[Aggressive Calvinist]

Not sure if this article proves Posner's ability to change his mind is an act of courage or simply confirmation of a herding tendency.

Alas, I fear I agree with you. They GOTTA be on the winning side.

(Still, it's a wonder!)

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

a herding tendency

. . . is an excellent way of understanding journalism.

If one blind man feels the elephant's trunk and announces that it is a snake, it takes courage for the second blind man feeling the elephant's leg to announce that it is a tree. But if he does, and other reports come in, someone catches on and speculates the existence of the elephant.

In real life the second report gets trimmed to not contradict the first . . . and we're still stalking a snake when somebody gets trampled to death.