That's certainly true. In the case of strange phenomena the role of the armchair in proponentry, and especially debunking, is almost universal. There's no shoe leather wasted, very few people care enough to investigate cases personally, which means the barmiest hypotheses for and against become the gold standard simply because there's nothing higher. I'm thinking of one forum where a sceptic is allowed to push the most egregious and comical explanations for sometimes well-attested phenomena, and those are allowed to stand as valid by moderation. Unless someone is prepared to put in the hours logically unpicking the labyrinth of supposition and straw legions upon which their case rests, their point of view is as good as the next. That's basically what the internet has become, a game with no entry requirements and leading to entirely notional goals. For those of us attempting to unpick the truth, the web is at best a mixed blessing.Time spent in front of a computer screen can mean many things.
I just did... 357
LOL.So scurrilous rumour with a tangentially related interview that doesn't support the rumour?
I just did... 357
I'll respond to this here, so as not to disrupt the No. 257 show thread. And I'll just say this one thing and then drop it...Ironically, I noticed on the new psiscience quest forum set up by some former Skeptiko members that the "rules" there suggest that those who are truly skeptics actually limit their posts to particular threads so that real conversations can happen by the proponents.
I'll respond to this here, so as not to disrupt the No. 257 show thread. And I'll just say this one thing and then drop it...
That is some strange twisting and interpretation of those rules-in-the-works. Your post shows you're new to Skeptiko - they're pretty much a crossover (though probably less strict) than the ones here (see last part):
http://www.skeptiko-forum.com/threads/forum-rules-please-read-before-posting.4/
Feel free if you want to discuss this further to join PQ, because all suggestions are welcome, and because this is Skeptiko and not the place to discuss this. I was pointing out that similar rules apply here that you do not seem to be aware of.
Sorry, Arya. I should have added a word. I've edited my post to include it.No, you were suggesting that I somehow twisted or misinterpreted the rules-in-the-works over at the new forum that you apparently wrote yourself if you are Ninshub. "That is some strange twisting and interpretation of those rules in the works...." I think I pretty accurately paraphrased those rules in progress.
Sorry, Arya. I should have added a word. I've edited my post to include it.
Fine. I still don't see how I misinterpreted your rules-in-progress? (...)
Feel free if you want to discuss this further to join PQ, because all suggestions are welcome, and because this is Skeptiko and not the place to discuss this.
I don't know your ideas/views, but I've seen enough psi debate on the internet to know that politics is always lurking, and it's a certain killer of intelligent enquiry. Politics is writ large in the trend towards conspiracy theories, and most sceptic argument is intrinsically political, promising a sunlit upland of progress that's indistinguishable from the claims of your local party politician.Actually, this IS the place to discuss this since I'm talking about the hostile/derisive debunker posts here, not at PQ. And I can't imagine that I would be welcome at PQ anyway, given my crazy views/ideas. If you welcomed me, next thing you know, Alex Jones would want in....
For some people, these two ideas are directly related. ("Loosh" and suffering, that is.) Not limited to politicians, but including all kinds of abuse, organized or not, that spreads like a cancer across the human organism. I'm positive that idea will be discussed at PQ. How could it not be? The idea seems a natural progression of thought for those who begin to accept and grok ideas surrounding non-physical entities interacting with the physical sphere, possible reincarnation of "evil" as well as good (anti-bodhisattvas). Hell. We have tons of human who are energy and emotional vampires. It isn't much of a stretch to suggest a matrix style farm system on Earth designed to produce such energies.And let me get this straight: it's ok to discuss invisible energy beings eating our emotions as Loosh -- or an invisible, absentee "God" or a "Demiurge" -- those things are totally plausible, but don't even remotely suggest that high level powerful people engage in pedophilia, despite all the historical precedent....now that's just crazy talk!
Please.For some people, these two ideas are directly related. ("Loosh" and suffering, that is.) Not limited to politicians, but including all kinds of abuse, organized or not, that spreads like a cancer across the human organism. I'm positive that idea will be discussed at PQ. How could it not be? The idea seems a natural progression of thought for those who begin to accept and grok ideas surrounding non-physical entities interacting with the physical sphere, possible reincarnation of "evil" as well as good (anti-bodhisattvas). Hell. We have tons of human who are energy and emotional vampires. It isn't much of a stretch to suggest a matrix style farm system on Earth designed to produce such energies.
I don't know your ideas/views, but I've seen enough psi debate on the internet to know that politics is always lurking, and it's a certain killer of intelligent enquiry. Politics is writ large in the trend towards conspiracy theories, and most sceptic argument is intrinsically political, promising a sunlit upland of progress that's indistinguishable from the claims of your local party politician.
What kills psi forums isn't counter claims about the reality of fugitive phenomena, it's the service some people would put such ideas to, and the lengths they'll go to in framing reality within a polemic.
Can you give an example of where you have been 'pounced on' or unfairly challenged? The leader/moderator of the forum is clearly on your side, and has already fired warning shots towards your opponents.I actually agree with you here about politics typically killing intelligent discourse/inquiry. And even for someone like me, who thinks I've moved beyond the left-right false political paradigm, I see that when you finally get around to musing about potential solutions, I/one will still tend to allow my/his/her dominant/entrenched political/ideological views to color any such proposed solutions.
So I get that some members would like to have a discussion of "fugitive phenomena" or "God/Force/Energy/Psi" etc without having it devolve into heated and often silly political debate -- and that that heated debate is often instigated by the raising/discussion of so called "conspiracy theories." But I think other members here believe that there is a connection between the two -- and want to explore that possible link without being pounced on. I just don't see how a discussion of "evil" -- which most acknowledge exists in this world (other than moral relativists), particularly by those who believe in or are open to discussing a metaphysical aspect/nature of reality and what that means/includes, excludes the open-minded discussion of how it might manifest here.
Can you give an example of where you have been 'pounced on' or unfairly challenged? The leader/moderator of the forum is clearly on your side, and has already fired warning shots towards your opponents.
You're accusing innocent folk of peadophilia and simultaneously claiming snowflake status?
Welcome to the forum.