The #MeToo movement may be having its intended - and perfectly laudable - effect of discouraging some bad male behaviour. But it may also be having a less-than-laudatory autonomous effect, that of cutting women off from perfectly innocent and otherwise invaluable one-on-one interactions. For example, a gubernatorial candidate in Mississippi has recently announced – and … Continue reading SHOOTING ITSELF IN THE FOOT
# MeToo
The #MeToo Movement’s Brave New World
It used to be that in the absence of saying no she’s saying yes; that by saying no she’s saying convince me; and that by convince me she’s saying yes. And so, much to the delight of us ardent men, she was pretty much guaranteed to be always saying yes. Then it was that no … Continue reading The #MeToo Movement’s Brave New World
MY BEGRUDGING RESPECT FOR STEVE KING
Iowa Representative Steve King is being pilloried in the press for pointing out that, were it not for rape and incest, none of us would be here. “Considering all the wars and all the rape and pillage that has taken place,” notes King, “I know I can’t certify that I was not a part of … Continue reading MY BEGRUDGING RESPECT FOR STEVE KING
OWN-PETARD-HOISTING
The #MeToo movement took a serious hit the other day when it was revealed that Asia Argento, one of the accusers of Harvey Weinstein’s ‘rapacious’ behavior, had herself, even more recently, paid $380,000 to silence a then under-age young man who’d otherwise have gone public about her behavior, namely her having committed statutory rape. What … Continue reading OWN-PETARD-HOISTING
THE HAIDT HYPOTHESIS
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has argued, quite convincingly, that a university can dedicate itself to the search for truth, or to the promotion of social justice, but not both. Truth and justice are seldom about the same thing. But when they are, what’s true may not be just, and what’s just may not be true. … Continue reading THE HAIDT HYPOTHESIS
RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT PAASD
There’s yet to be a scientific consensus on the frequency of alien abduction. But there’s already data indicating that the frequency of reports of alien abduction – as evidenced by the number of confirmed cases of Post-Alien Abduction Stress Disorder (PAASD) – is not orders of magnitude off the frequency of being hit by lightning, … Continue reading RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT PAASD
