People need only a little information in order to consider themselves informed. Some feel informed after hearing a talking head say something. Some feel informed after reading a few articles. Most of what passes for factual information in people's heads is actually just other people's opinions.


Yeah but most people hope the President of the U.S is a little better informed...

Astute observation.

I'm afraid you're more right than wrong about this. As you might imagine, and as is true for most people who frequent this forum, I'm an information junkie, and the more I read/see/hear, the more I'm aware of what I don't know. So when I talk with people who do largely what you described, or argue about politics and policy on social media, it borders on painful to see how confident people are about the facts they're tossing around in defense of their positions, most of which are either incomplete, devoid of meaningful context, or flat out incorrect.

Very few people can actually defend their position factually when you get down in the weeds, even though they may be on the side of truth.

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

I watched his address and once again, he uses any and all opportunities to brag about himself. He asked the audience to pray for Arnold because the t.v ratings for the Apprentice tanked after the Donald left the show. I would say he is the king of the back-door brag but there is nothing back-door about it.

He is by far the most thin skinned man I have ever seen. He just can't help himself, taking every opportunity to sell himself and remind everyone about how great he is.

I keep asking when the bragging, boasting and gloating ends . . . I'm guessing never! Trump is starting to represent some kind of enigma. Why? He seems to break EVERY rule of anything I've ever read about being successful. Things that are a default behavior for him, are supposedly things you should NEVER do, if you ever want to get ahead or anywhere in anything!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

My name is H- and I'm an information junkie . . . .

I've been contemplating my addiction lately. One can see it as a good, and natural trait in a simpler society when information about, e.g., the local environment, would be crucial to survival. But I lack discipline to filter my desires for information.

I've decided that my political obsession is nothing but high brow gossiping. Some like People magazine and some like National Review/National Journal. But, but -- someone may object -- politics is important and effects people . . . . yeah, well I know that a week or month off from following politics has no effect on my life or those I care about. Except maybe I'm calmer and more patient.


Unfortunately, we do not know what we do not know.

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It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev

I beg to (mildly) disagree:
"We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns- the ones we don't know we don't know.”

I think Rumsfeld said that and while it sounds clever it is nonsense. For years generals said things like, "the size of the enemy force is unknown." Then Rumsfeld (or some other fool) said, "well that is a known unknown." He'd say that the presence of a force hidden on his flank, about which he has no information is an unknown unknown.

But that is all semantics. Things are either known or unknown. You see, I am smarter than Rumsfeld (or whomever) as I know that there are unknown unknowns out there, and thus they are known unknown unknowns.

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It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev

don't forget that Trump still has an executive producer Credit on that show. so he's also using the national prayer breakfast to get some free advertising and make himself some money.

once you get past the ridiculousness and get your eye back on the ball, I think certain of his motivations are much clearer. I'm surprised more people aren't upset about that - he's very clearly using the office to enrich himself.

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https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/

He's making America great again. Why do you hate America?

I'm surprised more people aren't upset about that - he's very clearly using the office to enrich himself.

. . . and "My friends" on Wall Street!

In his statements on the rolling back of Dodd-Frank - Trump did not even hide the fact that, what that will do, will make friends of his (and possibly himself) richer. That's pretty brazen and audacious talk for a president.

Strangely this news is getting less coverage, than blow up over the immigration EO (not, that that is not important), but with the financial stuff, it's clear that now Trump and his very rich friends will directly benefit from this. Is this OK, that a sitting president rules in this fashion?

Are there not obvious conflicts with this?

How do Trump's main base feel about this?

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog