When Appeals to Reason Don't Work

[oldbadger]

I had this exchange on Facebook over the last 24 hours. It really makes me wish there was a Logic Commission or something to which we could appeal when someone clearly isn't thinking right. In this case, I come to you, dear readers, for a ruling on who is being more rational here.

(I understand that we also need a Logic Commission on this site, and that not all of those to whom I am appealing for arbitration are qualified to color in a Logic coloring book--but I think the point can be made in spite of them.)

So... do you understand what's wrong with this meme?

She shared a photo.
Yesterday at 5:17pm ·

Veterans of Vietnam
April 10, 2017 ·
Facts about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Comments

ME: I have to wonder about the accuracy of this, when right off the bat it says that less than 40,000 were age 22 or less, but that more than 40,000 were 18 or 19. Hmmm...


SHE: If you figure the 22 and younger it makes sense. Figure the 18 and 19.The 17,16,15 and we're killed on there first and last day. The 22,21,20 numbers are not listed. Most everyone like it and appreciated it.


ME: I don't understand your explanation. It says that 33,103 of the names on the Vietnam Wall were 18 years old, and that 8,283 were 19 years old. That's 41,386 soldiers right there, not counting those that were 16, 17, 20, 21 or 22--yet it says that 39,996 were just 22 or younger. The 41,386 that were 18 and 19 is already more than the 39,996 that they claim were 22 or younger.


SHE: There is 58,267 total names.


ME: Yes, and 39,996 are said to be 22 or younger. Over 40,000 are said to be 18 and 19. If you can't see why that's a problem by now, I'm not sure I can explain it any better.


SHE: The ages for 20 count


ME: Sigh.


SHE: The age count for 19 and under count equals 39,996

If you're beating your head in about a stranger's ability with maths then you've lost the plot, mate......

I would appeal for a World Teaching Commission to respond because you clearly didn't guide her to the light very well.

 

[Shushersbedamned]

I understood the problem to be her meaning that under 22 meant 20,21 or 22. Because there is a referral to those younger ages. I feel like that was her first point. But then she probably wasn't focusing on the discussion.

Thou was a whole i take that as extremely unlikely true information.

 

[Stevicus]

I know, it's just a stupid point about a stupid typo. I'm just amazed that this woman couldn't even comprehend what the problem was.

Yeah, I can see what they're getting at, though. On the other hand, if someone was posting that to register a protest against the Vietnam War, I would say they're about 45 years too late.

And, lest we forget, some 2 million Vietnamese lost their lives in that war, along with hundreds of thousands of Cambodians and tens of thousands of Laotians.

Vietnam War - Wikipedia

Casualties and losses

North Vietnam & Viet Cong
65,000 civilian dead[35]
849,018 military dead[36][37]
600,000+ wounded[38]

China
≈1,100 dead and 4,200 wounded[29]

North Korea
14 dead[39]

Total military dead: 850,132+
Total wounded: ≈604,200

South Vietnam
195,000–430,000 civilian dead[40][35][41]
254,256[42]–313,000 military dead[43]
1,170,000 wounded[44]

United States
58,220 dead;[45] 303,644 wounded (including 150,341 not requiring hospital care)[A 2]

South Korea
5,099 dead; 10,962 wounded; 4 missing

Australia
521 dead; 3,129 wounded
[51]

Thailand
351 dead; 1,358 wounded[52]

New Zealand
37 dead; 187 wounded[53]

Taiwan
25 dead;[54]

Philippines
9 dead;[55] 64 wounded[56]

Total military dead: 318,568–377,311
Total wounded: ≈1,340,000+[44]
Vietnamese civilian dead: 627,000–2,000,000[35][57][58]
Vietnamese total dead: 966,000[40]–3,091,000[59]
Cambodian Civil War dead: 240,000–300,000*[60][61][62]
Laotian Civil War dead: 20,000–62,000*
Non-Indochinese military dead (sum): 65,425
Total dead (sum): 1,291,425–4,211,451
For more information see Vietnam War casualties and Aircraft losses of the Vietnam War

* indicates approximations

 

[Hockeycowboy]

I had this exchange on Facebook over the last 24 hours. It really makes me wish there was a Logic Commission or something to which we could appeal when someone clearly isn't thinking right. In this case, I come to you, dear readers, for a ruling on who is being more rational here.

(I understand that we also need a Logic Commission on this site, and that not all of those to whom I am appealing for arbitration are qualified to color in a Logic coloring book--but I think the point can be made in spite of them.)

So... do you understand what's wrong with this meme?

She shared a photo.
Yesterday at 5:17pm ·

Veterans of Vietnam
April 10, 2017 ·
Facts about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Comments

ME: I have to wonder about the accuracy of this, when right off the bat it says that less than 40,000 were age 22 or less, but that more than 40,000 were 18 or 19. Hmmm...


SHE: If you figure the 22 and younger it makes sense. Figure the 18 and 19.The 17,16,15 and we're killed on there first and last day. The 22,21,20 numbers are not listed. Most everyone like it and appreciated it.


ME: I don't understand your explanation. It says that 33,103 of the names on the Vietnam Wall were 18 years old, and that 8,283 were 19 years old. That's 41,386 soldiers right there, not counting those that were 16, 17, 20, 21 or 22--yet it says that 39,996 were just 22 or younger. The 41,386 that were 18 and 19 is already more than the 39,996 that they claim were 22 or younger.


SHE: There is 58,267 total names.


ME: Yes, and 39,996 are said to be 22 or younger. Over 40,000 are said to be 18 and 19. If you can't see why that's a problem by now, I'm not sure I can explain it any better.


SHE: The ages for 20 count


ME: Sigh.


SHE: The age count for 19 and under count equals 39,996

Observant of you to notice! Good job! (Are you an accountant?)

 

[tempogain]

I don't believe 1,448 were killed on their last day. That's 2.5%, about 10x the expected rate based on days in the year.

 

[Jumi]

I don't believe 1,448 were killed on their last day. That's 2.5%, about 10x the expected rate based on days in the year.

Yep makes no sense. There's some arbitrariness in dying in wars "you're on your last day so you'll be no use to us later, might as well send you on a suicide mission", but the scale is way too big.

 

[Polymath257]

I don't believe 1,448 were killed on their last day. That's 2.5%, about 10x the expected rate based on days in the year.

I'd say ALL of them listed on the wall were killed on their last day.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

A programmers wife asked her husband to go to the store. She asked him to get 1 loaf of bread and if they have eggs get a dozen. The programmer came back with a dozen loafs of bread.

They must have had eggs.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Its programming logic. I got your point but then noticed it says 22 or younger, not 22 and younger.

Good grief!

 

[idav]

Good grief!

You have better explanations for the posters daft responses other than being daft?

 

[idav]

I'd say ALL of them listed on the wall were killed on their last day.

I’d say whoever wrote the list needs to learn English.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Lol, engineers.

Hey! We is the sensible ones!