My Blog Week: November 8 to November 14

A Word on the Week

Going Forward

Suppose you had an app, for spreadsheets or some such, used frequently and loved—but one day a virus came to infect it. Every document shared or received, or uploaded to a server, would cause more harm and havoc. Though reluctant, you’d have to stop using it; you could not in conscience continue. (Never mind how picturable are the people who’d insist their little selves just couldn’t…) The meaning of the parable is: political correctness. Needs a vacation. If you look at social media you know that PC has been thoroughly taken over by trolls. And what harm does this do? It undermines, and badly undermines, the goals of the Democratic party in America, and of liberal-oriented parties everywhere.

The problem with the New Phrase or the New Concept has always been its ambushiness. When trolls can on the one hand, magnify the impression that everyone has adopted whatever; on the other hand, that if you put a foot wrong keeping up with it all, you will be labeled an evil person and drummed out of town, they can weaponize good intentions into effectively bad ones. The other problem, as I’ve discussed, is PC’s cart-before-the-horse quality. New laws, enacted because an enlightened public understands the need for them, can include, acknowledge, and empower. A new name, a new misdeed—such as microaggression, cultural appropriation, failure to “believe all women”—makes members of the minority being “helped”, conspicuous…long before they receive any power to protect themselves.

“You’re getting yelled at, and it’s that person’s fault!” is the message. A message trolls would like well-associated with Democrats. What might be useful here, is a kind of probation. At the point where it seems to you (members of congress, university administrators, news media outlets, AMPAS, et al.)  that the newest thing ought to be ruled into practice, put that decision in abeyance for a period of six months, and if it still feels relevant, at least some trolls will by then have gone looking for other sport.

To keep ’22 from being a disaster, the Democrats have to counter the two stereotypes Republicans have successfully stuck them with: “Democrats will take your money and try to force PC changes on you.”

Both parties are in danger of misinterpreting the 70+ million who voted for Trump. Republicans should bear in mind that Tucker Carlson, arguably the most virulent (and popular) Fox pundit, averaged 5.36 million viewers nightly even at the October height of election propagandizing. Ramping up catering to MAGAs would miss the moderate mandate. And Democrats need to bear in mind that axiom Barack Obama quoted early in his presidency: Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Also: When your supporters are telling you who they are, listen to them.