Doug's Darkworld

Good morning everyone. Yes, best line of the Dem convention so far: “My dad was a healthy 65-year-old. His only preexisting condition was trusting Donald Trump, and for that, he paid with his life.” And Trump still refuses to face reality and take the steps needed to shut Covid-19 down. Until he does so, the economy can’t recover. We’re hosed until we get a real president in other words. #StaytheFHome #WearaDamnMask

My facebook post this morning. I think I’m losing my faith in the human race. The human race is wealthier than it’s ever been, we easily have the means to provide everyone on Earth with the basic necessities of food, shelter, health care, and education with plenty left over for rich people to be rich. Instead we have corruption, greed, and exploitation on a massive scale. The world’s borders are a nightmare legacy of conquest and colonization, we have over 5,000 ethnic groups on Earth, fewer than 200 countries. Yeah, a lot of people don’t have a homeland.

The human brain simply isn’t wired to think logically, being hyper aware of threats was a good thing when we lived on the savanna. In a civilization not as much. Trump is like the perfect storm, just the right traits to inspire blind appeal among a certain demographic. That he basically has his own “news” media that his supporters watch doesn’t hurt either.

On the plus side, watching Trump’s view of reality get more out of whack with actual reality is certainly something to see. Here he is now claiming that he talked to God and God told him he would help Trump rebuild the economy when Covid-19 was past: Trump says he spoke to God about economy, believes God will help him rebuild it again.  Where to begin? For one thing the pre-Covid economy wasn’t the greatest economy the world had ever seen, unless you were rich. And the economy is going to continue to get worse the longer Trump ignores Covid-19. Which he apparently has every intention of doing. He’s like Hitler in the bunker as the Russians closed in, making fantasy plans about how shattered German armies were going to save the day.

Why his supporters still support him, well, Trump’s their messiah. The man who is going to bring back an America that never was and crush internal enemies who don’t exist. For the more scientifically literate, there’s this: The Psychology Behind Donald Trump’s Unwavering Support. Though his support is slipping, how many former Obama staffers came out with damning books and interviews about Obama? It’s a cottage industry with Trump’s former staff. Here’s an interesting one: ‘What We Saw Was Terrifying’: Former Senior Trump Administration Official Backs Biden. Here’s the original in the WaPo. I mean, the Democratic Convention is going to feature Republican speakers. Rats, sinking ship, etc.

So yeah, I think things are going to continue to get worse in the USA. I have no idea what the election will bring. People really should be stocking up on essentials, supply chains are starting to break down. After the Derecho flattened parts of my state near me, we are looking into a wood burning stove and a generator. It’s not like the Trump administration is going to be any help if another one hits us here. And extreme weather events are the new normal as the world’s governments continue to ignore global warming.

On the plus side, where there’s life there’s always hope, read a couple of interesting articles: How Pandemics Wreak Havoc—and Open Minds. It’s a New Yorker article about a historian’s thoughts about how Covid-19, despite it’s horrible toll, may well be the beginning of a new age, the same way The Black Death cleared the way for the renaissance and the modern world that followed. Yeah, behind a paywall, though the gentle reader gets a few free articles a month. An anonymous browser window might work, though that’s not a guarantee anymore. In any event, the Black Death was a death blow for the Dark Ages. One can only hope Covid-19 is the death blow for the neocolonial era.

Lastly, a very creative “future history” article: A memo from the year 2050, Here’s how we avoided the worst of zoonotic diseases. Basically postulating how the world may well take the threat of zoonotic diseases far more seriously after Covid-19, and shut them down before the next pandemic. That’s one of the insane things about the current pandemic, it was utterly predictable and preventable. God helps those who help themselves Mr Trump, please do your fucking job and fight Covid-19.

Stay safe everyone. Comments, shares, likes appreciated. #StaytheFHome #WearaDamnMask

Copyright © 2020 Doug Stych. All rights reserved.

(Image from Facebook, an anonymous meme of unknown origin. Will attribute properly if so informed. Claimed as Fair Use under US copyright law.)