How false equivalence is normalizing idiocy

Not all takes are created equal. Also: a hot new fetish, ICE, RFK, Dr. Phil, pizza crust, the math of flying, and fascism by a thousand cuts.

We’re now surrounded by analysis of Surrounded. But lately what I’m feeling most surrounded by is false equivalence. I'm tired of us treating everything like it's the same.

Like the Bureau of Labor Statistics and some chart made up by cuckoo bootlickers are both "math."

Like the retired general and the open mic comedian should debate how to fight a war.

Like people who have actually done something with their lives and fascist freshmen on Ritalin deserve equal time.

Like the epidemiologist with a PhD and the podcaster who watched a couple of YouTube videos both offer valid perspectives.

Where’s the beef?

We swim in a stew of BS algorithms that constantly amplify the views of morons. And what they love the most is conflict. Marc Maron spoke on podcasts for HOURS yet the only clips anyone saw were the ones where he’s beefing with other comedians.

The result: Everything is promotion via conflict now. That nineties East Coast/West Coast rap beef ate the world. But hey, at least Biggie and Tupac were equals. Now it’s little people vs. an elephant.

Just because a physicist fighting a flat earther gets clicks doesn’t mean it should happen.

I used to think sunlight is the best disinfectant, but now I’d rather we all just try harder to keep gross germs locked up in the first place.

The creep

And speaking of gross…

The fact that we keep judging the different things 🍊 does as separate elements is a real forest/trees situation…

"Oh, he's deploying the military in cities." "Oh, he's ignoring court orders." “Oh, he fires anyone who reports numbers he doesn’t like.” "Oh, we've got a masked police force that answers to no one." "Oh, they're redistricting so elections don't matter anymore." “Oh, anyone can bribe him via that memecoin.” "Oh, he's forcing the press, universities, and law firms to bend the knee."

And now…

“Oh, feds armed with a search warrant showed up at one of his fiercest critic’s home.”