signaling

[kaysixteen]

Anyone have a good bibliography for reading about the current depressing tendency of righties to signal, by doing things like refusing to mask and vax, etc?

[marshwiggle]

Anyone have a good bibliography for reading about the current depressing tendency of righties to signal, by doing things like refusing to mask and vax, etc?

A point of clarification: Painting a rainbow on a crosswalk is signaling; refusing to get vaccinated or wear a mask is taking action. It may be a stupid action, but it has actual direct consequences. As more people get vaccinated, the unvaxxed non-maskers are less of a threat to anyone but themselves and people close to them.

If we're going to use the term "signal", for anywhere on the political spectrum, let's be consistent and stick to the defintion.

Signal: a gesture, action, or sound that is used to convey information or instructions, typically by prearrangement between the parties concerned.

[mamselle]

K16's usage is also current, as in "virtue-signalling," etc.

M.

[dismalist]

K16's usage is also current, as in "virtue-signalling," etc.

M.

Alas, no. Virtue signalling is hardly about virtuous acts. It's moral grandstanding.

From Wikipedia: Virtue signalling may incorporate some or all elements found in political correctness, self-righteousness, and moral superiority. ... describes virtue signalling as a public act [such as signing a petition, insert mine] with minimal associated cost intended to inform others of one's socially acceptable alignment on an issue.

... in The Guardian, suggested the phrase was the sequel insult to champagne socialist.

[Istiblennius]

I think in this case Mamselle and K16 are both right in their useage of "signaling" and "virtue signaling". The pseudopatriotic KKKristian* right considers placing their personal desires and rights above the good of society. They believe freedom means they have freedom to impose their views and values on everyone else (my body my choice applies to vaccines but not to women's reproductive health or trans youth's access to hormone therapy). Thus, by refusing vaccines and masks, or pulling a Tucker Carlson and getting a vaccine but playing coy about it, they are signalling what they believe to be a virtue.

*In reference to those who claim to follow Christ act in direct opposition to his teachings.  - The guy who broke up the money lenders at the temple would have a lot to say about the greedy hypocrites have co-opted his worldview and teachings.

[Parasaurolophus]

Anyone have a good bibliography for reading about the current depressing tendency of righties to signal, by doing things like refusing to mask and vax, etc?

A point of clarification: Painting a rainbow on a crosswalk is signaling; refusing to get vaccinated or wear a mask is taking action. It may be a stupid action, but it has actual direct consequences. As more people get vaccinated, the unvaxxed non-maskers are less of a threat to anyone but themselves and people close to them.

If we're going to use the term "signal", for anywhere on the political spectrum, let's be consistent and stick to the defintion.

Signal: a gesture, action, or sound that is used to convey information or instructions, typically by prearrangement between the parties concerned.

I'm pretty sure that the prominent refusal to mask up is a kind of signalling about who you are and what you believe.


Actions can be symbolic in addition to being actions. If I piss on the flag, I'm acting and conveying information.

[mamselle]

Yes.

A related category would be conceptual performance art.

Which, if anyone cares to know, appears in the writings of the prophets Isaiah, Hosea, and Ezekiel, among others...

M.

[mahagonny]

I think in this case Mamselle and K16 are both right in their useage of "signaling" and "virtue signaling". The pseudopatriotic KKKristian* right considers placing their personal desires and rights above the good of society. They believe freedom means they have freedom to impose their views and values on everyone else (my body my choice applies to vaccines but not to women's reproductive health or trans youth's access to hormone therapy). Thus, by refusing vaccines and masks, or pulling a Tucker Carlson and getting a vaccine but playing coy about it, they are signalling what they believe to be a virtue.

*In reference to those who claim to follow Christ act in direct opposition to his teachings.  - The guy who broke up the money lenders at the temple would have a lot to say about the greedy hypocrites have co-opted his worldview and teachings.

Was Jesus Christ an advocate of abortion rights, and if so in which trimesters?

[waterboy]

I don't believe the bible has ANYTHING to say about abortion rights. One way or the other.

[dismalist]

Anyone have a good bibliography for reading about the current depressing tendency of righties to signal, by doing things like refusing to mask and vax, etc?

A point of clarification: Painting a rainbow on a crosswalk is signaling; refusing to get vaccinated or wear a mask is taking action. It may be a stupid action, but it has actual direct consequences. As more people get vaccinated, the unvaxxed non-maskers are less of a threat to anyone but themselves and people close to them.

If we're going to use the term "signal", for anywhere on the political spectrum, let's be consistent and stick to the defintion.

Signal: a gesture, action, or sound that is used to convey information or instructions, typically by prearrangement between the parties concerned.

I'm pretty sure that the prominent refusal to mask up is a kind of signalling about who you are and what you believe.


Actions can be symbolic in addition to being actions. If I piss on the flag, I'm acting and conveying information.

The point is that that's of no cost to you.

[Anselm]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/04/30/metro/why-some-wont-ditch-their-masks-outdoors-im-not-about-look-like-republican/

The signaling is not confined to any one political ideology. 

[Parasaurolophus]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/04/30/metro/why-some-wont-ditch-their-masks-outdoors-im-not-about-look-like-republican/

The signaling is not confined to any one political ideology.

Neither is pissing on a flag. It's still a symbolic action, though.

[Istiblennius]

(my body my choice applies to vaccines but not to women's reproductive health

Was Jesus Christ an advocate of abortion rights, and if so in which trimesters?

Reproductive health > abortions.

[mahagonny]

(my body my choice applies to vaccines but not to women's reproductive health

Was Jesus Christ an advocate of abortion rights, and if so in which trimesters?

Reproductive health > abortions.

If you're ever out in Texas, be careful.

[kaysixteen]

The reason I brought up signaling, aka 'virtue signaling', was because I had already been thinking about this a goodly amount recently, wrt many of my coreligionists' depressing actions throughout the pandemic and esp since the development of the vax, when I heard Prof. Jonathan Gruber, MIT economist, talking on 'Boston Public Radio' the other day.   I did not catch the entire interview, but he was mentioning this, citing a column written by Nobel laureate Paul Krugman.   He agrees with Krugman that this is taking place, to the great hurt not only of the signalers, but to a real extent to the rest of us, but Gruber also claimed that such signaling is also, wrt the two main US political parties, due to what Gruber thinks is a closening of political positions between the two parties.   I find this to be in error.   While it is true that there are fewer radical extremists, which he defined as ultra-libertarians on the right, and unreconstructed socialists-fellow travelers, on the left, nonetheless, as I see it the two parties have drifted very much further apart from each other culturally, with this being even more so with the GOP.   Or am I missing something?  Such cultural bona fides seem tailor-made for occasions of signaling....