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Wednesday, March 17, 2004
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THE MORE THINGS CHANGE...
It's nice to see that Rhea County, Tennessee has evolved and grown since 1925. The good folks of this county and state, who along with perennial presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan, were made to look ridiculous during the Scopes Monkey Trial some 79 years ago are still determined to look stupid.
In a move that ensures they will appear intolerant and moronic the world over, the county commissioners unanimously voted an ordinance that would allow homosexuals to be prosecuted for "crimes against nature." I'm sure that they would've gone further but both state and federal law prohibits these fuckheads from resuming other "southern traditions," like lynching black people.
It's unfortunate that all the smart, eloquent people like Clarence Darrow are dead and can no longer oppose these people with cool reason and dispassionate argument. No, those days are long gone and we're worse off for it. Instead, what will happen is that one of the iron-clad laws of sociological physics will be proven, that every stupid action has an equal, and equally moronic reaction. Drag Queens and ActUp types will descend on Tennessee and yell and scream, and desecrate churches and convince absolutely no one of the righteousness of their cause. The City of San Francisco may respond by prosecuting Christians for "crimes against logic."
The political responses, should there be any at all, will be amusing too. George Bush will say that the state and local governments don't have the right to discriminate against law abiding citizens, although he wants the federal government to do just that with the Federal Marriage Amendment. John Kerry will make the same argument as Bush, even though his position on same-sex marriage enshrines the right of states to discriminate against minorities on religious grounds. Both sides of the debate will continue, as James Brown once put it, "talkin' loud and sayin' nothin'."
And I'm not even sure I care anymore. Well, I care, I've just given up hope. So long as society remains determined to allow itself to be managed by the prettiest empty suit, nothing will improve. Ever. The voices will be louder, the debates more shrill, but nothing will fundamentally change. And I'm referring to more than gay marriage. Any issue will do, in almost any country in the world. The skin-tone and the accent may change, but the empty suit won't.
For years, I thought about joining a political party and working on this shit from the inside. I decided against it because firstly, there isn't a party in my country that doesn't make me crazy, and secondly, I figured that the professionals were just better people than I am, both intellectually and morally. I realized that they aren't just as I've given up hope. I've studied political systems since I was 13 years old, over 20 years now. I've read thousands of books about countries the world over and throughout history and the one constant lesson is that people get the society they deserve. Fascism rose in Europe through complacency and despair, the same is true of communism. Whatever becomes of western democracy, and I'm pretty sure that it won't be anything good, will come of the intellectual laziness of voting for whoever puts on the prettiest commercial on television, does the most impressive balloon drop at their convention or says "bring it on" with the most fetching cadence.
Western civilization is at war with very serious people. Islamic terrorism is indeed psychotic and evil, but it is serious. Its proponents just realized that they can sway western democratic elections. What happened in Spain last week virtually guarantees more, not less of it. Is an approriate debate being conducted on that? No, it's much easier to put out empty headed platitudes on gay marriage, school vouchers and fucking lockboxes. And my country isn't even that serious. The Canadian federal election, expected to be called late next month will consist almost entirely of which party was more loathsome when they were in power and who can offer the craven, stupid voting public the most free shit that no one will be able to pay for in ten years. And while that happens, more bombs will explode and more people will die. Political cowards will respond with empty sloganeering and a borderline retarded public will wave flags and cheer them on. Just watch, this can and will happen while we sit around and argue about stupid shit like school uniforms and political slush funds.
And I think I'm too tired to care. I'll continue reading and writing about it, because I like the mechanics of it. I view politics like real people with lives to lead view sports - a horse race and a distraction. Besides, I've so flagrantly wasted my fucking life learning about it that I don't know very much about anything else. I also think I'm funny with the material it gives me, if nothing else. But my passion for it is gone. From the time I was a little kid, I wanted nothing more than to be able to vote. I've voted in every provincial and federal election, and most municipal ones, since I've been eligible to do so. And I don't think I will this year, or ever again. For years, the one argument that made me the craziest was "my vote won't matter." I argued that one with every tool at my disposal for more years than I care to admit. Now I'll concede defeat. It really doesn't matter who wins or loses. Just like football or basketball, politics is a meaningless exercise that serves no function other than allowing the winning team and their fans to feel good about themselves.
Ideas don't matter anymore, loud, stupid slogans and pretty balloons do. And that's been true for far longer than I've smart enough to recognize. So, just as I did with high school and college, I'm dropping out of democracy. If anybody out there has ever been swayed or influenced by my views on anything before, thanks. Please, continue reading and I'll continue writing. Just know that I've stopped giving a fuck in a particularly serious way.
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