Evidence, subjectively interpreted

In “everything’s an argument,” a guide to rhetoric by Lunsford and Ruszkiewicz, the claim is made that ” . . . people use all kinds of evidence in making and supporting claims. But the evidence they use does not exist in a vacuum; instead, it becomes part of the larger context of the argument and the argument’s situation: when, where, and to whom it is made. ”

Unfortunately, the statement the authors make is so true. As much as rational individuals would like it to be otherwise, evidence does not necessarily speak for itself. It has to be interpreted and evaluated–and often this is done rather subjectively, or in relative terms. Cultural values, for instance, may come into play by distorting the argument (or arguments). Fervid political ideology may be yet another factor, along with religion itself. Objective reason does not always prevail.

I remember encountering this problem first-hand in rather dramatic fashion. In a political science course I attended (and promptly discarded), a liberal instructor–a Marxist feminist, in fact–approached the course from a pro-welfare state perspective, which was naturally quite disturbing to me, lover of individual liberty that I am.

I raised my hand and objected to the welfare state premise. “Look at the facts,” I said. “The US unemployment rate is at a 30-year low.
It is probably the lowest in the world–lower even than the natural rate. Inflation is tame.
The stock market is booming. Growth and productivity are still on the rise. We have a great American economy–an unprecedented bull market and the longest peace time expansion in history. What’s the problem?

“Poverty is obviously not a huge problem. Most Americans are doing quite well. Welfare subsidies should therefore either be reduced or abolished altogether.”

Yet, despite the impressive economic evidence, my case fell on deaf ears. The instructor still felt that poverty was a serious problem that demanded serious welfare state expansion.
I believe America could have a one percent unemployment rate and left-wingers would still urgently clamor for more socialism to advance their flawed and discredited beliefs.

With certain fanatical partisans on the left, particularly in academia, unprecedented economic success is no reason to stop condemning the alleged “failures of capitalism.” No matter how much the economy thrives, and no matter how much most people benefit from such a thriving economy, the deeply entrenched, hard-core left-wing socialist radicals are always going to find demons in the private business sector to blame and berate. They will continue to ply their bankrupt class warfare, class envy and class jealousy trade–all objective facts and evidence to the contrary be damned.