The burden of evidence for any institution’s claim is on the institution.
The burden of skepticism is on the public.
It is the public’s civic duty to be skeptical of any institutional claim, as this is the only enforcing power held against the institution.
The burden of skepticism is on the public.
It is the public’s civic duty to be skeptical of any institutional claim, as this is the only enforcing power held against the institution.
For example, if all the governments of the world tell us the mortality rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations but do not tell us the mortality rate of the 79% of hospitalizations for total COVID-like illness that test negative for COVID, we have a civic duty to distrust them.
We have a civic duty to assume they are hiding this with malicious intent and to treat them as such.
Why? Because they can reverse this perception instantaneously by revealing the data.
Why? Because they can reverse this perception instantaneously by revealing the data.
By contrast, ignoring this or giving them the benefit of the doubt gives license to their lack of transparency.
The downside risk of this stance is we had a negative attitude toward them they were able to quickly fix.
The downside risk of this stance is we had a negative attitude toward them they were able to quickly fix.
The downside risk of not taking this stance is allowing ourselves to be forever wrong, possibly due to malicious manipulation of data, about the major sources of death.
This would lead to an enormous excess of unnecessary deaths.
This would lead to an enormous excess of unnecessary deaths.
It is the public’s duty to distrust institutions.
Every ounce of trust the public puts in institutions must be earned.
It is us who must make them earn it.
Every ounce of trust the public puts in institutions must be earned.
It is us who must make them earn it.
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