Friday, October 2, 2020

Changing the Field and Moving the Goalposts

 

                                    Changing the Field and Moving the Goalposts

    Institutions are the hardware of a culture.  And they evolve. The importance of institutions to any society is proved by the efforts that revolutionaries and tyrants go to destroy them. But they are not time capsules of historical knowledge, captured in hermetically sealed batons to be passed on. They are surprisingly vulnerable, especially to violence.

    A new threat is the universal application of disinformation, a technique that Goebbels could only dream of. The new social media allows for the dissemination of accuracy-free information that can do more damage than "blood libel" rumors. And it can happen fast.

    The police, who have always been "heroes" in the country, are now suddenly villains.

    The Supreme Court is crucial for applying the constitutional context for laws and executive action. Yet if you are unhappy with that definition, change it. Just put more people on the court and turn it into the legislative branch. 

    Don't like the idea of a Republic? Change it. It sounds very aristocratic anyway.

    Want to rewrite how universities work so they are uniform and directional, not reflective? O.K. Do it. Rewrite the requirements and throw out the people who object.

    If you have no regard for what you are starting with, change is surprisingly easy in this modern world. And it's a lot less messy than guillotines.

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