The Grift is Coming from Inside the House
Angry hallucinations and anti-science congresswomen
Do you ever get knocked out by a sentence? It amazes me with all the writing happening online every day, occasionally somebody still finds the right words in the right order at the right time to float above it all.
This sentence from last year hit me hard this week:
You are chasing angry hallucinations created by grifters who make money off your rage.
It was a throwaway line from author Jason Schreier in a since-dead Twitter thread about his article on a failed Suicide Squad video game. He was responding to someone complaining about “woke” being the cause of the game’s market failure, not any of the real business reasons that Schreier tackled in the article.
No, he said, “this article is about what really happened.” You’re chasing ghosts.
What really happened
The concept of objective truth is a slippery thing. I won’t wade into centuries of philosophical arguments here — too tough for an average Thursday newsletter — but surely we can come to an agreement objective truth can exist, right? There are facts that remain true, independent of an observer or that observer’s bias. But can the internet handle it?
“What’s true?” is the thing of culture wars (or, you know, war wars). But most of the world isn’t binary, except maybe the two sides to every story. And this matters because much of the World Wide Web is fighting for your attention with their version of “the truth” so folks are constantly reducing their messaging to soundbites to capture you. But the truth isn’t really a part of the equation. And that should be terrifying to you.
The South will writhe again
I live in South Carolina, which is notoriously not a bastion of progressive politics, strong education, or informed worldviews. We’re dealing with a lot of book banning lately, if that helps set the stage.
Today, SC Congresswoman Nancy Mace posted “You either have XX or XY chromosomes. Those are the options. Hold the line.” Of course “the line” here being one side of an ever-churning culture war over gender identity and sexuality. Scintillating stuff, and said with such authority and certainty.
Mace is a particular brand of modern political animal whose focus seems to be gaining media attention more than legislation, and her post today is more of the same. It’s rage bait — “the manipulative tactic of eliciting outrage with the goal of increasing internet traffic, online engagement, revenue and support.” A honeypot for both right-leaning binary thinkers to “amen!” and left-leaning intellectuals to “well, actually…” with increasing levels of vitriol.
The Congresswoman is wrong, of course. Objectively speaking. Scientifically, statistically, provably wrong. Not that she cares — being publicly shamed for being wrong isn’t a tactic that works on rage baiters. They’re shameless. Your attention is their sustenance. Your replies are sacrifices to the algorithm god.
But the grifter-est part of it all is that Congresswoman Mace isn’t an idiot. Not really. She knows her statement isn’t 100% scientifically true, and she knows the consequences for her lie are essentially inconsequential. But it sounds good to itchy ears. It supports a worldview for a certain set of people, and validates their anger. And it builds her more clout with her base, which keeps her funded, so she keeps saying it.
When the culture war comes home
Normally, I just try to ignore all of this. Which I admit I can do from a position of privilege as a middle-aged white man who would likely be mistaken for a red-faced, red hat redneck if you didn’t know me. But this is a line of rhetoric that’s dangerous and it does affect me, because it affects my daughter.
My daughter only has one X chromosome because she has Turner Syndrome, a chromosomal abnormality occurring in 1 in 2,000–5,000 female births. You probably wouldn’t know if we didn’t tell you. She’s objectively brilliant, delightful, funny, and makes friends wherever she goes. She’s a fireball. I don’t believe for a second that her diagnosis will prevent her from being a wise, generous, and joyful contributing member of society (which she already is!). And thankfully, she’s been healthy at every stage of her life, supported by a team of local doctors and specialists, all of whom are paid for by a form of medical needs Medicaid that’s fully covered until she’s 18.
So today, either out of ignorance, grifting, or malice (honestly, I can’t decide which is worse), one of her state’s congressional representatives said she doesn’t exist. All to fire up an online contingent of people who are “chasing angry hallucinations created by grifters.” All to get a little more attention, to make a little more money, to have a little more power, to do a little less for the people who elected them.
I’d be more disappointed if it wasn’t so expected
It’s dangerous when people making laws know less than freshmen biology students. It’s dangerous when politicians are ill-informed, ideologically-blinded, and anti-science. There are real world consequences in their communities for their stupidity, ignorance, and career ambitions.
Obviously, I wish South Carolina’s politicians were more concerned with appropriately representing their constituents. I wish I could point my children toward political figures whose character, body of work, and demeanor in the public square were worthy of imitation, or at least admiration. Instead I have to shield them from the carelessness of their own representatives and, if necessary, fight legislation that would endanger my family and my community.
If someone in Congress believes (or continues to parrot) scientifically inaccurate soundbites about binary chromosomes, in an attempt to score political points with a rabid base that’s angry about trans people existing, how long before some vaguely-worded piece of legislation ends up with the same language?
If we keep chipping away at the support structure of our government, how long before the Medicaid we depend on for our daughter’s health gets gutted so a billionaire has a few more cents in their pocket, and we financially bleed out from a for-profit healthcare system propped up by those same politicians?
Political rhetoric is just words until it’s not. I’d encourage everyone to stop chasing angry hallucinations created by grifters who make money off your rage, and instead turn your time, money, and attention to helping your community. To understanding the implications of legislation for the most vulnerable people around you. To not take everything you see online as the gospel truth because “there are almost no forces in play that are not gaslighting your every waking moment.”
It’s hard out there. Read a book. Hug a kid. Go eat a good burger (and tip your server well!) Don’t feed the trolls, but realize many of the trolls are your elected officials. Happy Thursday.