Bullshit is useful

[Sean Hayden]

As you know I think attempts to blame Trump for the COVID-19 mess are largely bullshit. I'm not going to give reasons here --although calling attention to my refusal to do so is a fair criticism of what follows-- instead I want to talk about whether or not this kind of bullshitting might be useful.

The idea is simple: this bullshitting contributes to creating a more dynamic system, and this could increase the number and variety of outcomes, some of which may prove successful.

So, while the reality may not be that Trump is responsible for contributing the greatest harm during this outbreak, bullshitting about his role could still be useful. Maybe finding reality is too slow?

We have to create opportunities faster than objectivity allows, and so we bullshit.

What do you think of this bit of bullshit?

[Hermit]

Well-poisoning is not useful. Thanks for the demonstration.

[Sean Hayden]

I don't know what you're getting at there.

[Cunt]

Maybe I get it, from another context...

When I started getting fit, I went to a 4 chan site called /fit/. It is full of bullshit.

Because I knew that, and read it with that in mind, I was able to tease out tremendously useful info, which led me to mastery over a subject which everyone claims to 'know enough about'.

So what does my 'mastery' mean? It means health bullshit just bounces off me, rendered harmless by my experinece with genuinely successful health-nuts bantering about it.

If I had gone to strictly good sources, the lack of banter would have not only made it less interesting, but also would have made it more likely to be ruined by advertisers. (such as is often the case with 'fitness' websites)

[Sean Hayden]

At least you were able to substitute bullshit about Trump for another bullshit in order to deal with the point: bullshit.

It's kind of a weird thing to think about. It's a simple evolutionary story for bullshitting. Don't think of the individual, except in the sense that we don't know we're bullshitting (that's fun), think of the outcomes that impact all of us e.g. shifts in leadership. Is bullshitting ultimately useful because of a possible injection of variability into how our social structures play out?

Obviously there could be many other reasons for bullshitting. I'm just bullshitting right now.

[Animavore]

His words matter.

[Sean Hayden]

Of course they do. He's a horrible person.

[Cunt]

Mansplaining strikes me the same way. It's not that we all don't already KNOW how a toaster works, but when the new guy tries to explain it (with his new understanding) we all get to see how 'smart' he is or isn't.

[laklak]

Some fucking idiot ODs on a prescription medication that's hardly even available in the U.S. and it's Trumpy's fault.

All right then.

[Seabass]

Some fucking idiot ODs on a prescription medication that's hardly even available in the U.S. and it's Trumpy's fault.

All right then.

Really? If Hillary were out there telling people to drink bleach to cure or prevent coronavirus, would you give her a pass?

[Cunt]

So if Cuomo also said hopeful things about CQ, is he partly at fault? Or is his culpability trumped by Mr. President?

[laklak]

Some fucking idiot ODs on a prescription medication that's hardly even available in the U.S. and it's Trumpy's fault.

All right then.

Really? If Hillary were out there telling people to drink bleach to cure or prevent coronavirus, would you give her a pass?

Yes. Stupid is as stupid does, and we're going to lose a LOT of stupid people (and, unfortunately, some not so stupid ones) before this is over.

[laklak]

Besides, Trump didn't tell anyone to go take CQ.

[laklak]

OK there's more. They took chloroquine phosphate, which is a fucking aquarium additive, not a drug. They're fucking idiots and it's their own fault, I have zero sympathy.

Would it be Trump's fault if someone took, I dunno, Chlordane insecticide? Hell, it's got "chlor" in the name, must be the same thing.

[JimC]

OK there's more. They took chloroquine phosphate, which is a fucking aquarium additive, not a drug. They're fucking idiots and it's their own fault, I have zero sympathy.

Would it be Trump's fault if someone took, I dunno, Chlordane insecticide? Hell, it's got "chlor" in the name, must be the same thing.

However, it's still irresponsible for a President to make unsupported medical suggestions from a position of ignorance...