Agnotology – study of deliberate, culturally induced ignorance

Tl;Dr: willful ignorance is so prevalent there’s a word for it, and a whole line of academic study

We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality — judiciously, as you will — we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.

This quote attributed to Karl Rove came up on Letters from an American , a blog and podcast from Heather Cox Richardson. It’s 20 years old. And seemingly more relevant now than ever.

Let’s face it – Trump and co. are just making things up. And that seems to be working. I keep thinking that maybe there’s another guard rail  that’s going to keep things from going totally crazy, but I thought that for the Clinton v. Trump election, and the Harris v. Trump election. Now I hear talk of a 3rd Trump term and I think “Oh, the judiciary is going to stop that.”.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. So… Should we sit back and expect judges to save us from a king? I think not.