You always do an excellent job with your well-researched and considered essays, Thom. Thank you.
What we see is Bread and Circus. I am not quite ready to give American citizens a pass and blame everything on those cruel Republicans (and they ARE cruel, but the an inevitable symptom of our world views.) This descent has been, in large part…
You always do an excellent job with your well-researched and considered essays, Thom. Thank you.
What we see is Bread and Circus. I am not quite ready to give American citizens a pass and blame everything on those cruel Republicans (and they ARE cruel, but the an inevitable symptom of our world views.) This descent has been, in large part, a choice. Americans are entertaining themselves with Circus, while not paying attention to what is happening to the Bread because paying attention to the Bread is difficult and often painful work. Social and network media has accelerated the Circus in every way possible. This will continue until the "Bread" runs out and we, collectively, get really “Hungry.” AI, by decimating available jobs, will send this process into overdrive and climate change will make it brutal.
Many, as Thom points out, are already Hungry. So, they look for a savior and they think they've found it in Trump and xenophobia. It is no accident this is most severe in the purportedly most religious areas of the country. Our descent into delusion would not have been possible without early conditioning to look for a savior. Chickens always come home to roost and the sexism, racism, bigotry and downright idiocy in our core religious beliefs are squawking loudly. This flaw is fundamental and has been with us since our founding. It isn’t a belief in God that dooms us, but the way that belief is manifested in our society. Deep in our origins is a strain of religious extremism that is maintained, sadly, by child abuse – don’t spare the rod and all that. The Puritans were brutal to their children, especially the girls and we live with this heritage. Life is painful because our religions teach that suffering is noble – a lesson learned in early childhood. Who wouldn’t want Circus to relieve, even temporarily, the ever-present pain in such a belief system – one that says God is going to destroy everyone but an elect few who have managed to say the right incantations and follow the “true path” du jour.
Americans have chosen this path we are on – not all of us, of course – but enough of us to make life ever more miserable. We are in the Bread disappearing stage. One might even say the Four Horseman are upon us – a self-fulfilling, religious set of predictions.
Spot on. People who throw their votes away want someone to save them. They do not want the painful job of thinking things through and being responsible. And to be fair, many are not among the brightest bulbs for a variety of reasons. We need to be aware and try and compensate with numbers and political smarts. Democrats need to get down in the dirt and actually talk to ordinary people about kitchen table issues. In my very multicultural working class neighborhood they mainly show up for op Ed’s., don’t stick around to talk one on one and give a superficial ear to their constituents. Hardly ever have a comprehensive solution or bother to step that through for voters. Most of us peasants feel disrespected and that we have no one to vote for because for all intents and purposes only rich monied donors have their ears. We still have NO campaign reforms and I have fought that losing battle for seventy years
In synch, overall, but did your bully spell-checker sabotage "Bread disappearing?" Anyhow, is one of the "horsemen" pestilence? I saw a Google news headline today about a resurgence of leprosy, for heavens' sake! Armadillos. Then hello measles, polio, and even diphtheria!
You always do an excellent job with your well-researched and considered essays, Thom. Thank you.
What we see is Bread and Circus. I am not quite ready to give American citizens a pass and blame everything on those cruel Republicans (and they ARE cruel, but the an inevitable symptom of our world views.) This descent has been, in large part, a choice. Americans are entertaining themselves with Circus, while not paying attention to what is happening to the Bread because paying attention to the Bread is difficult and often painful work. Social and network media has accelerated the Circus in every way possible. This will continue until the "Bread" runs out and we, collectively, get really “Hungry.” AI, by decimating available jobs, will send this process into overdrive and climate change will make it brutal.
Many, as Thom points out, are already Hungry. So, they look for a savior and they think they've found it in Trump and xenophobia. It is no accident this is most severe in the purportedly most religious areas of the country. Our descent into delusion would not have been possible without early conditioning to look for a savior. Chickens always come home to roost and the sexism, racism, bigotry and downright idiocy in our core religious beliefs are squawking loudly. This flaw is fundamental and has been with us since our founding. It isn’t a belief in God that dooms us, but the way that belief is manifested in our society. Deep in our origins is a strain of religious extremism that is maintained, sadly, by child abuse – don’t spare the rod and all that. The Puritans were brutal to their children, especially the girls and we live with this heritage. Life is painful because our religions teach that suffering is noble – a lesson learned in early childhood. Who wouldn’t want Circus to relieve, even temporarily, the ever-present pain in such a belief system – one that says God is going to destroy everyone but an elect few who have managed to say the right incantations and follow the “true path” du jour.
Americans have chosen this path we are on – not all of us, of course – but enough of us to make life ever more miserable. We are in the Bread disappearing stage. One might even say the Four Horseman are upon us – a self-fulfilling, religious set of predictions.
Spot on. People who throw their votes away want someone to save them. They do not want the painful job of thinking things through and being responsible. And to be fair, many are not among the brightest bulbs for a variety of reasons. We need to be aware and try and compensate with numbers and political smarts. Democrats need to get down in the dirt and actually talk to ordinary people about kitchen table issues. In my very multicultural working class neighborhood they mainly show up for op Ed’s., don’t stick around to talk one on one and give a superficial ear to their constituents. Hardly ever have a comprehensive solution or bother to step that through for voters. Most of us peasants feel disrespected and that we have no one to vote for because for all intents and purposes only rich monied donors have their ears. We still have NO campaign reforms and I have fought that losing battle for seventy years
Well said. This is going into my folder.
Thank you. Mine are just opinions. Thom has done the hard work of researching and informing us.
In synch, overall, but did your bully spell-checker sabotage "Bread disappearing?" Anyhow, is one of the "horsemen" pestilence? I saw a Google news headline today about a resurgence of leprosy, for heavens' sake! Armadillos. Then hello measles, polio, and even diphtheria!