September 2024
Any argument based on facts of any kind is reduced to a policy if the argument is value-based and/or subjective. This holds true for the so called scientific discussions in which the lack of refutability is often implicitly introduced by implicit assumptions or assumptions that miss refutability. The lack of refutability plays a critical role in a discussion when the reasons or assumptions for a statement rely heavily on statistical inferences. Why? It is because statistical inferences are based on data which could mislead them without much difficulty by data exclusions, intentional choices of data periods to be considered, misrepresentations of data, and in the worst case fabrications of data. Of these data exclusions is the most widely used approach for persuasive statements trying to lead the flock of people to a certain action that is to them desirable. Carefully designed data exclusions can bring any conclusions. One of such is the approach where respondents are intentionally excl...