We are all bearing the contradiction that we must always consider race, but also must never consider it. Puts us in a state of psychological contradiction and results in weird virtue signaling.
I remember living in red America just before the Iraq war and being ostracized or loudly mocked because I was French. I privately supported my government, with which I usually disagreed, in opposing the US march to war at the UN asking the same questions listed here. I did not talk about it openly. Nonetheless an assumption was made about me and it was too loud to fight. To this day I do not know if they ultimately recognized their misconception as I have since moved out of there. Cowardly!
Suggested related podcast listening: Your Undivided Attention (Center for Humane Technology) with Dan Vallone of More in Common. Episode: Mind the (Perception) Gap.
Good newsletter. When you join a tribe the convention is that you subscribe to a boxed set of its opinions. No others allowed. Or else... In fact Sadam had no WMD and was not building any, which the allies knew full well. This had been independently verified by weapons inspectors. Iraq 2003 was a wholly illegal war.
I’d need more convincing. I deleted or closed all of my social media and haven’t really looked back. Of course, I also lost my connection to most of my friends and acquaintances but whatever, I’m a Scorpio. I see the situation more like the Buddha returning to save everyone else from the wheel of karma, but I ain’t no Buddha.
I count on you for averting the apocalypse, analyzing our international maneuverings and also, especially, informing on lebron james' tweets. Thank you for all your services. I am getting a bargain subscription!
And yeah, totally concur on challenging the tribe. I have taken steps to stop identifying as part of a tribe so i can be groundless and free of prejudice. It's not so hard when you nonjudgmentally examine the biases held by those you feel closest too!
There is also one other important option, which is to not say something, at least not immediately. One of the wonderful things about having given up all social media is that there’s no longer pressure to express an opinion about everything, or at least not immediately. I’m a person who needs a lot of time to think and social media doesn’t allow for that.
People do disengage because of the tribalism, but a lot of conversations in the messy middle are happening in private spaces, or at least privately among people who feel they can trust each other.
And as you mentioned, lethal force was within police policy, but isn't that what we should be changing, the policies? And hearts and minds too, of course. But as long as the official policy is what it is, there will be few actions of accountability because, well, it was allowed under "policy."
Excellent convo with Bloom! Right on the money. Being outside the tribe’s rules amounts to betrayal. And then you are canceled. Ignored, which is a death sentence (almost ).
I think social media apps should make subscribers take a test to try to teach them about the dangers of tribalism and one should pass the test to get his account back.
I think social media apps should make subscribers take a test to try to teach them about the dangers of tribalism and one should pass the test to get his account back.
Just don't defy them on Twitter. Today a guy told me to "f-*k off," and I wasn't even saying anything offensive. Then his post got three likes in five seconds and a woman told him he made her laugh.
Bob, Jamie Wheal has just published a book with a theme similar to the AAP, Recapture the Rapture, which I am now reading. I will monitor the general response, very curious. And I am looking forward to your take in your book.
We are all bearing the contradiction that we must always consider race, but also must never consider it. Puts us in a state of psychological contradiction and results in weird virtue signaling.
Well written!
I remember living in red America just before the Iraq war and being ostracized or loudly mocked because I was French. I privately supported my government, with which I usually disagreed, in opposing the US march to war at the UN asking the same questions listed here. I did not talk about it openly. Nonetheless an assumption was made about me and it was too loud to fight. To this day I do not know if they ultimately recognized their misconception as I have since moved out of there. Cowardly!
Suggested related podcast listening: Your Undivided Attention (Center for Humane Technology) with Dan Vallone of More in Common. Episode: Mind the (Perception) Gap.
Good newsletter. When you join a tribe the convention is that you subscribe to a boxed set of its opinions. No others allowed. Or else... In fact Sadam had no WMD and was not building any, which the allies knew full well. This had been independently verified by weapons inspectors. Iraq 2003 was a wholly illegal war.
I’d need more convincing. I deleted or closed all of my social media and haven’t really looked back. Of course, I also lost my connection to most of my friends and acquaintances but whatever, I’m a Scorpio. I see the situation more like the Buddha returning to save everyone else from the wheel of karma, but I ain’t no Buddha.
well said!
I count on you for averting the apocalypse, analyzing our international maneuverings and also, especially, informing on lebron james' tweets. Thank you for all your services. I am getting a bargain subscription!
And yeah, totally concur on challenging the tribe. I have taken steps to stop identifying as part of a tribe so i can be groundless and free of prejudice. It's not so hard when you nonjudgmentally examine the biases held by those you feel closest too!
There is also one other important option, which is to not say something, at least not immediately. One of the wonderful things about having given up all social media is that there’s no longer pressure to express an opinion about everything, or at least not immediately. I’m a person who needs a lot of time to think and social media doesn’t allow for that.
People do disengage because of the tribalism, but a lot of conversations in the messy middle are happening in private spaces, or at least privately among people who feel they can trust each other.
I’ve shared this essay here before, but for anyone new or who hasn’t read it, it’s a wonderful map of how epistemic bubbles and echo chambers work: https://aeon.co/essays/why-its-as-hard-to-escape-an-echo-chamber-as-it-is-to-flee-a-cult
I read it sometimes when I need a reminder to not despair, and to remain open.
And as you mentioned, lethal force was within police policy, but isn't that what we should be changing, the policies? And hearts and minds too, of course. But as long as the official policy is what it is, there will be few actions of accountability because, well, it was allowed under "policy."
Excellent convo with Bloom! Right on the money. Being outside the tribe’s rules amounts to betrayal. And then you are canceled. Ignored, which is a death sentence (almost ).
I think social media apps should make subscribers take a test to try to teach them about the dangers of tribalism and one should pass the test to get his account back.
I think social media apps should make subscribers take a test to try to teach them about the dangers of tribalism and one should pass the test to get his account back.
Just don't defy them on Twitter. Today a guy told me to "f-*k off," and I wasn't even saying anything offensive. Then his post got three likes in five seconds and a woman told him he made her laugh.
Bob, Jamie Wheal has just published a book with a theme similar to the AAP, Recapture the Rapture, which I am now reading. I will monitor the general response, very curious. And I am looking forward to your take in your book.