On May 16, 2008, at 8:19 AM, Andy F wrote:
>> You think you can undo foundational myths with rational argument?
>> Good luck.
>
> That's the kind of thing Chomsky's good at, although he has a way of
> overestimating the potential of careful explanation.
>
> How did you come around?
Actually that's one of the problems I have with Chomsky, as much as I admire him. The power of fact-checking and rational argument is limited - and not just on foundational myths. We had a pretty chilly spring in the northeast this year, which has led people to say, "What global warming?" You can talk about averages and trends all you like but the most recent impression carries a lot more weight for many/ most people. The reverse is true too - if you get a warm day in mid- January, or a 100+ heat wave in July, then climate change becomes a lot more salient in daily conversation.
But if you go to the heavy stuff, like the fundamental goodness of the USA, you're really getting to some bedrock stuff. You can recite a long list of American crimes, and the likely response from most Americans would be: you're lying, or they concede the truth of the bill of particulars, these were rogue elements, or mistakes, or youthful indiscretions. I wonder how often Jerry Monaco has tried to divorce people from their delusions. If he's tried a lot I bet his success rate is pretty low.
Doug