[EM] Completely different reasons for and purposes of method advocacy.

[Michael Ossipoff]

Condordet's method (including Kemeny) is of some non-practical mathematical
interest, as a possible answerto the question
"How should we count sincere rankings?"

I have no criticism of that abstract and non-practical study.

In the real world, however,  we can't assume sincere rankings. Strategy
must be considered. Methods' strategy problems must
be considered.

This makes the real world, public political elections, voting system choice
an entirely different problem, as opposed to the academic
debate over the best way to count sincere rankings.

I've argued that FBC failure is the seriously societally-damaging
criterion-failure, and I've told my justifications for that claim.

Additionally, I've mentioned the co-operation/defection problem, or
chicken-dilemma, which makes nonsens of any claim
that Condorcet gets rid of strategy need in the real world.

So, I suggest that it's important that we keep it straight which discussion
we're participating in: The academic question of how best
to count sincere rankings, or the real world question of what will avoid
societal harm when used in public political elections.

We have different reasons for our participation here.

Speaking for myself, I suggest that _results_ are what is important.
Societal results.

Some others are saying, "My method is the ideal best!" Well, for one thing,
remember what Richard said about that claim: What is the ideal
best must depend on which criterion or criteria you consider the most
important.

Besides, of what relevance is the ideal best, if it doesn't get enacted?
And no, it isn't enough to say, "Yes, but if my method _were_ enacted..."

"If"s are irrelevant. As I've recently quoted, "If wishes were horses...".

Are we interested in actual social improvements that actually happen, or
are we interested in ideal best, when we don't even agree on by
what criteria to judge ideal best-ness?

Shall we keep on fighting about who goes through the door, like the 3
Stooges, or shall we actually get through the door?

Mike Ossipoff
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