Honestly, I don’t know who’s what or why any more.
When I hear the Republicans complaining about the “librul”
media – and hear the progressive Democrats complain about the “establishment”
or “corporate” media, I don’t know who’s nuttier.
Then there are the snarkers who talk about the “slipstream”
media – saying, I assume, that media merely follows what’s happening rather
than anticipating what’s happening; getting caught up in doing stories on what
the other guy is doing rather than anything else (I suppose the Kardashians
have something to do with this).
I don’t know who’s nuttier.
As far as I can tell, these pejoratives come into play when
viewing media that should actually be labeled “Stuff That Doesn’t Fit My
Preconceived Notion of the World.”
It was said best on “The Newsroom”:
MacKenzie McHale: Yes, people choose the news they want now,
but –
Will McAvoy: People choose the facts they want now!
And that goes for everyone on the political spectrum, from
the ultraconservatives to the progressive democrats. Anyone who says otherwise
is selling something.
I do know the narrative being spun is that (accurately) the
Republicans are headed toward a contested convention.
I do know that the narrative being spun is that (inaccurately)
the Democrats are headed toward a Hillary Clinton nomination.
Posit: Republicans in turmoil. Democrats the calm center.
We’ll see. Because if anyone thinks either convention is
going to be a piece of cake, well, I hope for your sake it’s not poop-flavored.
We all pick the facts we want. That leads us to pick the
news we want. And that leads us to lash out irrationally, just like that joker
does in Forrest Gump when he’s caught physically abusing Jenny but blames the
abuse on that “rat Nixon”. Because Nixon was RIGHT THERE, making him beat on
his girlfriend.
And if we’re not a dingo like this guy, we’re like this guy
(in bold, once the parades have stopped):
Forrest Gump: [voice over] Anyway, like I was saying, I had
a lot of company. My Mama always said you got to put the past behind you before
you can move on. And I think that’s what my running was all about. I had run
for three years, two months, fourteen days, and sixteen hours.
[Forrest stops running and the group running behind him
stops waiting expectantly]
Young Man: Quiet. Quiet. He’s going to say something.
[Forrest pauses for a moment before speaking]
Forrest Gump: I’m pretty tired. I think I’ll go home now.
[Forrest turns and the group parts for Forrest as he walks
down the middle of the road]
Young Man: Now what
are we supposed to do?
Forrest Gump: [voice over] And just like that, my runnin’
days was over. So I went home to Alabama.
We’re all that idiot. Anyone who says otherwise is selling
something.
I, for one, personally hope there is a meeting of the
Pentaverate or the Illuminati occurring at that chalet in Colorado called “The
Meadows” because otherwise we have to settle with the fact that we’re in charge
of this mess and we could change it but we’re too busy ranting on blogs or
taking selfies or manufacturing tinfoil hats to do anything about it.
So what do we do?
We think. We read. We learn. We look critically at people
who say they’re fomenting a revolution or making America great again. We
reconsider the fact that people running for public office are not the best
qualified to actually hold office once they’ve got it. And realize that there’s
not a hell of a lot we can do about all that – so we figure out what we can do
with ourselves.
Or something like that.
But I’m selling something. Because if you agree with the
Addams Family motto (We Gladly Feast on those who would Destroy Us) you may as
well read and believe Ayn Rand.
Hurts, doesn’t it? It’s that old thing: The right message
from the wrong people.
Traveling heavy or light, folks? That's the question.
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