So, here we are…almost a month into 2022, and I’m not sure where things are going. The war of left vs right is still going on, woke vs sane is still going on, and the media is still desperately suckling at whatever teat they can to keep ever-dwindling ratings coming to them.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Some things do seem to be changing though, albeit slowly. I’m starting to see things a bit differently these days. It’s been a long time coming, I think, but I’m starting to see a lot more shades of grey out there where I used to just see black and white. Or, maybe I always knew the grey was there, but it was too complicated to deal with, so assuming a more binary view of things seemed easier…seemed more socially acceptable.
Social acceptance. What a joke that’s turned into.
On HCTV we often railed against tribalism. We talked about the lack of critical thought in the world, and how said lack has been steadily dumbing down the populace to the point that all they know is rage, fear, and have the attention span of a goldfish. What enrages you today, you’ll be 100% behind tomorrow if your preferred media personalities deem it so.
I’m actually kind of curious to see what’s going to happen at the midterms this year. This is the halfway point in Biden’s term as President when the House and the Senate hold their elections. In many cases, if the sitting president isn’t doing a good enough job (or people are just angry enough), the House and the Senate can be filled with a majority of members of the opposing party. This basically de-fangs the administration, and any kind of progress with their mandate/mission grinds to a halt. For some it’s a victory. For others, another four years of utter frustration as they typically block the president’s wishes and simultaneously try to push their own agenda.
I’ve seen it on both sides now. A majority of one side or the other gets in, and nothing gets done. Establishment types on both sides do what they can to keep their own pockets lined with as much money as possible so that even their long-distant descendants won’t have to work. It’s been this way for decades, and despite all the rage people are feeling today I have no doubt that it will continue.
Watch Forbes clips on YouTube. Almost all the strong orators are establishment people. The fire is mostly coming from people who want to course-correct the government back to the ‘ruling class.’ They don’t give a fuck about the people, only their own power. Ted Cruz, who’s been a laughing stock for years, has done a lot to keep the more damaging elements out of government, has also shown that he’ll do or say anything to keep himself in power. Fuck the party, fuck the people, it’s all about me me me.
My boss gave me a bit of advice once: You cash the check, you wear the colors. Basically, if someone is paying you do to a job, then you do that fucking job. If you don’t like what that entails, or if it conflicts with your ideals, then get the fuck out. If you are elected because of your promises or your plans to better serve those that put you there, then you are obligated by honor to follow through. If you can’t pay up, then don’t step up.
Yeah, I know. There’s not a single politician out there who actually gives a damn. Sure, they’ll talk a good game, and even wear your colors if it gets them your vote. They’ll bend the knee, bend over, and even bend over backwards if it means you tick the box next to their name come voting time. And once they’re in power? Well, like Tom MacDonald says: Black lives only matter once every 4 years.
If the Biden administration has taught me one thing, it’s that the bullshit stinks on both sides of the political fence. No one will ever drain the swamp because it’s too lucrative. Trump tried, but if he’d made it to a second term I’m sure he’d have been chased out of DC by a mob of his former supporters. Were it not for COVID, I’m sure he would have swept in 2020, and come 2024 he would have fallen the same as all others have.
I know a lot of people out there still see things as black and white. I’ve tried to show them that neither side is worthy of respect or renown these days. It’s less a choice of good over evil, but rather which evil will fuck us over less harshly? If the midterms go the way I think they will, I hope all those right-wing advocates continue to watch things like a hawk, and continue to comment on and criticize when the government fucks up. I hope channels like LIberal Hivemind, the Lotus Eaters, Timcast IRL, and many others continue to be vigilant and call out when their side does something that, if they were on the left, earns them a massive backlash. If they do, great. If not…then you’re just a shill.
Both sides are equally good and equally evil…I see it now. I wait now for the other side to come to power once more, and watch to see if they do anything different than their opponents. They talk a good game and do their best to show themselves as ‘the people,’ but is it all an act? Is it just the establishment under a different name, or will this time truly be different?
I hope for the latter, but sadly, I expect the former.