I agree that it is all opinion. I do find myself hoping for more conciseness and less repetitive fortune telling. That too is opinion. My noodge about your style and sometimes unique logic is not an assault on your character, in case that needs to be said.
We can disagree, but I post a lot of articles to stimulate conversation, criticism and opinion. To inform too, but most people are included into the same news stream. Considering the situation, I would expect politics to be livelier and the site impressions depend on the posts. My views on the 14th are evolving too, but it seems cut and dried to me, except for the primaries issue. This is more entertainment than prophesy, I don't mind being wrong on predicting future events, nobody has much luck at it.
I agree with Kaine in principle. However, it hinges on the procedural end of things. While I don’t know much about it, my best guess is that it will shake out of the civil suits being brought in some states, and the inevitable countersuits. My call: it must rise through the appellate system and arrive at the Supreme Courtyard by Crow and Leo. Then we will probably have clarity. For now, it’s up in the air … but promises to be the greatest show on earth for those of us not in a war zone or other disaster area.
I do want to make a comment about “the [case for the] 14th gaining momentum”.
How people feel motivates them to action, just look at the Trumpers and this is no different, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. I watch MSNBC and it is often mentioned there and on CNN. Do you think many in the republican establishment want this resolved before the democrats do, even though it is mostly democrats and some conservatives making noises. What are guys like Karl Rove doing behind the scenes, these are people skilled at making noise, though Karl might lurk in the shadows, and it would be suicide for most republicans to say a peep. Except for the Mormon Prince Mitt, he might tout the 14th for the party since he's pretty well bullet proof (metaphorically speaking) and is safe in his Utah fortress. It is still early, several months until the GOP primary, so the republicans aren't panicking yet. The lawsuits will continue to be filed and the idea of a disqualified candidate harming other GOP candidates might be the wedge for the primaries and ask for a finding on the general election at least when the case comes up the food chain.
Unless I misunderstand, I see you defending one of the worst trends in modern journalism. Treating how people feel as news leads straight to Jerry Springer.
The way we humans work is by feelings which lead to more complex socially based emotions, it all starts with instinctive or conditioned attraction or repulsion and goes right back to fish, approach food and sex, avoid danger and unpleasantness. Our word for emotion comes from the Latin emovre, to stir or move as in motivate, emotions cause actions and thinking is used most of the time to rationalize feelings. Fear motivates us to action the most after hunger and both are feelings, so is cold caused by lack of shelter. First come feelings and then more complex socially based emotions, thinking and reasoning come last. Journalism is also in the business of making money as well as it's higher pursuits it has other more mundane ones that pay. The brain is structured like a layer cake with the reptilian brain at its base, nature doesn't throw much away, but adds to it. Our behavior individually and socially is a reflection of this evolutionary neuro morphology.
you lost me right there. It’s not nearly so simple.
It was a general overview, of course we are more complex as is our social evolution. But the basic model of feelings (felt in the body, think of a cat) and more complex socially based emotions are built on those base feelings, thinking is most often used (or abused) to rationalize feelings. Feelings and emotion also motivate us the most, even if you are solving complex equations as a scientist with one part of your brain another gets a thrill of pleasure from the work. There is a feeling that they get when they make a new discovery and it is described in emotional terms, the pleasure pay off, Science is a human activity and much of the motivation is based on feelings and socially based emotions, not just curiosity about nature. If a bear is chasing yer ass, you will be motivated to action by fear and terror!
Perhaps, but the far more interesting question to me is (once motivated) how will you choose and implement a plan of action?
I'm all for reason and logic controlling our affairs based on facts, but I recognize that humans are not rational animals, they are social animals and there are those on the right that use these facts to manipulate them to harm themselves and the country. Enrage to engage is standard operating procedure. Our feelings operate by controlling our perception, even alter our mental functioning and the soup of hormones coursing through our blood plays its part to predispose us.
You’re not connecting the dots to completion. In stopping short, you’re not addressing the inherent harm of journalism that treats sentiment as news. You and I both know populists and demagogues exploit the ability of many of us to substitute feeling for thought. It is the ethical duty of nonsensationalist journalists to lay the cognitive disconnect bare and issue the warning. They’re generally not. What to do about it?
It depends, the behavior ranges from click bait to the rantings of demigods and propaganda. We generally have free speech, but profanity is not allowed simply because it offends some, lies are more lethal and harmful, free speech is really about ideas and truth, we as a society try to suppress lying, but it is only socially sanctioned except under oath. People are emotional beings and if you want to sell a product or narrative to them then you appeal to their emotions first and their logic second, hearts and minds with hearts coming before minds. The beautiful woman in the car they are trying to sell you won't sleep with you, but she sure gets yer attention. Nobody extolls the virtues of the product anymore, they sell the image of pleasure and happiness.
It is learned conditioning. The members of the Greatest Generation grew up into a hard world with limited opportunities for idle entertainment, and with penalties for not learning the foundations to compete for the good things in life.
If you can disperse the right and make them powerless roaming the political wilderness, then America can progress on many fronts and so can Canada too. They have nothing to offer to the future, but pine for a past that never really was except for white Christian social and political domination. Journalism is a reflection of the society and guys like Hurst, preceded Rupert Murdock and even started wars with sensationalist yellow journalism. It sold papers, what can I say.
