Bubba

One of the hallmarks of totalitarianism is that there is no longer any way to ascertain the truth. Truth is simply what someone says it is. We talk endlessly about the new norm. Joblessness is what it is. Promises are meaningless in that there are no longer any standards by which to measure progress. Words are just words that mean nothing beyond vague intention. It all is simply accepted. There is no debate; no new ideas; no argument.

We see this in the clip above. Jared Bernstein does not seem entirely comfortable with what he’s saying even though he appears to be talking to a wall. As such, he still retains some semblance of a reality in which words count for something. He clearly does not believe that the examples he enumerates are valid. He has been fated only to rise to the level of hack.

POTUS says essentially the same things. But he says them with conviction and aplomb. He either believes what he says or he is a reasonably good actor reading from a script.

We here, in America, have come to simply accept an awful lot of rubbish. We accept high tax rates. We accept corruption. We accept onerous regulation; intrusive searches. It is what it is; it can’t be helped. We accept joblessness; outsourcing; speed limits; fees; etc.

The other day I found myself in Times Square. A bunch of people were gathered under a huge multi-story screen that showed live video of the street below. People were excitedly pointing to themselves on this screen and taking pictures. Surveillance was celebrated as a kind of game. People were waving their arms and pointing to themselves. They were being watched and they felt important.

All this goes beyond Times Square - the Great White Way, as it‘s called. We accept Iran’s nuclear weapon’s program by which, we have every indication, they plan to wipe Israel off the map. As such, we accept genocide. We accept Iran’s mistreatment of women. We accept lashing, stoning, hanging, genital mutilation, abortion. We accept pornography; mosques built on Christian cemeteries; illegals crossing our borders. We accept repeat offenders; DWI killers, suicide plotters, voter intimidators.

We refuse any standards by which to separate good from evil, right from wrong. “It’s all good“, we say. “Whatever.” We need do nothing but clear our minds, think happy thoughts and submit. No standards; no critical thinking ; no logic; no plan. We wear our pants low to make it easier for cellmate Bubba to have his way with us.