by Secor & vander Pfaltz
I look at the News–not just the TV Media, the printed sort as well–and I see. . .are these people taking Denial Pills? Are they historically ignorant? Which leads to, do these people read? They are like children scrabbling after every jigsaw puzzle piece thrown on their table without the slightest attempt toward making a picture even though the colors and designs are different. The world they are reporting on, the world they cry out against without saying anything but “foul!” is different from the one they’re bitching about and showing up as corrupt and ridiculous when their game is different from Trump’s. The rules are not the same. Oddly, the news media sees this and calls the Trump people out but never realizes this is the new order of business. The news media are in denial, in denial about things while the new world order is about motion.
This includes Fox. But they are in a different denial canyon, the canyon of the Fellow Traveler, a deep and self-perpetuating canyon from which Fox will not rise out, for they are the greatest of propaganda pundits and every one sided government needs its cheerleaders. Do they, then, know something the rest of us don’t? Not in the least. They know less than we do, so blinded are they by the rhetoric and alternative explanations that are their ammunition–that and either the melodramatic or the Grand Guignol masks they wear on demand. As if to say, “See how serious we are? We feel!” “As if” indeed. Crisis actors.
The rest of the news media? They get the picture but prefer focusing on this and that little bit. Like paying attention to this little red spot over your nose rather than looking right at the disease all over your face. No more does the news tell us anything other than the day’s reportage. No more does the news give us information. We are left completely out of history. Some of the news media are enablers.
The most voluble and, perhaps, knowledgeable of these remaining reporters occasionally puts a bright shining key up on her set. It is a listing of all of the people who have quit or been fired from Trump’s world. All of those who quit might as well wear signs on their backs: traitor. 1) Though being fired from Trump’s world might be a good quality in the future; 2) they gave up and, instead of getting in Trump’s way, even a little, even for a little time, they only helped Trump world to take shape.
And here we have the answer. . .and here we have the limited thinking that keeps us blind. “Look at all of those vacant jobs! And nobody’s filled them.” Yes. True. But what does it do? What does it mean? Well, it means that Trump is the boss. Right? Just like he’s the boss within the DOJ. . .and is planning on becoming the boss of the DOJ. What does that mean? Everyone can see it coming but nobody wants to confront it. To confront it and report on the consequences. And keep reporting. There are incidences galore but they are reported as unconnected individual incidences instead of the run away senseless behavior of Fascists.
Trump’s already breaking the law, circumventing the law and abusing his powers, most notably pardoning powers. One commentator has noted the pardons are politically motivated but never tells us how and why. It isn’t the pardon, it’s the pardoned and the timing. Everyone says Trump is a fool. But is he? He has a lot of knowledgeable sycophants behind him.
It doesn’t matter what Trump says or what he does, no matter how senseless or absurd, it will be reinvented as meaningful by his mad horde, the mob that rallies when he rallies. The mob that is necessary and will forever and always be the Friendly Traveler and really not quite getting just what it is they are enabling but having a grand old time of it anyway. It’s difficult to let go of the notice and fame that accrues with Trump. Their leader.
Another moment of the coming debacle is Trump’s alienation of people, countries. Why is he doing this? Because for his Fascist world it must be The world against Trump world. Then we have enemies fucking everywhere! Oh, my God! We must mobilize to fight them off! George II and Obama gave us a never-ending war in the Middle East but this Trumpian war will be a war that knows no cease, not even a moment. It will be a forever war. But the news media look at this alienating behavior and ask, “What is he doing?” And I ask, “Do you read?” And then realize how stupid of me: America doesn’t believe in history.
Ai-ee! What’s next?
There is no reason or meaning to trying to guess Trump’s next move. The news media can’t because they’ve got the wrong play book and they can’t understand someone who’s playing with a different playbook; that is, not playing the same old game. Or maybe it’s just that they don’t believe “it” is happening. No. Wait. Not possible. Yes, possible. Admit it and then they’d know what to do, what to think, what to speak. And they’d stop reporting these bits of bullshit being handed out like celebrity fragrances. Because they only see his behavior as bits and bits, they miss the picture. Such bullshit. How successful is the bullshit? The media bought it. The media is buying it.
But why only look to Trump? The first step toward Fascism is a one party rulership. For at least 15 years, there has been one party rule in this country: the Republican. They call themselves Red America. There are only two other countries that call themselves Red: Communist Russia and Communist China.
Communist America? Well, not so unlikely if Putin has his way. His kind of Communism is of the world domination kind. Generally speaking, Communism is for the East, Fascism is for the West. In any case, there is authoritarianism via the Republican Party. The One Party. They don’t need anywhere near 100% of the world. What’s left validates them by denying them. What has the Republican One Party accomplished? Nothing. Any laws passed were voted for by the left out party of Democrats. The People’s Party? They screwed the people to keep their government seats. Truly, as Machiavelli and Arendt hold, politics is about power, getting it and holding it.
The oligarchy in this country–this country, America–pays for it all. What? Did you think that oligarchs only exist in Russia and the Ukraine?
If nothing else, the leading woman of the RNC making a public announcement that people had better toe the line and get with the program or else should have sent the message. As obvious as this is, the news media just can’t seem to get their head around it. What does such a horrific demand mean? Well, my pretties, it means we got Fascism. Raise your hands. . .who wants to be an enemy of the State?
Oh, yes. Let’s not forget what’s happening around our southern border. Nothing new to Europe. Nothing new to Fascism. Notice how the social sweeps have extended their boundary from illegal immigrants to parts of families to legal residents. Soon, more than likely, anyone with a Spanish name. Thank goodness I’m safe! My name’s bastardized French and I’m older than y’all. All o’ y’all. No immigration laws in the 17th century. A time when everyone belonged and no one belonged.
How many police departments do we have? Five, maybe more.
How long have sweeps of communities been going on? Since the middle of Obama’s reign. He was not the Wunderkind most all Americans think he was. The horrors he fathered beneath his benevolent ventriloquist face make him the best sort of leader, according to Machiavelli. Was he part of the Fascist world? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But he did the oligarchs’ bidding. They paid for his victory.
Community pick-ups. In New York, Obama had a three day raid that netted 10,000 petty criminals and parole violators. Why? Because he could. Because he had to see if he could get away with it. Subsequent ICE raids were held. Not one person questioned the raids. A little outrage here, a little outrage there and nothing is accomplished. When’s the next round up?
Denial’s a great game.
But what of people?
Well, they’ve become more intolerant than they were. So much so that if just one of them doesn’t like something, no one should have it. No one shall have it. Damnit! Too bad for everyone else. Like or dislike is the rule. As is disgust. If they find something disgusting, it should not be allowed period. Ban the thing. Ban the person. That is, there should be a law against it. And there will be, you may be sure.
If I say something you don’t like, I should be banned–along with what I said. What do you not understand about this process?
Lord! How I wish I could whine! What a wonderful world I could finally live in where there’s only what I like–and the rest of you be damned. That’s what freedom’s about, ain’t it? Free to have it my way and fuck the rest of you. Right?
If authority says so, it’s so. It’s right and mete and you can get out of the country if you don’t like it. You’re free, yeh?
Yep. That’s how to believe and act. People can’t see past their immediate wants, like a child: immediate gratification, please. They may be fashioning their world, the world they believe everyone should have, but what of the authoritarian rulers who have the tolerance of Gila Monsters?
That’s right. No one can see past the wart on the ends of their noses. No one has any sense of consequence or responsibility. Why should they? They want an unchanging life. No surprises. The kind of life you get with an authoritarian regime. Fascism. Communism, too, to be truthful. Not that all Communisms are the same. Other than being authoritarian.
Authoritarianism. Someone to tell you what you can do. Someone to make your life decisions for you. That way, it’s not your responsibility. God help you if you don’t like it, though. Because, y’know, you wanted it so the anti-social sort would be shut up.
Whining is habit forming. Whiners always buckle under to authority.
Children. Children. Learn how to play together. . .or I’ll have to do it for you.
How fast can you change your habits when your Leader changes his mind about what is acceptable? Try this: Lu Xun, The True Story of Ah Q. Go ahead. Give it a try. It’s only 159 pp–that includes the original Chinese and some pictures, so less than 100 pages of simple English. Published in 1921.