Meanwhile, in Canada

[Dan Z]

It is often easy to find support for whatever political stance you want these days.

Hence my previous comment, as well as me even going to look for this. I don't trust the media in any of their polls, either, but was pretty sure a counter poll could be found.

A poll is as good as its methodology. Good empirical methodology results in more objective (less biased) results. A non-scientific internet push-poll hosted on a partisan site has little relationship to a rigorously vetted and administered scientific poll.

[temporal1]

It is often easy to find support for whatever political stance you want these days.

Hence my previous comment, as well as me even going to look for this. I don't trust the media in any of their polls, either, but was pretty sure a counter poll could be found.

A poll is as good as its methodology. Good empirical methodology results in more objective (less biased) results. A non-scientific internet push-poll hosted on a partisan site has little relationship to - a rigorously vetted and administered scientific poll.

Thing is, many are not trusting the latter any longer exists. No matter how much wanted+needed.

[Dan Z]

Hence my previous comment, as well as me even going to look for this. I don't trust the media in any of their polls, either, but was pretty sure a counter poll could be found.

A poll is as good as its methodology. Good empirical methodology results in more objective (less biased) results. A non-scientific internet push-poll hosted on a partisan site has little relationship to - a rigorously vetted and administered scientific poll.

Thing is, many are not trusting the latter any longer exists. No matter how much wanted+needed.

I think you are right - but that is a confidence issue, not a polling issue. A poll might be empirically sound, yet not trusted because of external reasons. Once you are branded a liar, even when you speak the truth you are not believed. That's the problem of our age - the politicians and media wonks have been very effective at discrediting pollsters and data sources that don't agree with their narratives...and everyone is left with nothing to trust.

[Soloist]

Honestly I've never placed much confidence in polls... Its based on fuzzy science at best due to multiple complex factors in asking people opinions.

[Falco Underhill]

I think you are right - but that is a confidence issue, not a polling issue. A poll might be empirically sound, yet not trusted because of external reasons. Once you are branded a liar, even when you speak the truth you are not believed. That's the problem of our age - the politicians and media wonks have been very effective at discrediting pollsters and data sources that don't agree with their narratives...and everyone is left with nothing to trust.

They also do a pretty good job discrediting themselves, too. Why is it that everyone has a poll to prove that whoever disagrees with them are in the minority, anymore? And when it's the left why is it usually a fringe, racist minority too? A good example of this is how Justin Trudeau denounced the convoy. They're supposedly just a small, fringe, racist minority of Canadians. But then again, the left is never judgemental or intolerant so it must be true, right?

This is a good part of the reason nobody trusts polls anymore. As Joe Biden likes to say, "C'mon, man. It's obvious!"

[temporal1]

Honestly I've never placed much confidence in polls...
Its based on fuzzy science at best due to multiple complex factors in asking people opinions.

yeah.
i don’t believe polls were ever intended to be “the final word,” they can be useful for “taking a temperature,” but that’s about it.

i admit, after the 2016 election, i thought/hoped, polls would be so discredited they would be laid to rest. nope.
even after “Trump broke the polls,” people continue to hanker after them.

2016 / Just before the election: (Peter had loads of company with the honorable fivethirtyeight)

I am wondering what Anabaptists are thinking about the current presidential election?
1. Are you voting, why or why not?
2. What do you think will be the outcome, ie, who is going to win?
3. What are the ramifications for our future?

1. No. The weapons of my warfare are not carnal.
2. Clinton, most likely.
3. The overall direction of our society and government will not be much altered by the election's outcome (although the election campaign itself may continue to be consequential). We will continue to live under an above-average government, compared to governments of other times and places. Bad things will happen; many of them will be blamed on the president, and some portion of that blame will be deserved.

DanZ:
.. and everyone is left with nothing to trust.

Christians know who to trust.
Everything else is suspect.

[barnhart]

A deeply thoughtful piece on the Truckers themselves and why this may be a bigger issue than just vaccine mandates, by Rupa Subramanya over at Bari Weiss's substack today. This @Barnhart is, to reference a brief conversation in another thread, why I think the old Reaganite consensus in the Republican Party is a dead end and, though Trump himself may be a flash in the pan, the underclass discontent that he harnessed and that we ineluctably call 'Trumpism', is not going anywhere anytime soon.

The 60's radicals had some legitimate critiques of the American Empire, but settled pretty quickly for a shot at economic prosperity, ponytails and sexual liberty. I thought the occupy wall street movement was also based in real structural problems, but that didn't catch fire either. Ten years before there were anti globalization protests in Seattle along a similar theme that faded rather quickly. The truck blockade may have tapped into similar discontents, but I don't know if we have reached a tipping point yet.

[Robert]

I don't know if we have reached a tipping point yet.

I don't think so, but it is the closest thing so far. I think we are very close to something, but there are still way too many loyal sheep being fed.

[Robert]

This is one side of the story, but even if just half of this is true, this is a sad day for Canada. Can we be next?



https://firebrandaction.com/free-pastor-art-1

[Sudsy]

This is one side of the story, but even if just half of this is true, this is a sad day for Canada. Can we be next?



https://firebrandaction.com/free-pastor-art-1

Personally, I don't believe this represents Canada. That does not mean that there could be some unlawful treatment taken place on this man. I think the truth needs to be seen before any judgments can rightly be made by Christians. Not to say he is one of these but some pastors could be seeking recognition by using their belief on what it means to 'take a stand' and 'obeying God rather than man'. The media loves to get their hands on such events.

I believe there are persecutions that can and may escalate regarding religious freedoms we now have here in Canada but I also believe there are those who can stir up trouble and actually bring on persecutions that really do the opposite of furthering the Kingdom. These include pastors.

'Can we be next ?' - This reminds me Matthew 5:11 - “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.. Key words 'falsely say' and 'because of me'. I don't believe any of us need to live in fear regardless of what this shakes out to be unless we are breaking the law and then Romans 13:1-5 gives us some direction.

Canada is a great country to live in. It may not be so great in the future for believers. However, the reality is that it is not our home anyway and we are just passing through. Strangers in this land. Isaiah 26:3 -

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.

What a wonderful blessing that we can live in perfect peace if we chose to. Covid-19, trucker's convoy, environmental issues, politics, rumors of war, you name it, through it all we can learn to trust in God. We can learn to depend upon His Word.