Aspen Institute Puns

A New York Post opinion on the Aspen Institute’s Commission on Information Disorder highlights the hypocritical credentials of its members.

This is what they had to say about him:

’And then there is commission member Prince Harry, an expat British ex-royal with few qualifications but a lifetime of evidence of his own questionable judgment (such as dressing up as a Nazi and, more recently, whining to Oprah about the family that funds his lavish lifestyle).

’Earlier this year, Harry declared the First Amendment “bonkers”.’

He’s come off quite lightly really. It’s interesting that he’s referred to as an ‘ex-royal’, as technically he’s still a royal, just not a working one. Also, the link has a photo of him, with a rather amusing caption.

Prince Harry is on the Aspen Institute "Commission on Information Disorder". The stated goal of that commission is this: "To identify and prioritize the most critical sources and causes of information disorder and deliver a set of short-term actions and longer-term goals to help government, the private sector, and civil society respond to this modern-day crisis of faith in key institutions."

I'm not quite sure about the term "information disorder", but assuming that the definition includes the dissemination of false, inaccurate, or misleading information with the intent to persuade, manipulate, influence, or discredit others, I think it's abundantly clear that Harry and Meghan are themselves part of the "information disorder" problem. They continue to actively contribute to the very information disorder The Aspen Institute Commission has committed to identifying and rooting out. Should this be of concern to The Aspen Institute?

Given what we have seen, heard, and read from the Sussexes and their representatives over the last five years, should Harry be allowed to serve on the this Commission? Should The Aspen Institute reconsider his inclusion on that Commission? Just this week, we have seen evidence documenting the fact that Meghan lied in sworn testimony to the High Court, in the Mail on Sunday lawsuit. She has characterized this as "she forgot", but isn't this more accurately an instance of perjury before the High Court? And is there any doubt that Harry was aware of this "information disorder"?

Should The Aspen Institute withdraw Harry's appointment to the Commission? It would seem that not to do so would call into question the Commission's legitimacy and the integrity of their efforts. Harry's participation on this Commission could be seen as at best, disingenuous -- a cheap, contrived effort to use his recognizability and the past claims of media exploitation of Diana -- and at worst dishonest and hypocritical.

If you would like to express your concerns about Harry serving on this Commission and urge The Aspen Institute to reconsider his position, I suggest you contact Jon.Purves@aspeninstitute.org. He manages press outreach and media relations across The Aspen Institute's various efforts and programs.

Hey everyone,

I rarely post about my personal experience in the TTI but I remembered this story from my time at the Aspen Institute and thought I should share. For those who don't know, I was at the Aspen Institute in 2014 and actually left only a few days before they rebranded as Viewpoint.

This happened towards the end of my stay at Aspen. We were all woken up at about 5 a.m. by the fire alarms going off. Sirens wailing, lights flashing. Most of us were in complete shock, as this was an incredibly abrupt and disorientating way to wake up. I initially thought it was a fire drill until staff came rushing down the hallways yelling at all of us to get up and pack all of our things. They were frantic as they told us that there was a huge tornado coming right for our building.

Many of us in the program had anxiety/panic disorders, and as such, many of us began having anxiety attacks. I remember kids crying, shaking, and screaming for their parents. The staff continued to be very frantic and told us we needed to pack whatever we wanted to take with us and line up by the door so we could drive somewhere safe. I was petrified. I legitimately thought that any second, a tornado was going to tear through the building and sweep us all up. Mind you, the fire alarms were still going off which contributed to the sense of urgency and doom.

When we had finally packed up, we rushed to the front and formed a line. Most of us were still crying and shaking as we waited for the staff to unlock the large metal doors. I remember wondering if I would ever be able to speak to my parents again.

When we were all ready and waiting at the door, the staff gathered in front of all of us. One of them went over to the door like they were going to unlock it, but instead, they turned around. "APRIL FOOLS!" they all shouted in unison. What a hilarious prank to play on a bunch of mentally ill teenagers with no sense of time and no access to outside information. And then, of course, we all had to unpack and just go on with our day as if nothing had happened.

I'm sure all of the people who haven't been able to visit their elderly relatives in nursing homes would love an explanation of what's being covered in the BVI that can't be covered over Zoom.

https://www.nola.com/news/politics/article_f5b9d150-7aad-11eb-be33-d318957bbc8f.html