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.

The Letter the Democrats Should Send

Last night I wasted about an hour and fifteen minutes of my life listening to Donald Trump's State of the Union speech (I gave up before it was over). It was about what I'd expected to hear, and it suggested how the Democrats need to proceed with the mess over the Great Wall of Trump.

Were I Chuck Schumer or Nancy Pelosi, here is the letter I would send to Mr Trump:

QUOTE:

Dear Mr President,

In the interest of cooperation and conciliation, and in order to put the issue of your proposed border wall to rest so that we can move on to other pressing issues facing the nation, we offer the following:

Congressional Democrats will provide 100% of your requested wall funding upon receipt of documented proof, based on official government documentation, facts, and analysis, that prove both the existence of a border crisis and that such a wall is necessary to solve that crisis. Acceptable documentation would include formal National Intelligence Estimates, official studies conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, official Justice Department records of arrests and prosecutions for border violations, and similar official records. Data without documentation to show its provenance, irrelevant or anecdotal data, and emotional references to "Angel Moms" are not sufficient - we are prepared to provide the funding you want as long as you can prove the existence of the problem and the efficacy of your proposed wall as a solution.

Because you are clearly certain of the existence and severity of the crisis, we are sure that you must be in possession of hard data that proves your case. Therefore, we ask that you provide this information to the appropriate Senate and House committees no later than February 28, 2019 so that it can be shared with the American public to prove the case for your wall. Once this information has been received and verified, we will provide the funding you request.

Sincerely,

The Democrats

END QUOTE

That's what I think ought to happen ... what do you think? Leave a comment.

Have a good day. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo