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“Independent voters<\/a>\u00a0try to keep the\u00a0Ship of State<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0from\u00a0keeling over<\/a>\u00a0– here, ‘too far to the right…'”<\/em><\/p>\n * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n My last post was\u00a0On my \u201cnew\u201d Missouri River canoe trip<\/a>, back on July 5, 2020.<\/p>\n My “Adventurous Brother” and I completed the trip. (115 river miles down the Missouri River, from South Sioux City to Omaha, Nebraska.)<\/em> We left South Sioux City at 2:30 the afternoon of July 9, and got to Omaha at 5:00 the afternoon of July 12. In between – and before, for that matter – there were distractions, complications and near-disasters. (An 80-mile-an-hour windstorm for one.)<\/em> But we came through, “Mission Accomplished!” The only problem is that a full\u00a0postmortem account<\/a>\u00a0will take time, and I’m long overdue to submit a new blog-post.<\/p>\n So<\/strong><\/em>, I decided to take a look at “this time last year.”<\/p>\n What I found was three year-old draft-projects that I never finished, so here goes. One project was “On partisan gerrymandering,” on the then-just-released Supreme Court case,\u00a0Rucho v. Common Cause<\/a>. (Of which more later.) <\/em>The second unfinished project was the start of a new book – composed of a series of posts herein? – tentatively titled.”My adventures in old age.” Of which the recent Missouri River canoe trip was an example. Meanwhile, the original title of this<\/em> <\/strong>post was supposed to be “Wanna beat Trump? Laugh at him!”<\/em><\/strong> And it featured the “Independent voters<\/a>\u00a0…\u00a0Ship of State<\/a>” lead image and caption at the top of the page.<\/p>\n The book offered ten “new” rules for victory, and Rule Five is “The best weapons do not fire bullets.” And one of those non-bullet new weapons was – humor<\/em><\/strong>. There’s more on other such weapons in the notes, but the key point came in this set of observations:<\/p>\n Google \u201chumor as a weapon,” and you’ll get sites like Humor is a weapon – so you better learn how to use it<\/a>. Which offered the following quotes:\u00a0 “The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter,\u201d by Mark Twain. Also \u201cWit is a dangerous weapon, even to the possessor, if he knows not how to use it discreetly.\u201d\u00a0 (Michel de Montaigne<\/a>, the French writer (1553-1592) “one of the most significant philosophers of the French Renaissance<\/a>, known for popularizing the essay<\/a> as a literary genre<\/a>. His work is noted for its merging of casual anecdotes and autobiography with intellectual insight.) <\/em>Then there’s\u00a0<\/em>this full quote:<\/p>\n Authority is a natural target the world over for comics. Remember it, cherish it, use it. People all around the world hate their leaders<\/strong>, their systems, the powers they have to labor under.\u00a0 This humor is nihilistic \u2013 no one is too powerful or too pure to be beyond reproach. Just remember lots of people have sympathy for the underdog, so direct that hostility upwards<\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n Now about that draft post – from a year ago –\u00a0<\/em>tentatively titled.\u201dMy adventures in old age.\u201d It had links to past posts on such adventures as my canoeing 12 miles off the coast of Mississippi, and into the Okefenokee Swamp, as well as hiking the Appalachian Trail (in small part)<\/em> and the Chilkoot Trail.\u00a0In toto<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, that is, all 33 of the “meanest 33 miles in history.”<\/p>\n For the full set of links see the notes below, but I wanted to focus on one link I found. It’s on the adventures of other<\/em> <\/strong>people in Old Age,\u00a0The Top Ten Late Bloomers Of All Time | Psychology Today<\/a>. And from which I draw inspiration. (Heck, I just turned 69 years old. Or young!<\/strong>)<\/em><\/p>\n * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n And finally, the third draft post from a year ago had to do with “SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES (Rucho v. Common Cause)<\/a>. The main question: “Is North Carolina\u2019s 2016 congressional map an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander?” The Supreme Court basically punted, saying the issue was one for state courts. I concluded in turn that the net holding was not<\/em> <\/strong>to allow such partisan gerrymandering<\/a>\u00a0in all cases. It merely “kicks the issue back to the states.” (“Much as would be true if the Court overrules Roe v. Wade,” which remains to be seen.)<\/em><\/p>\n And – I wrote – some states were beginning to do just that. (Outlaw partisan\u00a0gerrymandering<\/a>.)<\/em> I cited\u00a0Supreme Court\u2019s ruling on\u00a0gerrymandering\u00a0doesn\u2019t directly affect\u00a0Florida<\/a>: “In its majority opinion Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court referenced Florida\u2019s Constitution in asserting that states have the ability to solve this issue themselves.” I also cited\u00a0Another View:\u00a0Florida’s\u00a0amendments\u00a0thwart partisan\u00a0gerrymandering<\/a>.<\/p>\n Which made me thankful that our 50 states are now just the “laboratories of democracy<\/a>”\u00a0that may yet save this country. The phrase was popularized by U.S. Supreme Court Justice\u00a0Louis Brandeis<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0New State Ice Co. v. Liebmann<\/a>\u00a0(1932).\u00a0<\/i>The phrase describes how “a single courageous State may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country.” See\u00a0Wikipedia<\/a>.<\/p>\n It springs in part from the\u00a010th Amendment<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0U.S. Constitution<\/a>, which says,\u00a0“all powers not delegated to the United States\u00a0… are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” That is, the 10th Amendment “assigns most day-to-day governance responsibilities, including general ‘police power<\/a><\/em><\/strong>,’ to the state and local governments.” One positive result? Because of the “diverse patchwork” of non-federal governments, the several states and\/or localities are free to try different public policies to solve problems. In turn, ” If any one or more of those policies are successful, they can be expanded to the national level by acts of Congress.”<\/p>\n Now, if we can just get a state to kick COVID<\/a>‘s ass. Or<\/em><\/strong> get those Feds<\/a>\u00a0out of\u00a0Portland<\/a>…<\/p>\n * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n Did the\u00a02016 U.S. presidential election<\/a>\u00a0create a\u00a0 monster? Time will tell…<\/em><\/p>\n * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n The upper image is courtesy of\u00a0Yachting Keel Over\u00a0– Image Results<\/a>.\u00a0 <\/em>Accompanied by an article “Real-life Bond performs daring boat stunt off the Isle of Wight.”\u00a0 See\u00a0I\u2019m 007 and I won\u2019t keel over! Real-life Bond performs<\/a>\u00a0(March 2012, but\u00a0also\u00a0‘Show-off’ businessman caused Isle of Wight boat crash<\/a>,\u00a0BBC News, from March 2017).\u00a0 Click on\u00a0I\u2019m 007 and I won\u2019t keel over<\/a>!\u00a0 Then the “Read it” icon.<\/em><\/p>\n Re:\u00a0\u00a0Ship of State<\/a>. See\u00a0<\/em>Wikipedia<\/a>, noting the “famous and oft-cited\u00a0metaphor<\/a>\u00a0put forth by\u00a0Plato<\/a>\u00a0[circa 400 B.C.] in Book VI of the\u00a0Republic<\/a><\/i>\u00a0(488a\u2013489d).”\u00a0 But which can also\u00a0be traced “back to the lyric poet\u00a0Alcaeus<\/a>\u00a0(frs. 6, 208, 249), and it is found in\u00a0Sophocles<\/a>\u2019\u00a0Antigone<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Aeschylus<\/a>‘\u00a0Seven Against Thebes<\/a>\u00a0before Plato.”\u00a0 Sophocles appeared to be a relative contemporary of Plato, while Aeschylus and Alcaeus (“c.<\/abbr>\u2009620\u00a0\u2013 6th century BC”), appeared to predate him by 100 to 200 years.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n Re: “There’s more on other such weapons.” Here follows – down to the next four asterisks (****) – a lot of notes on McFate’s book that may confuse a reader or lead him astray – if not set off by the aforementioned asterisks. But note too that the next set of notes, including the source of other images, will begin with the next<\/strong> set of four asterisks.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n First, for our purposes, McFate noted<\/em>\u00a0the \u201cdeclining utility of force\u201d (as in Russia\u2019s Putin \u201cweaponizing refugees rather than threatening firepower,\u201d indirectly, by bombing Syria, which drove tens of thousands of refugees into Europe and \u201cstoking anti-establishment policies across the continent\u2026\u00a0 Right-wing nationalist parties, once shunned as neo-Nazis became popular \u2026 for the first time since the 1930s\u201d.) Then\u00a0McFate moved to \u201cWarriors of the Mind.\u201d As in,<\/em>\u00a0Get a Mac \u2013 Wikipedia<\/a>, and\u00a0<\/b>Case Study: \u201cMac vs. PC\u201d Advertisement Campaign \u2013 Hannah\u2019s Media Leap Blog<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>The campaign had a huge impact, tripling computer sales and becoming iconic \u201cto this day.\u201d How did Apple do it? \u201cThe secret is simple: denigration. Going negative is powerful, but the trick is to make the target look like the wrongdoer\u2026 It\u2019s beautiful ridicule, highly manipulative, and it works.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n From there McFate spoke of the “humor” weapon against ISIS, and others:<\/em><\/p>\n ISIS and its successors would shrivel like the Wizard of Oz if the Muslim world could belly laugh over them\u2026\u00a0 Putin\u2019s cult of personality would whither [sic] under the power of denigration.\u00a0 In fact, he\u2019s easy pickings, given his naked bear-riding habit\u2026\u00a0 This works especially well against autocracies because they are often built on a cult of personality and the infallibility of leadership.\u00a0 Make such leaders fallible.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n He went on to note that one key is gaining information superiority, first through monitoring (\u201cknow your enemy\u201d) and second through discrediting:\u00a0 \u201cpinpointing fake news, alternate facts \u2026 false narratives, viral memes and negative frames, and then exposing them.\u00a0 Myth-busting must happen, otherwise people may start to believe the spin.\u00a0 This task is especially critical for democracies\u2026\u201d And finally,<\/em>\u00a0counter-attacking, \u201cand this is where Western countries grow weak in the legs.\u201d (For that matter so do \u201cpolite\u201d liberals and moderates.) Again, the prime method of counterattack is denigration, while looking like the good guy, conveying empathy, aligning with \u201cpreconceived knowledge\u201d and being \u201cfunny but not stupid.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n For other reviews Google “the new rules of war sean mcfate.” Of particular interest:\u00a0The new rules of war. Sean McFate \u2013 The Junior Officers’ Book Shelf<\/a>, and Reviewing The New Rules of War – The Strategy Bridge<\/a> (“A critical reader might also find inspiration here. As McFate presents them, however, the new rules are a starting point and far from the last word on victory or how to get there”).<\/em><\/p>\n * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n Re: “For the full set of links see the notes.” The first one listed in this post was\u00a0Canoeing 12 miles off the coast of Mississippi<\/a>.\u00a0 (From 7\/19\/17.) That cited\u00a0On canoeing 12 miles offshore<\/a>, from May 2015. See also\u00a0On \u201cA Walk in the Woods\u201d \u2013 Part I<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0On \u201cA Walk in the Woods\u201d \u2013 Part II<\/a>, on an overnight hike on the Appalachian Trail.\u00a0I\u2019ve written about my Okefenokee adventures in several posts:\u00a0Operation Pogo \u2013 \u201cInto the Okefenokee<\/a>\u201d (11\/7\/15),\u00a0\u201cInto the Okefenokee\u201d \u2013 Part II<\/a>\u00a0(11\/15\/15),\u00a0\u201cInto the Okefenokee\u201d \u2013 Part III<\/a>\u00a0(11\/24\/15),\u00a0\u201cThere he goes again\u2026<\/a>\u201d (5\/30\/16), and\u00a0\u201cThere he goes again\u201d \u2013 Revisited<\/a>\u00a0(5\/31\/17). And see\u00a0Remembering the \u201cChilkoot &^%$# Trail<\/a>!”<\/em><\/p>\n The lower image is courtesy of\u00a0Laboratories Democracy States\u00a0–\u00a0Image\u00a0Results<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>The image is accompanied by an article,\u00a0If States are the \u201cLaboratories of Democracy,\u201d Then Young Frankenstein Runs California<\/a>. The article was from\u00a0Legal Insurrection, “one of the most widely cited and influential conservative websites… Our work has been highlighted by top conservative radio personalities, such as Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin.” But see also\u00a0Legal Insurrection – Media Bias\/Fact Check<\/a>: “These media sources are moderately to strongly biased toward conservative\u00a0causes through story selection and\/or political affiliation. They may utilize strong loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports and omit reporting of information that may damage conservative\u00a0causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy.” Note the article was written before the “Covid,” so for an alternate view see\u00a0California coronavirus: What the state is doing right – CNN<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/i><\/p>\n And finally, the original “laugh at him” post contained notes from an apparent “cultural elites” file. It was about those “cultural elites” that Trump supporters love to hate. The notes below are in rough form, include some personal observations, and are included solely for purposes of completeness:<\/em><\/p>\n acts of deliberate transgression against what many Trump supporters have come to view as the supposedly stifling ethics of our cultural elites<\/p>\n sending \u201d those damn media types into a tizzy\u201d<\/p>\n a given act is actually praiseworthy and brave if it draws condemnation from the despised left-wing media.<\/p>\n just another handy weapon for triggering the pearl-clutching libs.<\/p>\n Send Her Back! Send Her Back! \u2013 The Bulwark<\/a><\/p>\n That portion of American society that has pretty much ruled America during the latter half of the 20th century, and the 21st century as well, up to Election Day, 2016.<\/p>\n Since the end of World War II, the rest of the world has looked at America as that \u201ccity on a hill\u201d it has claimed to be since the beginning.\u00a0 And America has responded \u2013 by and large \u2013 by accepting the mantle of world leadership.\u00a0 And because America is a land of such promise, people from other countries keep trying to come here.\u00a0 But \u2013 by and large \u2013 they are no longer white, English-speaking and mostly European.\u00a0 Which frightens a large segment of American society.<\/p>\n Aside from that the mantle of world leadership is heavy.\u00a0 It means not going off half-cocked.\u00a0 It means being responsible, and thinking through what we say and do.\u00a0 And many Americans seem to think we should act more like Russia, imposing our will on the rest of the world by sheer force.\u00a0 Which \u2013 from all accounts \u2013 is what we used to do in the days of Teddy Roosevelt.<\/p>\n And it could be that the Americans who support Trump would love to see a return of a bit of American imperialism.\u00a0 (On the other hand, if that\u2019s true, why did Russia try so hard to get Trump rather than Hillary elected?)<\/p>\n Class warfare between workers and elites explains Trump \u2026<\/a><\/p>\n What\u2019s happening in America is an echo of what\u2019s happening in democracies around the world, and it\u2019s not happening because of Trump. Trump is the symptom of a ruling class that many of the ruled no longer see as serving their interest, and the anti-Trump response is mostly the angry backlash of that class as it sees its position, its perquisites\u00a0and \u2014 perhaps especially \u2014 its self-importance threatened.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s dislike of \u2014 and desire to be a part of \u2014 the \u2018elite\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Trump has since made a name for himself \u2014 in New York City and, more unexpectedly, in Washington. As he reminded his Minnesota supporters, he won the presidency \u2014 which by one definition<\/a> automatically puts him among the elites:\u00a0\u201ca group of persons exercising the major share of authority or influence within a larger group.\u201d<\/p>\n By all accounts, Trump supporters \u2013 or as Hillary called them, \u201cthe deplorables\u201d \u2013 exercise the major share of authority and influence within the Republican Party, which is the governing party in the United States. The group\u2019s values on racial issues, the economy, immigration and other cultural issues has a louder and bolder advocate in the Oval Office than at any other time in recent history.<\/p>\n But perhaps the reason it is difficult to embrace that\u00a0definition\u00a0is because Trump and many of his supporters believe that winning isn\u2019t all that matters.\u00a0 It matters that you be viewed as a winner.\u00a0 And for a president who has been quick to lob the\u00a0label \u201closer\u201d at those with whom he didn\u2019t find favor, knowing that there are many Americans who don\u2019t want him in their club is a great source of anger.<\/p>\n Elite \u2013 Wikipedia<\/a> \u00a0a small group of powerful people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth<\/a>, privilege<\/a>, political power<\/a>, or skill in a society. Defined by the Cambridge Dictionary, the \u201celite\u201d are \u201cthose people or organizations that are considered the best or most powerful compared to others of a similar type<\/p>\n a relatively small, loosely connected group of individuals who dominate American policy making. This group includes bureaucratic, corporate, intellectual, military, media<\/a>, and government elites who control the principal institutions in the United States and whose opinions and actions influence the decisions of the policymakers<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/images\/I\/41WYZzWtMiL._SX330_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg\")
That unfinished post was based in part – and was a partial review of – a book,\u00a0The New Rules of War: Victory in the Age of Durable Disorder<\/a>, by Sean McFate<\/a><\/span><\/span>. (“82nd Airborne veteran, former private military contractor, and professor of war studies at the National Defense University.”)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/c1.legalinsurrection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/LI-38-Young-Frankenstein-e1571009379915-620x436.jpg\")
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