Twitteretter

The title is an old, popular Spanish adage, which translates loosely as ‘The thief believes all others to be thieves’. This refers to projection, one of the many biases or shortcuts humans have developed through evolution to assist fast decisions when navigating a complex World. This bias makes it acceptable for many to, for example, cheat the tax system. At any level, whether we are talking full blown tax evasion strategy or occasional small misdemeanours, justification is often found in the non justifying and unfounded claim that others are doing it too. Even if it were true, that would be more reason to pay taxes, not evade them, as the tax system still needs the revenues when not everyone is contributing fairly. Another interesting example, from a projection bias perspective, is the Trump presidential election campaign claim that Democrats are systematically, and massively, cheating in the election. What does that tell us about the Trump campaign’s intent, at least, if not actions?...

This week on Twitter I agreed with a Trump supporter chastising anti-Trumpers for gleefully celebrating Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis and hoping for his passing. I stated that anyone’s illness is a concern, anyone’s death a tragedy. I was challenged with the argument that not everyone’s death is a tragedy and the question: ‘would you go back to 1925 and wish Hitler a swift recovery from flu?’ This is a good, and important, question. I had to think about it. Humans personalise to simplify. Hitler rose to power and changed German society supported by a large Nazi party apparatus and a dominant minority of Germans. Had he passed due to flu, Goebbels, Himmler or Eichmann would have replaced him, with the same outcomes. This applies today, even if the Hitler-Trump analogy is overstretched. What US society could really do with is a swift recovery and a landslide electoral defeat for Trump, because the real problem is not him, but those electing him and the Republican party supporting him...