Percy-L: Literary, Religious, Scientific, and Philosophical Discussion of Walker Percy

[Karey Perkins <kareyperkins AT gmail.com>]

America’s horrendous and failed response to the pandemic, worse than any other country in the entire world, developed and developing, making America “first” at being “worst,” (is this Making America Great Again?),  is  entirely and totally due to "the rest” — the incompetence and corruption of our political leaders.  

America’s failure at handling the pandemic is not an accident, but due to decades of dismantling of our democracy, culminating in the present particularly incompetent and corrupt administration.  Cause and effect.  It’s basic science, as Peirce would say.  Pragmaticism.

THAT is worth talking about.  "Speak out," as the poem says.  Read and learn:

• https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/07/inside-the-us-pandemic-incompetence-it-starts-at-the-top/
• https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/09/coronavirus-american-failure/614191/
• https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2006740

Karey Perkins, M.A., M.A.T., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of English

296A Turner Hall, South Carolina State University

Orangeburg, SC 29117

kperkin1 AT scsu.edu | 803-536-7016

www.scsu.edu 
Member, Institute for Studies in Pragmaticism
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX  79409-0002

kareperk AT ttu.edu | http://www.pragmaticism.net

On Aug 7, 2020, at 2:44 PM, RHONDA MCDONNELL <rhonda_mcdonnell AT msn.com> wrote:

Well, yes, in response to the pandemic. But the rest ... ;-)

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 7, 2020, at 2:24 PM, Karey Perkins <kareyperkins AT gmail.com> wrote:

 According to Charles Sanders Peirce (paraphrased badly):  

There is a reality out there.  It’s not a matter of opinion; reality exists quite separately from any human opinion.  While no human has a 100% grasp on reality, some human views are more close to that real reality out there than others.  Those whose views of reality most closely coincide with reality itself are most successful; those whose views deviate more from what reality actually is — will fail.  

I may believe I can fly, but if I jump off of tall buildings in order to practice that belief, it won’t bode well for me.

If I believe in gravity, I’ll not be jumping out of buildings. I’ll fare far better than my compatriot who IS jumping off of buildings.

That’s pragmaticism.   

We as humans have a profound responsibility to seek the truth and propagate the truth — not as an abstraction, but as a flesh-and blood physical reality.  

Because dying in a pandemic is a flesh and blood reality.  Being unemployed (by some estimates, 47.2% of Americans) and evicted from your home is a flesh and blood reality with real physical consequences.  

This is no longer about abstracted religious “belief” or political “belief.”  This is not about silly political arguments.  This is life and death.

This is not an abstraction for hundreds of thousands of Americans. 

Karey

Karey Perkins, M.A., M.A.T., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of English

296A Turner Hall, South Carolina State University

Orangeburg, SC 29117

kperkin1 AT scsu.edu | 803-536-7016

www.scsu.edu 
Member, Institute for Studies in Pragmaticism
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX  79409-0002

kareperk AT ttu.edu | http://www.pragmaticism.net

On Aug 7, 2020, at 1:31 PM, RHONDA MCDONNELL <rhonda_mcdonnell AT msn.com> wrote:

In just the last few posts, where we see some polarization, I am reminded of Tom More reflecting on the arguments among his fellow prisoners in THE THANATOS SYNDROME — can’t help but smile.

Wishing y’all well,

Rhonda

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 7, 2020, at 6:36 AM, janetcantor37--- via Percy-L <percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org> wrote:

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