ORIGINAL: rather_be_huntin
Science itself is NEVER evil, it is only the truth.
Almost. It's as close to the truth as we can get with the information available.
ORIGINAL: ELKampMaster
On the other hand, not everything the government and their learned “experts” hold out to the public is the gospel truth either.
Of course it's not the gospel. I'm not telling anyone to believe or disbelieve anything. But at least know that the information is out there for you to see and make your own judgements. The feds don't do research on these things generally. They WILL tell you what they want you to hear. That is why you look at studies done by independent or university scientists. They almost always have no stake at all in swaying public opinion and they the review process is very rigorous. I am a scientists (sorry to say) and we have an elaborate and effective "checks and balances" system for auditing each others work. In other words, if it's not sound science, and your conclusions are not logical, using the best available information, your work goes in the ****ter until it's fixed.
ORIGINAL: ELKampMaster
As I have held up my end of this “wolf discussion”, the main tenet I’ve been holding out to y’all is asking for is a little less blind (read naïve) trust in the feds and a little more well deserved skepticism as to their ability to read the future and handle events.
I keep seeing the words "feds" and "government this" aka distrust.
That's fine, don't believe the government, no one is asking you to. No one is saying, "hey we are scientists so you should believe what we say".
They are saying " Hey we are scientists and we looked at alot of different things and we think you should believe what we say..now here is why, see if you come to the same conclusion."
The only person being naive is those of you who won't get out there, get the data that is available and make YOUR OWN JUDGEMENT as to what is going on. I've tried to make some of it available on here and it's met with some distrust, ignorance and negativity. The worst part is the attitude about "can't trust the feds". That isn't a judgement, that's an opinion, it's not even an informed opinion. It's an excuse for blowing off something that could potentially prove you wrong.
And no one in science is saying or predicting anything. The only thing they are doing or trying to do is explain what we have seen in the past, what is going on now, and what we are LIKELY and/or UNLIKELY to see happen in the future, based on what we know. Now I don't really need you telling me to look at that with skepticism, and I was assuming that the people here are smart enough to know that.
Most of these anti-wolf people are using any non-scientific argument they possibly can to try to sway people. That is a sure sign that they have no logical argument and they must resort to emotionally based arguments.
You can tell them: "Here is some information, it might show that wolves aren't as big of a problem as it seems."
Them: " No we won't believe that because the government might have something to do with it and therefore it's probably all bull ****. Plus my neighbor Cledus got 2 of his goats killed by wolves so I know everyone else in the state must just be getting slaughted by wolf predation."
You see the logic gap?
