"Rationality," in our Troubled Times

Special guest appearance: Joe Rogan

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The levels of rationality these days are so low that it brings into question whether the existing humans -persons -have rationality at their immediate disposal, such that they can call on it, at any time, to work their various problems. And then, thinking about it, one sees that it hardly ever happens. These days, when it does, some other person pops up and calls himself (or herself) the rational one and denounces the other person. So then the irrational person denounces the rational one. And the pay money to do the "fact-check." That is bonkers! After that the question is do they own the technology or have the influence to force the "fact-check" on us.

I respond by asking some questions as to our (alleged) rationality. I am going to question the level of human reason that exists in our society.

But so that I do not write in too much of a hurry I will take breaks from writing by looking at Joe Rogan (#1999) podcast. (And I do not understand why they are called that; I don't use Apple products: "i-pod.") And I realize that, while rationality seems to exist at least as human potential we are living without much experience of really engaging with it. But Rogan is rational, I think so, and this time I am getting drawn in. It is just looking at a talking head, a moving picture, but what he is saying is all strung together meaningfully and I feel engaged. (No wonder he is very well-known among viewers!) His banter seems to follow a genuine rational thread. He has RFK jr. as guest, and the latter is responding too. RFK is looking relaxed. But then possibly this is a crime today, as well.

Kennedy was a major force of nature. That seems to be the case, so he was one of the persons who restored the Hudson river. The river was really degraded, but when protections (similar to "interventions" in economics) were put it, nature restored itself just fine. One the one hand I feel this is wonderful. On the other, I am afraid to say so because I think I might be cancelled somehow. This is "rationality" in our time.

Another aspect of rationality is the fact that, while RFK did form a "Waterkeepers" organization, which developed branches, there yet more persons who needed to be sued because they were actively polluting. Well, either that or tolerating it ("gee that's just a fact of life; nothin' you can do about it" [tosses tobacco pouch on the ground]).

The Hudson River cleaned up faster than our minds do.

Rationally is present or not, but I suspect that an argument can be made that rationality is present both where it is and where it is not. When we are polluting our own planet, or mindlessly pursuing wars without considering the view of the enemy on the matter it seems that we lack rationality. Of course the rationality is missing in that case; but, when we apply reason, then we know what we were missing.

Reason was there even when the Hudson was being polluted—we just didn’t know it.

Let us see if this machine is “reasonable” enough to copy a link:

It works!