In that the crucible of questions aimed at their targets have no conceivable answers that will exonerate the accused of their suspected crime. Dodge the question and you are avoiding the issue, answer it earnestly and you are still burned as a witch, for deigning to speak in a finite way to a complex problem.

Bernie’s dilemma was that, when asked a question akin to, “What advice would you give to someone who found themselves suddenly capsized in a raging river,” he gave the kind of advice that an honest and concise person would. Utilitarian, plainspoken, with the glaringly obvious understanding that the hypothetical capsized swimmer is in a dangerous situation they didn’t create, but must nevertheless make the best of the aspects of it that are under their control.

Exactly the kind of advice a good parent or swimming teacher would give.

He didn’t interject with a lot of dumb disclaimers about how the hapless capsized person wasn’t responsible for the terrain of the river that caused those rapids to exist, or how in a perfect world, rafts would remain seaworthy at all times and people wouldn’t have to deal with these situations. No parent or instructor speaks like that; it obfuscates the issue and is patronizing.

Paranoidly searching every answer for the way in which, if you look at it in the most uncharitable light possible, it betrays the sinfulness of the accused’s heart, is exactly like the work of a fanatical, vengeful sect.

These utopian people need to shove off for woker shores, and leave the rest of us to try to improve the here and now.