Friday, January 24, 2014
Entitlement spending is code
Entitlement spending is code for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security spending. This is the same kind of word play used in corporate re-branding. Almost everyone can agree they do not like entitled behaviour or entitled people. Thus forming an association between this negative term and the (at best) neutrally associated systems of support in U.S. (Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security) is a really good way to get people to view these systems as negative or at least respond negatively to their spending. Without going too far into psychology re-branding and repetition is what it takes to change emotional perception of ideas. That is why during the second Iraq war we re-branded Sniper's (which carried a negative feeling for many United States Citizens) to Sharpshooter's.
My point in noting all of this is just to say that I do not care for this sort of polemic tactic to try and unseat someone's argument by turning every debate into an argument from outrage. In the future actually use your numbers to disprove your opponents points, and if for some reason your data alone is not a convincing enough argument to bring folks around, then you either collect more data or open yourself up to the idea that you could be wrong, or that you might not be able to honestly convince people. Of course you can always trick people. But that is dishonest.
My point in noting all of this is just to say that I do not care for this sort of polemic tactic to try and unseat someone's argument by turning every debate into an argument from outrage. In the future actually use your numbers to disprove your opponents points, and if for some reason your data alone is not a convincing enough argument to bring folks around, then you either collect more data or open yourself up to the idea that you could be wrong, or that you might not be able to honestly convince people. Of course you can always trick people. But that is dishonest.
Tipping
I have often felt of two hearts on tipping, one beating red and thunder with the cause screaming "Bully! Bully! For we have worked and been noted!" and another sad slow chugging chest grip of grey that mumbles "Nay, nay, let the customer and chance decide my fate this month."
I believe the thing that motivates us to tip in the U.S. is the same mechanism that causes many of us to give to beggars; the simple realisation that something is not fair, and that your only tool to solve it is that silly piece of paper with some dude's face on it.
I recently read an article that expounded on this topic a bit more, and although I don't agree with everything they put together it was still a nice read.
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2013/09/against-tipping/
I believe the thing that motivates us to tip in the U.S. is the same mechanism that causes many of us to give to beggars; the simple realisation that something is not fair, and that your only tool to solve it is that silly piece of paper with some dude's face on it.
I recently read an article that expounded on this topic a bit more, and although I don't agree with everything they put together it was still a nice read.
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2013/09/against-tipping/
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