Unfounded Assertions Quotes
If someone repeats a lie, you can show them the logic and facts of the situation and persuade them often. But if they are ideologically wedded to an idea, it is difficult if not impossible to change their mind, as their belief is an ideology, not a conclusion.
In politics, the most frequent examples are conspiracy theories and economic and/or political principles that are derived from ideology with little or mothing real from which to provide a deducible justification. An explanation that seems not to be contradicted is not an explanation that could be called true unless there is some evidence to support it, not a lack of evidence to refute it. There are millions of propositions in the world for which there is no evidence to reject them, but that does not make them true." 3rd Earl Russell of Kingston
German pretensions will not bear examination for a moment if judged by any rule of truth or justice.
Germany had designs on Zanzibar and had created a noble pretext for sending warships. Kirk wanted the government to oppose Germany observing that their intervention rationale was but a pretext. However, that was true of almost all the rationales for European military involvement in Africa.
The FDA had studied for years the safety and efficacy and concluded that Morning After pill contraceptive, Plan B was safe and effective and could be sold over the counter. However when the Department of Health and Human Services issued the regulations to allow it to be sold over the counter without a prescription they disallowed sale to girls under 15. Several religious organizations opposed to birth control pressured the administration to overrule the FDA and they did so partially trying to compromise. However, the science showed no differential factors of risk for girls under 15 and a suit were filed by women’s and public health groups to eliminate the age restriction. Judge Korman found that the government had acted illegally in imposing an age restriction with no scientific evidence to justify it. The Plan B contraceptive was particularly contentious for religious groups as it as a “morning after” pill—it is taken AFTER intercourse and thus is considered abortion by some anti abortion groups. What made the case more embarrassing for the Obama Administration is that Obama campaigned against the common practice of the George W. Bush administration of ignoring the science or distorting it in policy making. Upon inauguration, President Obama issued executive orders to all departments to follow science in their decision making. Then in this case, they did just what the Bush administration had done—overruled the science to pander to or mollify a particular pressure group.
