Whose Side Is Reason On?

January 13, 2024 By Tom G. K. Swift

The opponents of Donald Trump invariably think it’s unreasonable to believe that the 2020 election was stolen.  Let's call this, for convenience, the "Unreasonableness View."

A stolen election is one in which there is Outcome-Determinative Fraud (ODF).  However, there’s only one way in which it’s unreasonable, not just mistaken but downright unreasonable, to believe that an election was stolen.  This is when there’s obviously no Outcome-Determinative Fraud.  When it’s not clear whether there was Outcome-Determinative Fraud, but widespread fraud definitely or presumably occurred, then people can have a reasonable belief that the election was stolen, and also a reasonable belief that it wasn’t, with the facts ultimately determining which is the superior claim.  I think it’s apparent that it’s not obvious that there was no ODF.  We simply don’t know for sure whether there was or wasn’t ODF, mainly because the government declined to investigate thoroughly and fairly.

What do we know about the whole 2020 election imbroglio?  One thing we know is that extensive mail-in balloting is a virtual invitation to widespread fraud, which is why almost all countries ban it.  This point needs no elaboration or defense, but keep it in mind................To Read More...