[Marxism] A reply to Brian Baker on marxist.com

[Paddy Apling]

Hallo Craig,

I hadn't noticed any "picking" - and never bear any hard feelings anyway 
about arguments I get into !!  It is, however, very pleasant of you to 
preface your comments as you did.

As I am getting on in years (age 83 actually) I am less able to keep up with 
the current literature - but I am increasingly concerned about the tendency 
of so many of younger scientific colleagues to accept as proven causes 
things which are merely connected by statistical correlations not subjected 
to established  criteria e.g. of Koch's postulates  - or the criteria of 
random samples etc in statistics so well established by Ronald Fisher and 
JBS  Haldane.

However, whatever the current view of the CDC - and having been involved 
along with Lord Walsingham in the initial arguments during the BSE crisis 
(when I was in conflict with a majority of my former colleages, I have to 
admit) - the crucial tests which we advocated have never been done - money 
was never available.   So I have no qualms about "sticking to my guns".  The 
connections are made by Faith not by science - as in so many other things 
nowadays.

Regards,
Paddy
http://apling.freeservers.com


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Craig Brozefsky" <craig at red-bean.com>
To: <e.c.apling at btinternet.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 4:13 PM
Subject: Re: [Marxism] A reply to Brian Baker on marxist.com


<sniP>
> Paddy, I hope you don't think I'm picking on you by responding to
> this, as I did to the previous comment about GMO crop destruction.
> That is certainly not my intention.