“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” – Isaac Asimov
Sadly, in the year 2020 our present leader and his followers seem to fit this statement that Mr. Asimov made to Newsweek in 1980. A couple of days ago in this blog I did a brief comparison of the leadership presented by Angela Merkel in Germany with that of the leader of the United States. Ms. Merkel, a physicist by training, has followed scientific advice, the knowledge and best practices from others, and an early and extensive testing program. She created a multidisciplinary team of scientists and scholars to advise her in the effort to save her country and the people who live there. The United States has some of the brightest minds in science, but our leader does not listen to them. Instead, he uses his gut hunch or listens to some huckster promoting industrial strength disinfectant. Our leader is lucky to be the President of the United States. He is a man who has no use for scientists, is inarticulate, coarse, a colossal liar, dictator worshiper, and seemingly quite proud of all these things. Unfortunately for all of us, even with these characteristics, he is a formidable force in our country. Where and how does he get his power to cause us to get up every morning in shock, anger and disbelief? I thank my friend, RT, who referred me to the Bedlam Farm Journal, a blog site by Jon Katz, a former TV news producer and political writer. In a post he made yesterday, Mr. Katz did a very articulate analysis of how the president gets his power, causing me to rethink some things I have said about his intelligence. I still don’t think he is that intelligent, but he also is not a dummy. After reading the post, I can see that the president does have expertise in an area that gives him great power. He is an expert at modern media. He knows how to use Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, ABC, NBC, CBS, Twitter, etc. to his advantage. I now see how the outrage he creates is a calculated action and the media takes the bait with an expected response depending on whether you are Fox News or CNN. “For President Trump, being outrageous is like pushing a button and watching Times Square light up at night. He can grab his remote switcher, lie in bed, watch the fireworks, and see his image everywhere.” This is a post I highly recommend reading. Disinfecting The News: “Tearing Our Minds To Pieces…”
Several days ago the missus found a deep dish pizza pan that we have had for probably 40 years up on a shelf. We’ve had a hankerin’ for some pizza the last couple of days, so yesterday I looked up ‘Chicago Deep Dish Pizza’ online and found a pizza dough recipe to try. It didn’t turn out that well, but I used it anyway and we had a pizza for dinner last night while we watched Friday night television. I’ll be looking for a new pizza dough recipe for future pizza baking. The topping I did was very good, however. Smoked brisket, smoked pork, onions, peppers, kalamata olives, 3 different cheeses, tomatoes and bbq sauce.
Yesterday was our daughter’s 45th birthday. We feel bad that we couldn’t go out to celebrate it with her, her husband, and our grand dog Charlie, but she knows we are that age of high-risk with this virus and she felt we should stay home and celebrate later. She said she’s been reading my blog and we need to follow what I write . So, we’ll celebrate birthdays when we get the ‘all clear.’
Took a walk through the back yard to the creek this afternoon to clear the brain fog and feed the soul. I had an idea on the walk. For those of you who have saved $$$$$ during this shutdown by not spending the weekend at your favorite gathering place and spending $$$$$, consider making a donation with those savings to a social service agency. These agencies are in dire need of contributions, as the need in the community has skyrocketed during this time. If you need an idea, a couple of agencies that we support are Snowcap Community Charities and Portland Rescue Mission. Enjoy your evening. Ziggyman.
Mountain Man Musings 