But the pathology that’s animating these viral conspiracy theories is different. It’s a determinism of a far more granular sort: It assumes, quite improbably, that the Trump team knew exactly what sort of thing would happen after their every move, that they were only testing out the details. As if Jared Kushner could see through time, as if Stephen Miller could read our thoughts.
Friday, 3 February 2017
Hanlon's Razor
Politico has a good article about how there probably is no genius about to emerge from the chaos and all is, more or less, as it looks.
Wednesday, 1 February 2017
What's Wrong With "The Left"
Another day another million or so articles trying to pinpoint exactly where "The Left" got it all wrong. The Guardian has one here and probably a dozen more from today and will continue publishing them in a unending display of self-flagelation.
Often there's a pointing out that people see "The Left" as telling them what to do, what with all the political correctness and climate change business and letting refuges in to the country. Just look, the article linked to above is about "the intolerance of the left".
And, of course, that is the prevailing media narrative: Brexit, Trump, the FPÖ, etc. are all the result of the left losing touch with their working class base and the working class looking for someone or some party or some issue that they can make their own. From a distance this is true enough, in and of itself, except for a very small point. "The Left" may very well have deserted the working class, Tony Blair and his ilk sold their principles for power and, at the time, the hope was, I feel, that getting rid of the Tories was worth this bargain. It's not the left, the actual left and not the media boogie-man "The Left", that has deserted it's base. The mainstream parties that should represent the left have moved rightwards.
The left is now represented by the odd old school politician and various small parties scurrying to pick up votes that might go to more populist alternatives.
The problem with "The Left" is that it isn't the left. The left hasn't forgotten its roots. The left is its roots. It's there and there are problems with it but it hasn't lost elections because people are fed up with it. People are fed up with "The Left" offering paltry-to-no opposition.
Often there's a pointing out that people see "The Left" as telling them what to do, what with all the political correctness and climate change business and letting refuges in to the country. Just look, the article linked to above is about "the intolerance of the left".
And, of course, that is the prevailing media narrative: Brexit, Trump, the FPÖ, etc. are all the result of the left losing touch with their working class base and the working class looking for someone or some party or some issue that they can make their own. From a distance this is true enough, in and of itself, except for a very small point. "The Left" may very well have deserted the working class, Tony Blair and his ilk sold their principles for power and, at the time, the hope was, I feel, that getting rid of the Tories was worth this bargain. It's not the left, the actual left and not the media boogie-man "The Left", that has deserted it's base. The mainstream parties that should represent the left have moved rightwards.
The left is now represented by the odd old school politician and various small parties scurrying to pick up votes that might go to more populist alternatives.
The problem with "The Left" is that it isn't the left. The left hasn't forgotten its roots. The left is its roots. It's there and there are problems with it but it hasn't lost elections because people are fed up with it. People are fed up with "The Left" offering paltry-to-no opposition.
Monday, 30 January 2017
Information Exchange Strategy Model
It turns out that words can be plastic.
And, as the article says, when it happens to words like "safety" and "security" and "welfare" then it facilitates all sorts unconscionable behaviour.
As an aside: I used to say this, and will still say it occasionally, about "evil". There are many things that are unpleasant, nasty or just plain horrible but calling these things evil means we have no word for when something truly evil happens. Of course, when something truly evil does happen we will probably need no words.
[Plastic words] are incredibly malleable yet empty when it comes to their actual meaning. Plastic words have surreptitiously seeped into our everyday language and dictate how we think. They have been imported from the languages of science, technology and mathematics, and thus appear to be imbued with their authority.I think this goes someway towards explaining my fury at words like "curate" and "artisanal". It's not that in a proper context they don't have meaning, it's more that that original meaning is sapped when used to mean something much lesser.
And, as the article says, when it happens to words like "safety" and "security" and "welfare" then it facilitates all sorts unconscionable behaviour.
As an aside: I used to say this, and will still say it occasionally, about "evil". There are many things that are unpleasant, nasty or just plain horrible but calling these things evil means we have no word for when something truly evil happens. Of course, when something truly evil does happen we will probably need no words.
Thursday, 26 January 2017
Sometimes When I Drink Too Much The Next Day I Can't Think
Over at Edible Arts, Wine Trends and Food Pairings, they take a look at what people are drinking with dinner, find out it's beer and goes:
Elsewhere on the Internet some people are intent on helping the obviously confused: Beer with Dinner: The Basics of Pairing Beer and Food. In its own way this is almost as bad.
One the one hand it's true that wine often pairs better with much food than most beers. And the people in the survey probably aren't really that interested in finding harmonious combinations and synergies (I do find that synergy is often, but not infallibly, a bellend indicator). And that might be a pity. On the other hand fuck that noise. Drink what you want and enjoy it. If you want to find out more then Edible Arts and Kitchn will be there to give a helping hand.
Mmmm. Perhaps they will grow out of it.Hmm.
Elsewhere on the Internet some people are intent on helping the obviously confused: Beer with Dinner: The Basics of Pairing Beer and Food. In its own way this is almost as bad.
One the one hand it's true that wine often pairs better with much food than most beers. And the people in the survey probably aren't really that interested in finding harmonious combinations and synergies (I do find that synergy is often, but not infallibly, a bellend indicator). And that might be a pity. On the other hand fuck that noise. Drink what you want and enjoy it. If you want to find out more then Edible Arts and Kitchn will be there to give a helping hand.
Wednesday, 25 January 2017
Trump Trump Trump
- Vox looks a The President's Conflicts of Interest
They couldn't have done this a month or two earlier? - A TINY FINGER POKING A GREASY TOUCHSCREEN -- FOREVER.
There's no-one tweeting while I'm tweeting! - President Windbag sets his sights on the Windy City
It's not really "dog whistle" when you know exactly what he means, is it? - Document the Atrocities, 1/24/17: Extreme Forced Birth Policies, Extreme Government Opaqueness, and Having a Thin Skin
He's gonna fuck so many women while he's in power. - Where's My Reward
People are mean! - Sources say Trump's CIA visit made relations with intel community worse
Just make your own reality...Authorities are also pushing back against the perception that the CIA workforce was cheering for the president. They say the first three rows in front of the president were largely made up of supporters of Mr. Trump’s campaign.
- Trump names his Inauguration Day a ‘National Day of Patriotic Devotion’
Because he couldn't find any more sinister name for it? - Let Us Dispel With This Fiction That Trump and Congress Aren’t On the Same Page
But all signs are that Congress will let Trump loot the treasury and pack the cabinet with comically unqualified cronies, and Trump will pack the judiciary with neoconfederates, gut the regulatory state, and sign whatever legislation Ryan and McConnell put on their desk. One hand scratches the other’s back with an ivory backscratcher. They know exactly what they’re doing.
Monday, 23 January 2017
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