Head Boiling for Fun and Profit

[smokingboot]

Suddenly the rash the radiotherapist predicted has turned up with a vengeance, and I am physically as well as mentally irritated. And it's getting worse!

The awful work must be begun today, which means I have to dig out the correct version of the plan against which everything else must be compared. This is nowhere near as much fun as it sounds*. I am so unimpressed by the circumstances around this exercise that I'm giving myself til noon before I start. Ecch.

My irritation is not helped by observing the internet's current mass head-boiling exercise. Trump, Trump, Trump, scream, scream, scream, Musk, Musk, Musk, Murica, Murica Murica ... I sympathise when it's from people who are actually living through this, or someone who is directly impacted. Listening to what my US friends say about their country and their lives, very bad things appear to be happening. As I've said before, I have many issues with Trump.

But the hysteria on the internet is so debilitating, spread by people who are not being impacted, jonesing for the misery, responding to the noise by adding more noise.... Who can tell false notes from true if the volume is always dialled up to the max?

I can understand folk in the midst of all this needing to roar, but from way across the ocean, can't we calm tf down and observe what is going on? What is actually happening? Strip away the words, the diversions that milk rage and indignation, what are the actions? What consequences materially arise from these? What is real here? Who benefits from those exhausting themselves on outrage after outrage until they are too drained and befuddled to actually do anything?

First of all, folk could stop invoking Hitler/the Nazis. Hyperbole trivialises, it mutes real impact, and then nobody cares except the tribe finding refuge in siege mentality. Never sneer at voters unless one would rather vent than win. Listen to their concerns, their desire for safety, a world they understand, cheap necessities, respect they must have or will take. I can barely count on my fingers, some would say I have the political nous of a Spring lamb, and even I understand that no government is safe when inflation is high. Happened with the Reign of Terror, happened with the Weimar republic. For any degree of stability keep food cheap. Politics 101.

But after loss, what then? There are many acts of resistance and kindness to be undertaken on the personal level, but looking further the people's hearts must be won for next time. There's a need to understand what they want, what they love, what they hate, why they hate it. Nothing can be addressed effectively if it isn't understood.

Then there's the need to face failure. I think this one is very hard. Folk would rather think their rivals came straight from Hell than that their own approach was at fault, and the questions get lost. What was it that made folk turn away? What was it about the democrats that turned so many to Trump? Having been to the circus once, why did they go back?

SONG OF THE ADVERSARY

'Maybe the people are evil,' he said,
'Maybe they like it this way.
Perhaps you're the one who's spoiling the fun,'
He smiled like a star in the day.

'Maybe the people are cruel,' he said,
'Maybe the pain's what they like.
Maybe your song's the one that's all wrong,
'Maybe you should take a hike.'

'You have some bubbly right there,'he said,
pouring it into my glass,
You know it's true, so what's it to you
if they shoot themselves in the ass?'

'Maybe the people are dumb,' he said,
Maybe you don't grasp the matter.
You're hardly Cupid to those who are stupid,
maybe you should learn to flatter.'

'Maybe the people are evil,' he said,
'Maybe they've always been mine.
Maybe they're cattle, in peace and in battle.
Maybe you need some more wine.'

His car was parked just outside, he said,
'Come to the party tonight!'
I stayed up late, knowing he'd wait,
Til I turned off every last light.

I wrote this a long time ago, and I still don't know if I believe it. But if the reader thinks it is, might as well follow his suggestion, turn out the lights, find the nearest party. Cos while there's choice, people won't listen to those who despise them.

Hah. A little rumination and I am nearly ready. Nearly.


*My little joke there.

Comments

[asakiyume]

Your poem is great. I'm going to put it into my writing-by-others file, and I can put "by Smoking Boot" on it, or send me a PM w/a better name, and I'll put that on (I think we've done this once before, but as you can see, I have the memory of a sieve and need to be told things many times.) As for what I believe about the poem, I believe that it's always best to plug your ears when the Adversary starts offering advice. There's other wisdom to listen to, and he enjoys misery way too much to be reliable.

jonesing for the misery, who respond to the noise by adding more noise --succinctly put; perfect.

Very sorry about the rash! May whatever palliative measures they suggest be, in fact, palliative.

[bleodswean]

Ugh to the rash.

I wish we had more of your calm, quiet, observational, metaphorical self in the world.

[smokingboot]

Thank you, I am very flattered, will PM you re my name.

I also very much appeciate those kind wishes for the rash!

[smokingboot]

You're very kind, I have only learned how to do this through failure, mine and others!

Tbh,I tend to be fiery in the immediate fray. But time taught me that if, for the sake of the folk, a battle is worth fighting, then for the sake of those same folk it's worth winning, and there's no winning without understanding.