[ExI] I Miss The King of Extropia

rex rex at nosyntax.net
Mon Jul 18 11:07:50 UTC 2016


spike <spike66 at att.net> [2016-07-17 16:30]:
> 
> >... On Behalf Of rex
> Subject: Re: [ExI] I Miss The King of Extropia
> 
> spike <spike66 at att.net> [2016-07-17 10:20]:
> > 
> >>...    That argument only applies to about six states.  If we want to go with the
> >    pragmatic argument, one can check the opinion polls in one’s state the
> >    week before the election, then if it isn’t within the margin of error, the
> >    outcome is certain and one gets to vote however they want without fear of
> >    contributing to the winner’s margin.
> 
> >...MoE is merely an arbitrary number, typically 0.95. All it means is that the outcome is expected to be within that confidence internal (95% or whatever) 95% of the time. This also means that it's expected to be outside the MoE 5% of the time. It does NOT mean the outcome is certain. -rex
> --
> 
> 
> Hi Rex, ok sure.  Everyone is free to decide what is the appropriate margin and for which candidate.  The new question becomes: what is the requisite pre-election poll margin before one feels free to vote for the candidate he or she thinks is the best one?

How many elections have been decided by a single vote?

-rex
--
"The only freedom which counts is the freedom to do what some other people
think to be wrong. There is no point in demanding freedom to do that which
all will applaud. All the so-called liberties or rights are things which
have to be asserted against others who claim that if such things are to be
allowed their own rights are infringed or their own liberties threatened.  
This is always true, even when we speak of the freedom to worship, of the
right of free speech or association, or of public assembly. If we are to
allow freedoms at all there will constantly be complaints that either the
liberty itself or the way in which it is exercised is being abused, and, if
it is a genuine freedom, these complaints will often be justified. There is
no way of having a free society in which there is not abuse. Abuse is the
very hallmark of liberty."
         -- Quintin H. Hailsham, The Dilemma of Democracy   




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