My particular theory is that an alien race worried we might destroy the planet introduced the virus to weed out the humans too stupid to evolve. C'mon, do you really need proof of that?
Just beneath the crust that is society, a cataclysmic event has been triggered.
For decades, the tectonic plates of our cultural order - red for oligarchy, blue for democracy - have been grinding, colliding, and heaving. The stratigraphy has not remained intact.
Donald J Trump was simply the earthquake that resulted from years upon years of subsurface undermining; perhaps an earthquake more akin to the one central to Ken Follet's novel, "The Hammer of Eden". Nonetheless, tsunamis follow earthquakes depending upon the location of seismic disturbance.
In the sea of our society, that upheaval came at the confluence of many cultural and economic currents. What we see now, what Thom so clearly demonstrates, what we are sensing - is an impending tsunami.
Old Glory's colors may not run, as they say, but they have faded into a pale dusty chaulk that - at the slightest disturbance - falls from the canvas, exposing a blank white sheet as our national rune. And apt this may be as the flag of our rallying:
White - for the absence of morality, humanity, and conviction.
White - for the monsters desiring a homeland exclusively for the 'master race'.
White - for surrender to authoritarianism via oligarchy.
Racism is America’s original wedge issue and for 400 years, the oligarchs have been fine-tuning their use of it to manipulate our poorly educated. Today, (with the power of corporate personhood, the best propaganda machines in history, and plenty of people who are bad at learning) racism is making a comeback. Without racism, the oligarchs that took people to be their slaves could not have maintained their status quos, and all the oligarchs that followed over the centuries have extracted incredible wealth and power by employing racism. Racism in commercial and social media is a doubly strategic threat in that it acts as a distraction from the negative externalities of the oligarchs AND inspires people to listen to the likes of Trump. Racism is to our society what corporate personhood is to our democracy. They are both fictional concepts used to benefit the oligarchs while doing things adverse to our citizens’ rights and our communities interests.
What greedy little pigs humans can be---there just isn't enough privilege to go around.
I agree with Thom's assessment, and you can't argue with the facts of their actions. But the demographics are going to get them no matter how much they try to disconnect from that reality. While we watch their terror tactics, in the process we are seeing many of them crash and burn. The woman with the bi-racial kids sounded amused a little and said something like "what are you talking about?". The Karen involved will hopefully lose her teaching job. Maybe Tucker's kids need a tutor.
Right now the entertainment industry has many minorities even though they are not cast as often as they should be. Much of America's image comes from them. These particular white folks may view that as a loss on their part. I suspect it isn't, they probably weren't the cool/dope people to begin with. Can't lose what you never had. Diversity is our wealth, and there will be more for everybody to enjoy.
Another apt analogy perhaps is the Game of Thrones world where fantasy and magic blend into the dismal reality of a society constantly at war, where the ruthless and wealthy prey upon the poor and disadvantaged while brutally hoarding wealth and power, always fighting either to get or to retain it. Of course, good fiction reflects the deeper truths of the human condition.
Basically, are we a good people -- in our hearts, enough to prevail over selfish and wicked tendencies? Ultimately, will we succeed as sentient beings? Both questions are really one and the same. We certainly hope so and think so; but given the stark evidence of extreme inequality and many examples of psychological as well as physical violence on every level of society as we compete for vanishing resources, the answer remains unknown, a real wonder sometimes.
As everything builds to a crescendo, it makes a good story for the ages anyway. Hopefully, our great-great-grandchildren, and beyond, will have survived to know the true history of our species and to have learned the right lessons from the pivotal times we find ourselves in presently.
My particular theory is that an alien race worried we might destroy the planet introduced the virus to weed out the humans too stupid to evolve. C'mon, do you really need proof of that?
Just beneath the crust that is society, a cataclysmic event has been triggered.
For decades, the tectonic plates of our cultural order - red for oligarchy, blue for democracy - have been grinding, colliding, and heaving. The stratigraphy has not remained intact.
Donald J Trump was simply the earthquake that resulted from years upon years of subsurface undermining; perhaps an earthquake more akin to the one central to Ken Follet's novel, "The Hammer of Eden". Nonetheless, tsunamis follow earthquakes depending upon the location of seismic disturbance.
In the sea of our society, that upheaval came at the confluence of many cultural and economic currents. What we see now, what Thom so clearly demonstrates, what we are sensing - is an impending tsunami.
Old Glory's colors may not run, as they say, but they have faded into a pale dusty chaulk that - at the slightest disturbance - falls from the canvas, exposing a blank white sheet as our national rune. And apt this may be as the flag of our rallying:
White - for the absence of morality, humanity, and conviction.
White - for the monsters desiring a homeland exclusively for the 'master race'.
White - for surrender to authoritarianism via oligarchy.
Racism is America’s original wedge issue and for 400 years, the oligarchs have been fine-tuning their use of it to manipulate our poorly educated. Today, (with the power of corporate personhood, the best propaganda machines in history, and plenty of people who are bad at learning) racism is making a comeback. Without racism, the oligarchs that took people to be their slaves could not have maintained their status quos, and all the oligarchs that followed over the centuries have extracted incredible wealth and power by employing racism. Racism in commercial and social media is a doubly strategic threat in that it acts as a distraction from the negative externalities of the oligarchs AND inspires people to listen to the likes of Trump. Racism is to our society what corporate personhood is to our democracy. They are both fictional concepts used to benefit the oligarchs while doing things adverse to our citizens’ rights and our communities interests.
What greedy little pigs humans can be---there just isn't enough privilege to go around.
I agree with Thom's assessment, and you can't argue with the facts of their actions. But the demographics are going to get them no matter how much they try to disconnect from that reality. While we watch their terror tactics, in the process we are seeing many of them crash and burn. The woman with the bi-racial kids sounded amused a little and said something like "what are you talking about?". The Karen involved will hopefully lose her teaching job. Maybe Tucker's kids need a tutor.
Right now the entertainment industry has many minorities even though they are not cast as often as they should be. Much of America's image comes from them. These particular white folks may view that as a loss on their part. I suspect it isn't, they probably weren't the cool/dope people to begin with. Can't lose what you never had. Diversity is our wealth, and there will be more for everybody to enjoy.
Another apt analogy perhaps is the Game of Thrones world where fantasy and magic blend into the dismal reality of a society constantly at war, where the ruthless and wealthy prey upon the poor and disadvantaged while brutally hoarding wealth and power, always fighting either to get or to retain it. Of course, good fiction reflects the deeper truths of the human condition.
Basically, are we a good people -- in our hearts, enough to prevail over selfish and wicked tendencies? Ultimately, will we succeed as sentient beings? Both questions are really one and the same. We certainly hope so and think so; but given the stark evidence of extreme inequality and many examples of psychological as well as physical violence on every level of society as we compete for vanishing resources, the answer remains unknown, a real wonder sometimes.
As everything builds to a crescendo, it makes a good story for the ages anyway. Hopefully, our great-great-grandchildren, and beyond, will have survived to know the true history of our species and to have learned the right lessons from the pivotal times we find ourselves in presently.