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The common thread I've gleaned from the types of people I know personally (good friends) and online is that the same people who believe in 'bootstrappy conservatism', the same people believe that those who are poor are primarily there by choice, those same people who believe that the poor are primarily 'Welfare Queens in their Shiny Cadillacs using foodstamps' are the same people who suffer from the uniquely American conception that their opinion is of equal value to every other opinion. They seem, again, only in my experience, to be uniquely incapable of performing the critical question of whether their opinion matches with reality, and whether their opinion is equal in value and truth (relative to objective reality) as individuals with considerable knowledge, evidence or experience in the matter.
At first I thought it was minor unawareness, that they simply were not aware of the objective data on the matter, whether in regards to AGM or evolution, or in regards to poverty, but I've unfortunately concluded (after repeated attempts at sharing the available data) that they are aware of the data, but still believe their opinion to be of greater value because they formed it themselves.
I think the most dangerous part of the American conscience is that everyone is entitled to an opinion and that all opinions are 'equal' regardless of their substance.
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"I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel
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