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The statement ‘you’d have to be stupid to see that’ reverses the usual statement: ‘you’d have to be stupid not to see that’ is aimed in the opposite direction. There are two results that can be observed from this reversal in the context of the debate surrounding the budget process:

1. You’d have to be stupid to see democracy in this budget process; a word like ‘democracy’ is used for nothing save to aggrandize the debate regarding the budget process.

2. You’d have to be stupid to see alternatives to this budget process; in order to control the debate regarding the budget process there is a general tendency to belittle the proposal of alternatives.

Our problem today is best illustrated by such a reversal: ‘you’d be stupid to see that’ is the general reaction to the proposal of alternatives to the budget process. What do I mean by this? The idea can be expressed via a joke.

Radio Yerevan jokes are jokes that parody a radio question and answer show where listeners can ask whatever they want, but Radio Yerevan answers with whatever it wants. Typically, the subjects of these jokes are politics, economics, etc., and the answer is ambiguous. For example,

Question: “Is it true that John from Tiverton won a car in the lottery?”

Answer: “In principle, yes. But first it was not John, but Jerry; second, the winner is not from Tiverton, but Fall River; third, it was not a car, but a bicycle; and fourth he didn’t win it, but rather it was stolen from him.”

We should apply this joke to the debate surrounding the budget process.

Question: “Is it true that in a display of democratic unity the people of Tiverton are participating in the decision-making processes of the town?”

Answer: “In principle, yes. But first it is not the people of Tiverton, but a select few who embody a Tiverton out-of-touch with ordinary people; second, the politics that gives strength to proponents and opponents of the budget process is not democratic, but autocratic.”

Of course proponents and opponents of the budget process are not the same; the difference between them is obvious. Nonetheless, the choice between the two positions is not a “real” choice in the democratic sense and it is enough to focus on the background of each position to see why. Yes, those opposing the budget process may ‘paint the Budget Committee process as distorted’ however, such opposition addresses the dissatisfaction of ordinary people, albeit in a mystifying way. In contrast, the proponents of the budget process present themselves as democratic however, the politics they stand for is the main cause of the dissatisfaction of ordinary people with things like the budget process.

As a simple experiment, attempt to point out the limitations of either position and the hypothesis is that the reproach to you will be, ‘you’d be stupid to see that (limitation)’. The conclusion: the obscenity of our situation is breathtaking, and you’d be stupid not to see that.

From: Letter: Tiverton Budget Committee plays key role in FTR process

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Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.