Political Theatre category archive
The Galt and the Lamers 0
Paul Krugman muses on the inimical effects of the Ayn Rand’s “Libertarian” mythos–which I consider to be little more than a rationale for soulless selfishness–on the common good. Here’s a bit:
But you also see a lot of libertarian rhetoric — a lot of talk about “freedom” and “personal responsibility.” Even politicians willing to say that people should cover their faces and avoid indoor gatherings refuse to use their power to impose rules to that effect, insisting that it should be a matter of individual choice.
Which is nonsense.
Many things should be matters of individual choice. The government has no business dictating your cultural tastes, your faith or what you decide to do with other consenting adults.
But refusing to wear a face covering during a pandemic, or insisting on mingling indoors with large groups, isn’t like following the church of your choice. It’s more like dumping raw sewage into a reservoir that supplies other people’s drinking water.
Relax 0
In the Des Moines Register, political science professor Evan Renfro reports that he has been receiving questions from persons concerned about the possibility of a civil war (his term) should Donald Trump lose the election. He says, not to worry.
Follow the link for his reasoning; I think you will find it an interesting perspective.
Aside:
I’ve heard no talk of the danger of a “civil war,” but I clearly do not move in the same circles. I would not, however, be surprised to see–er–heightened incivility.
Dis Coarse Discourse 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, William A. Haseltine muses about whether there is value in publicly debating something that is clearly false. He starts by discussing why he turned down the opportunity to debate a scientist affiliated with the Trump administration about “herd immunity” and COVID-19. Here’s a bit from the opening of his article:
While some may have jumped at the opportunity to publicly debate the merits of the approach, I declined the invitation—I do not believe in giving credence to false ideas.
He goes on to question whether holding a civil debate about something known to be false may serve perversely to dignify and perpetuate the falsehood. As we are inundated with batches of botnets, troops of trolls, and a proliferation of professional propagandists emitting endless streams of excrement into the disinformation superhighway, methinks his article is worth a read.
Huntering for a Misdirection Play 0
At The Boston Globe, Joan Vennochi offers a theory as to why the Trump campaign is making such a fuss about Joe Biden’s progeny. A snippet (emphasis added):
Flooding the Disinformation Superhighway 0
The San Francisco Chronicle’s John Diaz comments on the flood of flummery on “social” media. A snippet:
Two words of caution: tweeter beware.
No one needs that reminder more than President Trump. He embarrassed himself early Friday morning by retweeting an article by the satirical Babylon Bee website that stated Twitter shut down its entire network “in a last-ditch effort to stop negative stories about Joe Biden and his family from spreading.”
In high dudgeon at 3:07 a.m., Trump retweeted the satire (from a site with what should have been the telltale motto, “Fake news you can trust”): “Wow, this has never been done in history. This includes his really bad interview last night. Why is Twitter doing this. Bringing more attention to Sleepy Joe & Big T.”
