That is a way to make a rough estimate in the same way that providing the construction costs for a whole shopping mall is a way of providing a rough estimate of how much it costs for me to walk in the door of said mall.
In other words, there are too many unknowns and counterfactuals for that to even begin to be a useful way of calculating how much EHT cost.
In a way it’s almost besides the point. You made the positive claim, seemingly without any solid facts, that it cost billions of dollars. When you were called on it, a way to increase the confidence of others in your arguments and presented facts would be to say something like “you know, I shouldn’t have left that in there, I withdraw that statement”.
By not doing so and sticking to your guns you increase the weight others give to the idea that you’re not being intellectually honest.
Your current tack might be useful in political rhetoric in some quarters, but it doesn’t seem like it will be effective with your current audience.
That is a way to make a rough estimate in the same way that providing the construction costs for a whole shopping mall is a way of providing a rough estimate of how much it costs for me to walk in the door of said mall.
In other words, there are too many unknowns and counterfactuals for that to even begin to be a useful way of calculating how much EHT cost.
In a way it’s almost besides the point. You made the positive claim, seemingly without any solid facts, that it cost billions of dollars. When you were called on it, a way to increase the confidence of others in your arguments and presented facts would be to say something like “you know, I shouldn’t have left that in there, I withdraw that statement”.
By not doing so and sticking to your guns you increase the weight others give to the idea that you’re not being intellectually honest.
Your current tack might be useful in political rhetoric in some quarters, but it doesn’t seem like it will be effective with your current audience.