This is no longer a contest between left and right. Our current political conflict has devolved into a fight between a functional democracy and demagogic authoritarianism. This is what happens when half our country can no longer acknowledge reality because they’re too busy ordering extra toppings for their next ‘Pizzagate’. Bonfire of the Hannitys? Our democracy is likely to lose in this wetland Drudge-match. I’m hardly giving the Dems a free pass for this soggy state of our union. Barackish water? For the pending midterms we have the motivated misinformed vs our apathetic and slightly-autistic millennials. Sure the next generation is angry, but will they ever put down their video controllers or iPhones long enough to find a voting booth? Is there a voting app that they can download before then? Hey, let’s get the people at Kaspersky to install it and maybe get some Safe Space voting booths complete with iPhone and USB ports. Even if the libs can muster the ‘testicular fortitude’ to take back one of the chambers of Congress in November, Trump’s court appointees will haunt this nation for decades to come. Kidding, we don’t have decades. Trumpocalypse DOW?
In a healthy democracy having one’s assumptions challenged is a good thing, but this schitznik is anything but. What is the point anymore? Debates have shifted heavily toward the fruitless end of futile. When debates do occur within the Democratic party (aka Bernie v Hillary) they only foster schisms that weaken the Resistance. The pragmatism v progressive battle may well leave the rightwing in charge. Must liberals adopt a groupthink mentality like the right to win elections? Groupthink is prevalent on both sides, but at least Portlandia is sprinkled with some other ingredients. But groupthink works for the right, and very effectively. Every Republican on TV, and in my personal life, all pull from the same handful of faulty talking points. Is mimicking the ‘successes’ of the right the best we can muster? In some ways, MSNBC could start repeating basic responses to the right’s false narrative. This would be helpful, but even their anchors seem unable to counter basic mistruths at times.
How is the Resistance fairing overall? Slate Magazine was on a roll this week. Whereas Jonathon Foiles acknowledges the futility in fighting Trump’s SCOTUS nominee and recommends a shift toward grassroots efforts. Others are touting obstruction and impeachment tactics, here. Still other journalists are reminding us of the importance of self-care when dealing with the loss of our country’s basic ideals and principles, here. Thanks for joining the party, peeps, but I have been grieving the loss of our democracy here on The Discord for a long time. This monster strapped to the gurney and flailing its tiny hands against our checks and balances didn’t just spring to life amidst the last lighting strike to assume power. Our Republican friends have been devolving for a long time. HP Lovecraft couldn’t dream up a more malevolent presidential entity—an entity for me that can only be thwarted by gin. Gin and Cthonic?
A third Slate article offers a handy dandy guide to keeping facts from going extinct. Setting the bar high, are we? This four step plan involves disseminating actual facts on social media and to friends, regularly (aka, when Trump says, “Without ICE Americans couldn’t safely leave their houses”, counter this lie with the fact that immigrants statistically perpetrate less crimes than average Americans). Um, this is what I’ve been doing for 15+ years and for what? Republicans are losing an IQ point per news cycle and all the liberal ‘splainen in the world won’t change that. These days insights are not in. The last time I added two comments to an existing FB thread (circa 2011), both triggered long hate-filled rants. I haven’t chimed in since. For both instances I simply interjected with the aforementioned and endangered ‘Fact’:
Here’s the two points I mistakenly added to a comment thread:
1. Day for day Obama has taken less vacation time than George W. Bush at the same time in office.
2. Here’s an actual Congressional Budget Office link that shows the costs/expenditures associated with the 2008 collapse.
This is one of the more civil of the eighty some-odd responses:
“Oh… well that’s settled. If the congressional budget office says it’s so… I’d be more likely to believe the credibility in a report from the National Enquirer.”
Finally, I am in agreement with a Republican. They would believe the National Enquirer over numbers provided by the CBO. It’s like the old adage: why be informed when you can be affirmed. If they don’t like the numbers, they ignore them. So just remind them of the facts, eh? Why didn’t I think of that? We are in a late stage democracy and our only chance is to pry the young people away from their X-Boxes long enough to give a shit about their futures. We are ripe for fascism in this age of the inexplicable vs the indifferent.
When Republicans try to talk to me now, I can’t focus. I just swell with anger. None of them have shown any insight, at least in my adult lifetime, so when they try to explain to me “how the real world works” it’s infuriating. Debating a Republican is a waste of time (I always like to add, my friend Pokey excluded).
Today the right will never let the left lead and now this rampant obstructionism runs both ways, as predicted. The current political environment stifles insight while propping up poop on a pedestal. This “veneration of ignorance” will not sustain a superpower for much longer. Kicking the Sarah Sanders’ of the world out of every public place in America isn’t going to change that fact, only voting will. The Resistance needs to be more subtle. Next time just spit in her food. Kidding! I wonder how many of those employees, the ones who insisted Sanders leave the premises, will even vote in November? Eradication without representation?
I have zero respect for the GOP, but the Trump supporter will never admit, or even understand their part in our pending demise. I don’t know how they could get any less insightful, and yet that’s what I’m predicting. The last hint of any meaningful libertarianism died with Justice Kennedy and the opposition party would rather sit on the couch and let it all burn to the ground. Goodnight and good luck.
