I know I’ve written about this before, but what the hey. It’s the kind of thing that needs to be repeated, because as the learning fades, I slip back in. And why not? Who doesn’t want to be like everybody else, way down deep?
Earlier today one of my other (?) personas was ripping a fine doomsday rant at a popular progressive blog. Yes, that thing again. But ultimately, he was on the right track, and this is why you don’t want to suppress your shadow. (What a perfect example, in fact. There ought to be a fee for reading this far.) For the last few days I’ve been getting angrier and angrier over all the weasel action on a public health plan, the endless wars, bringing torturers to justice, etc. etc.. No, really. I care about this stuff. Politics of hope? More like the politics of abandonment, so that would slot right into where my secret buttons are. All very understandable, but yesterday it boiled over, and I don’t know how I got through the day. When you think about what could have been done with all the money that’s been created to shovel to the bankers, it just makes you sick. And to think the good guys did this!
In the face of this, the passivity of the collective is astounding, because what it comes down to, essentially, is dysfunctional democracy. The usual business rolls along without much interruption, and if something needs blowing up, well, we can do that, but there’s really not a single major crisis (out of many) that has any hope in hell of being solved by any government we elect. This was the gist the rant referred to earlier: there is no hope. There really isn’t. On the other hand, though, as I have come to realize: THAT’S ALL RIGHT!
Huh?
Yes! It’s okay, come out from under the bed. This is good news!
It’s like hope just bleeds off energy. When I finally allowed myself to consider that there really wasn’t any, I felt a release of energy from somewhere! That’s exciting. Who needs “hope”? Give it up, find enthusiasm and the ability to act! Whatever’s going to happen will come in from left field, anyway, and no one will expect it. GOOD!
Anyway, I feel better. Lots better. I can play with this just fine. Hell, I’m already marginalized. Nothing will surprise me, and I hope it gets here soon.
There is no hope, dig it.
(And by the way, you’re free!)
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi John,
During the last few national campaigns, you have reflected the extreme hate and viciousness of the progressive movement. I do not blame you – I think that in a desire to do the decent things, you are repetitively misled. Result – disillusionment.
McCain would have done the same as Obama, but with much less flair.
I am a retired politician. And I don’t understand the hate in a political movement. I have been a member of both parties during my lifetime. I know pro-lifers, and there is no hate. They are just angry and disappointed. I know Republicans and they have a sense of superiority and derisiveness, but no hate. The run of the mill Dems do not hate, they just want power, like when they held congress for 30 years.
Where does this hate come from? Not even during the Civil War do you see such hate. Only during the Revolution did you see it.
We are all Americans and in the same bucket. Maybe we are in the phase where Pavlov rules. Throw enough rats in a box and civility disappears.
Joseph
Yes, we’re all in the same bucket — I would only modify that to say that everyone on Earth is in it. Looking just at America won’t get us anywhere… You could be right about the number of rats, though. We’re certainly in some kind of dysfunctional field here. Nature has a way of dealing with the density, too.
Frankly, I’m expecting nothing less than an honest-to-God transformation of consciousness on the planet that will make politics as currently practiced laughingly irrelevant. (No, really) Nothing else will make a difference, IMHO.
Your comments are much appreciated, as always.
John,
I guess reality will probably reign. Your expectation that a tsunami of peace and love will submurge us is commendable but not likely. The glass is half full/empty with polluted contents.
Joseph
Joseph, I didn’t say “peace and love.” I said “transformation of consciousness.” Real spiritual energy is ANYTHING BUT peaceful. I mean different…
Dig
John,
Sorry – I didn’t know what “transformation of consciousness” is. I still don’t. Compared to you and Rebecca I am of the great “unwashed”. If no one can understand the term, how are we going to achieve this state of whatever/ANYTHING BUT peaceful?
Joseph
“if no one can understand the term” but some of us do, and that’s OK it will happen of it’s own accord. Transformation of consciousness can be loud or quiet. I do believe that our time here is limited and purposeful.
Joseph, I don’t know what it is, either!
Nobody’s playing games here. It’s just hard to express the inexpressible. Although one way to put it might be that to get back to the Garden of Eden, we have to break our minds.
Hope is not a strategy. Hope is not a tactic. Change is the result of specific actions applied to effect the change.
Exactly right, Tom. (Why is your name familiar?)
What I’m getting at is that as long as people have hope, they won’t fight…