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When we affirm each other’s 'right' to believe things—even things that fly in the face of evidence—we essentially decouple critical thinking and belief revision. This damages the norm that keeps minds tethered to reality. A Canadian research team recently made an important discovery: when people lose the 'meta-belief' that beliefs should change in response to evidence, they become more susceptible to conspiracy theories, paranormal beliefs, science denial and extremism—mind viruses, if you will. This is a critical finding. I like to put it more simply: the idea that beliefs should yield to evidence is the linchpin of the mind’s immune system: remove it—or even chip away at it—and an Internet-connected mind will eventually be overrun by mind parasites. When this happens to enough minds, all hell breaks loose.
—Andy Norman
Friday, October 26, 2012

The Junta Issues Guidelines on Torture (Pollak)

I wonder if Pollak ever imagined this would apply to the United States when he published it in 1984...
It is strictly forbidden to use torture
without there being just cause for torture.

Whether there is just cause for torture
can best be determined by torture.

If it appears in the course of torture
that there is no just cause for torture

You will eliminate all traces of torture
by eliminating the recipient of torture.

Death is therefore never caused by torture
though it may be the consequence of torture.

Whosoever denies the truth about torture
is thereby giving just cause for torture.

Felix Pollak, "The Junta Issues Guidelines on Torture"

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