Tal Bachman: We Have Met the Enemy, part XXIII

After all, it was the Enlightenment which initiated the replacement of parents, community elders, custom, tradition, religious belief, common sense, practical experience, myths, and even plain evidence, as sources of epistemic and normative authority over human life, with a new caste of authorities called scientists.

Two and a half centuries later, millions now reflexively regard whatever the most influential scientists happen to proclaim at any given moment, for any reason at all as The First And Last Word On Everything To Do With Their Lives. And now Wokists have, to a remarkable degree, captured "science" (its funding, its practice, its personnel, its findings, its prescriptions). As a result, they're now using the unassailable, Enlightenment-engineered authority of science to further impose Wokism wherever possible.

Given that, of course I'm going to wonder about the Enlightenment—at least some parts of it. Everyone should. The scientism the Enlightenment fathered (however inadvertently) was bad enough. Wokist scientism, imposed by force, is a nightmare. It leaves me wondering how exactly the contemporary, cynical Wokist manipulation of science is any better in principle, or in its practical effects, than the Renaissance-era Catholic church's behavior toward scientists like Galileo.….

……
If Anthony Fauci appeared on TV tomorrow to announce that gulping down a quart of motor oil magically protected you from Covid-19 forever, millions would do it.

Not only that, but in the name of "following the science!", the strong arm of the state would move into action. Adam Schiff would immediately draft the End Covid Now Mandatory Motor Oil Consumption Act. Congress would pass it amidst much self-congratulatory fanfare. Biden would then sign it and order his federal goon squad to begin forcing all the holdouts (whom AG Merrick Garland would probably designate "domestic terrorists" and order the FBI to target) to gulp down motor oil in front of witnesses. Penalties for non-compliance would be severe. And by the way, if you held out, your raging Karen of a View-watching sister would start accusing you of being an "alt-right anti-lubricant conspiracy theorist", disinvite you from your nephew's birthday party, and report you to the Wokestapo (kinda like what Rolf did to the Von Trapp Family at the end of The Sound of Music).

If you dared publicly question the Tyrant Gnome's motor oil prescription (even though you could prove he'd invested in motor oil), hundreds of obedient, Fauci-adoring motor oil drinkers around you—wiping the oozing, viscous Quaker State or Pennzoil from their lips—would demand you join them in "following the science". And to your question, "But what science, exactly?", they would only answer, "The science that is Dr. Fauci's pronouncement". And to your next question, "But what science is there to back up Dr. Fauci's motor oil announcement?", they would only answer, "You don't get it—whatever Dr. Fauci says is, by definition, 'the science'".

Tal Bachman: We Have Met the Enemy, part XXIII

 

I’ll say it again. History will look back on this covid handling ie manipulation of stats to exaggerate deaths, cases, and needs, as well as the evil attempt to marginalize those who don’t buy into the religion of science as a sad time in our history.