the ongoing war between me and direct democracy

[rinue]

I am now in the worst part of my week, the "Intelligence Squared" debate on Bloomberg. (I think it's hosted by the Newseum in D.C.) I hate this program. I should like it -- it's a public debate of a contemporary policy issue between two teams that are deeply involved in the issue -- but who "wins" is determined by the audience, and they always pick the wrong side. Without fail, they go for whoever uses postmodern derailing tactics, makes jokes, repeats talking points in the face of contradictory evidence, and shows contempt for the other side. At least one person on this side advances a blue sky solution that would in no way resolve a problem, but that is "obvious good sense anyone can understand." The honest people who care about data and good faith lose. They waste time trying to teach people about complicated things, and the people get bored and vote against them. It's the most depressing thing in my life, and it happens every week, sometimes more than once.

This week, the NSA and some dick from Harvard beat some internet security experts in a landslide through mockery and scaremongering. I can vet what the computer security guys are saying; it aligns with what my dad (also a computer security guy) says -- the same stuff that made me choose not go to into the NSA.

I'm writing this entry to distract myself.