# Jonathan C, a continuation of Wickard

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-c-a-continuation-of-wickard/774294>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [December 9, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-c-a-continuation-of-wickard/774294 "2016-12-09T17:18:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 51

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**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-c-a-continuation-of-wickard/774294/51 "2016-12-14T02:56:29Z")

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> [@Saint\_Cad](#):
>
> Discussion of hypocrasy does in someways advance the thread.

Here’s an example in the wild of what I too often see, in a thread about the electoral college:

> [@Hillary Clinton's popular vote victory only based on 3 small areas of country?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-popular-vote-victory-only-based-on-3-small-areas-of-country/774376/111):
>
> > [@Hillary Clinton's popular vote victory only based on 3 small areas of country?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-popular-vote-victory-only-based-on-3-small-areas-of-country/774376/109):
> >
> > It’s a messed up system, and it should change.
> 
> Translation = It doesn’t work to my advantage so I want it changed.

I’d offered several paragraphs of reasons why I hold my views. Some folks in the thread were debating those reasons, and that sort of debate is productive. I don’t hold some sort of objective proof that I’m right, all I can do is try to make coherent arguments and evaluate the claims others make.

Then this charge came in, suggesting that I don’t even believe the arguments that I’m making, that the real reason I make these arguments is that I want an advantage.

Do you really believe that sort of thing advances the thread?

(Note that SA’s post is reproduced entirely, although he was quoting just one sentence of mine).

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