A Facebook friend posts a video about how the Rothschilds control every central bank in the world. I watch as much as I can stand, a few seconds.
Not only anti-Semitic crap, but old anti-Semitic crap. That's like floating conspiracy theories about fluoridated water.
I start to type a reply, get a few letters, then stop.
Sigh. Erase what I've begun, unfriend the person and move on.
A few posts down, my attention is caught by a video of an Asian woman dancing vigorously. Harmless stuff, until I eye the comments.
"This is why The American Empire works so hard to control us, which includes going so far as to install an *african-American*into the white house," Eric Hudson opines. "Because they know that without such controls, Black people will take over the world, just by being ourselves."
Sigh.
Sigh.
I almost type, "Take over the world ... by dancing vigorously?"
But why bother? Why even be part of it? You reach into the cage, more often than not, you draw back a bloody stump. And who's fault is that? Theirs? They obviously have no control over thoughts that border on random hallucination. You do. You have discernment. So discern, goddamn it.
I'm not the Idiot Police. Can't be the Idiot Police.
But why bother? Why even be part of it? You reach into the cage, more often than not, you draw back a bloody stump. And who's fault is that? Theirs? They obviously have no control over thoughts that border on random hallucination. You do. You have discernment. So discern, goddamn it.
I'm not the Idiot Police. Can't be the Idiot Police.
Because there are so many of them
And only one of me.
So don't try.
Not that I'm alone. Lots of sensible people, crossing swords with the army of madmen, like some monster horde in one of those "Lord of the Rings" movies I can't watch because they're just so exquisitely boring. I've fought this fight enough, in the past and, I suppose, again in the future. Retire from the field, for now anyway.
To tell you the truth, I'm getting tired of Facebook too, tired of the shit that people believe or, worse, don't even believe but are too thick to wonder about, and just pass along because, either way, it's interesting.
And then there's email.
"Why should Trump bother releasing his tax returns if media is complicit in the cover up of crimes evident in Obama’s tax returns," something called Orly Taitz—some kind of pun, no doubt—writes. Into the filter with Orly. In doing so, I'm told I have 12 previous emails from him—a patient man, I am. Filter them all. Talk to the hand, Orly.
It must be Donald Trump. Just watching the Republican Party collapse in front of him last week, a little voice has been whispering, "He's going to win you know."
The Voice of Doom perhaps.
Though honestly, even if he doesn't win, the damage is done. Republicans will elbow each other to take the Trump Highway in 2020. And the shame of a major American political party embracing this fraud, this unqualified clown, after hectoring and catcalling Barack Obama for seven years, to roll at the feet of Donald Trump like puppies. You want to vomit. Having watch them be venal hypocrites for decades, I thought I had their measure. But they still have the capacity to astound.
"6 Corporations Own the Media."
Jets chasing a UFO.
And only one of me.
So don't try.
Not that I'm alone. Lots of sensible people, crossing swords with the army of madmen, like some monster horde in one of those "Lord of the Rings" movies I can't watch because they're just so exquisitely boring. I've fought this fight enough, in the past and, I suppose, again in the future. Retire from the field, for now anyway.
To tell you the truth, I'm getting tired of Facebook too, tired of the shit that people believe or, worse, don't even believe but are too thick to wonder about, and just pass along because, either way, it's interesting.
And then there's email.
"Why should Trump bother releasing his tax returns if media is complicit in the cover up of crimes evident in Obama’s tax returns," something called Orly Taitz—some kind of pun, no doubt—writes. Into the filter with Orly. In doing so, I'm told I have 12 previous emails from him—a patient man, I am. Filter them all. Talk to the hand, Orly.
It must be Donald Trump. Just watching the Republican Party collapse in front of him last week, a little voice has been whispering, "He's going to win you know."
The Voice of Doom perhaps.
Though honestly, even if he doesn't win, the damage is done. Republicans will elbow each other to take the Trump Highway in 2020. And the shame of a major American political party embracing this fraud, this unqualified clown, after hectoring and catcalling Barack Obama for seven years, to roll at the feet of Donald Trump like puppies. You want to vomit. Having watch them be venal hypocrites for decades, I thought I had their measure. But they still have the capacity to astound.
"6 Corporations Own the Media."
Jets chasing a UFO.
Every patriotic fiber in my body says Hillary Clinton is going to win. And then the haters and howlers who have been writhing under Barack Obama can go back to hating and howling. They may even be secretly relieved, to be spared the burden of actually having to try to get something done. I'll sure be relieved when she wins, and not secretly either.
Until then, well, it's in the 30s today. A cold spring, in more ways than one.
Excellent piece. Reading you for years, I've always felt you were ridiculously patient with the ever growing legion of ignoramuses.
ReplyDeleteWhat's truly scary is the growing embrace of Trump by the GOP. Never thought I'd see the day when I'd consider George Will a hero!
That's frightening, NS. Do not worry, there is not just one of you. Best block some emails as well.
ReplyDeleteUsed to think that you were overly worried about Trump getting anywhere-guess I was wrong.
As convenient and helpful the internet is, sadly it makes it easier for nutjobs to find and believe wrong information.
I feel like one of Dan Savage's NALTs. During the marriage fight, Christians would take him aside and say, "We're not all like that." To which he'd reply, "Don't tell me. Tell them."
ReplyDeleteIt's also like my husband's mother, who lived her whole life in Aitkin, a county seat town in northern Minnesota. During the 1984 election she said she couldn't believe the polls that showed Reagan would win because, "Everyone I know is voting for Mondale." Of course all the little old ladies of Aitkin, MN were voting for Mondale... and a lot good that did.
This is a very scary election.
I used to think Reagan was the nadir. Now he's an unapproachable ideal.
DeleteThree-by-five cards look pretty good compared with insult-comic improv.
DeleteOh, Orly Taito is a real person. She's a lawyer and filed suit for the long form birth certificate. She's a gadfly who insists that Obama is ineligible for office. I don't know why she hasn't been disbarred, but she's the backbone of the never-ending birther movement.
ReplyDeleteBinning and filtering was the right move.
Looked her up. She's an ideal example of how a fixation cannot be cured by facts, but is only strengthened by multiple defeats as the true believer realizes that everybody (except her) is in on the conspiracy. Giving up is not an option faced with the undeniable proof that the whole world is against her. Pathetic. And perhaps a peek of what we might see from President Trump the First.
DeleteJohn
Oh, Orly Taito is a real person. She's a lawyer and filed suit for the long form birth certificate. She's a gadfly who insists that Obama is ineligible for office. I don't know why she hasn't been disbarred, but she's the backbone of the never-ending birther movement.
ReplyDeleteBinning and filtering was the right move.
In six months, when Trump is utterly squashed like a bug, we can joyously put this nightmare behind us. (Well, perhaps not joyously as much as with an exhale of relief, and pride in our fellow citizens.) And anyone who believes HRC would be as bad or worse a choice for President as Trump is either lying to him/herself, living in a fantasy world, or a zealot beyond change.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the negative side of social media, I can't imagine how difficult it must be having to cope with and be civil to the haters who seem to thrive on spewing all manner of ignorance. Bravo to the person (NS) who can persevere and remain positive in such an environment. I get fed up and discouraged at times with Facebook, Twitter and the like, but still believe the good outweighs the bad, in general.
SandyK
I believe the good of Facebook probably does outweigh the bad, because I think any exchange of information is valuable (it's better than being censored). But I choose not to be on Facebook because I like privacy and don't feel the need to post information about myself and my family. I do love email and the couple blogs I participate on. I'm not on Twitter either, but am considering joining.
DeleteLinda B
The latest line from the so-called respectable Republican establishment, for example the Tribune, is that Trump and Hillary Clinton are somehow equally loathsome. You see this all the time, in articles about how "unliked" both candidates are with their "powerful negatives." Her knowledge, experience and accomplishments are treated as equal to his ignorance, vulgarity and utter lack of qualifications.
ReplyDelete@Bitter -- It's mind-boggling to me how perceptions are changing; that some folks are even comparing the two. It's as if even the so-called reasonable Republicans are now giving themselves permission to accept Trump for the sake of the party. I guess one can believe just about anything if he/she tries hard enough.
DeleteSandyK
I've just stopped reading the comments section of internet articles, particularly AOL which seems to harbor an unusual number of idiots. There can be an innocuous, completely non-political article about bad dog food or a kid doing something stupid, and it's always Obama's fault or collectively the libtards who are ruining the country. The amount of hatred (ALWAYS POSTING IN CAPS!!!!) - these people are always screaming at the top of their keyboards. The last time I read the comments (which was the last time) was in an article about the 2 officials indicted for whatever in Flint regarding the lead. The first comment was 4 paragraphs and a million exclamation points about OBAMA!!!! MUSLIM!!! BLACK PEOPLE RUINING EVERYTHING!!!!! I read a few more, and all screamed that the water crisis is the fault of the Flint residents (apparently only blacks, I guess white people are absolved of all wrongdoing).
ReplyDeleteHuffpost and the Washington Post comments tend to be more liberal, or at least more civil. Obviously, I know there's a great deal of hatred in this country, but I really had no idea how much until the truly loathsome Trump announced his candidacy. Sigh....
It snowed in Cleveland on 5/16/16...maybe that was an omen for what would happen six months later. Hell freezing over and all that (never mind the Tribe vs. the Cubs).
ReplyDeleteNow that Facebook has finally been exposed as the invasive corporate monster I always thought it was, in which users are the product, I feel more vindicated than ever about never having joined up. Facebook and Twitter and all the rest of them have always been anti-social media to me, and I've never felt the need (or the desire) to participate. Didn't like Facebook's graphics and layout, either. All that scrolling...
Can two billion people really be wrong? Damn betcha! Zuck is the biggest charlatan in the history of mankind. Facebook and Trump...we got one because of the other. Maybe the doomsayers were wrong all along...and we aren't really going to hell after all. We're already there.