Scotland's cult of ignorance
It is time to call-out those who would sow the seeds of doubt, and call time on culturally-induced ignorance
AGNOTOLOGY is the study of deliberate, culturally-induced ignorance or doubt, often sown in service of a particular product or to win favour. In other words, it is the art of sowing the seeds of doubt. And it is surprisingly easy to make people question facts, just ask any rhetorician.
One of the more famous quotes about agnotology is perhaps Issac Asimov’s from 1980, reflecting on, as he saw it, an American strain of anti-intellectualism in the culture
“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge’”1
A more contemporary example, again borrowing from our American cousins, was the infamous speech by Senator Jim Inhofe (Republican, Oklahoma). He insisted climate change could not be real on the basis that he was able to pick up a snowball from outside the Capitol Buildings. He then proceeded to hurl the snowball at a Democrat senatorial opponent.2
Assistant Professor of English Patrick Love of Monmouth University reflected on agnotological rhetorical devices regarding climate denialism and explained
“The agnotological argument, which often comes down to market justification, gives [people] a justification for inaction—or less action—through an appeal to rationality, through saying, ‘Let’s not freak out about this, let’s be calm, let’s move slowly”3
He observed that it is exceptionally challenging to counter the rhetorical devices employed by those seeking to spread doubt. Instead positing the idea of changing the grounds for debate, instead reaching for moral grounds. Assistant Professor Love thus concludes that climate change should be re-framed along moral terms instead.
But I would argue that here in Scotland today we are coming up against a similar cult of ignorance as Asimov decried in 1980s America. Our cult of ignorance is not seeking to deny the realities of climate change in pursuit of market profits. Nor is it in service to the more wild-eyed brexiteerism of certain corners of England (“we’ve had enough of the experts” claimed infamously by Michael Gove).
No, Scotland has a modern cultural nationalism, with fatuous ‘Scottish exceptionalism’ at its centre blending with a toxic political nationalism willing to say or do anything for ‘the cause’.
Agnotology is alive and well here in our modern Scotland friends. How else can you explain the concerted efforts by senior Nationalist politicians such as Finance Secretary Kate Forbes pretending we don’t have a deficit?
When Kate Forbes stood before her party conference last year, she gave us a perfect example of agnotology in action. She artfully with apparently reasonable arguments sought to spread doubt in SNP members minds about the existence of Scotland’s deficit. She doubled down, telling BBC Good Morning Scotland that
“I balance my budget every year, so I only spend on an annual basis what I raise or receive, which is totally at odds with nearly every other government around the world. You cannot have a deficit if you cannot borrow for day-to-day spending.”4
She proceeded to argue that GERS statistics are about “notional deficits” (as if that somehow proves there is no Scottish deficit). And also said “72 per cent of the tax figures are UK Government tax figures” (as if that means, again there is no Scottish deficit). What this is is a masterclass in agnotology. She is spreading half-truths, misleading people with specific facts to imply untrue conclusions. It is no different from the tobacco companies 40 year campaign of disinformation to sow doubt about the health damage caused by smoking. Scotland’s Finance Secretary is actively engaging in the politics of selective facts, to sow doubt. As with the tobacco firms, her goal isn’t to ‘win’ this debate, merely to force it to happen.
After all, the very fact that people are debating whether a Scottish deficit actually exists is the end goal itself. It delays, it spreads doubt.
As These Islands observes in their GERS statistics deep-dive report, Ms Forbes goal is simply to ensure nationalist minded voters think the following
“People are arguing about the figures so they obviously can't be trusted - I'll just go with what my gut tells me.”5
Agnotology. A cult of ignorance in service of ‘the cause’ of the SNP. But Ms Forbes is able to get away with her nonsense thanks to the aid of others.
She is aided in her task of sowing enough seeds of doubt by pro-Independence ‘newspapers’ such as The ‘National’. Today it front-paged a call to cease publishing GERS statistics, on the basis they are used by opponents of separation to prove the weak economic prospectus of independence.
“It makes no sense for the Scottish Government to assist our Unionist opponents by continuing to confer political legitimacy upon a scientifically illegitimate statistic. It should cease its publication.”6
So the statistics (that they claim is ‘illegitimate’) should not be published as it does not lend support to the economic prospectus of separation. Now, the basis for their claiming GERS are ‘illegitimate’ repeats Ms Forbes nonsense claims from last year about it being a notional deficit, and is somehow unfair representation of Scotland’s economy because Westminster. But, the article gave the game away with the following
“In Scotland’s case, the ‘benefits’ include items like an apportionment of MoD spending in support of the Trident submarine base on the Clyde, as well as Saudi Arabia’s activities in the Yemen. Other examples of unwanted expenditure by Whitehall Departments include payments of benefits for unemployment created by UK Government policies, and expenditure incurred in pursuit of external trade treaties that disadvantage Scottish economic interests.”7
Did you spot their rhetorical trick? They are claiming that, because spending on foreign affairs and defence is reserved to Westminster, and they don’t like how the UK Government is spending on these things…they ought not to be included in any evaluation of Scotland’s current deficit.
Naturally this is ludicrous beyond belief. Not least because the issue isn’t whether or not you agree with how money is being spend. The issue is that Scotland is a part of the UK, and therefore will have its share of spending derived from foreign and defence.
How it is being spent is an entirely separate debate from the fact that it is being spent, and we inevitably have a share of that spending given our current membership of the UK. The stuff about ‘unwanted’ Westminster spending is a perfect example of a rhetorical attempt to sow doubt, to justify a failure to confront an objectively true reality. In this case, Scotland has a deficit and it is currently 22.4% of GDP (£36.3bn). Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, it was 8.6% (£15.1bn)8
The cherry-picking of data by nationalists is disreputable. Scotland’s governing party is engaging in Kellyanne Conway variety ‘alternative facts’. It toxifies the debate, as Scots are unable to discuss the merits or demerits of independence. How can we discuss or debate the issue in any future plebiscite when the SNP and their media allies insist on pre-emptively confusing the debate. If we cannot agree on what are facts, to the point that the nationalist pretend a deficit of over 22% does not exist, then the game is up. We are witnessing a coordinated disinformation campaign by senior nationalists ahead of a potential second referendum.
Under these circumstances I struggle to envision a scenario where a second independence referendum could tolerably take place.
(Article edited 18.01, 23rd Jan 2022 to include Blair McDougall’s tweet)
‘A Cult of Ignorance’, Isaac Asimov, January 1980, Newsweek | https://aphelis.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/ASIMOV_1980_Cult_of_Ignorance.pdf
‘Inhofe hurls snowball on Senate floor’, Timothy Cama, 26th February 2015, The Hill | https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/234026-sen-inhofe-throws-snowball-to-disprove-climate-change
‘The Art Of Sowing Doubt’, Breanne McCarthy, Spring 2020, Monmouth: The Magazine of Monmouth University | https://www.monmouth.edu/magazine/the-art-of-sowing-doubt/
‘Budget: Kate Forbes under fire after insisting Scotland has no financial deficit’, Jane Bradley, 26th November 2021, The Scotsman | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/budget-kate-forbes-under-fire-after-insisting-scotland-has-no-financial-deficit-3472671
‘GERS 2021: A deep dive’, Kevin Hague, 6th September 2021, These Islands | https://www.these-islands.co.uk/publications/i377/gers_2021_a_deep_dive.aspx
‘GERS figures 'should not be published', top economist David Simpson says’, Kathleen Nutt, 22nd January 2022, The National | https://www.thenational.scot/news/19868101.gers-figures-should-not-published-top-economist-david-simpson-says/
‘GERS figures 'should not be published', top economist David Simpson says’, Kathleen Nutt, 22nd January 2022, The National | https://www.thenational.scot/news/19868101.gers-figures-should-not-published-top-economist-david-simpson-says/
‘Scottish public spending deficit doubles to £36bn’, 18th August 2021, BBC NEWS | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-58256028