Skip to main content

The Tradicat Fact Checking Method

Image
By
 +
JMJ

 I've had some interesting in-person conversations lately regarding my perspective on:

  • COVID-19: 
    • Yes, I believe it is a pandemic and ...
    • I am researching whether or not it is on the same order of magnitude as the 1918 pandemic.
  • Morality of getting immunized
    • Yes, it is moral with the appropriate conditions
    • No, I don't care what ++Vigano and + Schneider say on the matter. I've done the research and they're wrong.
  • Safety of the vaccines 
    • NO, I don't believe that I will die in 15 to 21 months because of the vaccine.
  • Efficacy of the vaccines
    • Yes, I believe they evoke an immune response. 
    • For the record the Moderna response was found to be greater than that of the Pfizer.

 What no one has asked is how I arrived at these perspectives. 

Tradiate mentioned that I should, for your benefit, outline how I approach these topics.

  • Experience: I am familiar with the scientific process and environment.
    • I have the benefit of decades of experience working in a science environment on medical devices with scientists, engineers, software developers, technologists and trades people.
    • I have published my own research and also been author on other scientific papers.
    • I am familiar with how scientific papers are structured and presented.  I've read hundreds of scientific papers in my career - dry reading but very necessary to try to build an understanding on a topic.
  • Study: I am curious about many things, so I read and study things that interest me.
    •  Regular readers of this blog know that I will do deep dives into topics that interest me to gain an understanding. In many cases I present my findings here on this blog.
    • Right now I am very curious about comparing the 1918 Pandemic (Spanish Influenza) with the 2019 SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic.   
    • I will read the source material in order to draw my own conclusions.
    • I have read a number of scientific documents on masks, vaccines, pandemics and pandemic responses.
  • Media: In general I avoid all talking heads on YouTube etc because after numerous checks I have found them to be promoting their own FUD invoking narrative. This has created a new classification: Fud-Muckers.
    • When a friend asks me to investigate or I come across an interesting article / video, my first step is to download the article or transcript of the video. 
      • Time is too precious to waste on listening to someone with hair like Michael Voris drone on about how bad it is etc.  
      • By downloading the text / transcript I can scan it for the important elements - such as their actual 'assertions' and any supporting information. These videos have a lot of hand waving and wringing so I go for the written word.
    • I cross check the person speaking / author of the "Media Article" to see if they "should" know what they are talking about. 
      • The internet is a breeding ground for snake-oil salesmen / women and the SARS-CoV-2 has created an exponential explosion.
      • If the person doesn't have applicable credentials then I look for reputable information sources cited by the persons. If these are absent, they get an automatic fail because I have no confidence that they know what they are talking or writing about.
    •  I look for any and all original articles that are referenced in the video or written article.
      • Are the sources from reputable journals or organizations?
      • I read the paper to see if I can understand the basic science and approach.
      • What are the conclusions of the study?
    • I compare the "Media Article" with the conclusions of the original
      • Are the conclusions made in the original article or by the video personality consistent with those of the study?
      •  If not, then in most cases the article is just added to recycle bin and I move on.  In some cases, I will save it for the basis of an article (one is in the hopper now).
      • If yes, well then I have to adjust my assessment ... but [spoiler alert] ... in the cases that I have fact checked - not one has passed the test.

Fact-checking articles typically take about three hours of research and at least one hour to write up my findings.  Most of my articles on the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic take at least one to two hours and many could use more editing.

So, as you can see, this process takes time and time is a scarce commodity.  

Once I have satisfied myself on a topic I don't keep searching, unless new verifiable information is brought forward in one of my scans. 

So there you have it, I hope this helps people to understand that my conclusions are based on a reasoned process following Catholic principles. To change my mind, I need facts and references to original research, not hand wringing or waving. 

Nota Bene: Not all comments are of the hand wringing / waving nature. 

P^3

 


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is Tradition?

By
 + JMJ What Is Tradition? The basic premise, from my perspective, is that what was taught before cannot be contradicted by the 'present' magisterium, only deepened and expanded upon. I recall the Roman theologians called the SSPX protestants while the SSPX called them modernists.  I believe this was all surrounding the concept of Traditon. SSPX's Understanding of Tradition One accusation made against the SSPX is that they don't have a correct understanding of 'Tradition'.  This is how the SSPX understands Tradition: I finally profess that Tradition is not a dead memory, but the living transmission of the doctrine received from the Apostles. It remains living, in distinction to Revelation, which is closed. It is so both in the activity of the Magisterium of the Teaching Church and in the profession of Faith of the Church Taught, of which the sentire cum Ecclesia is the result of the teaching of the Magisterium. Tradition may be called ‘living’, not in the sense t...
Post a Comment
Read more

SSPX.ca: What is the position of the SSPX on Vatican II???

By
 + JMJ With all the mis-information about the SSPX rejecting the Second Vatican Council, I thought it would be useful to publish an article that focuses on the real issues that the SSPX has identified. Update: Why Did the SSPX Consecrate Bishops? ( Neither Schismatic, Nor Disobedient link ) In the linked document the SSPX outlined the key motivation and core issues with Vatican II and the post-conciliar magisterium (see above link for full document): 4. The Society Acted Precisely Because of the State of Necessity in Which the Faith Finds Itself  In the present situation of the Church, if the Society of Saint Pius X had not carried out the consecrations of July 1st, it would have found itself facing an inevitable alternative: either to disappear gradually, or to accept, at least in fact, the new liturgy as well as the false doctrines of Vatican II and the post-council. Without the consecrations of July 1st, the Fraternity would have found itself, in a few years, without bishop...
1 comment
Read more

Thoughts on: Finding Common Ground Between Rome and the SSPX

By
 + JMJ In the ramp up to the consecrations the noise floor in the intergnat grew to a constant din.  This was one of the few the peeped its signal over the noise. https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/finding-common-ground-between-rome-and-the-sspx The key issue is contained in this paragraph: In the lead-up to the planned July 1, 2026, episcopal consecrations,  the SSPX rejected Rome’s offer  of doctrinal dialogue on the grounds that “we both know in advance that we cannot agree doctrinally, particularly regarding the fundamental orientations adopted since the Second Vatican Council.” Fr. Pagliarani also said that his previous attempt at dialogue in 2019 was shut down by Rome because of an assumed irreconcilability. It seems that, from the Society’s perspective, and perhaps from Rome’s too, their positions are incompatible. If memory serves, Rome killed any opportunity for an open discussion by stating that Vatican II was not up for debate. So it was a still-birth and ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The News is an Addiction ...

By
 + JMJ People seem to be mesmerised by train wrecks.   They just can't turn away as the disaster creeps forward along train tracks towards the crossing where a car, truck, bus, trailer awaits its destruction. Trads have been watching the train wreck that is this crisis of the Catholic Church for decades. The trade war between the Canada and the US has reminded me that the news is addictive.   The first time I was addicted what from 2009 to  2014 when I was closely following the Rome / SSPX discussions.  I was at work watching a live-stream as Bishop Fellay disappeared into the Vatican. The lead-up to this moment had been intense as the 'resistance' got freaked out and the cultural cracks between doctrine and conspiracy theory widened. In the decade since then other things have emerged, wars, rumours of wars, conspiracies, celebrity Catholics etc. Now we have a new addiction and its name is Trump. Lately, no matter how much I try, I find myself wonderin...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thoughts on the Thoughts of a former SSPX priest

By
 + JMJ Well Gary Campbell, former SSPX Priest and now laicised has posted a new article on WherePeterIs. https://wherepeteris.com/thoughts-of-a-former-sspx-priest-on-the-july-1-consecrations/ These words stuck out: Heck, they have built a five-star hotel, wine bar, and Walmart on the opposite bank of the Rubicon! They are not in danger of entering a state of schism, for they are  already  in a state of schism. I believe he doth protest too much. All the actual facts indicate that the SSPX was not in a state of schism before July 1st and an examination of the decree of excommunication highlights the either ineptitude of those in charge or a desire to leave the barn door open. The chasm between an act of disobedience and act of schism remains just what is has always been - an inconvenient barrier that person(s) in Rome seek to bridge but appear incapable of succeeding. The SSPX re-stated that they recognize the Pope as the Vicar of Christ and feel obliged by conscience...
Post a Comment
Read more