Re: DS9: Tacking into the Wind
Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 10:10 am
I saw it a long time ago, but I remember Tacking Into the Wind being a favourite of mine.
I do have to express my profound annoyance (though "annoyance" doesn't really seem strong enough) at the Douglas Adams bit Chuck quoted, though. I like Douglas Adams, but the ever-present repetition, in various forms, of the "both sides are the same/just as bad" line in any political discussion has become not only an insufferably trite, over-simplistic cliche, but an actively dangerous one. It stifles nuanced political discussion and intelligent thought by substituting a simplistic slogan, encourages both cynical apathy and extremism by telling people that the system is broken and their's no point trying to fix it or expect anything better, and legitimizes the worst aspects of politics by treating them as no worse than anybody else. Its a also used as a deflection tactic- when one side is criticized, they can respond by saying "Well the other side is just as bad" (regardless of weather its true), as if this is somehow a defence (Vladimir Putin is particularly notorious for using it in this manner).
Regardless of which side you're on, you should be able to come up with a more intelligent, and more honest, criticism of than that. This ever-present yet profoundly poisonous meme grates on my brain like nails on a chalkboard.
And since I just saw our "President" employ it to respond to a car being driven into a crowd of anti-fascist protesters by suggesting that both sides were similarly at fault, I'm feeling particularly bitter toward it today.
I do have to express my profound annoyance (though "annoyance" doesn't really seem strong enough) at the Douglas Adams bit Chuck quoted, though. I like Douglas Adams, but the ever-present repetition, in various forms, of the "both sides are the same/just as bad" line in any political discussion has become not only an insufferably trite, over-simplistic cliche, but an actively dangerous one. It stifles nuanced political discussion and intelligent thought by substituting a simplistic slogan, encourages both cynical apathy and extremism by telling people that the system is broken and their's no point trying to fix it or expect anything better, and legitimizes the worst aspects of politics by treating them as no worse than anybody else. Its a also used as a deflection tactic- when one side is criticized, they can respond by saying "Well the other side is just as bad" (regardless of weather its true), as if this is somehow a defence (Vladimir Putin is particularly notorious for using it in this manner).
Regardless of which side you're on, you should be able to come up with a more intelligent, and more honest, criticism of than that. This ever-present yet profoundly poisonous meme grates on my brain like nails on a chalkboard.
And since I just saw our "President" employ it to respond to a car being driven into a crowd of anti-fascist protesters by suggesting that both sides were similarly at fault, I'm feeling particularly bitter toward it today.