The Rules Episode
Added 2021-02-16 18:49:49 +0000 UTCThe gang is back with a high-concept episode about the idea of rules. Are rules important? What purpose do they serve and for whom? When it comes to policing, admissions, and employment, are rules better than discretion? Why do people sometimes get mad when you ask for rules?
Tune in to find out.
Comments
You are funny, Liz! Matt's funnier than you but you're funnier than most.
alexanderhg1 .
2021-04-24 12:45:23 +0000 UTCthis whole rules conversation seemed to me to be missing a huge component, power. You want rules to protect the ones with less power from the arbitrary decisions of those with more power, but with or without rules, it's the power that decides the ability to make arbitrary decisions. You can make a rule at the New York Times, but how is it enforced? Who enforces it? You can make all kinds of complex rules to handle every case, but even if you build in an arbitration process, or a court, it's still only as good as who wields the power. The whole conversation felt like it danced around power, and I think that's because the whole love of rules thing is about fooling yourself into thinking you have power in situations you don't. People with power break rules every day. They aren't held accountable, because they have power. You can shout your list of rules at them, but it doesn't actually do anything. You can be "right" about your argument and it can still make no difference in physical reality. Matt is constantly pointing out where his plans are correct and make the most sense, but are not the thing being implemented. Even the rules you make for just your own behavior are still limited by the power relationships in operation around you that limit you in physical reality.
JohnG
2021-04-22 22:53:34 +0000 UTC
