To which the annoyed pedestrian replies: "Look, I don't know, and I don't care."
And there you have it folks. The American electorate summed up in one silly joke I heard back in Jr. High School!
Seriously, I heard something on the news about how exit polling showed that Americans were fed up with most of the economic gains going to the top 1%. Soooo... they voted in a pile of Republicans?!? The party that believes that the road to prosperity is to cut taxes for the richest people and corporations?!? Seriously?!?
It boggles the mind. Of course, I suppose this sort of thing is to be expected in a society where people know more about "Dancing with the Stars" than they do about their own system of government.
Seriously, there was an ad against our Democratic Senator here in Colorado excoriating him for "voting with Obama 99% of the time." Um... ok, I get the point that he and Obama generally support the same platform, but dudes, Obama doesn't vote in the Senate, he's the president. So how can you "vote with" someone who doesn't vote? You know legislative branch...executive branch... oh never mind....
I know... maybe we need a new reality show called "Civics Lessons with the Stars!"
Well anyhow... the irony of it all is just a bit overwhelming. The UN releases a new dire report on climate change, basically saying "act now or our collective goose is cooked". And in the same breath the American public gives the Republicans the majority in the Senate, making Senator James Inhofe (one of this country's most outspoken climate change deniers) head of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee - you know, the one that oversees the EPA and other key pieces of US environmental policy.
It's just unbelievable.
So last night I decided that I needed a bit of comic relief and decided to watch Woody Allen's movie, "Sleeper".
My oh my... if you haven't seen it, the movie is about a man who dies in 1973 and is cryogenically frozen, only to be revived 200 years later in a dystopic future where society is controlled by a "great leader" (who is actually dead) and people are kept complacent and obedient through technolgical distractions like the "orgasmatron" and the "orb". I dunno... doesn't seem that far off to me!
Not sure exactly what my point is here, other than to say that if anyone out there was still holding out hope that this country would wake up and do something meaningful about climate change... well...
So tell me folks, how do you keep from descending into the pit of despair when faced with this sort of thing?
First, I have to say your images are the best I've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with you. How do people vote in the Republicans? How do they vote against knowing what' they're eating? Are we a nation of idiots? And who thought it was a good idea to put Inhofe in charge of the Environment and public works committee?
I guess I keep from ending up in total despair because of people like you I've met online. I tell myself over and over it's the individual that will change the way things are not the government but some days it's hard.
Did you know that it's no longer a requirement of graduating high school to have taken a course in civics/government? Nope, it's now up to the states or individual school districts to decide if taking this course is important. So I guess to answer my own questions above, if all we do is push ignorant people out of the schools we will never get any intelligent actions out of these new adults.
Your point about the school boards is... well... frightening. I think people don't realize the impact that "low level" elected positions like school boards can have.
DeleteHere in Colorado there have been all sorts of protests because one of the counties voted in an extremely conservative school board who is essentially trying to re-write American history by manipulating the curriculum to remove all references to civil disobedience (because it's un-patriotic).
More and more I am coming to the conclusion that our educational system is not designed to teach students anything meaningful, and certainly not designed to promote independent thought. What it's designed to do is to create complacent rule-following people who will shut up, do as they are told and not rock the boat. The powers at be want "good employees" not "good citizens."
Anyhow, I am sooo thankful for people like you in my little online community. It's a little toehold on sanity in this crazy world!
How not to descend into the pit of despair? No idea.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen that bumper sticker that says something like, if you're not pissed off then you're not paying attention? So true! I guess the way I cope is to ignore the news and politics more than not. Because otherwise it just makes me incredibly angry and I'm not too convinced there's much I can do, or even all of us who seem to be in the minority, to really make a difference.
I've always been confused by people I know who are poor or lower middle class but are also hardcore Republicans (practically Teapartiers actually) because they want to end programs for all those "welfare robbing freeloaders." And I always want to shake them and ask how they don't realize that all those Republican promises for prosperity aren't meant for them.
Honestly just thinking about this stuff feels like it increases my blood pressure.
I haven't seen Sleeper, but it reminds me of the movie Idiocracy. Have you seen it? After watching it the first time I thought it was the stupidest movie ever. Then the boyfriend roped me into watching it another time or two and I began to appreciate the hyperbole. More and more, however, it seems completely prophetic, a society that fills the planet with trash and ruins the soil to the point that they can no longer grow food. Ugh.
OK, I just added "Idiocracy" to my Netflix queue. The plot summary reminds me of something from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - where the guy finds himself stranded on a primitive planet and assumes that he'll be the king because of his knowledge of advanced technology - then he realizes that he only knows how to use technology, not create it, and is incapable of doing pretty much anything without it!
DeleteAnyhow, I share your consternation at the American people's willingness to vote against their own interests. I just think that people aren't really motivated by logic, they're looking for someone to blame for their problems, and the Tea Party nuts are happy to provide them with plenty of scapegoats... never mind the reality of the situation. Sigh.
I dunno, Cat. That is, I'm not really sure I do keep from descending into the pit of despair, but insofar as stay afloat, it's mostly by sticking my fingers in my ears and going, "La, la, la."
ReplyDeleteWe're all doomed! But hey, we're all going to die anyway, so on a personal level, does it really make that much difference? I shall try not to be part of the problem (while acknowledging the influence on my choices of the society I'm part of, i.e. don't beat myself up too much for not living like a caveman) and in the meantime, enjoy sunsets (love your blog backdrop), moonlight and music, love and romance. I might even dance ;-) (Yeah, I realized I was writing lyrics halfway through that one.)
"La, la, la, la, la....." I'm singin' & dancin' my heart out here!
DeleteSeriously, it's pretty easy for me to get caught up in the depressing reality of it all, but on another level I think that the real tragedy is that all of this trashing of the planet isn't even making people very happy. So perhaps the most powerful thing we can do is to find joy in "opting out" of the craziness.
Big hugs....
I wish I had an answer...
ReplyDeleteUsually a good rant session with friends helps because it reminds me that I'm not the only one upset. But yeah, I don't get it either. Being in Texas, I am surrounded by right-wingers, especially in our neighborhood. It's scary, really. Ugh, I just want to stick my head back in the ground.
Oy! I feel for you. I'm not sure I could handle living in Texas, though you are clear evidence that there are sane people there too!
DeleteYesterday CatMan and I took a bike ride and ended up wandering around a very wealthy conservative white neighborhood full of houses that seem like mansions to me. We've ridden in that area before and what always strikes me is the complete lack of people - well, other than the gardeners & workers who are out and about. Perhaps this is a projection, but I just don't feel much joy in those parts of town. Perhaps money-grubbing is bad for the soul! :-)
Argh, just wrote a massive comment that was eaten by the internet.
ReplyDeleteI think my conclusion was that political satire/comedy was the only way to combat the pit of despair...you realise you are not alone in thinking the situation ridiculous, and laughter is always good!
Grrrr... I'm actually thinking about replacing Blogger's commenting system with Disqus. With Blogger I always end up hitting the "sign out" button instead of the "publish" one. Do you think Disqus would be better?
DeleteAnyhow, perhaps I need to start watching Jon Stewart again. I stopped watching when I gave up cable, but I think the full episodes are available online and it might just help in the sanity department. Come January Stephen Colbert will be taking over one of the network talk shows (I think he's taking over for Letterman.) It will be interesting to see if he remains as political as he is now or if he goes more "mainstream." It would be wonderful to have a voice of sarcastic reason on network television!
I don't really know the different blogging comments systems...but I pressed the log out button too I think, so the other system might be worth a try.
DeleteThere's a programme on at the moment in the UK called Russell Howard's Good News. I especially like it because it finishes on a genuinely nice story- after all the ridiculous ones with comedic value.
Well, I watched a clip of Stephen Colbert talking about it all, and it certainly did make me feel better:
Deletehttp://www.thewrap.com/stephen-colbert-george-p-bush-global-warming-senate-comedy-central-congress/
My phone won't play the video...but I got the gist of it from the article!
DeleteI'm really sorry, but the only way I cope is by knowing that I will be dead within the next 30 years at most. So glad not to be young any more.
ReplyDeleteHa! Now there's an interesting twist on optimism! Although, the Repugs are already vowing to do everything in their power to take away my right to buy health insurance... perhaps I should look at that in an optimistic way too... it means I'll be dead even sooner! Sorry, I just can't believe the hatefulness of these people.
DeleteI don't have the answer either.Not being in the US I don't follow your elections anymore. We just had our local elections at the end of October.The voter turnout was below 50%.
ReplyDeleteOne Ontario town has been in the news for the past 2 years, their mayor and council seem to have bankrupted the town...the voter turnout in that town was 47%. That to me is astounding.
I think as a society we still have a long way to fall before people wake up, and by then it will be too late.
I have to say I think nothing will change in the US as a result of your election. The country has not been able to govern it's self for years.
Marieann
Well, I certainly hope you're right about nothing changing. But I'm sitting here reading about how they are already plotting to repeal Obamacare and leave millions of people without access to health care - AGAIN! You know, I think if they thought they could get away with it they'd just round up everybody they don't like and toss them in the gas chamber. I think cynicism might be getting the better of me here, but it just boggles my mind.
DeleteWednesday was really hard. Bah. How does only 36.6% of the country care enough to vote?
ReplyDeleteThey're too busy texting each other about the latest viral video or checking their Facebook accounts.
DeleteOkay, tell us you really feel. :)
ReplyDeleteHa! I fear I may be a bit over the top here, but when they start talking about taking away access to health care, I get really pissed off. Working in the music school I got to see up close and personal how the self-employed got screwed in terms of access, and I watched several people die because they couldn't afford to see a doctor so they didn't go until it was too late. So yeah, it's personal.
DeleteUgh, sometimes It.Is.So.Hard. But I do see hopeful signs though. More and more people are waking up to the fact that poisoning our food systems and consequently ourselves isn't a good idea. People want healthy food and homes. Fair trade, organic and re-using is becoming trendy. And I've heard it said many times that having the majority on board isn't necessary for creating change - a dedicated minority is what's necessary! Once that dedicated minority reaches critical mass - things will change. The majority of people didn't wake up one day wanting to give women equal rights or to abolish slavery!
ReplyDeleteAnd maybe you've seen this, but it really makes my day, so here it comes:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/pictures-that-will-restore-your-faith-in-humanity
Maria
OK... now I'm sobbing uncontrollably after looking at those pictures. The one that really got me was the man who jumped into the water to save the woman's dog... and the look on her face as she's holding the poor soaked thing.
DeleteAnyhow, you're right about things generally moving in the right direction. CatMan had to remind me that 20 years ago gay marriage would have been unthinkable, and that climate change wasn't even a part of the conversation. Inch by inch...
The ones that got me were the kittens and cats being rescued from floods and fires.
DeleteI feel the same way. And it bothers me that I care more about people than they care about themselves. Like, why aren't more women standing up for their reproductive rights and access to health care? I care about that -- even though I'm past needing to worry about my fertility and I can afford health care.
ReplyDeleteI don't have kids and I don't like paying taxes but I voted for a ballot measure to borrow money to equalize funding for technology and other things for all schools -- so that low income schools don't continue to suffer. I don't have kids and I don't want to have much to do with them, but I care about society and this was the right thing to do.
At the heart of it, I think part of the issue is a system where redistricting and voter obstruction makes a difference as well as ignorance and apathy. I am sick about the results too.
Ha! I often feel the same way. Like why am I killing myself trying to make the world livable for other people's children - people who don't give a damn in the first place! But, of course, it's not about paying taxes to cover the cost of your kid's education, it's about paying to live in an educated society.
DeleteI totally agree about the gerrymandering of districts, it's just ridiculous and really shows you the importance of those local house and senate races! But I am hopeful that the demographics are changing in our favor, and there will come a time when all the redistricting in the world won't be able to help them with their evil plans. I just wish there was a way to make people understand that this stuff really does have an impact on their lives. Sigh.
Thid advert from a few years ago stuck in my head as a reminder of the influence politics has on our lives:
ReplyDeletehttp://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zruGBWLk9s8