WSJ Explains “Their” Hate

David Gelernter, Wozniak wannabe
and self-proclaimed artist

The Wall Street Journal ran a political opinion piece by a Yale computer prof, “The Real Reason They Hate Trump—He’s the average American in exaggerated form—blunt, simple, willing to fight, mistrustful of intellectuals...” (if a gag reflex went off, you’re a “They”).

Here’s a letter I won’t be sending the author:

Dear Mr. Gelernter, 
You’ve probably gotten lots of hate mail for your WSJ opinion piece “The Real Reason They Hate Trump,” which must feel validating.
 
Noticing your credentials, I wonder if you have a binary preference for one or zero...I mean, after stringing so many together, like say, for self-driving AI— three hundred million lines of code— but then, Boom!— another accident, because of the universe’s perversely infinite unknowns. 
It’s cruel, the perfection expected of your profession. And of course neither ones or zeros are guilty in bad code; just one rule applies: garbage in, garbage out.
 
 I was also curious about the other half of your article’s binary: love. For the hell of it, I counted instances of “hate” vs. “love” in your article. Seeing 13 uses of “hate” vs. only four for “love” might tempt a conclusion of intent, but that would be as ridiculous as declaring disproportionate ones and zeros prejudicial. 
 
I’ve got to say however, announcing early as a Machiavelli fan was daring. He is certainly even more hated than Trump. Screw that “speaking truth to power” stuff, he spoke it about power and look where it got him. Of course, he’s dead now, so only his techniques are hated. It was nice of you to show some love for those hardcore truths of his.
 
I notice that no matter how I try, a note of snarkiness intrudes into this missive, for which I apologize. It’s because we both know that Mr Trump’s signature characteristic isn’t any of the sycophantic attributes you adorn him with— it’s because Mr Trump is known primarily for lying. He is the indisputably most documented liar in human history. Yet there are zero instances of the word “lie,” in any form, in your piece.
 
You can write as many words or lines of code as you please in support and praise of a liar, but the infinite arc of the universe bends toward truth. I’m sorry you believe you can postpone that inevitability, perhaps due to the mathematician’s professional habit of waving off infinity and embracing zero.
 
The rule still applies: garbage in, garbage out.