Maintaining Sanity in a Dystopian World
To remain sane in the midst of generalized justifiable hysteria is a real challenge. My primary "relief valve" for this type of challenge over the years has been to spend time conferring with my fellow wizards. Now that I am retired and given the current (we hope) temporary circumstances I choose to hangout in this venue (with much thanks, to those behind the c99p curtain) as an island of sanity in a stormy sea.
Extensive experience with criticality, tipping points, and all things chaotic teaches: The point of no return can be identified (and only identified never explained) post hoc never a priori. This is, perhaps, the key to the fact that the Discipline of Political Science is such an oxymoronic construction.
To not put too fine of a point on the Sword of Damocles that has been appropriately positioned: It behooves us to realize the futility of trying to agree upon something that by its very nature does not exist for the insanity such an effort engenders. In broad brushstrokes we know what needs to be done. In short, we don't know how close we are to a point of no return nor will we know when we have passed said point of no return. Panic only serves to trigger panic too early and whatever Trump supporters suffer from only serves to grease the wheels of the handcart approaching the abyss on its way to hell.
The challenge: While handlers are ever so feebly trying to manipulate the moron in the White House, how can we influence the 45% of voters mentioned below into becoming at least semi-reasonable people, or is there really no hope?
Coronavirus and the 2020 Elections (a MoveOn alert)
Donald Trump's mind-bogglingly incompetent handling of the coronavirus has resulted in a worsening of the pandemic that is hitting our economy, communities, and individual lives in shocking ways—and it should destroy any last shot at his winning a second term.
But a new poll from The Wall Street Journal finds that 45% of voters actually approve of the job Trump is doing handling the coronavirus pandemic—almost exactly the same as his overall approval rating.
That means too many voters simply don't know the facts about the enormous threat of the coronavirus and how much worse Trump has made the pandemic through his bungled response.
They don't know that Trump literally shut down the office responsible for responding to a pandemic or that he defunded the CDC. The message hasn't gotten through that if Trump had been prepared and had taken swift action during the first crucial days and weeks, this epidemic could have been contained. They aren't aware that he was warned of threats of pandemics the day we was inaugurated—and yet, he ignored this unfolding crisis, failing to secure tests or take precautions and even intentionally downplaying the level of infections.
Comments
What was illegal is no more:
Insider trading was at one time illegal, but that is no longer the case:
https://www.thedailybeast.com/sen-kelly-loeffler-dumped-millions-in-stoc...
RIP
True?
Some claim the "Stock act" made this illegal...
And, laugh riot on my part, the wikipedia link says it was introduced by Joe Fucking Liebermann...
Laws are for the little people.
National office comes with a Get Out of Jail Free card.
Why else would scociopaths be so drawn to “Public Service”?
Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men for the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the benefit of all."
- John Maynard Keynes
It's a big club
that we are not members of - remember? Must not forget that small detail!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Reaching the point of no return
Sometimes we do recognize that we are reaching a point of no return. I don't believe the climate crisis is yet at this point. I am dubious that climate change is anthropogenic. Despite all the data which is "universally" believed to point to the effect of the evil Homo non sapiens on Mother Earth. Hi, mom, I still love you. kisses!
But at other times we have been pulled back from the precipice. Now in these times, the only thing we can be certain of is uncertainty.
Yes, Mr. Heisinger, I know about this. I also have been trying to figure whether Schrödinger's feline still breaths, in that airtight box constructed for the poor beast. So, if the cat is oxygen deprived too long, the outcome is certain, even in this uncertain world.
Chaos and all that is beside the point. Uncertainty only gets people so far--which is usually nowhere. For instance, if you don't know where to go at a given moment, consider your situation. If movement from your cozy spot entails risk, you might be content for now to go nowhere.
But the point of know return. When a bullet enters the brainstem, this is the point of no return. Similar illustrations abound. For instance, being in the neighborhood of a nuclear explosion means that one has passed Go forever and will never again $200 for so doing.
Yes, many times we mortals pass that proverbial position. If we are lucky when falling off a cliff, we happen to land on a nearby ledge, unseen before the unplanned descent, we survive--no thanks to our own efforts or lack thereof.
So, fellow travelers on this mortal coil, rest assured that the only two verities are death and taxes.
You Know
I can't argue with anything here. However, I actually find myself supporting the current administration as they try to pass a $1 trillion relief package--mostly for workers--and Pelosi tries to sink it. (Honestly, it is pretty confusing and dystopian!)
Also, the writing was on the wall as far as stocks go--I sold all of my stocks a few weeks ago, thankfully. It was pretty obvious looking at it.
April is gonna be hell on the stock market--that's when calendar Q1 financial reports come in. Think of all the bad news that'll be reported for that entire month when companies are either closed or bankrupt or dealing with 50% of usual sales. Airline companies. Retail companies. Auto companies. Oil companies. Hotels. Just about everyone except for maybe Amazon and Google and Facebook. Banks will panic because all their stock investments will go south.
After that, I'm guessing we'll be in a recession, especially if this coronavirus lasts another quarter.
If they manage to get UBI in the hands of the people
...It would be a recession bounce. Consumers will be clamoring for products and services once the plague passes. Stores and factories will scramble to meet the demand.
If they put the money in the hands of the banks, instead, we'll be lucky to have a Recession and not a protracted depression with depreciating assets.
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
"Once the plague passes"
two years from now?
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-53-emergency-podcast-system-the...
"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama
Actually, I'm not sure
...what the best case scenario is. No one talks about best case scenarios, but they probably require special interventions. Other coronaviruses were contained naturally without science or drugs, before they went global.
China's infection rate is rapidly shrinking to zero. But risk and threat are everywhere now. So we can only stop the virus by becoming immune to it.
If a drug suddenly appeared that could stop or block the infection, then we would immediately try to restart our interrupted systems. This has happened after wars. The length of time we are down effects the time and effort it will take to restart. This event will stunt global development — but perhaps that's not altogether a bad thing.I notice that even the scientists are analyzing the epidemic in the language of economics. That is how we understand our lives, now.
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Recession, I don't think so.
The situation is a lot worse than you are imagining. The word "recession" does not describe what is going to happen. Or more precisely, the word will just be redefined to describe the next state of economic affairs.
For example: The fact that insider trading is, in fact, illegal just means we will just rework our perception to allow what used to be called insider trading to be labeled differently. This is no different than some kid proclaiming un-ironically that they literally died yesterday.
The excuse that language is mutable does not even begin to cover the linguistic contortions we are encountering at an ever increasing rate.
With respect to the economy, about six decades ago we started developing computer technology in a way very different from the previous two decades. We knew problems would occur if regulators didn't keep on top of the situation. The "free market" assholes were able to maintain their positions (for lots of reasons) and as expected the inevitable demise of capitalism began.
The fundamental problem is that most people do not have the ability to look objectively at the Real world, so they convince themselves that a fixed percent rate of return is like a fixed rate of return. With that as the new norm they have no clue how rapidly they are approaching disaster. Worse, as they don't understand differential equations, they are incapable of understanding the most basic mathematical processes. They become like gambling addicts on the Las Vegas strip back in the day.
Not long ago I actually started to explain to a person the problem crypto-currency engenders. Within a very short span of time it became obvious that this person was not willing to even to try to see the problem. Sigh!
Well, at any rate, if the big industrial bosses suddenly start acting happy, step aside and avoid as much of the shrapnel as you are able.
RIP
I'm not selling my stocks
in a privately-held and very successful grocery store chain.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
As regards your title --
-- maintaining sanity might be the easy part. Not believing in a line of crap -- that might be harder.
"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama
We've passed the point of no return
a long time ago. Past "A chicken in every pot", past "lean and mean", way past "cheap and abusive". As to the 45% that still support Trump and the republicans, it's not that they need more explaining to. They've heard all the explanations of how and why they suck. They've been told who caused or let this happen. They want punishment meted out, and would be happy to be the ones to apply it.
Yep. Authoritarians
need scapegoats when they screw up. Preferably non-white ones. Makes the finger pointing much more believable with the base. And the placing the blame elsewhere makes for a nice overall distraction going forward towards November, to keep people from looking at where the real blame should attach.
Don the Con is a moron in a purely intellectual sense, but is clearly getting clever and usually effective advice from his handlers in how to do damage control and redirect the public conversation.
The 45% do not have to like Trump or what he does.
All they need to feel is that America needs punishment, which doesn't in any sense have to be defined, because the permitted alternative to Trump is whatever neoliberal asshole the committee has selected at any particular time. This is what the Trumpies think.
This is the sense in which Bernie caving to the Neoliberal of the Four-Year Cycle really hurts the movement. It's more fuel for the Trump dumpster fire.
"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama
Gee, voters simply don't know the facts?
Wasn't it once somebody's job to deliver them those facts in a calm manner approaching objectivity as nearly as a human being can? Wasn't it those people's job to preserve their repute so that people felt comfortable trusting that they would tell them the truth--rather than toadying to brutes and liars so overtly that a child could see it?
Is it surprising, given where their news comes from, that they have a wrong idea of what's going on?
Anyway, nothing is being given to them to support. They'll either sink into complete cynicism and support nothing, or they will look for something to support, and what they'll support is whatever looks and sounds most comfortable to them. Nothing to do with facts or reason.
Bernie was, quite recently, the most popular politician in this country. Why? Because his candidacy put left-wing policies where people could see and know about them. Having seen and known about them, they supported them, massively; the man with no SuperPACs outfundraised everybody except Donald Trump--and had far more numerous donors than anybody else. That's an indicator of support that is very difficult to fake--unlike vote counts.
So my point is, if the people can SEE certain policy options, if they are offered a diverse choice of politician and platform, then they can make choices. If those choices are distorted, truncated, or obliterated, the people are liable to start making their decisions in a distorted way.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
A few exist ...
but when they try to do the job properly this happens:
RIP