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Victor Davis Hanson: Our So-called ‘Experts’ and their Silly Group-speak Letters
American Greatness ^ | 23 Sep, 2023 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 09/23/2024 4:40:49 AM PDT by MtnClimber

ne of the most preposterous recent trends has been the political use of supposed expert letters and declarations of support from so-called “authorities.”

These pretentious testimonies of purported professionalism are different from the usual inane candidate endorsements from celebrities and politicos.

Instead, they are used by politicians to impress and persuade the public to follow the “expertise,” “science,” or “authorities” to support all sorts of injurious initiatives and policies—of dubious value and otherwise without much political support.

Think of all the health experts who collectively swore to us that the COVID mRNA vaccinations would give us ironclad and lasting protection from being either infectious or infected and were without any side effects.

Other “authorities” assured us the first nationwide lockdown in U.S. history would stop COVID without hurting the social or economic life of the country.

Ditto testimonies about the pangolin-bat origins of COVID or the authenticity of the bogus Steele dossier.

Do we still remember the 1,200 healthcare “professionals” who in June 2020 told us that hitting the streets in mass numbers to protest during the post-George Floyd riots was a legitimate exemption from their own prior insistence on a complete nationwide quarantine? Or as these ideologues lectured us as “experts”:

“We wanted to present a narrative that prioritizes opposition to racism as vital to the public health, including the epidemic response. We believe that the way forward is not to suppress protests in the name of public health but to respond to protesters demands in the name of public health.”

To convince the public to get behind the agendas of politicians—increasingly on the left—ideologues round up groups of politically kindred professors, researchers, retired officials, and former bureaucrats to show off their supposed expertise and convince the public by means of their “authority”...

(Excerpt) Read more at amgreatness.com ...


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: appealtoauthority; endorsements; manipulation; vdh; victordavishanson

1 posted on 09/23/2024 4:40:49 AM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

The “experts” seem to only be expert propagandists working to empower the left in their war for communism.


2 posted on 09/23/2024 4:40:58 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page. More photos added.)
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To: texas booster

VDH ping


3 posted on 09/23/2024 4:41:27 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page. More photos added.)
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To: MtnClimber
the usual inane candidate endorsements from celebrities and politicos.

Yep. "Endorsement" is for idiots.

4 posted on 09/23/2024 4:45:41 AM PDT by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: MtnClimber

We are totally under the control of the increasingly fascist Deep State.

Think about it.

No more budgets.
POTUS is just a figurehead with no power
The Deep State undermines a POTUS that attempts to govern contrary (Trump)
Total surveillance state
Government “experts” (oxymoron) tell us what is true
Government censorship and control over free speech
Government control over the media
Government control over large corporations
Any individual, group or organization that bucks the Deep State is harassed, investigated and the target of lawfare (Musk).
We all know those 80,000 IRS agents will be used to further the power of the Deep State to contain political opposition
Most courts defer to the requests made by the Deep State

Folks, if this election is stolen (very likely given the number of trespassers being registered to vote) then it is game, set, match and over for the Republic.


5 posted on 09/23/2024 5:00:20 AM PDT by Erik Latranyi (This is the end of the Republic....because we could not keep it.)
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To: MtnClimber

As I always say.....’and these are the ‘smart’ people.’


6 posted on 09/23/2024 5:10:53 AM PDT by taterjay
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To: MtnClimber

This article ought to be required reading in every college introductory journalism class. It is a classic.


7 posted on 09/23/2024 5:13:22 AM PDT by Bookshelf
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To: 5th MEB; 6ppc; agondonter; Alberta's Child; AndyJackson; Aria; artichokegrower; ...
Ping! Out to the Victor Davis Hanson list

As a general rule, anytime we read an election-cycle solicited letter from retired functionaries, replete with their grandiose former titles, we should completely discount it.

Another very good Prof Hanson column!

FR Index of his articles: Victor Davis Hanson on FR

Town Hall: Victor Davis Hanson on Town Hall

American Greatness: Victor Davis Hanson on American Greatness

His website: Victor Davis Hanson

Please let me know if you want on or off this new VDH ping list.

As a reminder, Professor Hanson has asked that we do not post the full article of his writings. Thank you for following the link to finish his article.

Content created by the Center for American Greatness, Inc. is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a significant audience.

https://freerepublic.com/tag/victordavishanson/index

8 posted on 09/23/2024 6:03:47 AM PDT by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
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To: MtnClimber
"they are used by politicians to impress and persuade the public"

And the weak minded, easily led are easily persuaded.

BTW, isn't that an example of the fallacy of logic known as appeal to authority (not that logic has any effect on the willingly bamboozled)?

What's really scary is that millions of Americans are weak minded, easily led, and easily persuaded. There was a time when Americans were the opposite of this.

Can anyone imagine today's wokies walking directly into machine-gun fire on the beaches of Normandy? or placing the Flag atop Mount Suribachi?

9 posted on 09/23/2024 6:49:08 AM PDT by Savage Beast (Fight! Fight! Fight! God Bless America!--President Donald Trump, Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024)
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To: Savage Beast

” There was a time when Americans were the opposite of this.”

I blame soy products and estrogen in the drinking water


10 posted on 09/23/2024 8:30:00 AM PDT by doorgunner69 (I don't know what he said at the end of that sentence. i don't think he knows what he said either)
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To: MtnClimber
Yes VDH is right, but most everyone with decent sense knows that medical or legal advice is crappy about half the time.

Actually this is a good thing.

Now all we need is for people to put journalists and politicians in the category of doctors, lawyers, plumbers, contractors, etc.

They are no good until proven or at least until you figure out if they are competent.

People are way too gullible. No excuse nowadays... too much good information is available.

BUT you still have to have an ounce of sense and something like an education.

Education = being able to tell truth from deception, illusion, falsehood, and BS of all kinds.

May be obtained lots of different ways.

11 posted on 09/23/2024 10:18:49 AM PDT by caddie
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