The Wealthy Have 'Worked Hard' And Deserve To Keep Their Money

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47. That's a pretty astounding test you were given.

Sheesh. It did indeed telegraph a very obvious bias.

I find that true in every poll or survey I've taken - when the question "do you think America is on the right track or veering off in the wrong direction?" What I take from that is - the survey-takers are going to link the answer to that directly to the leadership in the White House. There is never a follow-up question asking why one would answer the way one does.

For example, my first instinct would indeed be to answer that question with "veering off on the wrong track." HOWEVER, I recognize that as being sorted into "country's off on the wrong track because Obama's fucking it up somehow." AND I DO NOT AGREE! That's NOT why I think the country's lurched off in the wrong direction. It's the CONS and the other extremists, foremost of which are the fucking teabaggers. I guarantee you - the poll-takers and interpreters will see that "wrong direction" answer and automatically assume, AND score it as "it's because of Obama."

EVERY TIME you find yourself invited to take a public opinion poll, keep in mind that you are thus being offered a chance to weigh in and let your voice influence the metric they're building. I got called by a Gallup phone poll one time. I jumped at the chance! Each single survey respondent in that one is viewed as representative of the thinking of 50-thousand others.

ALWAYS - CONSTANT VIGILANCE!!! As Mad-Eye Moody always warned Harry Potter. VERY wise words-to-the-wise.

You ALWAYS have to think, or TRY to think, like the enemy does. You ALWAYS have to think, or try to think, how those interpreting all the data (or the details or the inputs or whatevers) do.

ALWAYS try to out-think them, or think one or two or three steps ahead of them. Try to guess what they're really aiming for, what their motivation is, what they're looking for, what will ring their chimes. Like - if I'm not sure a poll or a survey is objective, then I'll try to make sure to avoid giving them input that they can interpret to benefit their bias. Sometimes they're looking for support or acclamation to buttress the conclusions they're already expecting to put forward in the end.

There's always some underlying reason or motivation. There's always some agenda. There's always some axe to grind.

I hate it, but that's what things have become.