Back in 2013 I wrote a post entitled, “When Did ‘Intellectual’ Become a Dirty Word?” Little did I know at the time that that was just the tip of a very ignorant iceberg. I am beginning to look at 2013 as the halcyon days. Imagine that.
Ironically, I started that post by saying, “I really want to try to avoid getting political on this blog.” Snort. Now it seems like that’s all I do. But I can’t stay silent. I had that luxury in 2013. I don’t anymore.
Now we are thrust headlong into a political shit storm in which our own government is trying to dismantle our public education system. While they’re at it, they are destroying every environmental victory we’ve made since the 1970’s. They’re attacking science and medicine. They’re defunding art. They’re demonizing the media and all things that allow for the free flow of information. They’re impeding travel. They are clinging desperately to fossil fuels even though they know it’s destroying our planet. They are gleefully widening the gap between the rich and the rest of us.
This is worse than the Dark Ages, because so many of us know better these days. This is not the road we want to take. It only leads to destruction.
I keep having these dreams where half of us are trying to reason with the other half by using facts and proof and intelligence, and the other half is not listening, and destroying everything in its path with steam rollers. It makes no sense. The inmates control the asylum. Whose idea was it to give them the keys to those damned steam rollers?
I used to have a bumper sticker that said, “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.” Word. Perhaps it’s time to buy another one.
Don’t turn out the lights, folks. The darkness is descending. And no doubt we’ll all come away with something much worse than a stubbed toe.
Check out my refreshingly positive book for these depressingly negative times. http://amzn.to/2mlPVh5
The View from a Drawbridge 
I once heard on a radio Bible study program that the closer you are to the light the more aware you are of the darkness. Even the Pope has said that he has chosen not to judge Donald Trump until he gives him a few months to prove himself. Even the Pope is afraid of this man.
With good reason, Sam.
As our mutual Second Life friend is aware, I was once the least political person around. I really didn’t know what “conservative” meant in the political sense. Now, hardly an hour goes by that I am not reading something relating to the death of our political system and wishing we had competent people actually leading us. We no longer have leaders; we have people in power who are hell-bent on deconstructing this government. i just wish I could see a way forward that doesn’t involve putting by a year’s worth of food and water for every member of my family. I am tired of being angry, depressed a lot of the time and glad that, until net neutrality is gone, I can watch kitten and puppy videos.
Thank heaven for kittens and puppies, indeed.
Not sure a sticker encouraging outrage is something you want on your bumper with all the road rage incidents, but let me know where to get one and I’ll stick it in my window in support of my many immigrant neighbors.
I’ve already had both big toes broken.
Those who saw this coming and were deemed fear mongering conspiracy nuts for
warning us must feel vindicated, but I doubt they feel like celebrating.
What’s next? Book and kindle burning? Black plague parties? Is it time to fortify the castle, raise the drawbridge and ready the pots of boiling oil?
Don’t forget to buy some gators for your moat. And if you google the phrase, and add bumper sticker to the end of it, dozens of places to buy it pop up.
I was going to mention gators in the moat but thought you might not like a reminder of your Floridian days…:)
I found the sticker on Zazzle…did you know it was designed by antiobama.com ?
Heh! No. That’s hilarious. But a lot of different vendors carry it. I’m not sure I’d give my money to antiobama.com.