I know I promised you and myself that I would forget about politics for awhile. But yesterday — sometime after learning that a weekend Fox anchor was going to be Secretary of Defense — I had what felt like an important insight, which is: It helps to think like an anarchist.
I mean, if you’re looking for intelligence, compassion, reason, or even bare-minimum competence from That Fucking Guy and the team of malevolent morons he’s assembling, it’s going to be a very long four years for you. But if all you want is chaos, insanity, and eventually maybe the total collapse of the federal government, you may be able to enjoy yourself.
I’ve always thought that people who claim to want anarchy don’t really know what they’re asking for; it’s all fun and games until somebody comes for you. But given the current state of things, it’s looking better and better.
Yes, I feel bad for all the people who are going to be deported, and then — when deportation becomes too expensive and/or complicated — probably just executed. I feel bad for the Kellys and Mattises of the world, who are going to be at the mercy of an unhinged president who’s been told he can do anything he wants and there will be no consequences.
Yes, anyone who speaks up too loudly is going to be in danger. I’ve been picturing a scenario where there’s a big but peaceful protest outside the White House. TFG tells the general in charge to have his troops start shooting people. The general says, sir, I can’t do that, it’s against the law. TFG takes a pistol from his desk and shoots the general in the head. (As far as I can tell, this would be considered within his official duties and therefore entirely legal.) TFG looks over at the next in the chain of command. What do you think is going to happen after that?
Yes, I also feel bad for Ukraine, who may be done as a country now.
And yes, I feel bad for myself, because I am going to have to live in a theocratic dictatorship with a cratering economy. But there I go thinking like a Democrat/democrat again. Must learn to love the madness. I’m working on it.
You made me think “I think we’ve been here before.” Except it was a governor not a president. Governor Reagan called up the national guard to Berkeley to quell protestors and round up citizens on the streets and send them to “detention camps” (Santa Rita Jail). Helicopters trolled the city dropping tear gas canisters. Guard were stationed in the streets with rifles and bayonets and IDs were required to pass through check points to get to work. Reagan’s actions were largely supported by the public. Reagan defended deploying the military against citizens saying “If it takes a bloodbath, let’s get it over with. No more appeasement.” Then he was elected president.
I wish I could console you somehow. Liquor is not an option for me, so I am holding 150 proof denial tightly to my chest. Working for the most part.
The first priority is self-care. To that end, I made my email inbox my home page so that the first thing I see in the morning is not his smug mug. I have for now greatly reduced my political intake, I have not listened to the Keith Olbermann, Pod Save America, or Bulwork podcasts since the election (I have saved some to get into when I’m ready) and replaced them with Ram Dass, Alan Watts, and Terrence McKenna. I contacted a long-time mentor Micahel Benner https://www.michaelbenner.com/ and have begun reestablishing my center. The pull of the dark side is strong, and while it might be easier to meet hate with hate, what would be left after such engagement? I intend to continue to grow my light and to provide comfort and care where I can.
I would like to share a couple of less-than-48-hour-old epiphanies. I share the same fear that maga world fears; the fear of the unknown and what the future holds. They have shown through word and deed fear of a world where white, male privilege is not a given, where gender norms are expanded… I too fear a future unknown, where social justice is depressed and the oligarchy has unchecked power. Peel the onion back a couple of layers and it’s the same fear, the fear of the unknown. I don’t think I’m overstepping to say that none of us know with 100% certainty what the future holds, and based on where we draw our information from our ideas are distinctly different, but to recontextualize Lao Tzu “those who know do not say, those who say do not know”
The 2nd epiphany is that after running from the label “fundamentalist” my entire life understanding the term only as religious fundamentalism according to Ram Dass’s definition I have been one for over 4 decades, not in the name of religion, but in the service of social justice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzktKQU2y8M&list=WL&index=1 I must now own that I have been a fearful fundamentalist and that I have in common with many of those on the opposite end of the political spectrum and I think that is a place to good place to start to bridge the cultural divide.
I fully recognize that as a cisgender, white male of quite some age, I am not at the top of whatever list tfg has so I hope this doesn’t come off as hallow, but I think the resistance, like all growth, must start from within.