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Entry: Noble Lies Link: http://www.takimag.com/sniperstower/article/noble_lies#27217 Post contents: Another reason I'm a libertarian. Big government wants to deal with statistical groups, not individuals. Monoculture - be it corn, cattle, or clerks are more efficient. But we are not called to deal with statistical groups of humans, we are called to deal with individuals. Jesus did not say the Levite - who probably was rushing to a crime victims compensation committee meeting showed mercy, but the Samaritian. And "When I was hungry, you did or did not give me something to eat" - was "to the least of these", but not to a statistical group. In this, generalization is the lie when it causes you to look at a specific person as what he is not. On average some can be smarter or dumber according to some metric which might not measure what you think it does - the exercises on the track, field, and in the gymnasium are not Basic Training - and both athletes and soldiers earn medals - but for very different things. And a second lie is that such a measure is static. One who applies himself will do far better than one with more raw but undeveloped talent. The scales which measure our weight daily have a more accurate and proper accusation of gluttony and sloth - and will shorten our lives - more than any of these surveys, yet that truth is ignored, rationalized, or rejected. And thus one more lie - I would consider it an act of kindness to point out one of my faults so I might improve, but such things allow us to become snipers hiding behind a wall of statistics to condemn others so we might think better of ourselves, while not looking at what we might do better ourselves. Data might be fascinating and interesting, but isn't a moral agent. Sent at: 2008 12 01