Quotations

'One of the many insane things about modern day America:
Tell me what someone thinks of vaccines - and I'll tell you with 95% predictive accuracy what he thinks of the war in Ukraine...'

Eric Krause today

John Mortimer said he was unusual in supporting hunting foxes and abortion but come to think of it why should people who think killing unborn babies is permissible think killing foxes should not be?

'Conversation w/an American student at Oxford yesterday. He sd that almost all his British classmates plan to emigrate after graduation, to Canada, Australia, NZ, or U.S. They have lost hope that their country can be turned around. If UK is saved, it’ll be down to working class.'


Rod Dreher yesterday on X.

'Generally the better educated are more prone to irrational political opinions and political hysteria than the worse educated far from power. Why? In the field of political opinion they are more driven by fashion, a gang mentality, and the desire to pose about moral and political questions all of which exacerbate cognitive biases, encourage groupthink, and reduce accuracy. Those on average incomes are less likely to express political views to send signals; political views are much less important for signalling to one’s immediate in-group when you are on 20k a year. The former tend to see such questions in more general and abstract terms, and are more insulated from immediate worries about money. The latter tend to see such questions in more concrete and specific terms and ask ‘how does this affect me?’. The former live amid the emotional waves that ripple around powerful and tightly linked self-reinforcing networks. These waves rarely permeate the barrier around insiders and touch others.' 

Dominic Cummings quoted today by Ed West