The Duck of Minerva

Mindless Empiricism

by Rodger Payne

4 May 2011, 1857 EDT

"The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated" -- Mark Twain.
If we don’t get to see a photo, how will we know with certainty that Osama bin Laden isn’t simply living in a retirement community with Hitler, Jim Morrison, Elvis, Andy Kaufman, Tupac, Princess Diana, and Michael Jackson? 
I hear that they mostly talk about the good old days, the JFK assassination, and the 2004 election results in Ohio.
Personally, I’ll be satisfied when I see the long-form death certificate. 
I know, I know — 140 char. versions of these should probably be on twitter, rather than here. Sorry. 




			

				
				
				
				
				
Rodger A. Payne is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Louisville. He serves on the University’s Sustainability Council and was a co-founder of the Peace, Conflict, and Social Justice program. He is the author of dozens of journal articles and book chapters and coauthor, with Nayef Samhat, of Democratizing Global Politics: Discourse Norms, International Regimes, and Political Community (SUNY, 2004). He is currently working on two major projects, one exploring the role of narratives in international politics and the other examining the implications of America First foreign policy.




			

				
				
				
				
				

			

				
				
				
				
				



	
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