the silver lining.
First, the bad news.
Read Fantasyland and you’ll learn America was founded by racist, conspiracy theory loving, cultists. I mean that’s a little harsh but stick with me.
Read Caste and you’ll learn America was also founded with a caste system similar to say… India (India has four main delineations and a fifth that is so deplorable it isn’t even worth mentioning, according to them - the untouchables.) You’ll learn that blacks have basically been our lowest caste since our founding on par with the Indian untouchables and we’ve always treated them as such and react to people (good and bad) who make sure we’re in our proper place.
Read this article and you’ll learn about 20% of Americans believe in outrageous off-the-charts conspiracy theories like COVID tents being used for sex trafficking and blood drinking. (Yeah.)
Wait, the news is about to start getting better.
Read Truth: A Brief History of Total Bullsh•t or Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It All Up or just about any history book including Since Yesterday (a book about the Great Depression) or a plethora of other books and you’ll discover that racist, conspiracy theory loving, cultists, greedy bastards, con-men and con-women, liars, dehumanizing, fear mongers, manipulators and people who want to be manipulated are not just an American thing nor are they are a new thing. Whether P.T. Barnum is making shit up and selling it, or farmers are protesting immigrants in the 1800’s, or giving people free health care is equal to communism, it’s been the same. exact. story.
On the one hand this can be depressing. Is it ever going to change?
On the other hand (I said the good news would come) this can be great news. Things aren’t worse than they’ve ever been. In fact, arguably, they are better. Turning this fucked up ocean liner that is limping on one engine around (or at least changing course) is slow slow slow… but it does seem to be slowly turning.
Coming back to that article about 20% of Americans who are wack job blood sex ring conspiracy believers. Let’s say 20% of Americans are pretty much nuts. Let’s say another 20% are pretty much die-hard Republicans no matter what and they view voting Democrat as akin to making out with Satan. Let’s say another 20% of Americans are pretty much die-hard Democrats and they view voting a Republican as akin to making out with Hitler.
60% of Americans are kinda not useful for change.
We’ve got about 40% of Americans left.
It’s these 40% that can create big change. It’s these 40% that have always led the way and are still leading the way. I don’t know what percent of them actually do stuff but it’s probably half and half? It’s that percentage that makes America what it is. As it goes up things get better, as it goes down, things get worse. I think more are doing stuff today but the jury is probably still out.
What’s the point?
There aren’t more wacks in this country. They’ve all been given free ways to vocalize their beliefs (thank you internet) now, so it seems that way
We aren’t more ignorant. We’re just more aware of the ignorance (thank you internet).
We’re aren’t more polarized. We’re just more aware of it (thank you internet).
We’ve never been that great of a country. In fact, we’ve been pretty shitty. (thank you books).
BUT, there’s also been some great people in this country doing great things and there might be more of them today (no thanks to you internet).
BUT, if you look back at history it’s a very very very fine line that separates Hitler rising to power and killing millions and just a wack job leader trying to run a country for a few years and fading away. It’s might even be dependent on that percent of the 40% that do the work to educate themselves, others, and take action to grow, evolve, and change.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably a part of that 40%. Do shit. It matters. Say shit. It matters. Don’t get depressed but don’t get complacent. Don’t be afraid but don’t be naively comfortable. Things aren’t worse. But they might get worse. But, they might be getter.
It’s up to you. And me. The silver lining is that it’s the same as it has always been, which means the bad guys haven’t won. Yet.