Stoopid Stuff

Gallows Humor?

Sure, people who are active, involved in politics, who read and blog know a great deal about what's happening in the world, and typically have formed strong opinions about world events. When they encounter someone from the "opposition" they argue, passionately and with great conviction. When they encounter someone with similar views, they agree, making arguments that each agrees with, essentially preaching to the choir. So it is unfortunately true that there is not a great deal to be learned in these types of exchanges.

On the other hand, there are the other 95%. People with politcal views, but who don't spend most of their waking hours thinking, talking and writing about them. They are usually not particularly well informed, and can be utterly unclear on who supports what. But there are things to be learned from them, if you think about what they have to say. Here's an example I find particularly chilling.

When I am talking to one of these "regular folks", and the subject of my political activism, particularly on the internet comes up, their response is nearly universal. They say something along the lines of "The men in the dark suits are gonna come and get you". It's said as a joke, and I usually respond with something like "Yeah, stay outta the way, don't get sent to the camps with me". But what is striking is the universality of that little joke. It indicates a couple of things. It indicates a grudging recognition that America is heading down a path towards being more of an authoritarian society, if not a full-fledged police state. Coupled with that is a kind of a fatalistic aquiesence, a sense that, while there is nothing they can do to stop it, it probably won't affect their life in any meaningful way.

Let's be real honest here. The American Values that the Bush administration is methodically stripping away, things like rights to privacy, judicial protection from unreasonable search and seizure, due process, torture, Habeas Corpus rights for Terrorism suspects - all these things have no real meaning in the lives of everyday Americans. They are seldom detained, and if they have any interaction with law enforcement it's either reporting a crime or getting a traffic ticket. These values are abstract things at best, and "coddling criminals and terrorists" at worst.

Oh yes, there is a lesson here. That lesson is that we are much more than approaching the "Slippery Slope". We're halfway down, and accelerating...

posted by mikey @ 12:03 PM