House of Eratosthenes

Best I can do lately is a monthly recap. There are advantages involved in this. Sometimes, in fact a lot of the time, when you shut your mouth and watch & listen, things become just a little bit clearer.

Here’s what I have seen:

Elon Musk’s rocket blew up, and liberals cheered as if this proved something…like, Elon can’t build rockets? And they can, or something?

Also on the Elon subject: Liberals are throwing a hissy over the blue checkmarks. So far Elon’s having the last laugh.

Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon got fired. Lemon, because nobody watches him, and Tucker because too many people watch him.

President Biden officially announced he is running for re-election in 2024. Some prominent commentators, not all of them on the left, have tried to get this narrative rolling that Donald Trump is the only Republican Biden could defeat.

The Fox News network settled the Dominion lawsuit. I see a lot of people are commenting on this as if it proves an open hearing and full examination of the facts would be embarrassing to Fox, but I note that the suit was for an amount even bigger than the settlement. So perhaps Dominion, who had to agree to the settlement, would have been embarrassed as well.

Mike Lindell the MyPillow guy lost his arbitration and has to pay $5 million. This whole thing looks stupid to me, on both sides. The word “unequivocal” is being used strangely here, and I think, wrongfully. It’s clear to me that according to the terms of arbitration, Lindell was to enjoy the benefit of any doubts — plaintiff had to prove the data, and all of the data, were entirely disconnected from the 2020 election. Somewhere, halfway through the 22 or so pages, there’s a shift. In the end, nobody knows anything, everything’s left up in the air; and Lindell has to pay.

The know-it-all woke-woman who redirected Budweiser’s enormous marketing resources to “evolve” the customer base (??) is on administrative leave. Their failure is complete.

Chicago’s Mayor-Elect wouldn’t condemn looting.

In Congress, Marjorie Taylor Greene got in trouble, in theory, not really, for telling the truth about her unseemly colleague Eric Swalwell.

We have a terrible problem, or something, some awful danger that has something to do with men who won’t date “woke” women. When I was single, I didn’t date them either. Well I did. Until I learned things and then I didn’t. There are stories there, but the upshot is, sorry, I can’t condemn single men who do things the same way I did them when I was single, for the same reason. When she’s bunny-in-the-stewpot crazy, you high-tail it out of there, period full stop.

The Supreme Court refuses to rule on President Biden’s abracadabra student loan disappearing magic. I wish, when SCOTUS engages in this degree of damage, it would come out and admit it. “Refuse to rule” or “let stand” makes it look like they’re doing nothing. But it’s their place to lead, and this is a good example of how toxic a lack of leadership can be if it comes at the worst time and in the worst context. I mean gee, what else can the President do now? “You’re not overweight anymore! Executive order!” There’s no limit.

The “bullhorn” lawmakers in Tennessee who were expelled, have been reinstated.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has apologized for one of his most ill-considered comments.

A boy in a Pokemon tournament was expelled for laughing when asked for his preferred pronouns.

What do all these have in common?

I’m seeing a mix of good decisions and poor decisions. The decision-making, on balance, is deteriorating because the good decisions are badly outnumbered. And they’re made under duress, when the consequences of prior poor decisions have had a cornering effect. With very few and very rare exceptions, people are putting off the good decision-making until it’s become absolutely necessary.

In fact the decision-making is so bad, and the bad decision-making so universal, it drives me to look for a common cause. There must be one. Something is present that was once absent, or is absent that was once present. After mulling it over awhile and thinking of what’s changed, I think it’s the latter. Bad decision-making is the default. In times past we enjoyed the benefits of a restraining device that keeps us from making bad decisions, and that device is now missing or dormant.

And everywhere. Note what a terrible official Joe Biden is. People say “Trump is the only guy who could lose to him,” but what they really mean to say is “You can’t say anything good about Biden other than he isn’t Donald Trump.” And they’re just terrified that America might say “Okay yeah he isn’t…so that’s why we’re going to elect Trump.” It could happen. One percent of the people who voted for Biden in six different states, or far less than that…stay home. That would do it.

But Biden, in 2020, did win at least in theory. All over the world, elected officials with balls lost their elections, and the weird clowns who destroy everything they touch, won theirs. Everybody who runs anything anywhere is a Justin Trudeau. Something weird is happening.

I think there’s a certain quality we have sometimes, that we don’t have anymore. A lot of people think they have it and are exercising it pretty much constantly. But they haven’t done it in years.

Disagreeing, and remaining friends.

I mean, think about it. I walk up to you and say “We’re friends, right? Okay then. Water is dry. The moon is cheese.” And other ridiculous falsehoods…like the United States was founded in 1619 to preserve the institution of slavery, stuff like that…the proper response would be “Yes Morgan, we’re friends alright! And you’re full of it. You go down that road without me. But see you at the Christmas party!”

We all know that’s the right answer. But when’s the last time you’ve heard of someone in any position of visibility and profile, giving it? It’s just not happening anymore.

People are too desperate to be included in the group. The fear is going the other way — they’re terrified of being kicked out of it. It’s just like middle school, except it’s adulthood. And lately it’s everywhere.

We are, regularly…frequently…predictably…and universally…making terrible decisions. This is the pattern we’re seeing. People are being approached with ridiculous proposals and they say “Yes! Because I need to keep this job!” Instead of “No! Because I need my brain to work right. So I can do this job.” You don’t let dumb things like truth, logic and common sense win out over these Never-Never-Land overtures. If you want to stay friends, you bend the knee. And you presume your eventual demise if you don’t stay friends.

How did we get here? Unclear. Maybe the pandemic had something to do with it. China poisoned us in mind as well as body. Oh dear. Am I going to get punished for writing that where people can see it?

Another thing I notice: You can labor away in this effort to be included in the group, or to avoid being kicked out of the group, like in eighth grade; you can insist on quality in your elected representatives. Pick one. You can have one, and only one. You can’t have both.

It’s like keeping your eyes open when you sneeze. Seems possible, in fact easy. But just try it.

People don’t want to be social pariahs. They’re terrified of being excluded. And so they don’t insist on standards. If no one insists on the standards, the standards are gone, and when standards are gone…well, it’s like the ladder being gone underneath a window washer or a sign painter. Crashy crashy boom.

That’s where we are.

These things do go in cycles though. How we enter the next arc of the cycle, I don’t know. How quickly, I don’t know that either.

I do have my hopes.

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Bend the KneeSunday, April 30th, 2023

Bend the Knee
Sunday, April 30th, 2023