Pre Iteration

I Hear It Was Charged Against Me

I hear it was charged against me that I sought to destroy institutions,
But really I am neither for nor against institutions,
(What indeed have I in common with them? or what with the destruction of them?)
Only I will establish in the Mannahatta and in every city of these States inland and seaboard,
And in the fields and woods, and above every keel little or large hat dents the water,
Without edifices or rules or trustees or any argument,
The institution of the dear love of comrades.
- Walt Whitman

Introduction

Republicans have, throughout my life or at least since Reagan, consistently lost to Democrats among scientists and philosophers.

But it is equally accurate to note that they have made enormous strides, particularly over the past 20 years, in winning the hearts of the masses.

And so we, scientists and philosophers, lament the lack of critical thinking. We see studies showing that 37% of people fear their dog will get autism from vaccines (I'm not making that up), and we demand in outrage that people must be better!

There's two problems there:

1. "Better" is judgmental. People are good. The vast majority of people - 80% or more - are authentically good people doing what they understand to be right. Give them credit or lose them.
2. Their priorities are real, their resources are what they are, and denying the reality that large portions of people make decisions using norms is as stupid as denying the effectiveness of vaccines.