a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment
kleinbl00  ·  862 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: New Religion

"God-given" is social signaling, not a logical argument. Donald Trump's press office knew that scare quotes are grammatically incorrect, but they used them anyway because to the audience they were reaching, scare quotes are grammatically correct.

The entire document is written in a register you don't speak - no amount of convincing will cause you to link civil and divine authority. To the writer and his audience, however, reminding them that civil and divine authority are inextricably linked gives power to the notion that divine authority doesn't run contrary to civil authority, it informs and commands it, therefore any terrestrial laws that temporarily interfere need merely be revised.

The author would agree - the individual is not everything. But the authority that requires masks and shots is illegitimate.

Again, I think our one saving grace is no authority is legitimate right now. They had one, but he lost, and while they can be salty about that, he is no longer in office despite his best efforts. He was beaten. Losing is generally fatal to populists.