[lbo-talk] A question regarding list member identities...

Tim Francis-Wright tim at francis-wright.com
Sun Jun 17 12:28:26 PDT 2007


Doug Henwood wrote:
> On Jun 16, 2007, at 8:52 PM, Tim Francis-Wright wrote:
>
>> The question that I have is how to translate the ardor for
>> and knowledge of professional sports into ardor for and
>> knowledge of things political.
>
> You can't. Politics has consequences and sports don't. Politics is
> more full of complexity and contradiction. Yeah, sure, sports rules
> can get complicated, but they're a lot less ambiguous than politics.
> The "three strikes you're out" rule has been imported into criminal
> justice, with really unfortunate results.

Yes, politics is more complicated, but professional sports are quite complicated--google "NBA salary cap", or "NFL" and "franchise player", or "FIFA" and "posting fee", or "40-man roster rules" and you will see what I mean. That politics have real and direct consequences is the point of trying to channel the energy and fervor into something else.

The three strikes metaphor is particularly apt. In politics, it is a simple rule that has enormously bad consequences. In baseball, it is (1) far less draconian as well as far less consequential (each team has at least 27 attempts to score in a regulation game); (2) *far* less simple (foul balls count as the first or second strike but not the third strike, unless the foul ball is a bunt attempt; and if the catcher does not catch the third strike on the fly, the runner can try to get to first safely if first base is vacant or if two are out); (3) part of the game to recognize that the umpires will get some of the strikes wrong.

--tim francis-wright



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