Spectral Evidence

Today is the birthday in 1663 of fire and brimstone Puritan preacher Cotton Mather (pictured above). During the Salem Witchcraft Trials in 1692, Mather generally supported the use by the prosecutors of “spectral evidence” against the defendants – evidence visible only to the witnesses themselves.  

Spectral evidence remains important, if not vital, today as President Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency" and cowed Congressional Republicans employ it to "prove" - without evidence - the existence of titanic fraud and waste* in government, and of a weaponized federal government** they believe unfairly targets them. They appear to have missed the added warning Mr Mather provided to the judges:

"but (do not) lay more stress on pure spectral evidence than it will bear … It is very certain that the Devils have sometimes represented the shapes of persons not only innocent, but also very virtuous.”

With this and his other writings, Mather appeared to suggest that spectral evidence alone was sufficient to indict, but insufficient to convict the accused.

Our government is full neither of "Devils" nor the "very virtuous," but a slash-and-burn approach that shutters entire agencies without regard to the long-term effect will get rid of both, to the detriment of the nation and the world.

Have a good day. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

* That there is waste and fraud in some areas of government is hardly a secret. That it exists in the enormous numbers that are assumed by President Musk and the GOP and are used to justify the wholesale elimination of departments and programs is backed only by loud and repetitive innuendo, not by evidence.

** That the government has been weaponized is perfectly obvious under the new administration ... it's just weaponized against everyone who has either investigated in the past, is investigating now, or is in a position to potentially investigate the crimes committed by Der Furor, President Musk, and anyone else on the far right.