Gaming AI

Pointing to the triumph of artificial intelligence over unaided humans in everything from games such as chess and Go to vital tasks such as protein folding and securities trading , many experts uphold the theory of a “ singularity.
” This is the trigger point when human history ends and artificial intelligence prevails in an exponential cascade of self-replicating machines rocketing toward godlike supremacy in the universe .
Gaming AI suggests that this belief is both dumb and self-defeating .
Displaying a profound and crippling case of professional amnesia , the computer science establishment shows an ignorance of the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Kurt Gödel ’ s “ incompleteness ” to Alan Turing ’ s “ oracle ” to Claude Shannon ’ s “ entropy.
” Dabbling in quantum machines , these believers in machine transcendence defy the deepest findings of quantum theory .
Claiming to create minds , they are clinically “ out of their minds.
” Despite the quasi-religious pretensions of techno-elites nobly saving the planet from their own devices , their faith in a techno-utopian singularity is a serious threat to real progress .
An industry utterly dependent on human minds will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their creators .
Gaming AI calls for a remedial immersion in the industry ’ s own heroic history and an understanding of the actual science of their own human minds .

Pointing to the triumph of artificial intelligence over unaided humans in everything from games such as chess and Go to vital tasks such as protein folding and securities trading, many experts uphold the theory of a “singularity.” This is the trigger point when human history ends and artificial intelligence prevails in an exponential cascade of self-replicating machines rocketing toward godlike supremacy in the universe. Gaming AI suggests that this belief is both dumb and self-defeating. Displaying a profound and crippling case of professional amnesia, the computer science establishment shows an ignorance of the most important findings of its own science, from Kurt Gödel’s “incompleteness” to Alan Turing’s “oracle” to Claude Shannon’s “entropy.” Dabbling in quantum machines, these believers in machine transcendence defy the deepest findings of quantum theory. Claiming to create minds, they are clinically “out of their minds.” Despite the quasi-religious pretensions of techno-elites nobly saving the planet from their own devices, their faith in a techno-utopian singularity is a serious threat to real progress. An industry utterly dependent on human minds will not prosper by obsoleting both their customers and their creators. Gaming AI calls for a remedial immersion in the industry’s own heroic history and an understanding of the actual science of their own human minds.


Staggering Learning Loss

Many K-12 public schools across the nation remain closed completely or multiple days per week .
Students as young as five are left to navigate their learning from home with a device provided by their school district .
No assessment was deployed to determine if these students were candidates for successful online learning , which requires skills of reading proficiency , self-efficacy , and autonomous learning .
Nor was there adequate curriculum preparation for online delivery .
Equally important , robust teacher training to effectively utilize the necessary technology components for online learning was largely non-existent .
Adult Needs take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep schools closed , partially or entirely , seems to be centered on what ’ s best for adults , not students .
For example , in an interview last week , Dr. Clint Satterfield , Director of Schools at Trousdale County Schools in Tennessee , discussed his district ’ s decision to provide hybrid learning ( a combination of on-campus and online learning days each week ) this fall .
Satterfield admitted that the decision not to reopen the district ’ s schools fully was designed to protect the adults on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that students are not high carriers nor easily susceptible to the infection .
In outlining the decision to reopen the schools only partially through a hybrid format , Satterfield further clarified that this was not based on any difficulty providing the necessary physical space for student social distancing , which was achievable .
Instead , the motive centered on a separate issue the district faces — a shortage of back-up staff .
Specifically , the district has no substitute bus drivers , no substitute food service workers , and only six substitute teachers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students .
Satterfield believes the hybrid format will keep staff healthier .
The bottom line is that instead of tackling the existing problem of back-up staff shortages , the district ’ s chief leader implemented limited in-person schooling — to the detriment of students .
The failure to provide full-time in-person schooling will result in significantly less learning , which will have a lasting negative effect in the future — a problem that will be much more extensive and complex to resolve than addressing the back-up staff shortage .
Two Plus Two Does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem here .
Students fortunate enough to have their school move toward a hybrid learning model rather than remaining closed may begin to return to campus two days per week .
However , many districts implementing a hybrid learning format are only allocating four days a week to some form of student learning .
Why ?
The rationale given repeatedly by school district leaders is that students are divided into two groups : each assigned two days on campus and two days of at-home learning weekly .
For the remaining day each week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it would be too difficult for parents to plan if the day alternated each week between which group of students was on-campus versus online .
On the contrary , parents can prepare just as easily for one day each week alternating as they can plan for the four-days-a-week schedule entailing two on-campus days and two online days .
The insistence on this schedule places a severe hardship on parents , who are forced to provide additional supervision and academic support for their children during times they ’ d normally be in school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forfeited , and young children are left unsupervised .
Worst of all , learning is lost .
Favoring teachers at the expense of students goes further .
Satterfield noted the need to keep students in smaller groups to minimize cross-contamination if the virus infiltrates a school means teachers must now supervise students during lunchtime .
This is outside the norm in Tennessee and requires the district to file for a waiver to the 30-minute break .
Yet only half of their students are present for lunch — the other half remain at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district has opted to eliminate providing instruction to students one full day each week to allow teachers a student-free day weekly ( roughly six and a half to seven hours ) for planning and professional development .
Again , this is instead of eating lunch in their classroom with roughly 11-13 students ( the other half of the students are at home ) .
As Satterfield reflects , “ It has gone over really well with our teachers.
” What about the students ?
How well is this new four-day hybrid model serving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what about the parents ?
Did they agree to the 20 percent reduction in schooling simply because the two days a week their child is allowed to attend school on-campus now involves eating in the classroom with their teacher instead of the cafeteria with an alternative staff member supervising ?
Are there no other creative solutions for lunch supervision than reducing school by one day each week ?
The amount of learning loss from school shutdowns starting last March and remaining in effect , in full or part , is staggering .
Stanford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Education Outcomes examined data from 19 states and published a report on October 1 that estimated the learning loss in reading and math .
The results vary greatly by state but , on average , are as follows .
In other words , the average student lost a third to a full year in reading learning and three-quarters to significantly over a full year in math !
Educators should be the first to recognize that this unacceptable result demands schools reopen fully and quickly .
These numbers should have parents fuming .
Like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newly learning information for extended durations when the content is not readdressed , utilized , and connected to additional learning .
As a substitute for in-person instruction , the makeshift online school has not provided even close to the same quantity of learning as previous face-to-face on-campus learning .
Factors leading to the steep learning loss have included a reduced length of the school day , fewer student collaboration learning opportunities , curriculum not delivered effectively , teacher disengagement , student disengagement , lack of reliable internet access , and a lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Additionally , other students were behind academically before the school shutdowns , which exacerbated their situation , resulting in lower levels of motivation , confidence , and performance .
Students need additional hands-on academic support and encouragement , yet the limited face-to-face time with their teachers is a barrier to their success .
It is imperative school districts reopen their campuses and provide the essential work of educating students — in-person , five days a week !

Many K-12 public schools across the nation remain closed completely or multiple days per week. Students as young as five are left to navigate their learning from home with a device provided by their school district. No assessment was deployed to determine if these students were candidates for successful online learning, which requires skills of reading proficiency, self-efficacy, and autonomous learning. Nor was there adequate curriculum preparation for online delivery. Equally important, robust teacher training to effectively utilize the necessary technology components for online learning was largely non-existent.
Adult Needs take Priority over Student Needs
The decision to keep schools closed, partially or entirely, seems to be centered on what’s best for adults, not students. For example, in an interview last week, Dr. Clint Satterfield, Director of Schools at Trousdale County Schools in Tennessee, discussed his district’s decision to provide hybrid learning (a combination of on-campus and online learning days each week) this fall. Satterfield admitted that the decision not to reopen the district’s schools fully was designed to protect the adults on his payroll from the coronavirus. He acknowledged that students are not high carriers nor easily susceptible to the infection.
In outlining the decision to reopen the schools only partially through a hybrid format, Satterfield further clarified that this was not based on any difficulty providing the necessary physical space for student social distancing, which was achievable. Instead, the motive centered on a separate issue the district faces — a shortage of back-up staff. Specifically, the district has no substitute bus drivers, no substitute food service workers, and only six substitute teachers with a district student population of 1,300 students. Satterfield believes the hybrid format will keep staff healthier.
The bottom line is that instead of tackling the existing problem of back-up staff shortages, the district’s chief leader implemented limited in-person schooling — to the detriment of students. The failure to provide full-time in-person schooling will result in significantly less learning, which will have a lasting negative effect in the future — a problem that will be much more extensive and complex to resolve than addressing the back-up staff shortage.
Two Plus Two Does Not Equal Five
There’s an additional problem here. Students fortunate enough to have their school move toward a hybrid learning model rather than remaining closed may begin to return to campus two days per week. However, many districts implementing a hybrid learning format are only allocating four days a week to some form of student learning. Why?
The rationale given repeatedly by school district leaders is that students are divided into two groups: each assigned two days on campus and two days of at-home learning weekly. For the remaining day each week, district leaders are quick to explain that it would be too difficult for parents to plan if the day alternated each week between which group of students was on-campus versus online. On the contrary, parents can prepare just as easily for one day each week alternating as they can plan for the four-days-a-week schedule entailing two on-campus days and two online days. The insistence on this schedule places a severe hardship on parents, who are forced to provide additional supervision and academic support for their children during times they’d normally be in school. As a result, jobs are forfeited, and young children are left unsupervised. Worst of all, learning is lost.
Favoring teachers at the expense of students goes further. Satterfield noted the need to keep students in smaller groups to minimize cross-contamination if the virus infiltrates a school means teachers must now supervise students during lunchtime. This is outside the norm in Tennessee and requires the district to file for a waiver to the 30-minute break. Yet only half of their students are present for lunch — the other half remain at home each day. To compensate, the district has opted to eliminate providing instruction to students one full day each week to allow teachers a student-free day weekly (roughly six and a half to seven hours) for planning and professional development. Again, this is because teachers need to eat lunch in their classroom with roughly 11-13 students (the other half of the students are at home). As Satterfield reflects, “It has gone over really well with our teachers.”
What about the students? How well is this new four-day hybrid model serving their development and fostering learning? And what about the parents? Did they agree to the 20 percent reduction in schooling simply because the two days a week their child is allowed to attend school on-campus now involves eating in the classroom with their teacher instead of the cafeteria with an alternative staff member supervising? Are there no other creative solutions for lunch supervision than reducing school by one day each week?
Staggering Learning Loss
The amount of learning loss from school shutdowns starting last March and remaining in effect, in full or part, is staggering. Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes examined data from 19 states and published a report on October 1 that estimated the learning loss in reading and math. The results vary greatly by state but, on average, are as follows.
Student Learning Loss Based on a 180-Day School Year:
Reading: 57 to 183 days
Math: 136 to 232 days
In other words, the average student lost a third to a full year in reading learning and three-quarters to significantly over a full year in math! Educators should be the first to recognize that this unacceptable result demands schools reopen fully and quickly.
These numbers should have parents fuming. Like adults, students do not retain all newly learning information for extended durations when the content is not readdressed, utilized, and connected to additional learning. As a substitute for in-person instruction, the makeshift online school has not provided even close to the same quantity of learning as previous face-to-face on-campus learning.
Factors leading to the steep learning loss have included a reduced length of the school day, fewer student collaboration learning opportunities, curriculum not delivered effectively, teacher disengagement, student disengagement, lack of reliable internet access, and a lack of consistent online learning attendance for some students. Additionally, other students were behind academically before the school shutdowns, which exacerbated their situation, resulting in lower levels of motivation, confidence, and performance.
Students need additional hands-on academic support and encouragement, yet the limited face-to-face time with their teachers is a barrier to their success. It is imperative school districts reopen their campuses and provide the essential work of educating students — in-person, five days a week!


discoveryinstitute--2020-10-21--Mob Rule in Seattle

Mob Rule in Seattle

Activists in Seattle have long sought to transform the city into a progressive utopia .
But after the death of @ @ @ @ @ their plans — and sought to implement them by force .
This is the story @ @ @ @ @ the anarchy to come .
Christopher Rufo is the director of the Discovery Institute ’ @ @ @ @ @ Poverty .
He has directed four documentaries for PBS , Netflix , and international television @ @ @ @ @ , America Lost , that tells the story of three “ forgotten American cities.
” @ @ @ @ @ editor of City Journal , where he covers poverty , homelessness , addiction , crime @ @ @ @ @ Christopher is a magna cum laude graduate of Georgetown University , Claremont Institute Lincoln Fellow @ @ @ @ @ NPR , CNN , ABC , CBS , HLN , and FOX News .

Activists in Seattle have long sought to transform the city into a progressive utopia. But after the death of George Floyd, they accelerated their plans — and sought to implement them by force. This is the story of the recent unrest and the anarchy to come.
Christopher Rufo is the director of the Discovery Institute’s Center on Wealth & Poverty. He has directed four documentaries for PBS, Netflix, and international television, including his latest film, America Lost, that tells the story of three “forgotten American cities.” Christopher is currently a contributing editor of City Journal, where he covers poverty, homelessness, addiction, crime, and other afflictions. Christopher is a magna cum laude graduate of Georgetown University, Claremont Institute Lincoln Fellow, and has appeared on NPR, CNN, ABC, CBS, HLN, and FOX News.


discoveryinstitute--2020-10-27--‘America Lost’ Premiering Tonight on PBS World

We commend to you Director of Discovery Institute ’ s Center on Wealth and Poverty Christopher Rufo ’ s film @ @ @ @ @ The film will air at 6 PM and again at 10 PM ( pacific time @ @ @ @ @ unable to catch the film tonight or can ’ t find it in your area @ @ @ @ @ available for free online .
America Lost explores life in three “ forgotten American cities @ @ @ @ @ Memphis , Tennessee , and Stockton , California .
The film reveals the dramatic decline @ @ @ @ @ a combination of emotional personal stories and thoughtful conservative commentary .
Rufo spent five years @ @ @ @ @ Americans on the edge , including an ex-steelworker scrapping abandoned homes to survive , a @ @ @ @ @ rebuild his life , and a single mother dreaming of escaping her blighted urban neighborhood @ @ @ @ @ grave challenges , the film offers a glimpse of hope for rebuilding America ’ s @ @ @ @ @ bottom up .

We commend to you Director of Discovery Institute’s Center on Wealth and Poverty Christopher Rufo’s film tonight on PBS World. The film will air at 6 PM and again at 10 PM (pacific time). If you are unable to catch the film tonight or can’t find it in your area, the film is also available for free online.
America Lost explores life in three “forgotten American cities”—Youngstown, Ohio, Memphis, Tennessee, and Stockton, California.
The film reveals the dramatic decline of the American interior through a combination of emotional personal stories and thoughtful conservative commentary. Rufo spent five years gathering these intimate portraits of Americans on the edge, including an ex-steelworker scrapping abandoned homes to survive, a recently incarcerated father trying to rebuild his life, and a single mother dreaming of escaping her blighted urban neighborhood.
Ultimately, despite these grave challenges, the film offers a glimpse of hope for rebuilding America’s families and communities from the bottom up.


discoveryinstitute--2020-10-27--The Price of Panic — How the Tyranny of Experts Turned a Pandemic into a Catastrophe

The last several months have been unlike anything we ’ ve ever seen , with extreme measures taken around the world to slow the spread of COVID-19 .
The policy of lockdowns and mass quarantines were widely adopted—but each passing day begs the question , did we take the right approach ?
COVID-19 is no doubt a real disease that should be taken seriously .
But , our efforts to control it have come with high costs and unintended consequences .
The government ’ s unprecedented strategy of halting the U.S. economy may have been well intentioned , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and even death due to depression , addiction , other untreated diseases , and even starvation in some parts of the world .
So , how did we get here and what will happen next ?
In their insightful new book The Price of Panic : How the Tyranny of Experts Turned a Pandemic into a Catastrophe , Discovery Institute Senior Fellows Jay Richards and Doug Axe and statistician William M. Briggs grapple with crucial questions : • What will be the total cost in dollars , lives , and livelihoods of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advice from scientists ?
• What role have national and global health organizations such as WHO played in this ?
To whom are they accountable ?
• What evidence do they rely on in sounding the alarm ?
• How did science bureaucrats , relying on murky data and speculative computer models , gain the power to shut down the global economy ?
• How did politicians , who know nothing of the science , decide whom to trust ?
In this talk , Richards , Axe , and Briggs will outline what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this from ever happening again .

The last several months have been unlike anything we’ve ever seen, with extreme measures taken around the world to slow the spread of COVID-19. The policy of lockdowns and mass quarantines were widely adopted — but each passing day begs the question, did we take the right approach? COVID-19 is no doubt a real disease that should be taken seriously. But, our efforts to control it have come with high costs and unintended consequences. The government’s unprecedented strategy of halting the U.S. economy may have been well intentioned, but it has yielded lost businesses, broken dreams, and even death due to depression, addiction, other untreated diseases, and even starvation in some parts of the world.
So, how did we get here and what will happen next? In their insightful new book The Price of Panic: How the Tyranny of Experts Turned a Pandemic into a Catastrophe, Discovery Institute Senior Fellows Jay Richards and Doug Axe and statistician William M. Briggs grapple with crucial questions:
What will be the total cost in dollars, lives, and livelihoods of this response from governments, taken on advice from scientists?
What role have national and global health organizations such as WHO played in this? To whom are they accountable?
What evidence do they rely on in sounding the alarm?
How did science bureaucrats, relying on murky data and speculative computer models, gain the power to shut down the global economy?
How did politicians, who know nothing of the science, decide whom to trust?
In this talk, Richards, Axe, and Briggs will outline what we now know and how to prevent this from ever happening again.


discoveryinstitute--2020-10-28--The Miracle of the Cell Book Launch

The Miracle of the Cell Book Launch

Biologist Michael Denton ’ s new book , The Miracle of the Cell , considers the scientific evidence for intelligent @ @ @ @ @ and at a new level .
As with his previous books , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ that of all other ID literature .
Here , Denton discusses his new book The @ @ @ @ @ Eric Anderson in this Zoom event from Discovery Institute in which people from around the @ @ @ @ @ Denton .
Denton makes the case that the directionality to the evolution of the universe @ @ @ @ @ from the Big Bang .
Or rather , from before it , because the design @ @ @ @ @ Since there was no nature and no time before the universe came into being , @ @ @ @ @ must be of that a transcendent mind , the “ finger of God , ” @ @ @ @ @

Biologist Michael Denton’s new book, The Miracle of the Cell, considers the scientific evidence for intelligent design from a new perspective and at a new level. As with his previous books, it’s a more fundamental view than that of all other ID literature.
Here, Denton discusses his new book The Miracle of the Cell with Eric Anderson in this Zoom event from Discovery Institute in which people from around the world submitted questions to Dr. Denton. Denton makes the case that the directionality to the evolution of the universe was foreseen — intended — from the Big Bang. Or rather, from before it, because the design was actualized right away. Since there was no nature and no time before the universe came into being, it follows that the design must be of that a transcendent mind, the “finger of God,” as Denton puts it.


discoveryinstitute--2020-10-29--Will Scientists Create a Conscious Human Brain in a Dish?

As society roils with COVID and the election , the biotechnological revolution rushes forward with scientists bound by few enforceable ethical boundaries .
As a consequence , we have already seen babies born who were genetically engineered , the march toward three- ( or more ) parent human embryos , and increasingly radical proposals for creating novel family forms .
Now , the prospect of growing human brain “ organoids ” from stem cells in a dish that could become conscious .
Brain electrical activity has already been observed in the experiments .
And now , some scientists are contemplating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story : The studies have set the stage for a debate between those who want to avoid the creation of consciousness and those who see complex organoids as a means to study devastating human diseases .
[ UC San Diego scientist Alysson ] Muotri and many other neuroscientists think that human brain organoids could be the key to understanding uniquely human conditions such as autism and schizophrenia , which are impossible to study in detail in mouse models .
To achieve this goal , Muotri says , he and others might need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is talking about developing a human brain structure in a dish that could attain disembodied consciousness .
Once the nausea abates , isn ’ t that prospect something we should grapple with on an international basis ( with alacrity ) to determine what , if any , regulations and legalities should be constructed around research with human brain cells ?
For example , scientists are already introducing human neurons into mouse brains .
What if these mice develop human-type awareness ?
Unfortunately , our leaders are failing us .
As far as I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most powerful and potentially life-altering force since the splitting of the atom , President Trump has never addressed the question .
Nor have most world leaders .
“ The scientists ” wring their hands , but tend to oppose legally binding regulations .
So , we are stuck with mostly voluntary guidelines and modest funding restrictions .
That ’ s woefully insufficient .
As we have already seen , guidelines are meaningless unless they can be enforced with substantial penalties for their violation .
But we don ’ t even know yet what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such research to careen ahead is always the fight against disease .
But that is not where these studies would end , not by a long shot .
Some researchers are appalled by the current trends .
Others , such as Moutri , are indifferent : For his part , Muotri sees little difference between working on a human organoid or a lab mouse .
“ We work with animal models that are conscious and there are no problems , ” he says .
“ We need to move forward and if it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be honest I don ’ t see it as a big deal.
” That crass attitude illustrates the huge peril biotech could pose to human decency .
As the great moral philosopher Leon Kass once wrote , “ shallow are the souls that have forgotten how to shudder .
”

Center on Human Exceptionalism
The mission of Discovery Institute’s Center on Human Exceptionalism is to affirm and uphold the intrinsic nature of human dignity, liberty, and equality. In resistance to a growing movement against unique human personhood, we aim to revitalize a commitment to the traditional Western view of human rights and human responsibilities — summed up by the term “human exceptionalism.” Read more


discoveryinstitute--2020-11-02--A Mousetrap for Darwin

A Mousetrap for Darwin

Darwin ’ s Black Box thrust Michael Behe to the forefront of the intelligent design movement .
The Lehigh University biochemist has haunted the dreams of Darwinists ever since .
Each of his three books sparked a firestorm of criticism , in everything from the New York Times and the journal Science to the private blogs of professional atheists .
Over the years , Behe has had a delightful time rebutting each attack , and now his responses are collected in a single volume entitled A Mousetrap for Darwin .
The book ’ s title alludes to Behe ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complexity .
A mousetrap with a missing part doesn ’ t work just a little worse .
It doesn ’ t work at all .
The same goes for the bacterial flagellum pictured on the cover of the new collection .
Ditto for an array of other ingenious molecular biological machines discovered in recent years .
Can mindless evolutionary processes arrange biochemical parts into these complex functional wholes one small step at a time ?
Behe argues that a raft of new evidence — from the study of evolving microbes to the mutations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — suggests that blind evolution can not .
Rather , Darwin ’ s mechanism works principally by breaking things for short term benefit .
It doesn ’ t build anything fundamentally new .
What does ?
Intelligent design .
According to Behe , one of the most powerful arguments that he is on the right track is the sheer vacuity of the attacks leveled against him , many offered by undeniably brilliant scientists .
But are those criticisms really as empty as he thinks , or has Behe met his match ?
Wow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s A Mousetrap for Darwin is a compelling read for anyone following the Darwin vs. ID debate .
It not only is a magnificent testimony to his own massive contributions in so many areas of ID over more than two decades since he first published Darwin ’ s Black Box , but also provides perhaps the most comprehensive and incisive critique of Neo-Darwinism currently in print .
In the more than one hundred articles and posts in the book , Behe revisits key arguments for ID which he initially developed and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ID , such as the argument from irreducible complexity and the argument from waiting times .
The book represents a devastatingly brilliant unanswerable response to his Darwinian critics and to the whole Darwinian worldview .
Behe brings out more forcibly than any other author I have recently read just how vacuous and biased are the criticisms of his work and of the ID position in general by so many mainstream academic defenders of Darwinism .
And what is so telling about his many wonderfully crafted responses to his Darwinian critics is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facts before theory while his many detractors — Kenneth Miller , Jerry Coyne , Larry Moran , Richard Lenski , and others — are putting theory before the facts .
In short , this volume shows that it is Behe rather than his detractors who is carefully following the evidence .
Of all the fine essays in this volume , I think his responses to Lenski in Parts 4 and 7 are particularly outstanding and unanswerable .
Lenski ’ s inability to undermine Behe ’ s critique gives the lie to the notion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ account of the biological world .
Michael Denton , PhD , MD , former Senior Research Fellow in the Biochemistry Department at the University of Otago in Dunedin , New Zealand , author of Evolution : A Theory in Crisis and Nature ’ s Destiny Michael Behe ’ s Darwin ’ s Black Box , The Edge of Evolution , and Darwin Devolves clearly describe the problems and limits of Darwinism as well as what the mechanism of random mutation and natural selection actually does .
Over the years Behe has received a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been answered in detail by him in letters to the editors of various journals , newspapers , and blogs .
Now , in A Mousetrap for Darwin , Behe treats his readers to his compelling and thorough responses to his critics .
Anyone reading this book will become better informed of the powerful arguments for design in biology and better educated regarding the Design vs. Darwin debate .
I greatly enjoyed Mousetrap and highly recommend it .
Russell W. Carlson , PhD , Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ever since the release of Darwin ’ s Black Box in 1996 , I have been impressed with Mike Behe ’ s ability to respond to his critics quickly , respectfully , and with clarity and patience .
This collection of many of those responses over a twenty-four-year period is a gift to all who promote intelligent design , and indeed to anyone passionately interested in the science of biological origins and the contemporary debate over Darwinism and design .
Both critics and champions of intelligent design will find much to ponder here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on and with no apologies .
This collection is a treasure .
Raymond G. Bohlin , PhD , co-author of The Natural Limits to Biological Change “ The humorous Mosquito Bite Scratcher illustration in Michael Behe ’ s 1996 book Darwin ’ s Black Box opened my eyes to the irreducibility of biological systems .
Ever since , I have followed Behe ’ s tireless defense of his position in numerous well-argued articles and responses .
His style is respectful ; he carefully studies the arguments of his critics and explains why they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bacterial flagellum motor and other irreducibly complex biological systems , the mounting laboratory evidence of the strict limits of evolution , and his devolution argument should drive the message home : the idea that life ’ s diversity emerged through the Darwinian evolutionary mechanism is a dead idea .
This book is a welcome and valuable collection of these brilliantly argued articles.
” Over the years I have followed Michael Behe ’ s work in building an arsenal of arguments for intelligent design .
And I have followed the desperate attempts of mainstream @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve found that in their attacks , they have used fallacious logic and zombie science at every turn .
A few of the critiques are superficially persuasive , but they hold up best if you don ’ t think too hard about the biochemical details of their evolutionary scenarios .
If you fear to doubt Darwinism , read further at your own peril .
Behe ’ s devastating rebuttals are here in spades .
If , however , you are ready and willing to follow the evidence , take heart : Behe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the case for intelligent design — with elegance , clarity , and good grace .
This collection is a delight .
Marcos Eberlin , PhD , member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and winner of the prestigious Thomas Medal ( 2016 )

Darwin’s Black Box thrust Michael Behe to the forefront of the intelligent design movement. The Lehigh University biochemist has haunted the dreams of Darwinists ever since. Each of his three books sparked a firestorm of criticism, in everything from the New York Times and the journal Science to the private blogs of professional atheists. Over the years, Behe has had a delightful time rebutting each attack, and now his responses are collected in a single volume entitled A Mousetrap for Darwin.
The book’s title alludes to Behe’s homey illustration for his idea of irreducible complexity. A mousetrap with a missing part doesn’t work just a little worse. It doesn’t work at all. The same goes for the bacterial flagellum pictured on the cover of the new collection. Ditto for an array of other ingenious molecular biological machines discovered in recent years. Can mindless evolutionary processes arrange biochemical parts into these complex functional wholes one small step at a time? Behe argues that a raft of new evidence — from the study of evolving microbes to the mutations in animals from dogs to polar bears — suggests that blind evolution cannot. Rather, Darwin’s mechanism works principally by breaking things for short term benefit. It doesn’t build anything fundamentally new.
What does? Intelligent design. According to Behe, one of the most powerful arguments that he is on the right track is the sheer vacuity of the attacks leveled against him, many offered by undeniably brilliant scientists. But are those criticisms really as empty as he thinks, or has Behe met his match?
Book Launch
Plaudits
Wow, what a book! Michael Behe’s A Mousetrap for Darwin is a compelling read for anyone following the Darwin vs. ID debate. It not only is a magnificent testimony to his own massive contributions in so many areas of ID over more than two decades since he first published Darwin’s Black Box, but also provides perhaps the most comprehensive and incisive critique of Neo-Darwinism currently in print. In the more than one hundred articles and posts in the book, Behe revisits key arguments for ID which he initially developed and that have since become foundational to the defense of ID, such as the argument from irreducible complexity and the argument from waiting times. The book represents a devastatingly brilliant unanswerable response to his Darwinian critics and to the whole Darwinian worldview. Behe brings out more forcibly than any other author I have recently read just how vacuous and biased are the criticisms of his work and of the ID position in general by so many mainstream academic defenders of Darwinism. And what is so telling about his many wonderfully crafted responses to his Darwinian critics is that it is Behe who is putting the facts before theory while his many detractors — Kenneth Miller, Jerry Coyne, Larry Moran, Richard Lenski, and others — are putting theory before the facts. In short, this volume shows that it is Behe rather than his detractors who is carefully following the evidence. Of all the fine essays in this volume, I think his responses to Lenski in Parts 4 and 7 are particularly outstanding and unanswerable. Lenski’s inability to undermine Behe’s critique gives the lie to the notion that Darwinism provides anything resembling a convincing account of the biological world. Michael Denton, PhD, MD, former Senior Research Fellow in the Biochemistry Department at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, author of Evolution: A Theory in Crisis and Nature’s Destiny
Michael Behe’s Darwin’s Black Box, The Edge of Evolution, and Darwin Devolves clearly describe the problems and limits of Darwinism as well as what the mechanism of random mutation and natural selection actually does. Over the years Behe has received a mountain of criticism, all of which has been answered in detail by him in letters to the editors of various journals, newspapers, and blogs. Now, in A Mousetrap for Darwin, Behe treats his readers to his compelling and thorough responses to his critics. Anyone reading this book will become better informed of the powerful arguments for design in biology and better educated regarding the Design vs. Darwin debate. I greatly enjoyed Mousetrap and highly recommend it. Russell W. Carlson, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center University of Georgia
Ever since the release of Darwin’s Black Box in 1996, I have been impressed with Mike Behe’s ability to respond to his critics quickly, respectfully, and with clarity and patience. This collection of many of those responses over a twenty-four-year period is a gift to all who promote intelligent design, and indeed to anyone passionately interested in the science of biological origins and the contemporary debate over Darwinism and design. Both critics and champions of intelligent design will find much to ponder here. Behe repeatedly meets his critics head on and with no apologies. This collection is a treasure. Raymond G. Bohlin, PhD, co-author of The Natural Limits to Biological Change
“The humorous Mosquito Bite Scratcher illustration in Michael Behe’s 1996 book Darwin’s Black Box opened my eyes to the irreducibility of biological systems. Ever since, I have followed Behe’s tireless defense of his position in numerous well-argued articles and responses. His style is respectful; he carefully studies the arguments of his critics and explains why they err. His mousetrap example, the bacterial flagellum motor and other irreducibly complex biological systems, the mounting laboratory evidence of the strict limits of evolution, and his devolution argument should drive the message home: the idea that life’s diversity emerged through the Darwinian evolutionary mechanism is a dead idea. This book is a welcome and valuable collection of these brilliantly argued articles.” Matti Leisola, DSc, Professor Emeritus of Bioprocess Engineering, Aalto University, Finland


discoveryinstitute--2020-11-02--Politicians: Can’t Live With Them, Can’t Live Without Them

This book began as a qualified defense of politicians .
Their claims can never be unqualified .
Surely the politician should stand humbly before those quieter citizens who move society forward in ways a lawgiver or law-executor can not , such as the research scientist , entrepreneur , inventor , business manager , artist , and all the private persons whose service is provided face-to-face , one-on-one : parent , pastor , physician , teacher , counselor , nurse , caretaker , friend .
The steady accomplishments of such people often out-shine those of public officials .
Civilization has progressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only knew political and military history you would be surprised to find that this progress was possible at all .
You might be tempted to suppose that improvements happen despite the politicians .
Yet politics , when it builds upon human nature and does not aspire to supplant it , creates the preconditions for progress .
Without politicians , however fumbling and stumbling , the world could not have stood up to the totalitarian anti-politicians of the past hundred years .
Even if we assume that fascism and communism are dead or dying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of reviving ) , the evil seed within human nature can always mutate and grow anew .
In this century , the advanced nations will have to meet the desire of the other four-fifths of the planet for the good results that our political and economic systems—and some would say our faith and self-discipline—have yielded us .
We moderns who tolerate less and less risk to our comfortable lives must find ways to help those in more vulnerable lands to subdue the lawless option of violence , and we must find ways to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ societies .
In this we are challenged to preserve the personal liberty , properly understood , that gives human beings choices in all areas of life .
It is a high calling .
Our technical capabilities grow fast , but they can not keep pace with our personal wants , which we increasingly define as “ needs.
” We would help the young , the ill , the abandoned , and the prisoner , but we are not sure how to do it , or how , at the same time , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ability of ordinary , taxpaying people to remain strong and independent .
When society ’ s problems , from a surfeit of pleasure-seeking to a dearth of ambition , emerge in our own families , most of us still know how to find a balance of hard-headed realism and understanding love in developing answers .
Even then we are strained .
But when the problems are in the polity , the balance usually must be struck by politicians .
It is a role of politicians , then , to harmonize the passions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standards and goals of civilization .
Politics looks to success , but ultimately must aim for virtue .
Success without virtue , ironically , can not persist .
The human soul will not stand for it .
But virtue for the good politician is a mature quality that has been tested , often finding the right way through pain , as Aristotle said and as George Washington learned .
It knows defeat as well as victory and it knows that its enemy is boredom as much as it is misdirected idealism .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Constitution , aims at a “ more perfect union , ” not a perfect one .
Those who conceive of politics as a destination instead of a journey always want to remove the imperfections of passion , interest , and ( naturally ) disagreement that the politician knows are integral to the representative democracy , and indeed , all democracy .
The anomalous project of the perfectionists is like that of the mystic medieval Jews of Prague , in the legend , who so yearned for a protector from persecution that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something like a man , the Golem .
But in their desperate pride they thereby usurped the role of God , and their contorted monster brought disaster upon them .
The perfectionists also remind us of Dostoyevsky ’ s Grand Inquisitor , confronted with Christ come again .
Having developed only worldly wisdom , the Grand Inquisitor rejects Jesus , contending that a Church run by skilled skeptics knows best what is good for humankind .
The good politician , in contrast , does not seek to replace God with a perfect man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Heaven-on-Earth .
Instead , he is ever balancing man ’ s noble aims with his human nature , seeking chiefly amelioration .
The seriousness of his limited role , however grandiose the rhetoric , is his genuine glory .
But the good politician in our society must also confront the danger of a selfish individualism , which , far from looking to perfection , sees no relevance to public life at all .
Tocqueville , who diagnosed this disease , contrasted it with mere “ egoism … a passionate and exaggerated love @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think of all things in terms of himself and to prefer himself to all.
” Individualism ( what we might call a privatized life ) , “ is a calm and considered feeling which disposes each citizen to isolate himself from the mass of his fellows and withdraw into the circle of family and friends ; with this little society formed to his taste , he gladly leaves the greater society to look after itself.
” But , as Tocqueville goes on to explain : “ Individualism ( in this definition ) at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtues , but in the long run it attacks all the others too and finally merges in egoism .
Egoism is a vice as old as the world .
… Individualism is of democratic origin and threatens to grow as conditions get more equa1.
” Abraham Lincoln , reflecting upon the breakdown of order and respect for law in the 1830s that anticipated the Civil War , pondered the long-term threat to America ’ s political institutions .
The danger did not come from abroad , he said in his famous Address to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Springfield , Illinois .
Given the size , strength and isolation of the United States , no future Napoleon Bonaparte could , “ by force , take a drink from the Ohio or make a track on the Blue Ridge , in a thousand years.
” Instead , any future danger “ must spring up amongst us .
… [ W ] e must be its author and finisher .
As a nation of freemen , we must live through all time , or die by suicide.
” Today , as then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ institutions from without , but still cause for worry within .
Even the danger of imposing on our democracy supposedly superior international norms established , say , through the United Nations—a very bad idea , since it assumes that the combined ideals of Bangladesh , Sudan , and Belgium are somehow more enlightened than ours—only would occur because of domestic political mischief here .
Every year the combination of perfectionist middlemen , in the name of purifying politics , bleeds a bit more freedom from the good politicians as well as the bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment , so the middlemen insist on bleeding a bit more .
Disgusted by all of it , the privatized American does not rise to the call of public service , but rather tries to move out of sight—or rushes to endorse the latest political savior .
Action to rescue representative democracy has to include more individuals deciding to take a personal political role that is larger than mere voting .
Recruits are needed among the politically mature , who see through the generated image of vice to the heart of virtue in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who realize that while other civic activities may be free of the temptations of politics , and of the bad odor , politics is not thereby less virtuous .
Rather , it is more difficult and more consequential .
The games of politics are for real stakes .
We all share these stakes .
If the people who make the laws are not free to practice virtue , soon none of us will be able to do so .
Free and private citizens can not long ignore public duty .
The call to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from outside , yet personal ambition alone or the prospects of fame may not be enough to motivate .
Civic conscience , a sense of responsibility , is needed .
And sometimes that sense does , indeed , have to be prodded .
Responding to a letter from a Benjamin Vaughan , who requested advice on his conduct and writings , Benjamin Franklin gently chided , “ As to your conduct , I know of nothing that looks like a fault , except your declining to act in any public station , although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public good in many you must have had it in your power to occupy.
” To quicken civic conscience , President Lyndon Johnson behaved in a manner just the opposite of Franklin , bullying as well as beguiling people to take on public duties .
As the tape recordings made of Johnson ’ s telephone conversations after the John F. Kennedy assassination ( released by the Johnson Library ) made clear , Johnson did not so much invite or even ask Chief Justice Earl Warren and Georgia Senator Richard Russell to join the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order them to join , swearing , threatening , cajoling all the way .
It wasn ’ t just Lyndon Johnson making the demand , he thundered , it was the country .
To young citizens today , as well as to older ones who already have played some different part in community life , no one can seriously make any demand , but one can make a solemn request : to answer the call to public service .
You are not asked to do more than you are able , or sooner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some time in your life you can render significant political service .
You might , if young , apprentice yourself to a current office-holder or candidate .
By volunteering in a political party or campaign you will find yourself immediately welcome ; and because you are giving support— “ paying your dues ” —rather than asking for favors , you are likely to be sincerely accepted and trusted .
In time , you might be promoted for appointive or elective office .
If not , you might well have to put your own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government or corporate hierarchy .
As Lincoln and others advised , if you want to lead , don ’ t wait to be asked ; round up your friends .
There is , however , no guarantee of achievement , let alone popular praise .
Most politicians are lucky to muddle through their responsibilities without endangering their personal reputations or going into debt .
Many fail to get even the first chance to distinguish themselves .
Chance , indeed , has a lot to do with distinction .
Without World War II , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D. Eisenhower .
But even politicians who fail , or who serve without particular excellence , do indeed serve .
We need the also-ran , the nobly defeated , the honest plodder , and the right-person-at-the-wrong-time .
They give us choices .
Who knows when we will need a great war leader , or a peace leader to replace a great war leader ?
Today we most require a visionary in office ; tomorrow we may require a manager .
To make our decisions count , we must hope that the types of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want them .
The old parties , with their political clubs and partisan press , understood this better and protected their own defeated champions .
Of course , the contributions of some politicians are appreciated adequately in their time , while the contributions of others will be exaggerated .
Knowing this , the fear of failure—public failure—dulls the ambition of many prospective politicians and even burdens certain outstanding veterans , just as stage fright before a performance may continue throughout a long career of even the most accomplished actors .
Among our finest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear of failure we find , nonetheless , those who believed , wrongly , that they did fail .
General Sam Houston , an original among America ’ s patriots , was governor of Tennessee and then , against formidable odds , led the army that won independence for Texas .
Soon after , he brought that enormous state into the Union .
He was elected twice as governor and twice as US Senator .
But , having been forced from office at the outbreak of the Civil War because he would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died in 1863 thinking his life ’ s work destroyed .
About that , he was surely wrong .
Winston Churchill perhaps did more than anyone to defeat Hitler .
He prepared the West to resist communism and burnished for all history the ideals of valor and vision in politics—through speeches , writing , and action .
Nonetheless , he became depressed in his later years because he had been unable , among other things , to preserve the British Empire .
So , if great politicians sometimes can not always evaluate fairly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( as in Churchill ’ s case ) their true mission , or if their contemporaries should neglect to keep an accurate account , the properly motivated prospective politician is best advised to set upon his or her course expecting at least no better .
Let him cultivate a “ fame ” so high , so elevated in the classic understanding , that it can be considered virtuous .
Truly , virtue will be its own reward .
Finally , most good politicians know that the Latin expression , “ Vox populi , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The voice of the people is not the voice of God .
As the politicians who founded America proclaimed , above politics—the master science that orders the others—is the Lawgiver who orders the universe .
In the end , the only vote that matters is the Lord ’ s .

When frustrated by election results, it’s useful to remember why it’s hard to live with politicians but even harder to live without them. Bruce K. Chapman’s Politicians: The Worst Kind of People to Run the Government, Except for All the Others offers warm wit seasoned with some sharp-edged anecdotes. He reminds us that “a good political life, in the spirit of the Constitution, aims at a ‘more perfect union,’ not a perfect one.” Marvin Olasky, Politicians made WORLD’s short list for 2018 Book of the Year in the Understanding America category.
An invitation to politics
This book began as a qualified defense of politicians. Their claims can never be unqualified. Surely the politician should stand humbly before those quieter citizens who move society forward in ways a lawgiver or law-executor cannot, such as the research scientist, entrepreneur, inventor, business manager, artist, and all the private persons whose service is provided face-to-face, one-on-one: parent, pastor, physician, teacher, counselor, nurse, caretaker, friend. The steady accomplishments of such people often out-shine those of public officials. Civilization has progressed over the centuries, but if you only knew political and military history you would be surprised to find that this progress was possible at all. You might be tempted to suppose that improvements happen despite the politicians.
Yet politics, when it builds upon human nature and does not aspire to supplant it, creates the preconditions for progress. Without politicians, however fumbling and stumbling, the world could not have stood up to the totalitarian anti-politicians of the past hundred years. Even if we assume that fascism and communism are dead or dying (and they do have a way of reviving), the evil seed within human nature can always mutate and grow anew.
In this century, the advanced nations will have to meet the desire of the other four-fifths of the planet for the good results that our political and economic systems—and some would say our faith and self-discipline—have yielded us. We moderns who tolerate less and less risk to our comfortable lives must find ways to help those in more vulnerable lands to subdue the lawless option of violence, and we must find ways to do the same within our own divided societies. In this we are challenged to preserve the personal liberty, properly understood, that gives human beings choices in all areas of life. It is a high calling.
Our technical capabilities grow fast, but they cannot keep pace with our personal wants, which we increasingly define as “needs.” We would help the young, the ill, the abandoned, and the prisoner, but we are not sure how to do it, or how, at the same time, to maintain financial solvency for the nation and the ability of ordinary, taxpaying people to remain strong and independent. When society’s problems, from a surfeit of pleasure-seeking to a dearth of ambition, emerge in our own families, most of us still know how to find a balance of hard-headed realism and understanding love in developing answers. Even then we are strained. But when the problems are in the polity, the balance usually must be struck by politicians.
It is a role of politicians, then, to harmonize the passions and interests of humanity with the higher standards and goals of civilization. Politics looks to success, but ultimately must aim for virtue. Success without virtue, ironically, cannot persist. The human soul will not stand for it.
Politics looks to success, but ultimately must aim for virtue.
But virtue for the good politician is a mature quality that has been tested, often finding the right way through pain, as Aristotle said and as George Washington learned. It knows defeat as well as victory and it knows that its enemy is boredom as much as it is misdirected idealism.
A good political life, in the spirit of the Constitution, aims at a “more perfect union,” not a perfect one. Those who conceive of politics as a destination instead of a journey always want to remove the imperfections of passion, interest, and (naturally) disagreement that the politician knows are integral to the representative democracy, and indeed, all democracy. The anomalous project of the perfectionists is like that of the mystic medieval Jews of Prague, in the legend, who so yearned for a protector from persecution that, employing magical incantations, they created something like a man, the Golem. But in their desperate pride they thereby usurped the role of God, and their contorted monster brought disaster upon them.
The perfectionists also remind us of Dostoyevsky’s Grand Inquisitor, confronted with Christ come again. Having developed only worldly wisdom, the Grand Inquisitor rejects Jesus, contending that a Church run by skilled skeptics knows best what is good for humankind.
The good politician, in contrast, does not seek to replace God with a perfect man, nor to supplant a heavenly after-life with Heaven-on-Earth. Instead, he is ever balancing man’s noble aims with his human nature, seeking chiefly amelioration. The seriousness of his limited role, however grandiose the rhetoric, is his genuine glory.
But the good politician in our society must also confront the danger of a selfish individualism, which, far from looking to perfection, sees no relevance to public life at all. Tocqueville, who diagnosed this disease, contrasted it with mere “egoism … a passionate and exaggerated love of self which leads a man to think of all things in terms of himself and to prefer himself to all.” Individualism (what we might call a privatized life), “is a calm and considered feeling which disposes each citizen to isolate himself from the mass of his fellows and withdraw into the circle of family and friends; with this little society formed to his taste, he gladly leaves the greater society to look after itself.” But, as Tocqueville goes on to explain: “Individualism (in this definition) at first only dams the spring of public virtues, but in the long run it attacks all the others too and finally merges in egoism. Egoism is a vice as old as the world. … Individualism is of democratic origin and threatens to grow as conditions get more equa1.”
Abraham Lincoln, reflecting upon the breakdown of order and respect for law in the 1830s that anticipated the Civil War, pondered the long-term threat to America’s political institutions. The danger did not come from abroad, he said in his famous Address to the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois. Given the size, strength and isolation of the United States, no future Napoleon Bonaparte could, “by force, take a drink from the Ohio or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a thousand years.” Instead, any future danger “must spring up amongst us. … [W]e must be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”
Today, as then, there is little danger to our political institutions from without, but still cause for worry within. Even the danger of imposing on our democracy supposedly superior international norms established, say, through the United Nations—a very bad idea, since it assumes that the combined ideals of Bangladesh, Sudan, and Belgium are somehow more enlightened than ours—only would occur because of domestic political mischief here.
Disgusted by all of it, the privatized American does not rise to the call of public service, but rather tries to move out of sight—or rushes to endorse the latest political savior.
Every year the combination of perfectionist middlemen, in the name of purifying politics, bleeds a bit more freedom from the good politicians as well as the bad. Politics does not improve under this treatment, so the middlemen insist on bleeding a bit more. Disgusted by all of it, the privatized American does not rise to the call of public service, but rather tries to move out of sight—or rushes to endorse the latest political savior.
Action to rescue representative democracy has to include more individuals deciding to take a personal political role that is larger than mere voting. Recruits are needed among the politically mature, who see through the generated image of vice to the heart of virtue in representative democracy. They will be people who realize that while other civic activities may be free of the temptations of politics, and of the bad odor, politics is not thereby less virtuous. Rather, it is more difficult and more consequential. The games of politics are for real stakes. We all share these stakes. If the people who make the laws are not free to practice virtue, soon none of us will be able to do so. Free and private citizens cannot long ignore public duty.
The call to political service rarely comes to an individual from outside, yet personal ambition alone or the prospects of fame may not be enough to motivate. Civic conscience, a sense of responsibility, is needed. And sometimes that sense does, indeed, have to be prodded. Responding to a letter from a Benjamin Vaughan, who requested advice on his conduct and writings, Benjamin Franklin gently chided, “As to your conduct, I know of nothing that looks like a fault, except your declining to act in any public station, although you are certainly qualified to do much public good in many you must have had it in your power to occupy.”
To quicken civic conscience, President Lyndon Johnson behaved in a manner just the opposite of Franklin, bullying as well as beguiling people to take on public duties. As the tape recordings made of Johnson’s telephone conversations after the John F. Kennedy assassination (released by the Johnson Library) made clear, Johnson did not so much invite or even ask Chief Justice Earl Warren and Georgia Senator Richard Russell to join the commission established to investigate the assassination as order them to join, swearing, threatening, cajoling all the way. It wasn’t just Lyndon Johnson making the demand, he thundered, it was the country.
To young citizens today, as well as to older ones who already have played some different part in community life, no one can seriously make any demand, but one can make a solemn request: to answer the call to public service. You are not asked to do more than you are able, or sooner than you are able. But at some time in your life you can render significant political service.
You might, if young, apprentice yourself to a current office-holder or candidate. By volunteering in a political party or campaign you will find yourself immediately welcome; and because you are giving support—“paying your dues”—rather than asking for favors, you are likely to be sincerely accepted and trusted.
As Lincoln and others advised, if you want to lead, don’t wait to be asked; round up your friends.
In time, you might be promoted for appointive or elective office. If not, you might well have to put your own name forward. Politics is not a government or corporate hierarchy. As Lincoln and others advised, if you want to lead, don’t wait to be asked; round up your friends.
There is, however, no guarantee of achievement, let alone popular praise. Most politicians are lucky to muddle through their responsibilities without endangering their personal reputations or going into debt. Many fail to get even the first chance to distinguish themselves. Chance, indeed, has a lot to do with distinction. Without World War II, history never would have heard of Dwight D. Eisenhower.
But even politicians who fail, or who serve without particular excellence, do indeed serve. We need the also-ran, the nobly defeated, the honest plodder, and the right-person-at-the-wrong-time. They give us choices. Who knows when we will need a great war leader, or a peace leader to replace a great war leader? Today we most require a visionary in office; tomorrow we may require a manager. To make our decisions count, we must hope that the types of politician we want are available when we want them. The old parties, with their political clubs and partisan press, understood this better and protected their own defeated champions.
Of course, the contributions of some politicians are appreciated adequately in their time, while the contributions of others will be exaggerated. Knowing this, the fear of failure—public failure—dulls the ambition of many prospective politicians and even burdens certain outstanding veterans, just as stage fright before a performance may continue throughout a long career of even the most accomplished actors.
Among our finest politicians who did not succumb to their fear of failure we find, nonetheless, those who believed, wrongly, that they did fail. General Sam Houston, an original among America’s patriots, was governor of Tennessee and then, against formidable odds, led the army that won independence for Texas. Soon after, he brought that enormous state into the Union. He was elected twice as governor and twice as US Senator. But, having been forced from office at the outbreak of the Civil War because he would not swear allegiance to the Confederacy, he died in 1863 thinking his life’s work destroyed. About that, he was surely wrong.
Winston Churchill perhaps did more than anyone to defeat Hitler. He prepared the West to resist communism and burnished for all history the ideals of valor and vision in politics—through speeches, writing, and action. Nonetheless, he became depressed in his later years because he had been unable, among other things, to preserve the British Empire.
So, if great politicians sometimes cannot always evaluate fairly their own contributions, or recognize fully (as in Churchill’s case) their true mission, or if their contemporaries should neglect to keep an accurate account, the properly motivated prospective politician is best advised to set upon his or her course expecting at least no better. Let him cultivate a “fame” so high, so elevated in the classic understanding, that it can be considered virtuous. Truly, virtue will be its own reward.
Finally, most good politicians know that the Latin expression, “Vox populi, vox Dei,” is wrong. The voice of the people is not the voice of God. As the politicians who founded America proclaimed, above politics—the master science that orders the others—is the Lawgiver who orders the universe. In the end, the only vote that matters is the Lord’s.


discoveryinstitute--2020-11-04--Antibiotic Resistance & Bacterial Evolution — What’s the Real Story?

We ’ re excited to announce a live premiere of the latest episode of the Long Story Short YouTube video @ @ @ @ @ ve already seen the first two episodes on homology and whale evolution ?
In this @ @ @ @ @ animator tackles yet another supposed linchpin of Neo-Darwinian evolutionary theory .
Bacterial evolution and antibiotic @ @ @ @ @ all-time greatest hits regarding evidence for Darwinian evolution .
It ’ s true that antibiotics @ @ @ @ @ and that antibiotic resistance is a form of evolution…but is this a demonstration of the @ @ @ @ @ , or is there something else going on ?
No registration or YouTube account is @ @ @ @ @ premiere , however , logging into to your YouTube account ahead of time will allow @ @ @ @ @ live chat and to submit your comments on the video .
The video ’ s @ @ @ @ @ more Discovery Institute scientists , plan to participate in the live chat .

We’re excited to announce a live premiere of the latest episode of the Long Story Short YouTube video series. Perhaps you’ve already seen the first two episodes on homology and whale evolution? In this latest episode, our talented animator tackles yet another supposed linchpin of Neo-Darwinian evolutionary theory. Bacterial evolution and antibiotic resistance is one of the all-time greatest hits regarding evidence for Darwinian evolution. It’s true that antibiotics do stop working sometimes, and that antibiotic resistance is a form of evolution…but is this a demonstration of the creative power of Darwinian evolution, or is there something else going on?
No registration or YouTube account is required to watch the live premiere, however, logging into to your YouTube account ahead of time will allow you to participate in the live chat and to submit your comments on the video. The video’s animator, and one or more Discovery Institute scientists, plan to participate in the live chat.


discoveryinstitute--2020-11-03--Politicians: Can’t Live With Them, Can’t Live Without Them


discoveryinstitute--2020-11-02--Election Implications for Education

Election Implications for Education

This year ’ s Presidential race has dominated television , internet , radio , and social media to an unprecedented level .
In our highly connected world , politics are coming at us from all sides .
Although other issues , such as the economy , coronavirus , law and order ( or the lack thereof ) , healthcare , and a host of climate-related topics have taken center stage , the election also has significant implications for education .
The parties have outlined their positions on various topics , including education in their respective documents : 2020 Democratic Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 2020 as positions have remained consistent ) .
The Gospel Coalition has provided a concise and unbiased summary of each party ’ s platform by topic to assist voters .
The education sections of these respective summaries are as follows : Supports universal preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds and expansion of Head Start and Early Head Start .
Supports measures to increase accountability for charter schools , including by requiring all charter schools to meet the same standards of transparency as traditional public schools , including with regard to civil rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , disciplinary procedures , and school finances .
Opposes private school vouchers and allowing public-funded scholarships to be used at private schools .
Supports appointing judges who will enforce the Civil Rights Act in schools .
Supports making community colleges and trade schools tuition-free for all students , including DACA recipients .
Supports increasing federal support for services like child care on college campuses .
Supports increased funding for wraparound services , including covering the cost of textbooks and fees for low-income students and establishing programs to address campus food insecurity .
Supports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for those earning less than $ 125,000 who graduated from two- and four-year public colleges and universities , and we will also apply this benefit to individuals holding federal student loans for tuition from private HBCUs and MSIs .
Supports increased public investment in rural , urban , and Tribal broadband infrastructure , and subsidies to offer low-income Americans subsidies for accessing high-speed internet , and invest in digital literacy training programs , so “ children and families and people with disabilities can fully participate in school , work , and life from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect parental rights “ from interference by states , the federal government , or international bodies such as the United Nations.
” Supports school choice for all students .
Proposes that the bulk of federal money through Title I for low-income children and “ through IDEA for children with special needs should follow the child to whatever school the family thinks will work best for them.
” Opposes the imposition of national educational standards and assessments .
Supports state legislatures offering the Bible in a literature curriculum as an elective in America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ checks for all personnel who interact with school children .
Supports options for learning , including home-schooling , career and technical education , private or parochial schools , magnet schools , charter schools , online learning , and early college high schools .
Supports replacing “ family planning ” programs for teens with sexual risk avoidance education that sets abstinence until marriage as the responsible and respected standard of behavior .
Opposes school-based clinics that provide referral or counseling for abortion and contraception and believes that “ federal funds should not be used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ psychiatric , or socio-emotional screening programs.
” Supports states that oppose including gender identity and sexual orientation under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 .
Supports the prompt investigation by civil authorities and prosecution in a courtroom of sexual assault claims , rather than having them adjudicated in the “ faculty lounge ” of colleges .
Those convicted of sexual assault should be punished to the full extent of the law .
Like other issues on the ballot , there is a stark difference between the education philosophy of the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : big government versus small government ; federal control versus state control ; and providing exclusive funding for traditional public schools versus school choice for parents .
Research , know the facts , and exercise your right to vote .
If you haven ’ t taken advantage of early voting , get out and vote today or tomorrow .
Our nation ’ s future , including the direction of education for our children and teens , will be shaped by how the American people vote .
Much is at stake this election including @ @ @ @ @

This year’s Presidential race has dominated television, internet, radio, and social media to an unprecedented level. In our highly connected world, politics are coming at us from all sides. Although other issues, such as the economy, coronavirus, law and order (or the lack thereof), healthcare, and a host of climate-related topics have taken center stage, the election also has significant implications for education.
Contrasting Party Platforms
The parties have outlined their positions on various topics, including education in their respective documents: 2020 Democratic Party Platform and Republican Platform 2016 (adopted for 2020 as positions have remained consistent). The Gospel Coalition has provided a concise and unbiased summary of each party’s platform by topic to assist voters. The education sections of these respective summaries are as follows:
Supports universal preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds and expansion of Head Start and Early Head Start. Supports K-12 instruction in civics and climate literacy. Supports tripling Title I funding. Supports banning for-profit private charter businesses from receiving federal funding. Supports measures to increase accountability for charter schools, including by requiring all charter schools to meet the same standards of transparency as traditional public schools, including with regard to civil rights protections, racial equity, admissions practices, disciplinary procedures, and school finances. Opposes private school vouchers and allowing public-funded scholarships to be used at private schools. Supports “protect[ing] the rights of transgender students.” Supports appointing judges who will enforce the Civil Rights Act in schools. Supports making community colleges and trade schools tuition-free for all students, including DACA recipients. Supports increasing federal support for services like child care on college campuses. Supports increased funding for wraparound services, including covering the cost of textbooks and fees for low-income students and establishing programs to address campus food insecurity. Supports forgiving all undergraduate tuition-related federal student debt for those earning less than $125,000 who graduated from two- and four-year public colleges and universities, and we will also apply this benefit to individuals holding federal student loans for tuition from private HBCUs and MSIs. Supports increased public investment in rural, urban, and Tribal broadband infrastructure, and subsidies to offer low-income Americans subsidies for accessing high-speed internet, and invest in digital literacy training programs, so “children and families and people with disabilities can fully participate in school, work, and life from their homes.”
Supports a constitutional amendment to protect parental rights “from interference by states, the federal government, or international bodies such as the United Nations.” Supports school choice for all students. Proposes that the bulk of federal money through Title I for low-income children and “through IDEA for children with special needs should follow the child to whatever school the family thinks will work best for them.” Opposes the imposition of national educational standards and assessments. Supports state legislatures offering the Bible in a literature curriculum as an elective in America’s high schools. Supports background checks for all personnel who interact with school children. Supports options for learning, including home-schooling, career and technical education, private or parochial schools, magnet schools, charter schools, online learning, and early college high schools. Supports replacing “family planning” programs for teens with sexual risk avoidance education that sets abstinence until marriage as the responsible and respected standard of behavior. Opposes school-based clinics that provide referral or counseling for abortion and contraception and believes that “federal funds should not be used in mandatory or universal mental health, psychiatric, or socio-emotional screening programs.” Supports states that oppose including gender identity and sexual orientation under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Supports the prompt investigation by civil authorities and prosecution in a courtroom of sexual assault claims, rather than having them adjudicated in the “faculty lounge” of colleges. Those convicted of sexual assault should be punished to the full extent of the law.
Like other issues on the ballot, there is a stark difference between the education philosophy of the two parties. It boils down to this: big government versus small government; federal control versus state control; and providing exclusive funding for traditional public schools versus school choice for parents.
Research, know the facts, and exercise your right to vote. If you haven’t taken advantage of early voting, get out and vote today or tomorrow. Our nation’s future, including the direction of education for our children and teens, will be shaped by how the American people vote. Much is at stake this election including considerable implications for education.


discoveryinstitute--2020-10-29--How Four-Year-Olds Grasp Design Better Than Most Biology Professors

Protein chemist Douglas Axe spoke defends the thesis that , “ Four-Year-Olds Grasp Design Better Than Most Biology Professors.
” Dr. Axe isn ’ t denigrating expertise .
“ The problem , ” he says , “ is not expertise .
The problem is tyranny.
” Of course that ’ s true of more areas of thought than just evolutionary biology , as he goes on to explain .
Also , the tyranny is exerted not only by bullies and through self-censorship — but equally so by what may be the most irresistible tyrant : the picture of ourselves that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our head .
How we are .
How we wish to be .
And how we wish to be seen .
Always , you need to keep in mind the sway of self-image , the hunger to be associated with the smart people .
It ’ s the drive , says Axe , to look good .
It ’ s to look smart and I think something like that is happening in the academy .
Once you become aware of the fact that the smart people think a certain way and you want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that applies a certain peer pressure to you .
You need to think that way as well .
And that is very much going on in the academy .
You really can not understand debates about evolution , and other things , without appreciating the ego — the male ego in particular , you could argue — that is involved .

Protein chemist Douglas Axe spoke defends the thesis that, “Four-Year-Olds Grasp Design Better Than Most Biology Professors.”
Dr. Axe isn’t denigrating expertise. “The problem,” he says, “is not expertise. The problem is tyranny.” Of course that’s true of more areas of thought than just evolutionary biology, as he goes on to explain. Also, the tyranny is exerted not only by bullies and through self-censorship — but equally so by what may be the most irresistible tyrant: the picture of ourselves that each one of us carries around in our head. How we are. How we wish to be. And how we wish to be seen. Always, you need to keep in mind the sway of self-image, the hunger to be associated with the smart people. It’s the drive, says Axe,
to look good. It’s to look smart and I think something like that is happening in the academy. Once you become aware of the fact that the smart people think a certain way and you want to be thought of as smart, that applies a certain peer pressure to you. You need to think that way as well. And that is very much going on in the academy.
You really cannot understand debates about evolution, and other things, without appreciating the ego — the male ego in particular, you could argue — that is involved.


discoveryinstitute--2020-11-05--ACES Northwest Network 2020 Annual Membership Meeting

Navigating the landscape of 2020 requires optimism and agility .
In the midst of turmoil , our world is witnessing the emergence of a vibrant electric vehicle marketplace fueling new and innovative approaches to nimble shared-ride services .
The wide-scale deployment of 5G networks is poised to underpin self-driving successes in the biggest trucks and the smallest shuttles .
Working together , the members , partners , and friends of the ACES Northwest Network continue to fulfill the promises of a better future for mobility and energy .
We are collaborating to find and create opportunity in this era of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Annual Membership Meeting is the launchpad for our 2021 program of events as we build on our strong finish in 2020 .
You ’ ll be inspired by live interactive conversations with leaders from the mobility industry ’ s trailblazers .
You ’ ll be energized by the Network ’ s 2021 Program Preview .
You ’ ll be anticipating the future with a glimpse at the Network ’ s new initiative , the Washington State Autonomous Vehicle Demonstration Corridors Coalition .
You ’ ll be supercharged and ready to succeed in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ACES technologies is bright and we ’ re inviting more people than ever to learn , grow , connect , and thrive with the ACES Northwest Network .
This year ’ s Annual Membership Meeting is open to all at no charge thanks to generous support from Verizon , our 2020 Annual Events Sponsor .
Register today !

Navigating the landscape of 2020 requires optimism and agility. In the midst of turmoil, our world is witnessing the emergence of a vibrant electric vehicle marketplace fueling new and innovative approaches to nimble shared-ride services. The wide-scale deployment of 5G networks is poised to underpin self-driving successes in the biggest trucks and the smallest shuttles. Working together, the members, partners, and friends of the ACES Northwest Network continue to fulfill the promises of a better future for mobility and energy. We are collaborating to find and create opportunity in this era of change.
This year’s fully-virtual Annual Membership Meeting is the launchpad for our 2021 program of events as we build on our strong finish in 2020. You’ll be inspired by live interactive conversations with leaders from the mobility industry’s trailblazers. You’ll be energized by the Network’s 2021 Program Preview. You’ll be anticipating the future with a glimpse at the Network’s new initiative, the Washington State Autonomous Vehicle Demonstration Corridors Coalition. You’ll be supercharged and ready to succeed in this coming decade of renewal!
The future of ACES technologies is bright and we’re inviting more people than ever to learn, grow, connect, and thrive with the ACES Northwest Network. This year’s Annual Membership Meeting is open to all at no charge thanks to generous support from Verizon, our 2020 Annual Events Sponsor. Register today!


discoveryinstitute--2020-11-09--Dr. Gunasekera on the Emerging Field of Nanomedicine

Nanotech has quickly become a fascinating and extensive area of scientific research .
This emerging field is blossoming with opportunity @ @ @ @ @ nanoscopic cars to a wide variety of other nanomachines including drills that can be used @ @ @ @ @ By operating on the same nanoscale as biology , new levels of miniaturization and efficiency @ @ @ @ @ human technologies to interact directly with sophisticated networks of biological machines in nature .
As @ @ @ @ @ that have long existed in the biological cell , so these human innovations exhibit the @ @ @ @ @ corresponding designers .
The Science & Culture Network Chapter in Southern California invites you to @ @ @ @ @ 4th webinar to hear from nanomachine expert Dr. Richard Gunasekara as he explores these fascinating @ @ @ @ @ interact with even more astounding innovations in nature .
Dr. Gunasekara ’ s research involves @ @ @ @ @ superbugs , as well as others that aid in cancer and COVID-19 treatments .
Most @ @ @ @ @ his attention to the use of nanomachines to fight viruses .

Nanotech has quickly become a fascinating and extensive area of scientific research. This emerging field is blossoming with opportunity and great promise — from nanoscopic cars to a wide variety of other nanomachines including drills that can be used in targeted cancer treatments. By operating on the same nanoscale as chemistry and biology, new levels of miniaturization and efficiency are being achieved, enabling human technologies to interact directly with sophisticated networks of biological machines in nature. As is the case with nanomachines that have long existed in the biological cell, so these human innovations exhibit the brilliance and creativity of their corresponding designers.
The Science & Culture Network Chapter in Southern California invites you to join a Friday, December 4th webinar to hear from molecular biochemist Professor Richard Gunasekera as he explores these fascinating human technologies and how they interact with even more astounding innovations in nature. Dr. Gunasekera’s research involves nanomachines and phytochemicals used to destroy cancer cells, destroy antibiotic-resistant superbugs, and study COVID-19. Most recently, he has turned his attention to the use of nanomachines to fight viruses.
We hope you’ll take advantage of this unique opportunity to hear from Dr. Gunasekera by clicking the link at right to register for the free webinar!


discoveryinstitute--2020-10-30--Debunking Critical Race Theory With Chris Rufo

Chris Rufo Talks at length with Tim Poole about Critical Race Theory and the process that led to President Donald @ @ @ @ @ banning Federal funding of programs that include “ offensive and anti-American race and sex stereotyping @ @ @ @

Chris Rufo in conversation with Chloé Valdary, founder of Theory of Enchantment, a substantive alternative to critical race theory-based training programs. Together, they debate the arguments for and against critical race theory, discuss President Trump’s executive order, and take


discoveryinstitute--2020-11-11--Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine Not Created with Fetal Cells

The news that Pfizer ’ s vaccine is 90 percent effective has rocked the world ( a tad too late to help Donald Trump ) .
The company will be applying for an emergency FDA approval .
From the Wall Street Journal story : A vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. , PFE0.03 % and partner BioNTech SE proved better than expected at protecting people from Covid-19 in a pivotal study , a milestone in the hunt for shots that can stop the global pandemic .
The vaccine proved to be more than 90 % effective in the first 94 subjects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and developed at least one symptom , the companies said Monday .
The positive , though incomplete , results bring the vaccine a big step closer to getting cleared for widespread use .
Pfizer said it is on track to ask health regulators for permission to sell the shot before the end of this month , if pending data indicate the vaccine is safe .
The timetable suggests the vaccine could go into distribution this month or next , though U.S. health regulators have indicated they will take some time to conduct their @ @


Extortion Day

In the days preceding last week ’ s election , the downtown corridors of many American cities resembled coastal hurricane zones .
Business owners boarded up their stores , fearing that the election might unleash another wave of destructive rioting .
In Washington , D.C. , luxury shops and office complexes constructed fortifications with boards , chains , fences , and barriers .
In the neighborhood surrounding the White House , the Secret Service , laborers , and left-wing protesters all prepared for Election Night .
Then something miraculous happened .
The following morning , as the election returns began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the fences , boards , and chains came down .
Small business owners reopened their shops , and the anticipation of violence evaporated .
The national media , which had been stoking fears about Proud Boys and white supremacists flooding the cities with political violence , simply dropped the story—as if it had never been a story .
The rest of us shouldn ’ t move on so easily .
Riot preparations are unprecedented in modern American electoral history .
The media have quickly moved to establish a new narrative—the “ return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidency—and would prefer to relegate the much-discussed pre-election tensions to the memory hole .
The threat of election violence should be understood in the context of the months-long rioting that began with the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Despite a handful of incidents involving right-wing agitators , most urban unrest has been driven by the activist Left , loosely organized under the banners of Antifa and Black Lives Matter .
This reality has been exhaustively documented in newspaper reporting , activist livestreams , and police-blotter mugshots .
While the national media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narrative about “ white supremacist violence , ” business owners in New York , Minneapolis , and Portland have no illusions about where the real threats come from : they ’ ve spent the past five months defending themselves against vandalism , looting , and robbery from black-bloc rioters and criminal opportunists .
Across the country , many downtown stores put up signs declaring their allegiance to Black Lives Matter , implicitly saying : “ we ’ re on your team , please don ’ t burn us down.
” In political terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of violent protest provided a convenient foil for the Biden campaign .
Biden adopted the high-minded language of racial justice , promising to combat “ systemic racism , ” while benefiting from the implicit threat of violence from far-left shock troops on the ground .
It ’ s the same logic of extortion that any thug would use—vote for us and things will return to normal ; vote for Trump and your cities will burn .
Ultimately , the post-election sequence of events gives the lie to the media narrative and Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters .
Immediately after the networks began calling states for Biden , left-wing protesters demobilized , the white supremacist threat failed to materialize , and small businesses took down the plywood .
You could even say that the extortion worked : voters delivered the election to Biden , and the rioters delivered the return to normalcy they had promised .
It ’ s impossible to know exactly how this dynamic may have influenced the electoral math .
But it undoubtedly had a profound effect on the behavior of urban business owners and contributed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anxiety for American voters in every jurisdiction .
Even in my own small town in Washington State , as the election approached , the men in the neighborhood talked about home defense and preparing for potential unrest .
Without a doubt , the fear of post-election violence was a background variable—and pressure point—for this entire election season .
Regardless of one ’ s preference for Biden or Trump , this dynamic sets a dangerous precedent .
Left-wing activists in cities like Portland have rioted on a nightly basis for more than five months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know that there will be few arrests , few prosecutions , and few consequences ; most will be bailed out and back on the streets in a matter of hours .
Biden ’ s apparent victory has delivered a reprieve from this kind of violence , but not from similar threats in the future .
For what many take away from the election ’ s outcome is that the threat of violence is now a viable , even proven , political tactic in America .

In the days preceding last week’s election, the downtown corridors of many American cities resembled coastal hurricane zones. Business owners boarded up their stores, fearing that the election might unleash another wave of destructive rioting. In Washington, D.C., luxury shops and office complexes constructed fortifications with boards, chains, fences, and barriers. In the neighborhood surrounding the White House, the Secret Service, laborers, and left-wing protesters all prepared for Election Night.
Then something miraculous happened. The following morning, as the election returns began to favor former vice president Joe Biden, the fences, boards, and chains came down. Small business owners reopened their shops, and the anticipation of violence evaporated. The national media, which had been stoking fears about Proud Boys and white supremacists flooding the cities with political violence, simply dropped the story — as if it had never been a story.
The rest of us shouldn’t move on so easily. Riot preparations are unprecedented in modern American electoral history. The media have quickly moved to establish a new narrative — the “return to normalcy” under a presumptive Biden presidency — and would prefer to relegate the much-discussed pre-election tensions to the memory hole.