"[H]ighly-educated people [...] tend to be significantly worse at gauging others’ political beliefs, often assuming other people are much more extreme or dogmatic than they actually seem to be. This is perhaps because, compared to the general public, highly-educated or intelligent people tend to be more ideological in their thinking, more ideologically rigid, and more extreme in their ideological leanings."
Research "suggests that those who are highly educated, intelligent or rhetorically-skilled tend to be significantly less likely than most to revise their beliefs or adjust their positions when confronted with evidence or arguments that contradict their priors. This is because, in virtue of knowing more about the world, or being better at arguing, they are better equipped to punch holes in data or arguments that contradict their priors, or to otherwise make excuses for “sticking to their guns”."
It's common in liberal states to have a hierarchy of rules: regulations, statute law, constitutional law. It is also common for rules of order for assemblies to require different levels of support for different measures: plurality support to pass bills and motions, 2/3 majority to reconsider, unanimous consent to suspend rules temporarily.
I wonder if any states have different levels of statutory law, i.e. certain laws passed with say 2/3 support of the assembly over-ride regular laws.
"Some have quite rightly asked: Is it really worth $225 million not to have to wait another 18 months? The answer is absolutely not. It’s grotesque. What the government should have done was simply cancel the existing MFA with The Beer Store via legislation, on the grounds it was a product of rank political corruption. (In fact it said it would do this, but legislation to that effect was never enacted.)"
I don't go to many concerts these days, but the best one I went to in 2023 was the Freddie James Project performing at #Poutinefest last year.
Poutinefest has returned to #Brossard, and I see that #FreddieJames will be performing again this Saturday. If you're in the #Montréal area then you should really consider coming. It's walking distance from Panama Station too.
"What we really ought to learn from history’s grotesqueries isn’t “different strokes for different folks” or “we’re so much better than them.” It’s that we’d better be humble about our own virtue if giants like Macdonald could go so wrong on some issues. [...] So it’s worse than facile to assume if you’d lived back when you’d have supported Aboriginal rights or abolition. You’re not that great."
My questions were meant to make readers think about their own beliefs, not because I really want people on the Fediverse to reveal to me my mistaken opinions — nearly everyone here disagrees with my politics after all.
But I'll tell you what: I'll boost replies telling me (politely) what I'm wrong about, if the post also says what its writer worries he or she might be getting wrong.
How do you politely suggest to someone that what he has posted on the Internet might get him in trouble at work, without sounding like you're making a veiled threat? Is staying quiet the best policy, unless the other person knows you well?
"Nice blog you've got here. Shame if someone were to let your boss know what you wrote..." <-- the impression I don't want to give.
"On a fair day in 1838, barely two years into Queen Victoria’s reign [...] a young, confident and handsome Mississauga Ojibway chief named Kahkewaquonaby [...] came knocking at the doors of Windsor Castle dressed in his finest leather from head to toe and asked to make an appeal to his Sovereign. The door was opened and tea and sympathy were offered. [...] The Queen promised to look into the request and in due course the deeds were handed over."
In the UK, I would never have dreamed of voting for the Conservatives, and if lived in Canada, I imagine I would support the NDP.
Nevertheless, this piece, written from what seems to be a Canadian Tory perspective, interested me.
My response stems not only from a fascination with Canadian history and identity/identities, but also from a recognition that social democrats like me should consider rather than dismiss out of hand certain Tory understandings of history and culture.
A little part of me died when I read about those who think that there was a "president of Canada" named Tim Horton.