It’s come to this.
We have the wealth of humankind’s accumulated knowledge in our pockets…
and it’s come to this.
Weird.
No, I mean that’s what it’s come to… “weird”.
About a month ago, Democrat Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said this on MSNBC about the republicans…
“These are weird people on the other side. They want to take books away. They want to be in your exam room.”
On its surface it’s not a stinging indictment unless you were in Grade 4… but then again, mentally a lot of people are.
So it’s been very effective.
Trump stays relevant and an actual contender for a return to the presidency, and he still is as of writing this but it seems like his chances may be waning, by talking to his supporters at a fourth grade level (no, seriously, it was studied) and getting them to buy into some pretty terrible things. Racism, misogyny, rainbowphobia, the ever-present threat of having to choose to die at the jaws of a shark or an electric boat battery.
Lots of weird things.
It’s happening here in Canada too.
With Opposition leader, Pierre Poilievre, posting goofy-ass memes (I mean the memes are goofy-ass and not OF beloved Disney character Goofy’s ass) and then getting screenshotted by the Prime Minister stating that “I think this guy needs to touch grass.” Another way of saying, “C’est dude est tres weird”.
Rational thinking doesn’t work against silliness.
Reason is powerless.
Facts? Axe the facts.
Have you ever argued with someone in Grade 4?
I have… Not recently when I was in Grade 4.
Patiently explaining why they’re wrong doesn’t work.
Calling them weird and getting the rest of the class to agree is devastatingly effective… ummm… though often leads to debilitating self-image issues and the occasional school shooter, but let’s focus on it in the bigger political sense and not dwell on that part right now.
In fact, let’s agree that calling kids in Grade 4 weird is probably not great.
Don’t do that.
However, calling voting adults weird is fair game.
When you’re confident and self-assured in your position and principles, getting called ‘weird’ doesn’t matter.
You invite discourse and attempts to logically question position and principles.
You may even be open to changing your mind.
Getting called weird and being told your position and principles are weird forces you to do a quick self-evaluation.
”Am I weird?"
”Is this thing I’m saying weird?”
When you’ve been fed baseless lies and sundry other silliness from a buffet of misinformation, getting called weird forces you to look down and realize that what you thought was a rock solid foundation of ‘truth’ beneath you is actually just a mountain of empty Diet Coke cans and Fuck Trudeau flags.
So… I guess as a political tactic ‘weird’ works.
That’s weird.
###
Nothing shuts down a bully like being bullied. Trouble is it puts to former rational being into the uncomfortable role of bully. I’m loving the thrashing Trump is getting along with his VP by the ladies .
Thank you for saying this out loud! Indeed, it's weird! Poilievre is using strange cherry-picking. The best way to tell him is to "axe the facts." Eh!