Why a Repetition Crisis? Dissident social psychologist Jonathan Haidt of NYU’s Stern School of Business, author of The Righteous Mind, pointed out in a freewheeling interview with John Leo how the ever-growing list of sacred cows in American life restricts what social scientists can allow themselves to discover about important issues:
For many years now, there have been six sacred groups. You know, the big three are African-Americans, women and LGBT. That’s where most of the action is. Then there are three other groups: Latinos, Native Americans…and people with disabilities. So those are the six that have been there for a while. But now we have a seventh—Muslims.
One could argue that there are more sacred groups than seven, but Haidt’s next point was illuminating:
Something like 70 or 75 percent of America is now in a protected group. This is a disaster for social science because social science is really hard to begin with. And now you have to try to explain social problems without saying anything that casts any blame on any member of a protected group. And not just moral blame, but causal blame. None of these groups can have done anything that led to their victimization or marginalization.
For example, in discussing crime or poverty, social scientists are allowed to imply that the dirt that white people live upon is inherently magic while the dirt under black people is obviously tragic. But anything smarter and more interesting could get them furiously denounced by angry know-nothing students (or Watsoned out of their jobs if they lack tenure). So it’s safest just to blame everything and anything on white people.
Still, as the generations roll by, that’s increasingly sounding like a senile conspiracy theory. In 2016, blaming white privilege for everything you don’t like isn’t quite as lame as blaming the Bavarian Illuminati, but the gap is closing.
As the range of acceptable insights narrows, boredom stalks the social sciences.
Haidt notes:
Anthropology and sociology are the worst—those fields seem to be really hostile and rejecting toward people who aren’t devoted to social justice.
Today, for example, it seems astonishing that 60 years ago cultural anthropologists like Margaret Mead could be celebrities. The educated public now assumes that cultural anthropologists are pedantic and petulant, best avoided.
* The ‘Jason Richwine’ affair a few years back – worthy research involving big, ultimately overwhelmingly important questions concerning the future society of the USA, and the economic/fiscal implications, is an obvious case-in-point.
But, apparently, such questions – few can be more important in US social science – cannot be explored by academics due to taboo – yes, taboo is the right word – reasons.
* I rang a radio ‘talk show’ recently to tell the broadcaster that he really shouldn’t keep referring to stats as ‘facts’. But it’s too late, the majority population have no idea how stats are compiled and they are being used by MSM as some form of new religion.
*I hate DC politics as much as I hate social science statistics, so I stay on the periphery of them and pick up bits and pieces here and there, but yes its obvious that they’ve both basically destroyed each other. The Selling of The Presidency marked the beginning. Now the media says stuff like, “Well they told us they’re only gonna stay on message, and so far they have, and haven’t lost yet, and look to be about ready for the victory lap. Back to you!”
Pupppetts who play their own strings and talk about the script their reading from on the stage called a debate. I mean, we’ve forgotten its all so sinister.
When I see that statistic from Haidt, seems obvious to me its almost worse what he does not say next. Which is that we are literally succumbing to a national psychosis of self-delusion, and its not funny at all anymore. Stopped being funny a certain emergency ago. And btw, is Frank Luntz not the most insidious snake-oil salesman since the first?
So the Republican Crisis then is this: How do you defeat the guy who’s been oblivious to what we’ve been conditioning the public to believe while he’s been out and about making deals worth billions?
You call him a conspiracy theorists about 9-11, and see if he blinks.
Trump builds towers. He knows what happened. And he’s only saying what they can’t deny. Bush was reigning, it was his watch and he fell asleep. Don’t tell anybody, but this is the most historic election in American history.
I expect the convention to be very interesting indeed.
* Are you suggesting that there is a religion other than Islam that is above criticism. Certainly not the Catholics, most of the protestants ( except maybe for the SJW Episcopal Church ) are easily mocked. Criticizing the Amish is a waste they ignore you. I am at a loss.
