I do not think that the title is a joke. We should discern various tints among so-called alarmists.
I am afraid the word "alarmist" cannot avoid bad connotation, so I tentetively use "alarmer" just to mean a person who does alarm. I am not sure whether this is the best choice. I can suggest "warner" or "alerter" as alternatives.
I think that there are bad alarmers and good alarmers. Bad alarmers make alarms without assessing probability. (Worse, "evil alarmers" make alarms about something they know improbable.) Good alarmers point to the dangerous end of the probable range of outcomes.
We need good alarmers, but we do not want bad alarmers.
Stolen from Macleodcartoons.
I do not think that the title is a joke. We should discern various tints among so-called alarmists.
ReplyDeleteI am afraid the word "alarmist" cannot avoid bad connotation, so I tentetively use "alarmer" just to mean a person who does alarm. I am not sure whether this is the best choice. I can suggest "warner" or "alerter" as alternatives.
I think that there are bad alarmers and good alarmers. Bad alarmers make alarms without assessing probability. (Worse, "evil alarmers" make alarms about something they know improbable.) Good alarmers point to the dangerous end of the probable range of outcomes.
We need good alarmers, but we do not want bad alarmers.
The cartoon is definitely an exaggeration, but not by as much as one would like.
ReplyDeleteI agree with KM's point, as well.