"Witty, but Only Half-Witty"

And another good line from a commenter, this one by Don Nico. A Google search reveals some precedents for this (nothing new under the Sun), but this particular version seems original, at least in Googlespace.

Comments

[Alexander Campbell]

New VC Commenter goal: prompt an entire post based on your comment.

[Eugene Volokh]

Exactly -- maybe that incentive will up people's game!

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Or one could settle for advancing the liberal-libertarian cause so deftly that Prof. Volokh resorts to viewpoint-driven censorship -- or perhaps even imposes a ban.

[Harvey Mosley]

One can hope...

[DaivdBehar]

Donnie never contributes any substance. I have on Mute User because he is a waste of time. He only insults people. This commits the Fallacy of Irrelevance. Not a lawyer, but still a Democrat. That is all they do.

The entire legal repertoire is filled with hundreds of fallacies, violations of critical thinking, supernatural garbage doctrines from the Middle Ages, and from the Catholic Church. These serious defects are a major factor in the utter failure of the occupation. It takes our $trillion and delivers nothing of value. All American achievement has been despite this toxic occupation, not because of it. It calls itself the best in the world, when it is worse than the legal system of many failed African, Third World states. It is garbage. Every year the lawyer breathes, each destroys $5 million in economic value.

[whey_standard]

I've got few good things to say about Don, but he was right here. I've criticized Eugene's arguments and the support he provides in his article at length, but the comment Don called out was indeed a "too smart by half" criticism of the article.

[Don Nico]

Thank you, whey,
We can have much more informative discussions when we can say a nice word to each other on occasion.

[whey_standard]

I tell myself that all the time, and just as I'm thinking "I should be polite and modest, I don't know everything" I realize I've already hit send on the reply I think destroys their argument and that I've ended by calling them a dumb troll.

If only we all could be as restrained and polite online as EV.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

"If only we all could be as restrained and polite online as EV."

Prof. Volokh restrained Artie Ray Lee Wayne Jim-Bob Kirkland quite thoroughly.

[whey_standard]

We’ve all got our limits

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

And the professor is entitled to act on his . . . even if his viewpoint-controlled, partisan censorship vividly mocks his ostensible positions as a libertarian, an academic (scholar rather than partisan operative), and a champion of free expression.

His playground, his rules. His conduct, his hypocrisy and increasingly naked partisanship.

[Don Nico]

David,
"never contributes any substance"
Obviously you have never read any of my posts concerning SARS-CoV-2. But that is a consequence of using mute.
I admit to putting you own mute also because I'd make the same comment about your post.
We both should raise our game.
I'll unmute you on a trial basis

[Dr. Ed 2]

"Obviously you have never read any of my posts concerning SARS-CoV-2."

I still say you are a fascist -- and if the vaccine really did cause 11,000 deaths, that's more than drunk driving. If it caused four times that, as some CDC folk quietly are suggesting, that's a third more than the total MVA carnage.

So can a college require its students to ride somewhere with a drunk driver? Why not???

[Dr. Ed 2]

And FAFSA applications are down 5% this year.

Say what you inevitably will, but I view it as 5% *more* of the HS Class of 2021 rejecting college out of hand...

See: https://www.highereddive.com/news/fafsa-completions-down-nearly-5-report-says/603554/

[Don Nico]

What about those Red Sox?

[Dr. Ed 2]

Owned by John Henry, they're definitely Red...

[Don Nico]

I've promised not to insult you in this thread.

[David Nieporent]

and if the vaccine really did cause 11,000 deaths, that’s more than drunk driving. If it caused four times that, as some CDC folk quietly are suggesting,

No CDC folk are suggesting that. The actual number is .1% of that.

[Don Nico]

If you cannot say something nice in this thread, 'tis better to be silent

[bernard11]

Facts, as of May 10.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires health care providers to report any serious adverse event (including death) that happens after a COVID-19 vaccination – whether or not the provider thinks there is any link. The CDC says, "Health care providers are required to report to VAERS the following adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination…regardless if the reporter thinks the vaccine caused the AE." AE stands for adverse event and includes death.

That means that if a vaccinated person drowns, gets in a car crash or is struck by lightning, their death must be reported to VAERS as an adverse event. Since we've vaccinated over 140 million people in the United States, many deaths will occur coincidentally after vaccination.

As of May 10, there have been 4,434 reports of death following a COVID-19 vaccination to VAERS. Doctors at the CDC review each reported death, looking at death certificates, autopsy and medical records. They have no reason to believe that COVID-19 vaccines cause death.

IOW, of the 140 million vaccinated individuals in the US, 4,434 died after being vaccinated. This includes deaths from car wrecks, heart attacks, cancer, etc.

What was that about 11,000 deaths? Or 44,000?

[Dr. Ed 2]

"This includes deaths from car wrecks, heart attacks, cancer, etc.."

Same thing with COVID deaths in general -- except there was a financial incentive to inflate the COVID death figure.

[bernard11]

No. It wasn't true. It was BS.

And it wold be irrelevant to the fact that you just made up some more nonsense.

Serious question: What's wrong with you? Why do you do this? Do you expect anyone to believe you have some inside informant at the CDC who told you there might have been 44,000 vaccine deaths?

[Toranth]

Yes, it was true - at least about "COVID deaths" that had other causes. In fact, you can go to the CDC's COVID death tracking web page, and scroll down to the section that lists cause of death.

If you can count, you'll notice how about 3% of those deaths have codes like "vehicular accident" or "shooting".

[Don Nico]

"about 3% "
As we used to say, "that's good enough for government work."

[bernard11]

Perhaps you could provide a link.

[DaivdBehar]

These remarks about the lawyer profession are not insults committing the Fallacy of Irrelevance. They are loving correction because I am the best and only friend of the lawyer profession. Everyone else wants you dead. I care about you, and want you better.

[bernard11]

I just unmuted you and read this out of curiosity.

Mistake.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

I do not muzzle anyone.
Am I the only libertarian left around here?

[bernard11]

I make no claim to being a libertarian, but I don't see how muting a commenter is an un-libertarian thing to do.

Are libertarians required to listen to anyone who wants to shout in their ear, at risk of being accused of hypocrisy?

[Don Nico]

Dear Eugene,
Thank you for noticing this snark.
Best wishes

[rsteinmetz]

I always think of this quote from I Claudius.

As for being half-witted: well, what can I say, except that I have survived to middle age with half my wits, while thousands have died with all of theirs intact. Evidently, quality of wits is more important than quantity.

[Don Nico]

Very nice quote. I recall that series very well.

[Paul Sand]

I've always been fond of various forms of this pun (https://www.englishforums.com/English/HalfVast/lxkzw/post.htm): "... a vast project that should not be undertaken with a half-vast analytical process."

Also applicable to most claims of a "vast conspiracy". "No, more like half-vast."

[Don Nico]

Indeed, indeed!