> It's as if you've become an underground freedom fighter or a Mayberry
> James Bond -- you have information about the mechanisms producing
> modernity's en-fuckedness.
>
> The other way, the lefty way of going through the charts and facts and
> pushing, pulling history of things (particularly of the national myth
> busting variety) cannot hope to compete with this massive,
> crowd-scripted reality television program.
Too true. In my recent experience, attempting to show Obama as he actually is, whether anecdotally or analytically, is largely a waste of breath. One rightist relative, a Palin fan, remained convinced that Obama is The Devil. Not a metaphorical demon, but Satan in human form prepared to enslave God's country. I do not exaggerate this. It blew my mind. Trying hard not to scoff, I patiently countered that if Obama is Satan, and if he's continuing many of Bush's policies, then doesn't it follow that --
No it doesn't! I was quickly told. Bush was flawed, but he was up against socialists and traitors who tore him down. Obama is using Bush's mask to subvert whatever remained of the ex-president's legacy and usher in the darkness. I may be fooled by this, but she wasn't.
That's when I poured my first vodka, went outside and hit a blunt. The bare brown trees were beautiful. Squirrels chased each other. Crows squabbled over a smashed skunk just down the street. Clearly, organizing's not in my blood.
Dennis