Feelings Don't Care About Your Facts

My fellow Americans: I feel like I need to say this.

A lot of you are angry. You're concerned about what's going on right now, and you're worried about the future. You're disgusted by the actions of your political opponents, and you feel hope and anticipation whenever there's the slightest possibility that their goals will be thwarted. You're filled with dread when they're winning, and you're lifted into paroxysms of joyous schadenfreude when they fail.

Good news: Those feelings are all you need! If there was ever a time in American history when it was worthwhile to pay attention to facts and evidence, those days are over. Thanks to the cutting-edge technology of the early 21st century, choosing to go with your gut has never been easier or more effective. Name the outrage, and you're just a click away from the corresponding mob.

But let's back up for a minute. Let's say, just for the purposes of example, that you really wanted Hillary Clinton to be elected president in 2016. You didn't care what anybody said about her, because that just proved they were terrified of a strong, independent woman who blazed a trail through American history by marrying a guy who later got elected president. You were devastated when she lost because it confirmed your belief that this country hates women.* The pussy-grabber defeated the pussy-possessor, and it plunged you into despair. Nothing could ever be good again. The evil Republicans were well on the way to transforming America into The Handmaid's Tale. All hope was lost.

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