Barry Schachter
@barryschachter.bsky.social
risk guy, interested in phil. sci., AI risks, general semantics, society&technology, objective truth, leadership, books that make me think & opinions that are not my own. Warning: highly fallible, but good natured
when “virtue” and the “common good” become stand-in terms for one’s own personal political aesthetic, any deviation from that position also becomes a rebellion against “the good” and even “nature” itself.
—Phillip Magness
www.independent.org/article/2026...
—Phillip Magness
www.independent.org/article/2026...
The Postliberal War on Economics: News Article - Independent Institute
In 2007, a prominent conservative academic predicted civilization would collapse within months. The culprit: peak oil. The collapse never came but the
www.independent.org
February 15, 2026 at 1:50 AM
when “virtue” and the “common good” become stand-in terms for one’s own personal political aesthetic, any deviation from that position also becomes a rebellion against “the good” and even “nature” itself.
—Phillip Magness
www.independent.org/article/2026...
—Phillip Magness
www.independent.org/article/2026...
“if laws are not framed for the benefit of those who are subject to the law, they are laws in name only, but in reality they cannot be laws"
–Dante Alighieri, “Monarchia” (Book II, Chapter V).
–Dante Alighieri, “Monarchia” (Book II, Chapter V).
February 14, 2026 at 12:39 PM
“if laws are not framed for the benefit of those who are subject to the law, they are laws in name only, but in reality they cannot be laws"
–Dante Alighieri, “Monarchia” (Book II, Chapter V).
–Dante Alighieri, “Monarchia” (Book II, Chapter V).
Reposted by Barry Schachter
Not sure who needs to hear this but the voter fraud rate is a mere 0.000003%. Anyone telling you otherwise is making shit up so they can take away your right to vote.
February 14, 2026 at 12:10 AM
Not sure who needs to hear this but the voter fraud rate is a mere 0.000003%. Anyone telling you otherwise is making shit up so they can take away your right to vote.
Reposted by Barry Schachter
Tragically, there is now considerable evidence that the administration is violating the Eighth Amendment at scale.
Opinion | A Very Dangerous Ruling in New Orleans
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 4:23 AM
Tragically, there is now considerable evidence that the administration is violating the Eighth Amendment at scale.
Reposted by Barry Schachter
Exploration is the best way of finding out whether exploration is worthwhile.
—Edward de Bono, “de Bono’s Thinking Course”
—Edward de Bono, “de Bono’s Thinking Course”
February 8, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Exploration is the best way of finding out whether exploration is worthwhile.
—Edward de Bono, “de Bono’s Thinking Course”
—Edward de Bono, “de Bono’s Thinking Course”
Pope Leo said, “freedom of speech and expression is guaranteed precisely by the certainty of language and the fact that every term is anchored in the truth.” That is why the only hope tyrants ultimately have of squelching human freedom is by distorting the truth.
—Daniel B. Gallagher
—Daniel B. Gallagher
February 7, 2026 at 7:28 PM
Pope Leo said, “freedom of speech and expression is guaranteed precisely by the certainty of language and the fact that every term is anchored in the truth.” That is why the only hope tyrants ultimately have of squelching human freedom is by distorting the truth.
—Daniel B. Gallagher
—Daniel B. Gallagher
If the matter under dispute is not a matter of demonstrable fact, don’t expect to achieve universal assent. Do expect & strive for agreement, or at least clarity, on operational, concrete definitions.
February 6, 2026 at 10:36 PM
If the matter under dispute is not a matter of demonstrable fact, don’t expect to achieve universal assent. Do expect & strive for agreement, or at least clarity, on operational, concrete definitions.
We too often become tyrannized by the way we have framed a situation.
—Neil Postman
The challenge is in recognizing what we have unconsciously assumed about the situation.
—Neil Postman
The challenge is in recognizing what we have unconsciously assumed about the situation.
February 6, 2026 at 1:43 AM
We too often become tyrannized by the way we have framed a situation.
—Neil Postman
The challenge is in recognizing what we have unconsciously assumed about the situation.
—Neil Postman
The challenge is in recognizing what we have unconsciously assumed about the situation.
Propaganda invites us to respond emotionally, emphatically, more or less immediately, and in an either/or manner. [It’s] language that says “believe this” [rather than] “consider this”…The response that is required of us is a passionate, uncritical acceptance.”
—Neil Postman
—Neil Postman
February 4, 2026 at 2:17 PM
Propaganda invites us to respond emotionally, emphatically, more or less immediately, and in an either/or manner. [It’s] language that says “believe this” [rather than] “consider this”…The response that is required of us is a passionate, uncritical acceptance.”
—Neil Postman
—Neil Postman
In order to make any sense at all about what people are saying, we [by default] assume they are using the words in roughly the way that we [ourselves] do.
—Neil Postman
Implicitly assuming their good intentions, too.
—Neil Postman
Implicitly assuming their good intentions, too.
February 3, 2026 at 2:28 PM
In order to make any sense at all about what people are saying, we [by default] assume they are using the words in roughly the way that we [ourselves] do.
—Neil Postman
Implicitly assuming their good intentions, too.
—Neil Postman
Implicitly assuming their good intentions, too.
whenever someone attaches a label to a thing, eg, “he is a terr0rist,” recognize that doing so is a choice, & rather than discuss the correctness of the label, it may be more useful to discuss what they hope to gain from others by applying that label to the thing.
HT Neil Postman
HT Neil Postman
February 1, 2026 at 4:44 PM
whenever someone attaches a label to a thing, eg, “he is a terr0rist,” recognize that doing so is a choice, & rather than discuss the correctness of the label, it may be more useful to discuss what they hope to gain from others by applying that label to the thing.
HT Neil Postman
HT Neil Postman
We construct [i.e., interpret] reality along certain [subjective] lines. We make the world according to our own imagery.
—Neil Postman (Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk)
my bracketed insertions, intended for clarity
—Neil Postman (Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk)
my bracketed insertions, intended for clarity
February 1, 2026 at 2:14 PM
We construct [i.e., interpret] reality along certain [subjective] lines. We make the world according to our own imagery.
—Neil Postman (Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk)
my bracketed insertions, intended for clarity
—Neil Postman (Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk)
my bracketed insertions, intended for clarity
Fanaticism resides not in the content of belief, but in the process by which it is asserted. Our only protection from it [whether it arises from within or without] lies in our will to refute.
— Neil Postman, paraphrasing Louis Mumford
— Neil Postman, paraphrasing Louis Mumford
January 31, 2026 at 1:59 PM
Fanaticism resides not in the content of belief, but in the process by which it is asserted. Our only protection from it [whether it arises from within or without] lies in our will to refute.
— Neil Postman, paraphrasing Louis Mumford
— Neil Postman, paraphrasing Louis Mumford
"To act absolutely from virtue is nothing else in us but to act, to live, and to preserve one’s being…in accordance with the dictates of reason."
— Spinoza, Ethics, Part IV, Prop. 24
— Spinoza, Ethics, Part IV, Prop. 24
January 31, 2026 at 12:07 AM
"To act absolutely from virtue is nothing else in us but to act, to live, and to preserve one’s being…in accordance with the dictates of reason."
— Spinoza, Ethics, Part IV, Prop. 24
— Spinoza, Ethics, Part IV, Prop. 24
When all else fails, people do not turn to reason. The usually turn to gibberish.
—Neil Postman (Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk)
—Neil Postman (Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk)
January 30, 2026 at 10:33 PM
When all else fails, people do not turn to reason. The usually turn to gibberish.
—Neil Postman (Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk)
—Neil Postman (Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk)
« Human life was not as valuable to them as to us. Our men who took part in these execvtions suffered more than those who had to be sh⭕️t. »
—Paul Blobel (commander of the unit responsible for the massacre at Babi Yar)
—Paul Blobel (commander of the unit responsible for the massacre at Babi Yar)
January 30, 2026 at 3:14 AM
« Human life was not as valuable to them as to us. Our men who took part in these execvtions suffered more than those who had to be sh⭕️t. »
—Paul Blobel (commander of the unit responsible for the massacre at Babi Yar)
—Paul Blobel (commander of the unit responsible for the massacre at Babi Yar)
«Oftentimes in public matters, the question of what sort of semantic environment one is confronted with must be settled. How shall we talk to each other about the events that took place?
…the language of patriotism [or] the language of law [is] a clash of two different semantic environments.»
…the language of patriotism [or] the language of law [is] a clash of two different semantic environments.»
January 25, 2026 at 4:04 PM
«Oftentimes in public matters, the question of what sort of semantic environment one is confronted with must be settled. How shall we talk to each other about the events that took place?
…the language of patriotism [or] the language of law [is] a clash of two different semantic environments.»
…the language of patriotism [or] the language of law [is] a clash of two different semantic environments.»
Our language structures the very way we see, and any significant change in our ways of talking can lead to a change in point of view.
—Neil Postman, “Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk”
—Neil Postman, “Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk”
January 19, 2026 at 3:33 AM
Our language structures the very way we see, and any significant change in our ways of talking can lead to a change in point of view.
—Neil Postman, “Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk”
—Neil Postman, “Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk”
We make things up to suit what we need to believe.
—character in Madonna in a Fur Coat, by Sabahattin Ali
—character in Madonna in a Fur Coat, by Sabahattin Ali
January 17, 2026 at 10:07 PM
We make things up to suit what we need to believe.
—character in Madonna in a Fur Coat, by Sabahattin Ali
—character in Madonna in a Fur Coat, by Sabahattin Ali
“People can only get to know each other up to a point, and then they make up the rest.”
—character in Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali
—character in Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali
January 17, 2026 at 7:15 PM
“People can only get to know each other up to a point, and then they make up the rest.”
—character in Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali
—character in Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali
“Some things we never know we need until we find them.”
—character in Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali
—character in Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali
January 17, 2026 at 7:13 PM
“Some things we never know we need until we find them.”
—character in Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali
—character in Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali
Reposted by Barry Schachter
The Insurrection Act does require an actual insurrection. The violence in Minneapolis is almost exclusively one-sided. People yelling at you, calling you names, and recording you on a cell phone isn’t violence. And if the courts let Trump say it is, we’re in a lot of trouble.
January 16, 2026 at 2:32 PM
The Insurrection Act does require an actual insurrection. The violence in Minneapolis is almost exclusively one-sided. People yelling at you, calling you names, and recording you on a cell phone isn’t violence. And if the courts let Trump say it is, we’re in a lot of trouble.