It's most odd - the discrepancy between MM's recent head ore back-calcs and Thall's "research". It adds more evidence in support of my thinking (and many others' complaints) that TH has a specific agenda (or monomania) that the best AZ can offer in natural resources is kitty litter and a little tinned lead. For one thing I infer from his post that he is employing that tired and specious reasoning (or hustle) that goes something like the following:
1) It was in a book, so it's ipso facto authoritative.
2) It was in old an book. We all know that the older the publication, the more sainted and venerable both the author and the gospel contained therein, so therefore the more true it must be (kinda like the bible).
3) By implication from (2), new information to the contrary is suspect
and probably just wrong.
If it's monomania as opposed to s/t more sinister (and I assume it is the happier alternative), it reminds me a lot of Thos. Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" - in which he convincingly proposes that those the most steeped in a particular mindset are those threatened by contrary data and consequently will always be the ones most opposed to any theoretical challenge to their dearly-held beliefs.
I have no proof that MM is neither lying nor utterly incompetent, but I will say this - he has not spent years asserting the same argument with no evidence as TH (IMHO) has. I have no proof TH has an agenda, but his "emperor's new clothes" mantra seems curiously rigid and his personal associations suspect. When you compare MM's numbers with TH's fabulous assertions that platinum assays are [nearly always] indications of something else....well, something is very wrong somewhere in all of this....and to me that the "Oh it's not platinum, it's gotta be something else" is about as weak an argument as it gets. I think TH has dug his trenches too deep and is now unable to admit he's entrenched!
Before RM starts with me, I agree TH's warnings and skepticism have had their shining moments, especially ferreting out permit data...however, remember even THAT smelled fishy - in that instance I think the reporter was creating the news - so more grist for my mill, IMO. |
