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"Just say no to drugs" - simple terms. Is it a valid social policy given other ways to reduce drug use? "From each according to his ability, to each according
by dalke 12y ago
"Just say no to drugs" - simple terms. Is it a valid social policy given other ways to reduce drug use?
"From each according to his ability, to each according to his need". Simple terms. Does it lead to a workable political system?
"Three-strikes law". Simple idea. Does it lead to good social policy?
"Zero tolerance." Another simple idea. Does it lead to good social policy?
"White man's burden." Does it justify the American colonization of the Philippines and other countries?
"Curse and mark of Cain" as used by many religious groups to explain the lower social standing of those with black skin. Valid idea?
"Free silver at a ratio of 16 to 1" - one of the famous slogans of the Populist movement in the US in the late 1800s. Easy to say. Good economic policy?
Or do you prefer "Bad money drives out good" - Gresham's Law - as your economic policy?
- tomjen3 12y agoA therefore B does not mean not A therefore not B
- dalke 12y agoMy point was that "A therefore B" isn't useful if the noise level is so high that it can't be used to make a meaningful decision. Otherwise the advice reduces to "don't trust long explanations". But if 1% of long explanations are valid and 2% of short ones are valid, then the statement is both true, and worthless as a way to detect validity.
- netcan 12y agoGersham's law is actually fairly valid, as well as being simple. The difference is that it isn't a statement of intent, it's a description of an inevitability.
- dalke 12y agoI wanted to include more examples of short and fairly valid sayings for politics and economics. It was the only one I came up with.