Comments on: An email discussion with Michael Totten http://fabiusmaximus.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/totten-interview/ A discussion of geopolitics, broadly defined, from an American's perspective. Sun, 07 Sep 2008 10:32:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: OldSkeptic http://fabiusmaximus.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/totten-interview/#comment-1639 OldSkeptic Tue, 01 Apr 2008 10:27:56 +0000 http://fabiusmaximus.wordpress.com/?p=212#comment-1639 My experience is that people that approach the web (including blogging), with well developed knowledge, analytic and knowledge gaining skills, etc, can find it extremely useful. The other day I has to refresh my mind about chi-squared tests (relating to Benford tests), instead of (as I did in the past) grab one of my books I just googled it, problem solved. Nice. But I knew what I wanted and had a keen bulls***t detector. Blogging, in the best sense, is very much like my upbringing in a Celtic society. Where 'solving the problems of the world' over a few (many) pints of beer is an established form of social intercourse. [One of reasons why the Celtic societies are so smart I surmise)] Intellectual discourse is one of the great pleasures of life. To learn, discuss, debate. Great stuff. Read the old masters (in all areas, art, literature, science, etc) debate was one of the key elements of their life. We went to sleep as societies a while back, perhaps the internet (and blogs) has given us back the ability to argue into the 'wee small hours of the morning' again, which, in my vierw, is an essential element of a civilised society. Yes there are the ignorant, the ranters, the fools, the 'people with agendas' .. but people communicating is too the good, debate is good, argument is good. No one has the monopoly of the Truth (much as some Govts want to have it), only by discourse can we get a 'glimpse of the elephant'. My experience is that people that approach the web (including blogging), with well developed knowledge, analytic and knowledge gaining skills, etc, can find it extremely useful.

The other day I has to refresh my mind about chi-squared tests (relating to Benford tests), instead of (as I did in the past) grab one of my books I just googled it, problem solved. Nice. But I knew what I wanted and had a keen bulls***t detector.

Blogging, in the best sense, is very much like my upbringing in a Celtic society. Where ’solving the problems of the world’ over a few (many) pints of beer is an established form of social intercourse. [One of reasons why the Celtic societies are so smart I surmise)]

Intellectual discourse is one of the great pleasures of life. To learn, discuss, debate. Great stuff. Read the old masters (in all areas, art, literature, science, etc) debate was one of the key elements of their life.

We went to sleep as societies a while back, perhaps the internet (and blogs) has given us back the ability to argue into the ‘wee small hours of the morning’ again, which, in my vierw, is an essential element of a civilised society.

Yes there are the ignorant, the ranters, the fools, the ‘people with agendas’ .. but people communicating is too the good, debate is good, argument is good. No one has the monopoly of the Truth (much as some Govts want to have it), only by discourse can we get a ‘glimpse of the elephant’.

]]> By: Joshua Foust http://fabiusmaximus.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/totten-interview/#comment-1611 Joshua Foust Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:03:46 +0000 http://fabiusmaximus.wordpress.com/?p=212#comment-1611 I still think Totten is among, if not the, most honest of the embedded war bloggers. Anyone who admits right up front their observation bias, and other limitations of a "trees view" is, in my mind, a reliable source... for what they see. Unlike most of the others I've read (from Malkin to Roggio), Totten has remained ambivalent about the success of the Surge as a strategic matter; while at the same time it's difficult to see the lowered levels of violence as anything other than a relief to the soldiers on the ground. I'm curious about something, though. Every soldier he interviews has a name and a hometown. The Iraqis tend to be... just, Iraqis. A policeman. A boy on the street. A translator. And so on. I realize things are difficult in a war zone, especially working through translators, but what does this say about how viewpoints stateside are shaped, when only soldiers have names? I still think Totten is among, if not the, most honest of the embedded war bloggers. Anyone who admits right up front their observation bias, and other limitations of a “trees view” is, in my mind, a reliable source… for what they see. Unlike most of the others I’ve read (from Malkin to Roggio), Totten has remained ambivalent about the success of the Surge as a strategic matter; while at the same time it’s difficult to see the lowered levels of violence as anything other than a relief to the soldiers on the ground.

I’m curious about something, though. Every soldier he interviews has a name and a hometown. The Iraqis tend to be… just, Iraqis. A policeman. A boy on the street. A translator. And so on. I realize things are difficult in a war zone, especially working through translators, but what does this say about how viewpoints stateside are shaped, when only soldiers have names?

]]>