Hamilton Cast are no Fools

0. The House Is Not the Wood It Is Made of

The least foolish person in the Kingdom is the Fool. He is able to mock traditions and even the King. Picture the scene, the aristocrats are there, the King is there, food is being served, and the Court Jester is poking fun at all the traditions. What’s missing from this description? —who the Fool is. What’s not missing? The Fool’s costume.

Take Cover

0. Introduction

Wagons are circling now around the narrative of misogyny in gaming. The narrative must survive at all costs. I want to take a survey of some of the articles that have been written since this all started. What are they saying, and what aren’t they saying?

I will always endeavor in this blog to not put words in other people’s mouths, except for humor. But I won’t try very hard. The point of this blog is to try to get you and me to ask questions that show issues to be larger, smaller, or different than the narratives that surround us. I write these in one sitting, as a sort of heavily-edited stream-of-consciousness. Let’s flex our inner child who asks stupid questions because we’re not steeped in the narrative.

Also I’m sure it’s clear I think misogyny in gaming is bullshit, but I hope I never come off that I’m demanding you agree. Wittgenstein noted in On Certainty: “‘I know’ seems to describe a state of affairs which guarantees what is known, guarantees it as a fact. One always forgets the expression ‘I thought I knew’.” I try very hard not to forget it.

Ferguson, Quinnspiracy, Anonymity, and Social Justice

0. Introduction

Two ongoing events at the time of this writing uncover the problems with social justice. Specifically, they are good examples for why social justice causes feuds rather than change. Social justice is an important tool for everyone unsatisfied with the status quo but its underlying foundation is intrinsically questionable, and its ability to maintain itself in the face of questions rests upon the willingness to reject such questions as improper, not to answer them.

1. Social Justice

The corner of the internet where people talk a lot is littered with social justice, social justice warriors, feminists, MRAs, racists, and trolls. Social justice, rather broadly, is simply the notion of people struggling to create a social context in which they can flourish as people. Like “feminism” being “the radical notion that women are people,” it sounds great. Who could argue? I cannot. You cannot. And that’s the point. It’s such a broad statement that is so innocuous that it is impossible to disagree. But this is a very big warning sign, for where there is no disagreement possible there is no agreement possible. Right and wrong, agreement and disagreement play no part in this game.

Instead, you have to look at what happens when people clamor for social justice.