Today was long, challenging, and did not epitomize what one would call a banner day. However, it wasn't terrible and I arrived home in one piece. There is that.
I had to be at the courthouse in Cambridge by eight this morning to record at the registry. It took me a half hour to get there from my house. On a normal day, it would take ten or twelve minutes. Traffic. And lights. Many, many lights (On the topic of lights, allow me to mention my propensity for getting almost exclusively red lights in my travels. And I tend to reach them just as they turn red, so I have to wait the full duration. I haven't been able to verify this scientifically, but I think there might be something to this business. Sometimes I wonder if I have red light karma, if there is such a thing. Or it could be my rotten negative attitude that feeds me this glass half empty perspective).
At one of the lights, steam emitted from under my hood for several seconds. I had a mild freak out (not one born from surprise - not given my car's recent history - but more having to do with feeling too sick to find the energy to do deal with a potential breakdown). Fortunately, nothing more came of it and I made it to the courthouse.
I had more driving to do today, the details of which I won't bore you with. At one point in the day, while in my car, I had a little pity party, hosted by me, for me. It didn't last long and I gave myself a pass this time, seeing how under the weather I was feeling.
I was listening to people being interviewed on NPR yesterday about who they were going to vote for in the next presidential election and the thought occurred to me that politics is like wrestling (the fake, testosterone-soaked version). Put another way, it seems people tend to react to each in a similar manner.
Most fans of the WWE know it's all scripted, but that doesn't inhibit their enjoyment. Maintaining the illusion is central, however. Sure, they know The Rock isn't really furious with Hulk Hogan because he called him a chump during a press conference, but in order to maximize the impact of this feud, the wrestling fan needs to suspend his disbelief (I say "his" not to be sexist, but because it's dubious whether there are any female wrestling fans on God's green earth).
Whereas being a fan of wrestling is a harmless, though entirely un-hip, pursuit, engaging in the "sport" of politics has its consequences. I can't prove it, but I have a strong belief that politics is scripted in a similar manner as wrestling. Probably not to the same degree, but there is a welter of evidence out there to help support my claim. People in power have been manipulating the masses for centuries. It's gone on that long because it's been effective.
If candidate X makes fifty promises during a campaign and doesn't follow through on a single one, he still has a shot at being elected. If it came out that candidate Y fleeced his constituency eight ways to Sunday when he was governor, he is still electable as president provided he assuages everyone's concerns with some carefully scripted sound bites and a well placed wink. If candidate Z, who has already served a corruption-laced first term as president, decides to run for a second term, he has a chance of being re-elected. It's as if people are saying "Look, I strongly suspect you're a fraudulent snake, a manservant of Satan, but work with me here. At least pretend you're on the level, so I can rationalize voting for the spitting image of evil itself."
Is it in our nature to want to be led, even by those who do not have our best interests in mind?
The allowance of this seemingly perpetual and unflagging support of this skulduggery may be delivered by the people being led, but it is reinforced by the rigged nature of the election process. I won't get into the labyrinth of ways this is true, but I'll set you on the trail if you're doubtful of my claim. I encourage you to research voting machine fraud and then I encourage you to sit back with a cup of tea, or some other drink that helps you ruminate calmly and open-mindedly, and give some thought to the slim-pickings list of ....ahem....."canditates" you have to choose from (I'm speaking more particularly here to the Presidential election).
A narrow and piteous list it is, I tell you with complete and abiding authenticity. I channel each and every one of my words from a higher energy well beyond the astral realm, so you can be assured only the truth emits forth.
Anyway....
We've got a two party system and even within that narrow framework, certain candidates are invisible (e.g. Ron Paul). What's that you say? It's not a two party system? We have the Green Party, the Libertarians, etc. I'll add another on to that list: the Proud Patriot Party? You haven't heard of it because I just made it up. It has as much relevance as any of those parties. Like I said, we have a two party system. Only things on the menu are donkeys and elephants.
Oh my, I've gone off on a tangent. I should be in bed recovering from this foul illness. Anyway, I'm hardly an expert on anything and I encourage you to disregard anything you wish. I guess what I was trying to say is that I think politics is just as phony as wrestling. And what I really wanted to stress was that people buy into the illusion of politics almost as much as wrestling fanatics buy into the illusion wrestling. Ah, but that's presupposing people have the belief that politics is just a bunch of smoke and mirrors, but choose to disregard that belief. Some of us are wolves, some of us are deer, and some of us are sheep. I, on the other hand, am a God! (Alright, it's definitely time to think about wrapping this up. I must have a fever).
I was listening to an interview with Daniele Bolelli, whose book 50 Things You're Not Supposed To Know: Religion is about to be published, and he was asked why people gravitate to religion. He said, and I'm paraphrasing, "People will buy into anything that makes them feel safe, no matter how implausible. That's why actual freedom is hardly ever sought after. It's the idea of freedom people like. Show them the door to actual freedom, and they'll crawl back to their cages."
Sounds harsh and it is. But it also speaks to the truth. It's why the saying "Freedom isn't Free" is an important one. Fear leaves us cowering, truth sees us standing erect and alert. Oh, man, I just realized I keep starting stuff in this post that can't be wrapped up all nice in neat in tiny little paragraphs. Why I decided to go deep when all I want to do is crawl into bed and weep salty tears of woe (Who cries for me? Who?). Anyway, I just re-watched one of the funniest movies ever made last night, which is to say Borat (Take your Hangovers and your Hot Tub Time Machines and your Old Schools and shove 'em up your cooter! ) and there's a deleted scene which I'm sharing below that speaks to starting something that should be finished. Cheers!
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