Parallel Worlds
I think I have reached a point in my life where I need to concede to the idea that there are parallel worlds, that some of us live in one of those worlds while the rest of us live in the other. I have further come to the conclusion that the leader of one of these worlds is currently George W. Bush while the other world has no one specific leader. In Bush's world, secrecy is the key to gaining and holding power. In the other world, in the other reality, advocating and living in openness and truth is the only way to lead.
The real irony is that these two worlds coexist. For instance, members of both worlds and their corresponding populations live in the USA and vote in American elections. In the Bush world, John Kerry is trying to become the leader of the Bush world by appealing to the voters of this alternative world to vote him in. The great fear of the members of Bush's world is that on election day, more people from this other world will show up and vote for Kerry than will people voting from Bush's world. Some of the Bush people even are afraid because those of us in this other world actually have the right to vote in their world's elections!
I've been backed into this corner where I have to believe this way by the people I have encountered who actually do live in a world - in a reality - where George W. Bush has not told any lies. I have encountered quite a few "fundamentalist" Christians who live in this reality, but Bush's world is not limited to this group. Many others also live there. There seem to be quite a few young adults in their mid-20s living in that same existence. Many of them are chicken-hawks just like Bush was at their age. They support the wars but are not willing to fight in them, are not willing to risk their own lives to fight their perceived enemies. There are also the conservative radio talk show entertainers like Rush Limbaugh and all of their ditto friends. And there are more, many many more, all of whom live in this Pleasantville world where everything exists in black and white, right and wrong, good and evil.
Meanwhile, people like me live in a world where not only is it possible that George W. Bush may have told some lies, it is impossible to believe that he hasn't been lying to us in so many ways and in so many instances that even we have become numb to his technique. If that isn't a separate reality, I simply don't know what is. In our reality we see all of George Bush's supporters blinded by nationalistic pride, wrapped in symbols of nationalism and believing wholeheartedly that Bush flawlessly represents those symbols. Who was that Texas Ranger guy that Chuck Norris played on TV? Watching the Bush world play itself out is as surreal as watching that TV show. Right is right, wrong is wrong, and pride is everything.
But here is the problem. In the world in which I live, in the reality that I share with those who disbelieve George Bush, John Kerry isn't the solution. John Kerry is the man who is challenging Bush's power, but it is impossible to see him as the leader of this parallel world. For people to lead in this other world, they need to be truthful, open, and honest, people trustworthy enough to not have a complete parallel world shadowing them, making them look bright. Kerry just doesn't seem to be that kind of person. Just like Bush, Kerry seems to live in a dark world of secrets and twisted truths.
The year 2004 doesn't seem to be the year in which our reality emerges. For some reason, God only knows why, there are still lessons to be learned from Bush World. Even if Kerry somehow does emerge as the winner, Bush World will remain. The fools entertaining Bush World on conservative radio will remain. The fools listening to those fools will remain. The fools paying those fools to fool their listeners will remain. Kerry will be crippled by them and Bush World will rise again into the prominence of its own blind pride. Truth will remain elusive, masked and hidden by the dark world of dirty politics.
I think what puzzles me the most, though, is how in Bush World, even though everything is in black and white, black is white and white is black, Orwellian... sometimes... sometimes not. I mean, at the 9/11 Commission hearings this summer, practically the entire Bush team explained how 9/11 was necessary, how it was a blessing in disguise, a needed wake-up call. Heck, guys, it wasn't that long ago that you were calling it an evil deed of terrorists bent on destroying freedom. Now it's a blessing? Which is it? Is it black or is it white? Or is black white and white black? I'm confused, obviously. But I am confused because I don't live in a reality where horrible acts of terrorism are blessings. That's something that can only exist in your reality, not in mine. Shock and awe might be lessons, but they sure as heck aren't necessary blessings.
The real irony is that these two worlds coexist. For instance, members of both worlds and their corresponding populations live in the USA and vote in American elections. In the Bush world, John Kerry is trying to become the leader of the Bush world by appealing to the voters of this alternative world to vote him in. The great fear of the members of Bush's world is that on election day, more people from this other world will show up and vote for Kerry than will people voting from Bush's world. Some of the Bush people even are afraid because those of us in this other world actually have the right to vote in their world's elections!
I've been backed into this corner where I have to believe this way by the people I have encountered who actually do live in a world - in a reality - where George W. Bush has not told any lies. I have encountered quite a few "fundamentalist" Christians who live in this reality, but Bush's world is not limited to this group. Many others also live there. There seem to be quite a few young adults in their mid-20s living in that same existence. Many of them are chicken-hawks just like Bush was at their age. They support the wars but are not willing to fight in them, are not willing to risk their own lives to fight their perceived enemies. There are also the conservative radio talk show entertainers like Rush Limbaugh and all of their ditto friends. And there are more, many many more, all of whom live in this Pleasantville world where everything exists in black and white, right and wrong, good and evil.
Meanwhile, people like me live in a world where not only is it possible that George W. Bush may have told some lies, it is impossible to believe that he hasn't been lying to us in so many ways and in so many instances that even we have become numb to his technique. If that isn't a separate reality, I simply don't know what is. In our reality we see all of George Bush's supporters blinded by nationalistic pride, wrapped in symbols of nationalism and believing wholeheartedly that Bush flawlessly represents those symbols. Who was that Texas Ranger guy that Chuck Norris played on TV? Watching the Bush world play itself out is as surreal as watching that TV show. Right is right, wrong is wrong, and pride is everything.
But here is the problem. In the world in which I live, in the reality that I share with those who disbelieve George Bush, John Kerry isn't the solution. John Kerry is the man who is challenging Bush's power, but it is impossible to see him as the leader of this parallel world. For people to lead in this other world, they need to be truthful, open, and honest, people trustworthy enough to not have a complete parallel world shadowing them, making them look bright. Kerry just doesn't seem to be that kind of person. Just like Bush, Kerry seems to live in a dark world of secrets and twisted truths.
The year 2004 doesn't seem to be the year in which our reality emerges. For some reason, God only knows why, there are still lessons to be learned from Bush World. Even if Kerry somehow does emerge as the winner, Bush World will remain. The fools entertaining Bush World on conservative radio will remain. The fools listening to those fools will remain. The fools paying those fools to fool their listeners will remain. Kerry will be crippled by them and Bush World will rise again into the prominence of its own blind pride. Truth will remain elusive, masked and hidden by the dark world of dirty politics.
I think what puzzles me the most, though, is how in Bush World, even though everything is in black and white, black is white and white is black, Orwellian... sometimes... sometimes not. I mean, at the 9/11 Commission hearings this summer, practically the entire Bush team explained how 9/11 was necessary, how it was a blessing in disguise, a needed wake-up call. Heck, guys, it wasn't that long ago that you were calling it an evil deed of terrorists bent on destroying freedom. Now it's a blessing? Which is it? Is it black or is it white? Or is black white and white black? I'm confused, obviously. But I am confused because I don't live in a reality where horrible acts of terrorism are blessings. That's something that can only exist in your reality, not in mine. Shock and awe might be lessons, but they sure as heck aren't necessary blessings.
posted by Bill | 9:13 PM
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