Peter – What a Difference a Year Makes

What a difference a year makes! Over the last 12 months we have learned a lot about a lot of things, including ourselves and our society. Civilization has been challenged by circumstance, and the future promises us even more uncertainty than usual, if that is possible.

I blame the previous occupant of the Oval Office for introducing a veneer of intolerance not only to the American political system, but also to the public’s perception of the mass media.

The media, which has long focused on holding government accountable to the public, has been subjected to serious attempts to delegitimize it by one of the very people it exists to scrutinize. His dismissive and disrespectful public remarks about it have been eagerly seized upon by his horde of followers as they attempt to reduce all media to supermarket tabloid levels of credibility. Of course, foreign influences weigh heavily in the cultivation of this atmosphere of ignorance which has risen and allows events to occur that frankly would have been in the realm of “unthinkable” not so long ago.

His rise to power, abetted by bullies, cowards and weaklings, has emboldened others who think alike in their own drives to remake their countries in a similar fashion. Hatred and intolerance, fueled by selective narratives and outright lies, and spread via “the wonder of electronics”, have become the predominant bases for the alarming growth of hate groups of all kinds. The disillusioned and the  “aggrieved” flock to groups such as “Odin’s Onanists” a), which they see as an avenue to aid them in fighting against “oppression”, whatever they may perceive that to be in their particular case.

This steady diet of lies slops across nearly every aspect of life, and people seem to embrace it and indeed fatten up on it. It confounds me when I read about it, to be honest. For example, the lies spread about the effect of voting machines on the last presidential election played a big role in the most shameful day in American political history this century, the storming of the U.S. Capitol. Many dark statements were made about the retribution which would be visited on the electoral process when this individual produced the “evidence” that existed of the company’s “malfeasance”. In the event, a dispassionate review of all the facts proved indisputably that there had been no dark conspiracy, no undue mechanical influence on the election results by the voting machines. Not unnaturally, the company cited filed a lawsuit against the individual who had trumpeted these charges in public statements, as they had been circulated around the Internet by an eager band of her followers and supporters, who were convinced that the election had been stolen and were happy to have a straw to clutch.

Now the gist of her defense is that “reasonable people” would not have accepted her statements as “fact”. Now I personally find that very interesting, as I find the protests of those arrested in that sorry affair that they were only following the direction of the president. ( This is probably a good time to note that during the riot at the Capitol, HE stayed where he was, there was no panicky attempt to fly him to safety, no rapid intervention in the situation by heavily armed, well trained troops who were available at the other end of the telephone. It makes one wonder.)

Anyway, many of the insurgents are apparently having “buyer’s remorse”, so to speak. It is almost comical reading about their concerns about incarceration and the potential effects of their participation in this, this….well, call it what it was, this attempt to overthrow the government. It would be comical, if it wasn’t so frightening. Nice job, brainwashed masses!!!

Those of us who are in favour of democracy and fairness and the rule of law best stay vigilant.

Finishing off this week with some COVID thoughts. Betty gets her shot tomorrow, I await my own turn. I encourage everyone to get their vaccination when the opportunity arises. We have been eating lunch together outside over the last few days. I suggest that you, when the time comes, patronize locally owned businesses as your first priority. Next, focus your attention on the various franchises. Only as a last resort should you buy from a “big box store”, a multinational, because they don’t need your business as much as you think.

Finally, we all know this has been a rough year. Give a thought to those living in long term care homes. Our last year is what they normally experience.

See you soon

1. a) Obviously not a real group. I don’t consider it my mission to promote their efforts in any way.

=PJM=

A confirmed Cat person, Peter dabbled with being a water boy, a paper boy and an altar boy before finally settling on a career with the Canadian federal government.  Once, in his youth, he ate a Dutch  oven full of mashed potatoes to win a 5 cent bet with his beloved sister Mary’s boyfriend. (Of course he was much younger and a nickel went a lot farther!) He has retired to palatial “Chez Montreuil”, which he shares with his little buddy CoCo the Fashionable. He is blessed to have the beautiful Betty in his life. He is not only a plastic aircraft modeller, but a proud “rivet counter”. Military aviation and live music are among other interests of his, and he tries to get out to as many shows as he can. He will be here for your enlightenment whenever the stars align. Profile photo courtesy of Pat Blythe, caricature courtesy of Peter Mossman.