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Study: 38 Percent Of People Not Actually Entitled To Their Opinion

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Ichingcarpenter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Oct-17-08 10:58 PM
Original message
Study: 38 Percent Of People Not Actually Entitled To Their Opinion
CHICAGO—In a surprising refutation of the conventional wisdom on opinion entitlement, a study conducted by the University of Chicago's School for Behavioral Science concluded that more than one-third of the U.S. population is neither entitled nor qualified to have opinions.

"On topics from evolution to the environment to gay marriage to immigration reform, we found that many of the opinions expressed were so off-base and ill-informed that they actually hurt society by being voiced," said chief researcher Professor Mark Fultz, who based the findings on hundreds of telephone, office, and dinner-party conversations compiled over a three-year period. "While people have long asserted that it takes all kinds, our research shows that American society currently has a drastic oversupply of the kinds who don't have any good or worthwhile thoughts whatsoever. We could actually do just fine without them."

In 2002, Fultz's team shook the academic world by conclusively proving the existence of both bad ideas during brainstorming and dumb questions during question-and-answer sessions.

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/61948
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EFerrari Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Oct-17-08 10:59 PM
Response to Original message
1.  . . .
:rofl:
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Lithos Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Oct-17-08 11:00 PM
Response to Original message
2. To Emphasize - THIS IS THE SHALLOT
Edited on Fri Oct-17-08 11:08 PM by Lithos
That said, funnier things have more than a kernel of truth to them - especially when you realize that McCain's support is just a little above 38 percent in some polls.
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babylonsister Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Oct-17-08 11:01 PM
Response to Reply #2
4. You blew it; erasing is your friend!
I want to see the reactions.
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Ichingcarpenter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Oct-17-08 11:02 PM
Response to Reply #2
6. Gee..... Don't give it away..
I gave the link
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babylonsister Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Oct-18-08 12:04 AM
Response to Reply #2
9. Nice! nt
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babylonsister Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Oct-17-08 11:00 PM
Response to Original message
3. 'Not qualified' is more like it.
:rofl: Caught my attention that title did.
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crispini Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Oct-17-08 11:01 PM
Response to Original message
5. Hehehehehehehhehehe.
Oh SNAP. :D
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Jackpine Radical Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Oct-17-08 11:04 PM
Response to Original message
7. Huh--I thought the Onion usually did satire.
Edited on Fri Oct-17-08 11:05 PM by Jackpine Radical
I didn't expect a serious piece from them.

That said, I believe the methodology of the study was flawed, and resulted in an underestimate of the percentage of unqualified opinion holders.

In a followup study, my research group has found a strong multicollinearity across opinion qualifications; i.e., people who are demonstrably unqualified to hold opinions on any given topic are highly likely to be unqualified on most other topics as well.
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Ichingcarpenter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Oct-18-08 12:01 PM
Response to Reply #7
10. Bush: 'Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over'

How many of these things came true ?

Bush: 'Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over'
JANUARY 17, 2001 | ISSUE 37•01


WASHINGTON, DC–Mere days from assuming the presidency and closing the door on eight years of Bill Clinton, president-elect George W. Bush assured the nation in a televised address Tuesday that "our long national nightmare of peace and prosperity is finally over."

"My fellow Americans," Bush said, "at long last, we have reached the end of the dark period in American history that will come to be known as the Clinton Era, eight long years characterized by unprecedented economic expansion, a sharp decrease in crime, and sustained peace overseas. The time has come to put all of that behind us."

Bush swore to do "everything in power" to undo the damage wrought by Clinton's two terms in office, including selling off the national parks to developers, going into massive debt to develop expensive and impractical weapons technologies, and passing sweeping budget cuts that drive the mentally ill out of hospitals and onto the street.

During the 40-minute speech, Bush also promised to bring an end to the severe war drought that plagued the nation under Clinton, assuring citizens that the U.S. will engage in at least one Gulf War-level armed conflict in the next four years.

"You better believe we're going to mix it up with somebody at some point during my administration," said Bush, who plans a 250 percent boost in military spending. "Unlike my predecessor, I am fully committed to putting soldiers in battle situations. Otherwise, what is the point of even having a military?"

On the economic side, Bush vowed to bring back economic stagnation by implementing substantial tax cuts, which would lead to a recession, which would necessitate a tax hike, which would lead to a drop in consumer spending, which would lead to layoffs, which would deepen the recession even further.>>>>>>snip

Turning to the subject of the environment, Bush said he will do whatever it takes to undo the tremendous damage not done by the Clinton Administration to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He assured citizens that he will follow through on his campaign promise to open the 1.5 million acre refuge's coastal plain to oil drilling. As a sign of his commitment to bringing about a change in the environment, he pointed to his choice of Gale Norton for Secretary of the Interior. Norton, Bush noted, has "extensive experience" fighting environmental causes, working as a lobbyist for lead-paint manufacturers and as an attorney for loggers and miners, in addition to suing the EPA to overturn clean-air standards.

Bush had equally high praise for Attorney General nominee John Ashcroft, whom he praised as "a tireless champion in the battle to protect a woman's right to give birth."

"Soon, with John Ashcroft's help, we will move out of the Dark Ages and into a more enlightened time when a woman will be free to think long and hard before trying to fight her way past throngs of protesters blocking her entrance to an abortion clinic," Bush said. "We as a nation can look forward to lots and lots of babies.">>>>snip

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28784
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Jackpine Radical Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Oct-18-08 12:11 PM
Response to Reply #10
12. Y'know, I had gotten so used to quoting that "nightmare" line
that I forgot it had originally come from the Onion.
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Cerridwen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Oct-17-08 11:07 PM
Response to Original message
8. *spoiler*
It's sad and funny that The Onion's satire has more truth than the corporate media.

The article, however, made me smile.

:D

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Liberal_in_LA Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Oct-18-08 12:03 PM
Response to Original message
11. LOL.
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nam78_two Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Oct-18-08 12:13 PM
Response to Original message
13. Republicans have killed satire as we knew it
With Sarah Palin's candidacy as the final nail in its coffin.
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