The Road to Nowhere, part II of V

[The Good Reverend Roger]

The recent Canadian elections are yet further evidence that - not only are humans stupid - they're stupid in cycles.  Once a century, it seems, the world has to play with fascism, or at least extreme nationalism and hair-shirt punishment binges (largely the same thing).

For example, the conservative party of Canada, which stated before the election that gaining a majority government would mean a mandate to pass every whackjob crime bill that they have in the works, to include spying on phone calls and internet communications, not to mention modeling Canada's prison system on the abortion we have down here in the USA.

Needless to say, they goose-stepped right into a majority.

But why?  Why would a liberal (by our standards) nation swing so far right so fast?  I mean, I'm not shocked, after my recent trip to Ontario.  All of my relatives stood around at the wake (of a man who'd been a notorious uber-left union man) talking like Rush Limbaugh.  But what caused it?

It's fairly simple, really.  We, as a species, assume that because we have power, we have wisdom.  And while Canada isn't precisely a military superpower, they are a staggeringly prosperous nation (by any reasonable standard), and that amounts to basically the same thing.

Enter Crazy Eddie.  The system has a few flaws, so the obvious thing to do is rip the guts out of it and replace them with a copy of a model that has proven itself a failure, but looks good in the short run.  Hospitals are too crowded?  The obvious answer is to shut more hospitals down, and use the funding for the war in Afghanistan.  After all, if they're too crowded, they must be a failure, right?

As I've pointed out before, of course, you can't stop Crazy Eddie.  He's a genius at failure, and he has a way of attracting otherwise-intelligent people to jump on the train.  History has shown where that train goes...To a place with a pretty wrought-iron gate, and work will make you free.

You will allow me my hyperbole.  I seriously doubt Canada will be in the concentration camp business...But I can pretty much guarantee that they will have "enhanced interrogation" within 18 months, alongside a security apparatus that will make England look like a Libertarian's paradise.  And if Canada is falling for this crap, the USA doesn't have a chance.

The funny part about all this is that back in the year dot, when I was a kid, it seemed pretty safe to assume that civilization was past all this. 

HAW HAW, WRONG AGAIN!

Or Kill Me

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

And, Canada isn't a military superpower YET.

[hooplala]

I want to laugh, cry and SCREEEAAAAAAM all at the same time.  I guess I finally fully understand the concept of horrormirth.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I want to laugh, cry and SCREEEAAAAAAM all at the same time.  I guess I finally fully understand the concept of horrormirth.

It's like the ether scene in Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas.

You can see your country acting in this hideous fashion, you just can't do anything about it.

[Payne]

When I was younger I seriously believed that the Liberal Right were strong on the economy, and that the Liberal Left were strong on social issues. And I think that somewhat infantile would have been my explanation for this. Of course, there's no saying that the voters in Canada don't have that opinion themselves and that's what happened here.

Anyway, I kinda lost that irretrievably stupid point of view after all sorts of thought experiments and reading a lot of history (for a time I made myself totally and universally sympathise with the NSDAP, to the point of not even calling them "The Nazis". It wasn't pretty but I learned a bit about myself and about how politics works on your average spod in the street).

Now all I can say is that everyone seems to be content, in elections at least, to dumb down their expectations of the most dumbed down message. Leaving us with a featureless political lanscape on which roam not the brightest and the best, but the biggest, greediest and the bad-kind-of-ambitious. 

All of my relatives stood around at the wake (of a man who'd been a notorious uber-left union man) talking like Rush Limbaugh.

Do I hear shades and echos of that eulogy you mentioned?

[hooplala]

I want to laugh, cry and SCREEEAAAAAAM all at the same time.  I guess I finally fully understand the concept of horrormirth.

It's like the ether scene in Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas.

You can see your country acting in this hideous fashion, you just can't do anything about it.

You fucking nailed it. 

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Do I hear shades and echos of that eulogy you mentioned?

I'm waiting for some pictures to scan.  Probably sometime Wednesday.

[hooplala]

.

Now all I can say is that everyone seems to be content, in elections at least, to dumb down their expectations of the most dumbed down message. Leaving us with a featureless political lanscape on which roam not the brightest and the best, but the biggest, greediest and the bad-kind-of-ambitious. 

For better or worse, we live in the era of the sound bite. 

Is there an argument to be made that CNN ruined the world?  I think so.

[Payne]

.

Now all I can say is that everyone seems to be content, in elections at least, to dumb down their expectations of the most dumbed down message. Leaving us with a featureless political lanscape on which roam not the brightest and the best, but the biggest, greediest and the bad-kind-of-ambitious. 

For better or worse, we live in the era of the sound bite. 

Is there an argument to be made that CNN ruined the world?  I think so.

Personally, I think it's better. It's not that the media have dumbed the west formerly known as wild down, it's that the west has allowed the media to dumb it down. If people are that stupid, I'd prefer anything they (or their media) have to say about it to be said as quickly as possible.

[hooplala]

Good point.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I disagree.  The West was already dumb, and the media intentionally programs things to make it worse.

[Adios]

I don't understand. Isn't Canada doing this for the safety and the good of it's citizens? 

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I don't understand. Isn't Canada doing this for the safety and the good of it's citizens? 

And the Perfect State™. 

[Payne]

I disagree.  The West was already dumb, and the media intentionally programs things to make it worse.

I never said the west wasn't dumb to begin with, of course. And I can see where you're coming from.

[Adios]

I don't understand. Isn't Canada doing this for the safety and the good of it's citizens? 

And the Perfect State™. 

Ah, the elusive Perfect State™. For me that would be lying on a blanket in the sun on a 70 degree day under the influence of a slight wine and sex buzz.