[Taxacom] More precise sound bite

[John Grehan]

Ken,

I am very accommodating to our different perspectives, but when you
persist in linking cladistics with the Phylocode you are taking too much
liberty with reality. To make such claims is like claiming there was no
holocaust.

John Grehan


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kenneth Kinman [mailto:kennethkinman at webtv.net]
> Sent: Friday, March 27, 2009 12:51 PM
> To: John Grehan
> Cc: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> Subject: RE: [Taxacom] More precise sound bite
> 
> John and Ronaldo,
>        Yes, you could say that cladism is a method.  As a method of
> analysis (phylogenetic analysis), I have no huge problems with it.  As
a
> method of classification (cladification), it does cause problems when
it
> is carried to excess (no paraphyletic taxa allowed).  I sometimes
prefer
> to call myself a cladisto-eclecticist, since many eclecticists think
of
> "cladist" as a pejorative term (those guys that simplistically convert
> their phylogenetic analyses into cladifications).
>        As for being rather obsessed with this problem, I guess I'm
> guilty as charged.  Obsessed with a return to more common sense and
> balance in classifications.  I just wish more people had been obsessed
> with blowing the whistle on financial derivatives which undermined the
> stability of our financial system.  Unfortunately, I don't think
strict
> cladists really realize how they are slowly undermining our
> classification system (although the adoption of PhyloCode will no
doubt
> then make it glaringly apparent to all).
>        ----------Ken Kinman