Re: merging with the mob

Posted by gepr on Jan 23, 2018; 4:52pm
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/Los-paises-de-mierda-le-dejan-millones-de-dolares-a-EE-UU-tp7591128p7591162.html

On 01/23/2018 08:32 AM, Marcus Daniels wrote:
> This may be true, but for me it is not about agency or identity. My `tribe’, if you insist on that word, is anonymous and (I believe, at least) pursues group goals not individual goals.   I don’t even know a Dreamer, but if there is a government shutdown in order to secure their place in this country, that’s fine with me.  It seems to me what you advocate is an exercise in incrementalism and tolerance of intolerance.  You’ll adapt to local rules because the counterparty feels the need to have them.    Maybe they just shouldn’t be like that in the first place.    Maybe what is _needed_ is a good strong amplification of conflict to bring things into focus?

Well, I'm not omniscient.  So, yeah, maybe.  I adopt that (Devil's Advocate) argument fairly often: that Trump is a) a natural outcome of our reality TV, 15 minutes of fame, culture and that b) we *needed* to elect a troll like Trump to the most powerful position in the country.  We needed to do it to test the limits of our progression to exalting celebrity, the need for drama in high offices.  It's one thing to go on and on about the Kardashians.  But they're useless people.  We need drama amongst the ranks of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Mitch McConnell, and the Director of the FBI!  That's the only way political science will ever infiltrate the minds of our celebrity obsessed, phone poking, children.

But, in the end, I reject that argument.  That need for celebrity, that need for drama, or "strong amplification of conflict to bring things into focus" is the problem, not the solution.  The solution is geeks like Hillary who are capable of not only ignoring the drama, but rolling up her sleeves and working in spite of it.  And for me to believe such an argument is kinda sad, since I thrive on confrontation. 8^(

--
∄ uǝʃƃ

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com
FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove