We humans are good at missing the point — for example, CIA Director John Brennan and NFL Countdown's Trent Dilfer

12 September 2016

If you like dark humor, consider the following two examples of stupidity masquerading as intelligence

In the first instance, CIA Director John Brennan unwinkingly demonstrated incomprehension, associated with a blatant inability to think.

In the second, NFL football commentator Trent Dilfer showed us how to perform the Brain Dead White Guy Fumble.

Example 1, John Brennan — 'let my serious television demeanor substitute for thought'

Only former Vice President Dick Cheney beats CIA Director John Brennan for the appearance of thoughtful gravitas. Sadly, the appearance of gravitas does not require the abilities to think and comprehend.

When asked whether the Administration's drone strike program might serve as a terrorist recruiting tool, Brennan looked thoughtfully measured and replied:

The drone platforms . . . are tremendously capable . . . and can carry out intelligence and surveillance . . . but also being able to be exceptionally precise as far as putting ordnance on target . . . . They are piloted. It just happens to be remotely piloted.

[And, when moderator John Dickerson repeated the question, using the phrase "collateral issue" to describe terrorist recruitment, Brennan responded:]

I think frequently our adversaries will point to it as a recruitment tool, but the facts are that is an exceptionally powerful and capable means of taking kinetic action against terrorists when that is called for.

So I think there’s a lot of misrepresentation and mischaracterization that I think the propagandists use in terms of how those drones are used.

Obviously, physically capable weapons platforms and precision have little to nothing do with even the hypothetical issue of terrorist recruitment.

One could murder-strike only bad guys and other bad guys might still numerically and violently resent such perceived cowardice on the part of a superpower.

Second, Director Brennan makes no attempt to factually dispute the "misrepresentation and mischaracterization" that "propagandists" who disagree with him indulge in.

Facts, one can infer, are either irrelevant or can safely be ignored.

Unfortunately, ignoring Reality makes an always crumbly foundation for geopolitical strategy.

Example 2, Trent Dilfer — 'let my shaved white head speak for my lack of racial insight'

Trent Dilfer undoubtedly spoke for a lot of Caucasian Dopes, when he criticized quarterback Colin Kaepernick's kneel down anthem protest:

[H]e chose a time where all of a sudden he became the center of attention. And it has disrupted that organization. It has caused friction. And it’s torn at the fabric of the team.

I cannot respect the fact that he put himself and his stance above the team. Because he is not the only one who is passionate.

Mr. Dilfer's perspective misses the societal point to Kaepernick's anthem kneeling.

The NFL is a quintessential Establishment organization, complete with its characteristically exploitive and deeply phony patriotic hype.

If Kaepernick were to go along with business as usual — putting the "team" first, for example — he would have to abandon saying anything that the NFL and/or his team might potentially disagree with.

In Kaepernick's mind (and mine) the wrongness of the United States' institutionalized murder of black men on our streets far outweighs anything positive that the NFL stands for.

Ergo, Kaepernick placed his intentionally symbolic protest in this most quintessential forum of American mindlessness — the NFL game and its thoughtlessly delivered national anthem.

The moral? — We intentionally miss meanings that we do not want to deal with

Which is where deadly trouble so frequently starts.

PeteFree.com

We humans are good at missing the point — for example, CIA Director John Brennan and NFL Countdown's Trent Dilfer