Disclaimer: I purposefully chose ‘fucked’ because it seems apt. I could have asked, “Is the situation dire?“. . . but that’s not how people think or speak. Also, ‘dire‘ carries a sliver of hope that — given the circumstances — doesn’t seem warranted. So the word ‘fucked’ is apt, but if you’re offended, stop reading.  

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“Are we fucked?”

The short answer is yes, but why we’re fucked is complicated; it depends on who’s answering the question and, more importantly, when and about what.

In 2016, one group of people claimed we were fucked. In 2020, another group of people claimed we were fucked. At any given time, various groups claim we are fucked and do so based on fairly narrow interests and goals.

What’s a person to think about it all?

Well, I can’t tell you what to think, but I can tell you what I think . . . I think that for the foreseeable future, we are, indeed, fucked. And that’s regardless of who is in power or what day it is.

So, what prompted this?

Well, I just voted. I voted for the retention of two judges and the appointment of another, and that’s it.

Mind you, I researched the Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, and Independent candidates running for National, State, and local offices, and I found them all profoundly lacking. It’s literally appalling and demoralizing to imagine people running are the best the country has to offer. Bunch of ultra-maroons, as Bugs would say.

Until there’s a viable third party, I don’t foresee voting for anyone. Besides, it’s shaping up to be where no losing party agrees to a conceding; whoever wins, the other side will claim voter fraud.

. . . apparently, it’s always voter fraud if you lose. It couldn’t be because you suck, could it?

These posts supposedly being limited in scope and words, I’ll just list a few observations.

• In their quest for power, Democrats and Republicans have forfeited reason, moderation, and common sense and opted to cater to the bat-shit wings of their respective bases. They’ve done this by exaggerating the importance of some problems that need solving, ignoring the importance of other problems that need solving, downplaying the flaws of their respective agendas, and labeling anyone who disagrees with their views as a threat to human progress.
• In their quest for power, Democrats and Republicans are actively seeking to undermine institutions and ideals that have withstood and fought off such challenges in the past . . . this time, they’re making significant headways.
• At the heart of the Parties’ plan to fracture the country into hostile and quasi-rabid factions, we find a fundamental change in how we live. In the past, despite partisanship and differences of opinion, people comingled and discussed their differences. Today, primarily but not solely due to technology, people prefer to insulate themselves from viewpoints they find uncomfortable, segregating themselves into aptly-named echo chambers.  
  • The first rule of echo chambers is that anyone outside your echo chamber is a possibly dangerous and undoubtedly delusional idiot controlled by nefarious beings intent on destroying everything you love. As such, you’re to assume everything they say is a lie or, at best, wrong, especially if it counters what you hear in your echo chamber.
  • The second rule is this: under no circumstance should you do independent research or think for yourself because the echo chamber knows best.
  • The third rule is that everyone agrees with whoever screams the loudest (hint: it’s never someone even remotely reasonable).

That’s my general view. As a bonus, here are some specific issues and my take on where we are and where we’re going. In no specific order . . .

• Authoritarianism — this relates to social issues, and both parties are guilty of having egregious views. Still, as far as personal freedom, by a long margin, Republicans pose the more significant threat. Both parties like telling others what they should do and what they should think, but what makes Republicans dangerous is the marriage of political power and religion. A SCOTUS rationalizing decisions based on religious views adds to the situation being dire fucked.
  • Look for Republicans to gleefully and vigorously work to make the lives of many as miserable as possible (yes, I think they will regain the majority and eventually the Presidency because Democrats are idiots who have lost their way, and because people are ignorant and possibly demented).
  • If you think Republicans have solutions for anything, sorry, but their official plans for when they take power focus on nothing other than making people’s lives more difficult.
• Climate change — Republicans are correct in saying Democrats are going too far too quickly . . . but they leave out the inconvenient fact Republicans are to blame for past inaction, obfuscation, and outright lying about the issue to delay any meaningful action. They’re still denying it but look for that chicken coming home to roost sooner than later. There is much more I could say, but let me boil it down to this: it’s looking dire fucked to anyone who cares to look, and it’ll be interesting seeing who’ll get blamed for the now seemingly inevitable.
• Economic issues — here, we have blame a-plenty to go around, and finger-pointing is in full swing. You’ll hear the Parties claim “it’s the other side,” but the data is clear; in different ways, both parties share in the blame, and the only thing that’s for sure and uncontroversial is that politicians and their friends get rich. They got that part down pat.

Well, I’m bumping against my self-imposed word limit for these posts, so how about a few cartoons to lighten the fucked dire situation we’re in?

That’s it. This post has ended . . . except for the stuff below.

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