Dogmafood writes:
Something as opposed to not something. There is an indication that the acupuncture is having an effect. Why is that? They use less drugs. Why is that?
Does it now? Does it *really*? What if they used less drugs simply because they used acupuncture; they didn't get equivalent effect, they just used fewer drugs because they utilized an alternate technique.
The fact that they changed their behavior isn't an indication that their behavior was effective. One is a *behavior* and one is an *effect*. Forgive me if I am belaboring the simple point but its rather important that you understand the distinction.
Dogmafood writes:
What? One of us is blithering.
I'll go over this really slowly so you can understand. Simply because a technique for dealing with an equivalent medical situation is used does not in and of itself indicate the effect or merit of that technique is equivalent. We use anesthetics when pulling bullets out of people's legs because it yields a superior effect than not; people experience less pain when we use anesthetics.
If we, for whatever reason, decided to use 50% fewer drugs or even no drugs at all this wouldn't indicate that we were getting equivalent effect out of our behavior. By extension we cannot conclude that our reason, if it is another behavior, had any effect whatsoever. Thats the connection between our differing techniques in bullet wound treatment and the differing techniques in brain surgery we were discussing. Do you see now?
Dogmafood writes:
So we are in agreement. There is some tangible effect caused by acupuncture.
No you blithering moron, thats still not proven. The acupuncture aspect of calming may well hinder the calming effect, along with introducing myriad sanitary concerns among others. Regardless, you haven't expressed any good reason to think that it was effective in any manner.
Normally I would guess that trying to remain calm would aid in the management of pain, but in these circumstances when dealing with someone who cannot distinguish "effective action" from just "action" I am compelled to follow a stricter standard.
Dogmafood writes:
If we had to bore into your skull to remove the tumour would you prefer acupuncture or a caveman with a sharp stone?
I would prefer the caveman with a sharp stone you *fucking moron*, because acupuncture isn't going to give me the hole in my head I apparently so desperately need. Acupuncture is a sideline act here, nobody is going to scratch a hole through someone's skull with an acupuncture needle.
As for if acupuncture would be an effective method of pain management, its important that we are clear on the difference between "Some people use acupuncture," and "Acupuncture is effective," before we move on.
Dogmafood writes:
What consequences phage0070?
The above consequences. I'm not going to rudely speculate about what cognitive handicaps you must have been functioning under because I suspect you are truly applying yourself. You are even now dimly straining to see what I am getting at about the difference between behavior and effective behavior, and through the fog and cobwebs of these infrequently traveled roads beginning to see a glimmer of truth.
But you aren't going to grasp that truth. You won't say "Oh, I was wrong to assume that just because they behaved differently that it indicates they must have been effective, much less that effect could be attributed to their chosen technique. I should actually look at some proper research before I draw any conclusions about that."
Instead you are going to feebly protest further, probably committing further intellectual pratfalls while stubbornly refusing to learn anything of value from this exchange. You *might* even attempt to dig up some questionable studies about the effectiveness of acupuncture to try to support your position, simultaneously demonstrating an abject ignorance of the issue at hand and an intellectual dishonesty of staggering levels.
But I am getting ahead of myself. There are two takeaway points for you here:
When someone behaves differently in a given situation, it * does not* mean that their behavior is equivalent in effectiveness to others. Until that is established there is no effect which can be attributed to anything, much less their alternate technique.
A sharp stone can be used by a stone-age man to cut through the scalp and scratch through the skull casing. Acupuncture can be used during modern surgical efforts to obtain the same effect. This in no way indicates that acupuncture alone is capable of performing the same procedure of either the modern surgical procedures or the stone-age man with a rock.
Once again I maintain that these misconceptions are the result of your lack of attention to detail rather than any inherent mental deficiency on your part, but that resolve is shaking.
™ Version 4.2
