And the World was Swallowed Whole
There was a time, it may have been one year ago, but probably more, when things seemed unbelievable. Every day brought a new, two new or three new “Breaking News” stories, any one of which, at any other time, would have shocked the world and keep everyone worried for a month.
There were the kids in cages, the racist rants, the mass shootings, the hurricanes, and then there was the impeachment, the heroes telling the truth, the liars confessing, the mass murders, the wildfires, and those were just the ones that were headlines for an entire day.
But after that there came the virus, the cold-blood killings of Black people, the videos, the protests, the soldiers, the pushbacks, the vigilante shootings, and that was before the Presidential campaign really began.
Two days ago I posted this as a response on Medium:
The biggest remaining roadblock to an orderly election and the rule of law is the silence of Congressional Republicans. So far, there have been a few mumbled statements about making sure votes count, and that Republicans are not all White Supremacists, but most of them are still sticking with Trump.
That post now has well over a hundred “claps” and still going, but it is already totally out of date. First, of course, is that Trump again shifted all the attention away from his terrible tax returns, his incredible amount of debt, and his frightening performance in the debate, by wobbling into a helicopter and being taken to the hospital, where he may be gasping for breath.
While everyone is wondering how ill Trump may be, the fear of silent Republicans has turned into a fear of active Republicans who are not just allowing Trump to attempt to delegitimize the election, they following his directions. The Texas Governor is taking ballot boxes out of the urban areas where Democrats votes. The Republicans in the Pennsylvania Legislature are trying to form a committee to examine the ballots and voting, while it is happening.
Trump is lying in the hospital while he is lying in bed. The virus is spreading again as the days get colder. The number of people who can’t pay the rent is growing. The number of people who don’t care is staying the same.
Meanwhile, the US has sold sophisticated fighter jets to dictators in the Middle East and declared they have stabilized the area. China is taking over the South China Sea, with no organized opposition. North Korea and Iran are building nuclear bombs and missiles. There are uncontrolled wildfires in six states, floods in four, with more hurricanes on the way. And the Celtics lost to the Heat. And the Heat will lose to the Lakers.
Kids are not in school. They are staying home, staring at screens, not paying much attention, and fighting with their sisters. The teachers admit they can’t teach, but they don’t want to die from the virus. Now more people believe them.
Trump is in the hospital, and the Russians are blaming it all on Biden. The Internet is blaming it on Muslims. More lost, confused, young, white men are joining White Supremacy militias so they can feel somehow empowered, until they also spread the virus to each other. Mitch McConnell will shepard a woman with strange and powerful religious beliefs about God, women and babies to become a member of the Supreme Court for thrity years.
And tomorrow we will wake up and find that the dragon from Alpha Centauri has swallowed the Earth whole. We will all shrug our shoulders, and turn on the “Breaking News,” knowing that whatever happened will soon be forgotten, and superseded by something else.
