Post #1181134

Random ranting... Something that we need to come to terms with is the fact that many of our greatest historical heroes and scientists were also abusive assholes. And that, perhaps...in their world, at their time, that was the norm. I'm not saying they were right, just that their peers considered their behavior acceptable. Still... This assumption of "he did so much good, so don't dig", is a major symptom of genius being used as an excuse to act badly, because no one is stopping you. If we allow those who we idolize a free pass to be predators, how do we defend that, to those we love who might themselves become victims? The thing is, having morals and integrity doesn't have a negative effect on mental acuity. You can be a genius and a decent human, and, in fact, that should be the goal. You know why so many of us in the US are scared out of our wits? Because we don't know, with any certainty, what is actually happening in Iran. And the reason this unknown is so corrosive, is because the only certainty we have is that the one person who should be truthful, the President, is the biggest fucking liar in the country. And on the other, we have an enemy that has a much deeper appreciation of the reality of war, and is also a first class trolling factory, with a targeted audience of One.