GIGO

In the early years of information age, when computers were very large machines run by experts and reserved for important tasks, and were slowly seeping into the consciousness of Westerners, some genius coined a phrase to describe the condition of computed results--reports, graphs, numbers, predictions--frequently being less than expected:

            Garbage In, Garbage Out

As we all know today, that means if you want good results from a computer, you need to supply it with good data and good programs. If you don't, and supply it with 'garbage' instead, then your outputs will be predictably useless.

--------------------------

A friend sent me a video today, ostensibly making a point about how political correctness had replaced education in our school systems. It had no relation whatsoever to actual truth or experience, but instead was crafted solely to promote and inculcate a particular opinion without actually providing any evidence or information to support that opinion.

It made me think, and I reflected upon how the old computer truism was so applicable to the creation and articulation of political arguments.

If your input of news and commentary and perspective is garbage, then there's not going to be much doubt about the quality of the opinions you form and express.

In other words: you are likely to have nothing worthwhile or interesting to say to an intelligent person if your sources of information about the world today are Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and the right-wing hate machine. You want to suck lies, poison, denial, delusion and bias into your brain as your daily fare, well that of course is fine and is your affair. But please don't expect me to take seriously anything you have to say about politics, economics, culture, history or any non-personal subject.