# In the history of the SDMB has anyone ever been wrong about more things than adaher? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 31, 2013, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639 "2013-08-31T04:55:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/181 "2013-09-04T20:08:11Z")
That’s the source of their problems. I don’t really buy the conservative arguments that Republicans lose because they are not conservative enough, but cutting taxes without cutting spending, and even massive expansions of government to try to achieve conservative social engineering, was never going to turn out well. That’s an example of not being conservative enough, and it hurting the GOP brand tremendously. Things would have been a lot different if they’d approached things the way Eisenhower and Coolidge did. YOu cut some spending, you cut some taxes. Nothing too radical, do it slowly. Then you build up a constituency for spending cuts(the taxpayers) that drown out the concentrated beneficiaries of whatever programs are being eliminated. Thanks to Republican tax policy since Reagan, taxpayers get tax cuts for nothing, and so have no stake in seeing spending cut. Tax cuts have to be conditional on spending cuts. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/182 "2013-09-04T20:18:38Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > That’s the source of their problems. I don’t really buy the conservative arguments that Republicans lose because they are not conservative enough, but cutting taxes without cutting spending, and even massive expansions of government to try to achieve conservative social engineering, was never going to turn out well. **That’s an example of not being conservative enough,** and it hurting the GOP brand tremendously. Things would have been a lot different if they’d approached things the way Eisenhower and Coolidge did. YOu cut some spending, you cut some taxes. Nothing too radical, do it slowly. Then you build up a constituency for spending cuts(the taxpayers) that drown out the concentrated beneficiaries of whatever programs are being eliminated. Thanks to Republican tax policy since Reagan, taxpayers get tax cuts for nothing, and so have no stake in seeing spending cut. Tax cuts have to be conditional on spending cuts. No, that was them being conservative. They were the true Scotsman. That’s how conservatives do things ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/183 "2013-09-04T20:22:27Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Tax cuts have to be conditional on spending cuts. What is the likelihood of that ever passing the House, no matter who controls it? Liberals like to spend money on what we see as worthwhile federal programs, and we aren’t afraid to raise taxes to pay for it. That’s what grown-ups do, they pay their bills. Conservatives like spending on what they see as worthwhile federal programs (usually foreign military adventurism), but they make it off-budget, and refuse to raise taxes to pay for it, or raise the debt ceiling to even borrow money to pay for it; they just dine and dash, like juvenile delinquents, leaving the check on the table for their children and grandchildren… ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/184 "2013-09-04T20:25:21Z")
I see \*\*adaher \*\*just tap-dancing around the posts that show how ignorant he is. Just a heads up **adaher** , not dealing with the information just leads other to realize you are going into willful ignorant territory, and hence a rightful contender for the top “getting it wrong” poster in this place. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/185 "2013-09-04T20:28:15Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > No, that was them being conservative. They were the true Scotsman. That’s how conservatives do things I’m not going to make the excuse that it’s not conservative. However, it is a theory conservatives latched onto which was long proven to not work and should have been abandoned in favor of the conservative fiscal policies that actually worked. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/186 "2013-09-04T20:29:34Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > I see \*\*adaher \*\*just tap-dancing around the posts that show how ignorant he is. > > Just a heads up **adaher** , not dealing with the information just leads other to realize you are going into willful ignorant territory, and hence a rightful contender for the top “getting it wrong” poster in this place. Your mistake is in thinking you have to beat me, rather than just make your arguments. Your arguments have merit or do not have merit regardless of whether I respond to them or not. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/187 "2013-09-04T20:56:36Z")
The thing is, thus far you’ve never shown that any of your arguments have any merit whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/188 "2013-09-04T21:45:25Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Your mistake is in thinking you have to beat me, rather than just make your arguments. The arguments come from Nordhous himself, I defer to him, this is very basic reasoning, otherwise you are only using your truthiness. In other words, you are only using your feelings, that experience and history has shown us many times that it is not a recommendable thing to do. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OjD0e1d6GgQ/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGH8gPCgyMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBd5S181iOMH5yc7it73A1YAUEFFw "26 -- Science vs. the Feelies") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjD0e1d6GgQ) Science vs the feelies, Science writer Peter Hadfield explains why. > [@adaher](#): > > Your arguments have merit or do not have merit regardless of whether I respond to them or not. And indeed they have merit, **so you need to learn from them**. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/189 "2013-09-04T22:14:07Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Helping new tech (for instance Tesla) to become more viable can pay off later with more efficient electric cars available to the general public. > > \ > > Supporting new tech based on politics is fucking stupid as politicians seldom have the education to understand. Or the moral fortitude to stand up for what’s right or needed. But, what you describe in the first paragraph **cannot happen** except for reasons based on politics; anything government does is for political reasons by definition. N.B.: Not all reasons based on politics are bad ones, and some such are also based on science. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/190 "2013-09-04T22:21:17Z")
And apparently, according to addle-headed ahaher, you cannot create Justice except by creating an equal amount of Injustice. :rolleyes: Goddamn, that’s a whole lot of stupid in one package. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/191 "2013-09-05T02:35:40Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Scientists have come up with a TON of options. **Problem is, none of them are viable in the market** , which they would understand if they had any economist friends. > [@adaher](#): > > You’re right about how \*\*it doesn’t matter how much it costs. > \*\*\ > But scientists cannot tell you what method of preserving the planet works better. As of 2013, there are three government policies designed to reduce greenhouse gases that are plausible: a carbon tax, cap and trade, and just passing regulations limiting emissions. Scientists have no expertise in judging the merits of those three alternatives. Neither do they have expertise in judging which alternatives have the most promise, since getting these alternatives to market is an engineering problem first, and a marketing problem second. You are now officially arguing with yourself. Well done! Hooray! ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/192 "2013-09-05T03:15:09Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > With all due respect, it’s virtually impossible to be wrong when all you do is ask questions, while stubbornly avoiding making declarative statements. > > What I’m saying is, **ralph124c** has a unique gift. > [@Ravenman](#): > > **ralph124c**. He’s the only poster who is more wrong. **adaher** makes statements that are informed, but very often wrong. Ralph is a perfect storm of ignorance and error. Am I the only one who leaps with delight to threads started by **ralph124c**? He asks such funny questions! ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/193 "2013-09-05T04:32:50Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > And apparently, according to addle-headed ahaher, you cannot create Justice except by creating an equal amount of Injustice. :rolleyes: Goddamn, that’s a whole lot of stupid in one package. if you understood what I posted, you’d realize that trying to create justice often just creates new injustices. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/194 "2013-09-05T05:12:53Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > if you understood what I posted, you’d realize that trying to create justice often just creates new injustices. Good thing the North ignored that silly advice during the civil war. Also the northerners ignored that silliness when most of them voted for the Civil Rights act. It is silly for not taking conditionals into account. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/195 "2013-09-05T07:00:10Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Businessmen want to make money. Solar panels can make them a lot of money, once viable. And only they can figure out how to make them viable, because they, not scientists, not engineers, not even economists, know what it takes to get people to part with their money. [Not really](http://smallbiztrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Startup-Survival-Rates.png): a fifth of startups close their doors after a year, a third after four years, two-thirds after ten. A _few_ businessmen are good at it, more are plain lucky, most seem to be not so good. Business and economics lie somewhere between science and a crapshoot, probably not biased toward the former. Often, I think, a skilled businessman is good at working the banks and tweaking the books rather than focusing on the actual business model. And such are the sort that you look to for leadership. Try more fiber. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/196 "2013-09-05T07:16:14Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > And apparently, according to addle-headed ahaher, you cannot create Justice except by creating an equal amount of Injustice. Make sure you don’t let the justice and injustice come in contact with each other. The resulting explosion would cause massive damage and loss of life. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/197 "2013-09-05T12:41:44Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > if you understood what I posted, you’d realize that trying to create justice often just creates new injustices. Holy shit! You are Karl Pilkington! [Quote!] ([https://mobile.twitter.com/rickygervais/status/294103660835786752](https://mobile.twitter.com/rickygervais/status/294103660835786752)) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/198 "2013-09-05T13:09:15Z")
> [@sylmar](#): > > Anyone else under the impression he’s a paid shill whose job it is to try and influence public perception of the GOP? I have suspected it for a long time. He’s so on-message that it raises my suspicions. > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > What is the liberal view on vaccines? Yeah, I want to know the answer to this one as well. > [@Ravenman](#): > > Holy shit! You are Karl Pilkington! > [Quote!] > ([https://mobile.twitter.com/rickygervais/status/294103660835786752](https://mobile.twitter.com/rickygervais/status/294103660835786752)) Omigod. ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/199 "2013-09-05T13:55:19Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > You are now officially arguing with yourself. Well done! Hooray! **adaher** , what is your response to this? ---
**Author:** ![Karrius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71c47a/32.png) [@Karrius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karrius)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639/200 "2013-09-05T15:19:02Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > What is the liberal view on vaccines? > **[Megachurch's Anti-Vaccine Stance Results In God's Measles-y Wrath](https://www.techdirt.com/2013/09/03/megachurchs-anti-vaccine-stance-results-gods-measles-y-wrath/)** > > Here’s a fun question: what if there is a God and he/she/it has a sense of irony? I’m not sure whether that thought is comforting or terrifying. For instance, let’s say you’… As we can see, the Conservative view on vaccines is that they’re bad, and measels are good, so presumably the liberal view is “don’t murder children, you evil fucking monster”. Or do these people not count as Conservatives? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-history-of-the-sdmb-has-anyone-ever-been-wrong-about-more-things-than-adaher/667639.md?page=11)