the New Year! > _______________________________________________ > pen-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l -- Robert Naiman Policy Director Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org [email protected] _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
