For reals this time. We got lucky and dodged the bullet with Y2K but ever since the Acolytes of Ayn inexplicably failed to save us we've been turning and turning in that widening gyre. Don't worry though y'all, New End Times is same as the Old End Times, doesn't really matter as long as you've got the fear.
Now if only we could figure out a way to profit from fear... Never mind, that's already the business model of governments, religions, and media conglomerates everywhere. "Someone is doing something, somewhere, and it will be the end of xxxxxxx as we know it! Now give us your money and don't ask questions."
If it weren't so pernicious it'd almost be cute. In the 60s and 70s it was television doing to people what tiktok is today. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion of early 20th century vintage tastes much the same as 21st century vintage QAnon. When I was growing up violent music was a clear and present danger, depending on whether the speaker wanted to control guns or African-Americans determined if it was rap music or Marilyn Manson they were talking about. No matter which political team you root for, the other team is forever only one game election away from DESTROYING EVERYTHING!!! Anita Bryant would like to have a word with you about cancel culture. Almost forgot terrorism, y'all remember terrorism? Once upon a time, terrorism was such a big, bad, terrible danger that we had to wage a war on it. The war never really went anywhere and neither did the terrorism but somewhere along the way we seem to have forgotten to be worried about it. Had bigger fish to fry, like policing bathrooms and libraries.
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" Was FDR trying to be punny? Whatever the case, he wasn't wrong. Fear in the right time and measure is a good, healthy thing. I'm not talking about that sort of fear, it tends to wane with the adrenaline and the immediate threat, and if it doesn't we call it PTSD. The Fear is a more nebulous, existential sort, ill defined and hangry despite a steady diet of perpetual crisis.
You encounter the latter far more regularly than the former. Anytime a politician is looking to extend their free ride term, whenever a police department or military is looking for a handout, every time the ratings start to drop at the advertising news agencies, you can be sure The Fear is there.
In case you haven't guessed it by now, we're being manipulated. The means and ends vary but the manipulation is constant. Who needs reason when you can appeal to emotion?
Think about racism, sexism, any of the other isms we've seen fit to label, if you dig beneath the surface, you will find The Fear waiting for you. Fear of the loss of power, privilege, position. Fear of change, of uncertainty, of inequality. Fear of the different, the new, the other.
We'll never be able to prevent folks from preying on The Fear, that's been with us as long as there's been a conception of 'us'. As human as hubris I suspect. Still, it's a lot easier to avoid falling for once you realize what's going on. Cynicism and a dark sense of humor help too. My question to you the dogged reader is this: Short of putting the world in a K-hole for a bit, how do we get to where we can take a step back, crack a few jokes and deal with one another like the semi-rational adults that we are?
Unless that happens we're ruined :>)
Now, is anybody in the market for used chemtrail equipment?
All images created with the dangerous AI known as MidJourney.
That was inspiring. I'm going to go make some popcorn now and wait for the world to start burning.
Have you ever seen the 2022 horror movie Smile? Image #3 reminds me of the, well, thing that the film's protagonist is pitted against.
It was an accident, I promise. If you wait and use the flames of the world to make your popcorn it'll have better flavor, there's nothing like the hint of combustion products.
I have not, although I think I vaguely recall some sort of promotional material. Heartwarming, isn't it?
Heartwarming is one way to describe it. There are a lot of smiling people in it, that's for sure. Too many jump scares for my taste, but the premise is fantastic.
Solid write up man. I was just listening to something this morning and a lot of the crap we are Dealing with today is because people fear death more than anything whereas in the past, they feared god or their deity of choice. Instead it’s a twisted religion that is technocracy and their obsession with trying to cheat death and control others to make them die instead. It’s a wild concoction.
Thank you. Ever read Thus Spoke Zarathustra? What you were listening to today sounds like a modern take on Nietzsche's thesis in that.
If you swap out technocracy for aristocracy in that sentence it would just as accurately describe the situation a thousand years ago, back when folks most certainly still feared the gods. Makes me suspect it has less to do with fear and more to do with a subset of humanity's fondness for setting up systems of control and oppression.
Yeah, there always seems to be a group of people who are hell bent on fucking with people and causing pain and suffering. It's pretty vile. I can't comprehend what drives someone to be that way, but there's a lot of things at play.
Realmente allí en esos dibujos hay mucho talento humano, mis más sinceras felicitaciones.
Hmm
I love the point you made that the 60s and 70s people used to make their TikToks on the TV which is true
There is nothing new in this world. It is only being rebranded