A Minor Complaint
“A Minor Complaint”
I’ve tried to refrain from writing about politics for a while now. Because it feels like I’m ramming my head into a wall. A massive wall of ignorance, which appears impervious to reason, to notions of justice, and rational thought. Much of this, unfortunately, is simply the nature of politics.
Like bad religion, partisanship is the lifeblood of politics. And, like bad religion, politics offers easy salvation for its followers. “Vote for us, and we’ll give you whatever your heart desires.” Whether politicians have such power doesn't matter. Because true believers, believe they do.
Given enough power, politicians really can grant wishes. This almost never has anything to do with what voters actually want, which is why Heaven is always deferred, until politicians vanquish their enemies, and there is never a shortage of enemies. So be patient. In the meantime, shut up and vote.
This is key; by getting your followers to focus on an enemy—whoever that might be—heaven can be deferred forever. Because heaven, as it exists in the mind of politicians, is about getting elected, and staying elected. As long as there is “The Enemy”—new Satan’s who’re holding back the blessing, politicians never have to deliver—on anything. Should politicians run short of enemies, they simply manufacture new ones out of whole-cloth, and when the last enemy falls, their panic necessitates the creation of more enemies to sustain the cause of getting elected. This is the reality of politics, enabled by “We The People,” and our preferred gods. It is why politicians don’t really want to inform, they want to obfuscate, like a hustler playing a shell-game.
The Media, by comparison, don’t want to inform, they want a story they can market, which compels readers to read, which means ad revenue. The story, then, is just a means to an end. If a particular story isn't marketable, the press ignore it. If it is marketable, they’ll attack it like a rabid, starving dog, with only minor regard for the truth. They’re careers depend on it. “Who’s to say what truth is anyway?” they ask, like philosopher kings blinded by their own need.
None of this is really new. In fact, it’s probably the oldest universal story. Meaning, as the mainstream media’s piece of the consumer-pie shrinks, segmented by the Internet, the old-guard’s desperation to cling to power increases. The only thing standing in their way is an educated electorate. And, as best I can tell, that is in very short supply. Which is why a good enemy, is a very good and necessary thing, for both the Politician and The Media. Not for you, of course. For these two, strange bedfellows, however, a good enemy is a gift from their chosen gods, whoever they might be. With “The People,” as always, the chosen sacrifice.
Mark Magula
I’ve tried to refrain from writing about politics for a while now. Because it feels like I’m ramming my head into a wall. A massive wall of ignorance, which appears impervious to reason, to notions of justice, and rational thought. Much of this, unfortunately, is simply the nature of politics.
Like bad religion, partisanship is the lifeblood of politics. And, like bad religion, politics offers easy salvation for its followers. “Vote for us, and we’ll give you whatever your heart desires.” Whether politicians have such power doesn't matter. Because true believers, believe they do.
Given enough power, politicians really can grant wishes. This almost never has anything to do with what voters actually want, which is why Heaven is always deferred, until politicians vanquish their enemies, and there is never a shortage of enemies. So be patient. In the meantime, shut up and vote.
This is key; by getting your followers to focus on an enemy—whoever that might be—heaven can be deferred forever. Because heaven, as it exists in the mind of politicians, is about getting elected, and staying elected. As long as there is “The Enemy”—new Satan’s who’re holding back the blessing, politicians never have to deliver—on anything. Should politicians run short of enemies, they simply manufacture new ones out of whole-cloth, and when the last enemy falls, their panic necessitates the creation of more enemies to sustain the cause of getting elected. This is the reality of politics, enabled by “We The People,” and our preferred gods. It is why politicians don’t really want to inform, they want to obfuscate, like a hustler playing a shell-game.
The Media, by comparison, don’t want to inform, they want a story they can market, which compels readers to read, which means ad revenue. The story, then, is just a means to an end. If a particular story isn't marketable, the press ignore it. If it is marketable, they’ll attack it like a rabid, starving dog, with only minor regard for the truth. They’re careers depend on it. “Who’s to say what truth is anyway?” they ask, like philosopher kings blinded by their own need.
None of this is really new. In fact, it’s probably the oldest universal story. Meaning, as the mainstream media’s piece of the consumer-pie shrinks, segmented by the Internet, the old-guard’s desperation to cling to power increases. The only thing standing in their way is an educated electorate. And, as best I can tell, that is in very short supply. Which is why a good enemy, is a very good and necessary thing, for both the Politician and The Media. Not for you, of course. For these two, strange bedfellows, however, a good enemy is a gift from their chosen gods, whoever they might be. With “The People,” as always, the chosen sacrifice.
Mark Magula