Much of our political discussion is driven by claims and statements that are not supported with evidence and are intended to either make us feel good or those we disagree with angry. Not only does this make our politics more divisive it leads to the weakening of our own arguments and convictions. No one would go on a diet of only ice cream and donuts (mmm…donuts) and expect to lose weight. No one would go to a trainer who never asked them to do hard work and expect to be ready for a marathon. Why do we consume news and information that is designed to make us feel good or outraged and expect to be better advocates for our political positions in the public arena?
Here’s my case is created with this in mind. The idea is that if we make specific claims or arguments, we should also provide specific pieces of evidence that support our claims. This is how arguments are advanced and discussion moves forward. The goal is that the blog will follow these guidelines (make a specific claim, provide specific evidence) and avoid discussion designed only to make one side feel good about themselves.
This blog is not about the idea that all things can be boiled down to evidence, data, or science. Some of the most important questions have no provable answers. What is justice? What are the proper ends of government? How do we live the “good life”? But there are plenty of questions where evidence and data can confidently direct us toward one conclusion over others. This blog is intended to focus on those type of questions in both domestic and international politics as well as some aspects of culture.
