| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| frank_black_francis |
Posted - 03/03/2004 : 06:00:59
Moore seemed to use Canada as an example of a virtually murderless society. The Truth is, however, that Canada (more particularly Quebec) has had its own instances of 'Going Postal'....1984, an armed gunman holds the Quebec National Assembly Hostage and kills 4 people (he's out on the street now, by the way), 1991, A gunman walks into a technical school in Montreal and kills 14 women before killing himself, 1993, a disgruntled university teacher kills 4 of his colleagues in Concordia University (Montreal).....now if we were considering proportions of populations between Quebec and the US, there would have had to have been 129 instances of "Going Postal" in the US in the last 20 years to have matched the Province of Quebec. Assuming that no other instances occurred in the rest of Canada in the last 20 years, there would still have to have been at least 30 instances of "going postal" in the last 20 years.
The fact is, and the point I'm trying to make is that Moore stretches the facts beyond the breaking point in this film to get, what I still consider to be a valid point across.
But I wonder, if he played with numbers in Canada, what else did he stretch to fit his argument? |
| 13 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| TarTar |
Posted - 03/05/2004 : 01:49:46
yeah, but Moore doesn't misrepresent nearly as much as the general media does, so ya know, comparitively, he's pretty honest.
"You're muckin' with a G here!" |
| ProverbialCereal |
Posted - 03/04/2004 : 22:29:22
Not all stats are wrong.
Currently Dean accounts for 8.3% of all posts on this forum.
Grizwald owns about .18% of all the forum handles here.
And there is a 50% chance that Jim is ...
We'll leave that last one up in the air.
 Join the Devil's Workshop / Looking for idle hands to work second shift |
| soundofataris |
Posted - 03/04/2004 : 20:47:37
83% of all statistics quoted are made-up on the spot
I want to be a singer like Lou Reed |
| Thomas |
Posted - 03/04/2004 : 19:57:53
quote:
Originally posted by Carolynanna
...you can make stats say just about anything you want them to, simply by massaging the numbers a bit or conveniently leaving out a few key numbers...
I'm in stats at work and one of our favorite sayings is, "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull-shit". W.C. Fields.
"Our Love is Rice and Beans and Horses Lard" |
| Cult_Of_Frank |
Posted - 03/04/2004 : 19:30:48
Oh, well then you forgot your own!
 "Join the Cult of Frank / And you'll be enlightened" |
| VoVat |
Posted - 03/04/2004 : 17:46:21
Yours was one of the two I was counting.
Join the Culf of Buttoms / It's the Alerican way. |
| Cult_Of_Frank |
Posted - 03/04/2004 : 16:37:01
Hey, my line was a Simpsons quote, come on!
"Join the Cult of Frank / And you'll be enlightened" |
| VoVat |
Posted - 03/04/2004 : 16:19:05
quote:
I've said it before but really you can make stats say just about anything you want them to
14% of all people know THAT!
And with that, this thread now contains two Simpsons references. I guess someone could mention Moore's appearance on the show, and make it three.
Join the Culf of Buttoms / It's the Alerican way. |
| Cult_Of_Frank |
Posted - 03/03/2004 : 11:40:28
1-2-3 uhh... Fake... St. :)
"Join the Cult of Frank / And you'll be enlightened" |
| ProverbialCereal |
Posted - 03/03/2004 : 10:58:50
quote:
Originally posted by Cult_Of_Frank
My car's generally never locked tho and with the keys in.
"Join the Cult of Frank / And you'll be enlightened"
Interesting.. I don't generally lock my car when I'm at home, but that's because I don't live on a main road or anything. Plus if people really want to steal 120 CDrs and a Sony discman, more power to them. They'd be getting some good music.
What's your address, Dean? I'm in the market for a new car...
Join the Devil's Workshop / Looking for idle hands to work second shift |
| Carolynanna |
Posted - 03/03/2004 : 09:15:59
quote:
Originally posted by Cult_Of_Frank
Well, I can say that while my door is often open when I'm at home, it's usually locked when I'm asleep or away. My car's generally never locked tho and with the keys in. But I don't know too many people who leave their doors wide open.
"Join the Cult of Frank / And you'll be enlightened"
I also think there is a difference depending on your gender. |
| Carolynanna |
Posted - 03/03/2004 : 09:06:45
I've said it before but really you can make stats say just about anything you want them to, simply by massaging the numbers a bit or conveniently leaving out a few key numbers (especially something like correlation).
I don't trust very many stats as they are so often from a biased source. Like you said Moore may have some valid points or a good message but his stats are horrible. |
| Cult_Of_Frank |
Posted - 03/03/2004 : 06:31:03
Well, I can say that while my door is often open when I'm at home, it's usually locked when I'm asleep or away. My car's generally never locked tho and with the keys in. But I don't know too many people who leave their doors wide open. That said, it really is a weird feeling being in the states for a given time. You can feel the paranoia, I think. Certainly you get an interesting dosage watching TV when every other commercial is about:
a) Drugs to prevent this, help that, cure this
b) Lawyers to go after your evil neighbour/fellow motorist/whatever
c) Doctors (this was far more rare than the first two, but still mind-blowing to me) sinking to the level of cheesy advertising to score clients.
I think comparing murders in Canada to the US is unfair unless you do it per capita, but he didn't. Though the US would still be far in the lead to my recollect.
"Join the Cult of Frank / And you'll be enlightened" |
