NBA Refereeing Has Only Gotten Better But Generalized Distrust Of Authority Thinks Otherwise

Alan: If we cannot play "by the rules" -- even when mistakes are made -- there can be no game.

Sure, we should acknowledge that "it's a game" and that we have agreed to "play by rules" (including the rules, written and unwritten, whereby we can change the rules.)

At issue is the conflict between the centrality of "Rugged Individualism" and the centrality of "The Common Good" and "The General Welfare." 

Which is primary? 

"I?"

Or, "we?"

When "we" do not agree upon rules, the descent into chaos looks a lot like the current "fraying of America."

Like breaking windows in an abandoned building, the fissive energy of violence and destruction is "an easy high."

But the greatest power -- and the most integral integrity -- reside in the energy released by fusion.

Ironically, "conservative" "Christianity's" purported commitment to "religious authority" (which routinely means "my personal view of authority is God's own view") is the cutting edge of chaos.

Hoop Reams

By

Michael Lewis
This American Life

Writer Michael Lewis takes us inside the world of NBA refereeing. He explains how protests about unfair calls have increased in recent years. However, at the same time, hard evidence suggests referees have only gotten better and better at making good calls. Lewis says this is actually indicative of a larger trend in America — people distrusting authorities, judges and referees of all kinds. This story is a version of the first episode of his new podcast Against the Rules. (32 minutes)