Denialists’ Deck of Cards: Consumers Want It, Or They Don’t Know What They Want

The spectacle manifests itself as an enormous positivity, out of reach and beyond dispute. All it says is: “Everything that appears is good; whatever is good will appear.” – Guy Debord, The Society of the Spectacle

i-9d936ebcbb671ac98c18d0fb1b4e58c6-4s.jpeg You’ve argued that consumer education can set individuals free. Now argue that because something exists, people must want it. After all, the market is perfect, and even if it produces a seemly odious product, it’s not really a problem. On the other hand, if consumers start making choices that the denialist doesn’t like, the denialist will say that individuals don’t really know what they want. i-4c97633fd541b43d1718e227370307bb-5h.jpeg

So, whether you go with consumers want it or consumers do not know what they want, you conclude with the “no problem” chorus.

i-24f3928018e4a410ca06a6d0a4839de9-5c.jpg

Continue reading “Denialists’ Deck of Cards: Consumers Want It, Or They Don’t Know What They Want”

Denialists’ Deck of Cards: The 4 of Diamonds, “Consumer Freedom”

i-fdadf3f4eafaf88a43c4ba0f2ec49117-4d.jpg Given that there is consumer education, any attempt to limit the practices in questions threaten consumer freedom. Denialists will assume that people are perfectly rational and in possession of all relevant information. Thus, individuals choose the problem being addressed, and to limit it frustrates consumer freedom, because they like the problem or harm at issue.

Denialists’ Deck of Cards: The Second Hand, Consumer Education

Okay, you’ve tried denying that the problem exists, you’ve tried to trivialize the problem, and you’ve even argued that the problem causes so harm, so it isn’t a problem. Obviously, this no harm thing begins to have diminishing returns. What’s next?
Continue reading “Denialists’ Deck of Cards: The Second Hand, Consumer Education”

Denialists’ Deck of Cards: The 3 of Spades, “Dolittle and DeLay”

i-8bf2fb738c3a7cb4ab229deaa8d34631-3s.jpg

At this point, the denalist engages in delay. The problem that doesn’t exist, and the harms that do not occur will continue not occur in the future, if we just wait.

A great “wait and see” tactic is to “shift the goal posts.” The denialist does by stating, “we don’t know that there is a problem until X is demonstrated.” The denialist will set unrealistic expectations for X, and if X is shown, it can easily be changed to Y. In the climate change debate, denialists claimed that we did not have enough historical information to make determinations about global temperatures. In 1998, Michael Mann’s research allowed scientists to view 1,000 years of temperature data. That wasn’t enough for the denialists. New advances enable a far deeper knowledge of global temperature, but with each new advance, denialists say it does not go far enough.

Another is to delay by calling for a study of the non-existent problem. I call this the Mustapha Mond option. In the California RFID debate, industry lobbyists argued against setting security and privacy standards, and instead suggested that a “study committee” be formed. This committee would produce a non-binding report with recommendations, some time in the future. The buys the industry time, and then allows a completely new debate over whether the study was proper.

Denialists’ Deck of Cards: The 3 of Hearts, “No Harm”

Okay, my industry lobbyists in training. You’ve said “no problem” over and over. You’ve dismissed problems as attributable to bad apples, or diminished the problem as a “mere inconvenience.” But people still seem to think that the problem that doesn’t exist still exists. You’re getting more and more press calls on the non-existent problem. What next?

Continue reading “Denialists’ Deck of Cards: The 3 of Hearts, “No Harm””

Denialists’ Deck of Cards: The 2 of Spades, “Mere Inconvenience”

Are you practicing the “no problem” hand? You know how it goes–“there’s no problem” (damn persnickety do gooders)! And even if people sometimes think that there is a problem, the problem that isn’t a problem is caused by bad apples. But it really isn’t even a problem.

i-73e8da0bce0cebef8eca34b7b2dc4657-2s.jpg It’s just a mere inconvenience! Therefore, there’s no problem! Remember this argument from the do-not-call debate on telemarketing? i-6c50acac1780b0bca2ca26938b76a298-3c.jpg

Epstein: FDA Deprives “Informed Patients” Choice in Care, But So Does the Market

Okay, I’m going to open a can of worms, and I’ll need the commentors to help me with this one.

Last week, Professor Richard Epstein of the University of Chicago School of Law published an oped in the Wall Street Journal. Epstein’s a charming fellow, and I like him, but I wouldn’t want to live in a world where he is in charge of things! Most of the article discusses pharmaceutical regulation and the changing winds in Congress. But he ends with this whopper, which isn’t really even related to his main argument, and exposes the Journal’s editorial excess:
Continue reading “Epstein: FDA Deprives “Informed Patients” Choice in Care, But So Does the Market”

Off to Montreal

I’m going to be less active for a few days. Going to Montreal (for the first time) for the 17th Conference on Computers, Freedom, and Privacy. I’ll be moderating a panel on the new landscape of online advertising, featuring Microsoft’s Kim Howell, the Center for Digital Democracy’s Jeff Chester, and Mike Zaneis of the Interactive Advertising Bureau. There may be some denialism afoot, in which case I’ll project a card or two on the screen.

Anyone have any restaurant suggestions?

Denialists’ Deck of Cards: The 2 of Clubs, “No Problem”

I’m very proud to be on Scienceblogs with Mark, and for my first posts, I’m going to be introducing the Denialists’ Deck of Cards, a humorous way to think about rhetorical techniques that are used in public debate. Those who pay attention to consumer protection issues, especially in product safety (especially tobacco, food, drugs), will recognize these techniques. The goal of classifying them in this way is to advance public understanding of how these techniques can be used to stifle reform in consumer protection or on other issues. So, the Denialists’ Deck is extremely cynical. But it is a reflection of and reaction to how poor the public policy debates in Washington have become.
Continue reading “Denialists’ Deck of Cards: The 2 of Clubs, “No Problem””