Monday, November 5, 2018

Arm the Jews

Special Arm the Jews sale; buy any three weapons and we will donate one AR 15 to any synagogue of your choice! Comes fully loaded with extra clips and instruction manual! Better Armed than Harmed!

What we really need in times like these is for Jon Stewart and perhaps Michelle Obama to hold a Return to Sanity Rally. They could plead for some civility and decorum, for rational debate and respect for opposing opinions. Mixed with a little ironic detachment and a smirk or two, of course. Because the thing is, the Republican base understands it is just entertainment, a crazy reality show you get to participate in. The Dems still believe "politics" are some solemn, sacred ritual full of profound meaning. Chris Hedges kind of gets it:

"The efforts by the Democratic Party and much of the press, including CNN and The New York Times, to discredit Trump, as if our problems are embodied in him, are futile. The smug, self-righteousness of this crusade against Trump only contributes to the national reality television show that has replaced journalism and politics."

Hedges tries to explain this in terms of "the cult" but I believe it might be more productive to think of this appeal in terms of joissance. Of course it is horribly tragic that Trump's fans can't see the degradation at the root of their pleasure, that they can't imagine anything beyond spectating. But at least they don't pray for "sanity" to be restored.

And here I am imagining Alex Jones interviewing Steve Bannon and the minister of the Westboro Baptist Church on the subject of the recent Brazilian elections. And wondering how how the #Me too movement might explain all the women supporters of the chauvinist victor, or Trumps adoring female fans.

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