Did Mitt Romney Save His Soul?
www.newyorker.com
In “Romney: A Reckoning,” we get an intimate view of a man trying to reconcile faith and politics.
    • Maeve
      5•2 years ago

      I’m still at a loss how my parent was furious at ~W for Iraq and just disowned me for the umpteenth time for telling them * tfg was a fraudster, rapist, insurrectionist and treasonist. The last time I did that, they put me out of the car in sleet, thirteen miles from my home.

      • edited two words
        • Uriel238 [all pronouns]English
          3•2 years ago

          My dad spent his entire life doing sophisticated math for NASA, and did a stint getting atmospheric and oceanic study satellites into space, so he is (or rather was ) super aware of rapid climate change and runaway climate acceleration risks.

          He was a George W. Bush supporter who went full MAGA in 2016 and hates immigrants so much, I think he hates Irish and Italians on sheer principle even though he wasn’t alive then. And now he’s a climate science denier.

          Even super-geniuses can get swayed by the right-wing cult. Granted, we’re right down the Jefferson Davis heritage, but I’m as egalitarian pinko-commu-anarchist as they come. Can’t say it’s midwest fever or boomer madness. He also screams at the television for gridiron football.

          Parents. ☕

          • possibly a catB
            3•2 years ago

            I’ve noticed that highly intelligent people can rationalize themselves into strange, illogical holes. Especially once they step away from their fields. Not every intelligent person is like that, of course, but it seems relatively common these days.

          • @Coreidan@lemmy.worldEnglish
            3•2 years ago

            It’s the dunning kruger effect. A lot of people think that because you’re an expert in some field, then that proves that you’re smart and therefore apply the same talent to everything.

            Your Dad may be smart with science, but all that means is he’s good at science.

            The assumption is that if your Dad is smart enough to figure out science then surely figuring out politics is a cake walk. But that just isn’t now it works. The two subjects require completely different skill sets and knowledge bases and at the end of the day you only get from it what you put into it.

            Being terrible at politics doesn’t make you great at science it just makes you bad at politics.

        • Maeve
          2•2 years ago

          Thanks? Lol. I just meant how they were so outraged at W and not tfg. Mass insanity is real.