Brexit Bungle

[Dill]

(12-14-2018, 08:47 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: It's good that you'll have the whole weekend to mull this one over.  A small aside, no need for a pontificating overly verbose response. 

If you say my response was "pontificating" and "overly (?) verbose," are you stating a fact or an opinion based upon subjective criteria?

(12-14-2018, 08:47 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: That's a lot of words to say nothing.  Let's try to be succinct, I'll illustrate.

When someone claims that Britain is in the ideal time zone for trade are they stating a fact or their opinion based on subjective criteria?

When someone claims that the EU relies too much on the British economy are they stating a fact or their opinion based on subjective criteria?

Does the fact that both statements are clearly the subjective opinion of one person automatically make them inaccurate?  Clearly, no.  Does the same fact make them any more important, or based in fact, than the opinion of anyone posting on this message board?  Clearly, no.

That "lot of words" at least pushed you outside circular definition. (And we may be referring back to them soon, as I suspect your argument harbors an unstated assumption about the equality of all "opinion" and "subjective criteria.")

If someone claims Britain is in the ideal time zone for trade, he could be stating a fact if there is indeed some connection; but for the sake of argument, let's say this positive evaluation of Britain's economic future post-Brexit is based upon "opinion" and "subjective criteria."  

Same for the claim that the EU relies too much on the British economy.  

How could these statements, whose occurrence you don't dispute, then NOT be factual support for Fisher and Taub's argument that many Brits evince an optimism about Brexit that belies their actual economic reality?   

If they are support, then it is unclear why your response should be "That's a fascinating, and 100% subjective, argument." It is an inductive argument, based upon observation of facts--in this case statements by British citizens.  If those citizens' statements are "opinion," as opposed to what you call "fact," then that helps Fisher and Taub's conclusion. It does not make THEIR argument "subjective."