To me, the biggest hoax is calling everything a hoax. When will the right get tired of it? Einstein is credited with saying “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” Does this mean that any reasonable infrastructure bill should include a mental health program to wean the Republican Right from their fixation with hoaxes and fake news? Or would it be better to use consumer protection laws prohibiting false product claims to “news” organizations that spread false information, since news is their product? In addition, consumers who are harmed by false information should be able to sue, such as the dimwits who actually drank bleach as suggested by their fearless orange leader.
3 Comments
I call it the “meta-hoax”; the hoax that something is a hoax. The covid meta-hoax is the false claim that covid is a hoax; the vote meta-fraud is the fraudulent claim that there was vote fraud; and so on.
Consider the phrase “anti-voter fraud group”. It lacks a second hyphen, so it’s ambiguous. Is it an “anti-voter-fraud group”, a group that’s against voter fraud; or is it an “anti-voter fraud-group”, a fraud group that’s against voters?
The GOP has spent several generations investing in a worldview that is increasingly at odds with reality. They think of America in terms of ’50’s sitcoms. The farther we get from that, the harder it will be for them to square their views with the modern world. By adopting the “hoax” mentality, they can continue to live in their pseudo-reality a little while longer.
Today while drinking coffee one of my group said that the “shots” would have such an absurd effect that I have forgotten it now. I said “but shit” only to be told to watch my language, by someone who still believes Trump will be President again this year. I pointed out their words will get people killed, so who’s are obscene? The restaurant owner thanks me every day for speaking truth to stupidity every day. She escaped from Eastern Europe in the 1980’s.
One Trackback/Pingback
[…] militantly refuse mere evidence, a few even getting sick drinking bleach, and takes a brief look at the hoax hoax. […]