It Begs The Question

Methinks December 15, 2018

The consequences will be unexpected…Methinks

Act 3  –  Scene 2

Hamlet makes a cup of coffee with his Keurig. When it’s done he picks it up and walks into the den and turns on the TV with the nearby remote. As the TV comes to life a talking head starts to speak. As the talking head speaks, Hamlet starts counting; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. In the background the talking head says the word “Trump…” and continues with a critical and hyperbolic diatribe. Hamlet takes a sip of coffee and changes the station on the TV. Another talking head appears and Hamlet again starts counting… 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and in the background we again hear the word “Trump…” and again accompanied by another tirade. The scene fades out and then in again and essentially repeats itself with minor variations. Over and over, as the scene fades out and then in again, we see the months (and years!) pass away by virtue of a calendar on the wall behind the TV as we hear Hamlet say…

too much, methinks.”


Now let’s think about the objectives of the talking heads. For the sake of discussion, let’s suppose that the objectives are to get the viewers of the “news” to believe what’s said and ultimately to vote in a specific way. The question is… even if the talking heads speak the truth, will the incessant anti-Trump tirades achieve those objectives, or instead, will it slowly but unrelentingly turn the population “pro-Trump” (even if at a relatively low rate). Or to say it another way,

Will there be unexpected consequences?


Before answering the above question, we might want to look back on the 2016 election and the events leading up to it. These “events” included, in case you’ve forgotten, incessant anti-Trump news coverage. And maybe most telling, are the results of the myriad of polls for many, many months leading up to the election.

The principles talked about above can be extended to “real life” and interpersonal relationships; especially as applied to the times we “talk politics” with others.  If what I say is too much and way too often then I may well convince you to have an opinion (and actions) opposite of mine… even if you were initially inclined to agree with me.   You may well be inclined to say “the lady doth protest too much, methinks.”  and act accordingly.   This is a good thing to know.

Of course, we need to point out (if it’s not already obvious) that Talking Heads don’t make the

agenda or decide what’s said (or how many times).   They are merely hired mouths.

Also, when talking politics, we are all correct and brilliant all of the time.


Here’s a couple of links to follow for more background.


So remember… it’s not what you say…

It’s how you say it (and how often).

The End

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