Clueless

I have a real dilemma here.  Sometimes I'm baffled,  And sometimes I'm righteously pissed off.  Sometimes I can't figure out how they can exist in such a blissful vacuum. And sometimes I want to slap the shit out of them for being in that vacuum.  How? Why?  What's their secret?  What's their motivation? Okay that last question was the stupid question that puts to rest the notion that there are no stupid questions.  

Some weeks ago we posted about the people who choose to remain detached from life beyond fluff.  We opined that while doing so might very well make one feel comfortable it's this sort of detachment that's the very ally of Donald Trump. If a fair segment of the adult population is in full on “what me worry,” then Trump and his stooges can also be in full on "what me worry."  It’s the perfect symbiotic relationship; the clueless and indifferent blindly collaborating with the clueless and incompetent.

A few days ago I was having a discussion with two co-workers in the office lunchroom about Trump and his stooges; Spicer, Bannon, DeVos, Conway and the rest of the crew on that ship of fools.  The three of us are all of the same mind when it comes to Trump; you know, an egotistical, unfit loon.  It was basically a mutual lament about America shitting all over itself - and the world.

Another co-worker was sitting and listening to us in silence but with an expression of sheer amazement; literally with mouth agape.  Not knowing what to make of that expression I continued to glance at her as the discussion went on; curious to know what she thought of the national calamity. I honestly thought that at any moment she would take the opposing view, praise Trump and take us all to task for libtards who refuse to give the poor buffoon a chance.

But not a word.  She just sat there looking from one to the other as we spoke, as if she were watching a strange drama unfold; perplexed, astonished.  Finally one of us turned to the woman and asked, “What do you think?” Her tone seemed to expect agreement from our heretofore silent partner. But perplexed and astonished turned to bewildered panic as she held her arms out and said, “I really don’t know who these people are that you’re talking about.”

Yeah, the awkward silence.  It was a “what the fuck” moment.  Well that sure took the wind out of our sails.  Maybe it was the resigned acknowledgement that this is how America got to its current riches of embarrassment.  We were in the presence of one of those people who through their ignorance and indolence blithely poured gasoline into the American dumpster and then tossed in a match. And they did it with no effort at all - literally. We all quietly adjourned to our desks.

Sometime later I made my way to the workstation of one of my comrades.  In a hushed voice I said to her, “I just have to get this off my chest.  How can anyone be so out of touch?  Are there people out there that are still...out there?”  She offered a sort of halfhearted excuse for our clueless associate and I stammered a few, “But, but’s….”  I think we were in agreement but she was just in a charitable moment.

I’m not sure who I have more contempt for; the Trumpers or the comatose.  They both got us here.  But at least the Trumpers put forth an effort in their constant quest to be misinformed.  I mean think of all the effort it takes to be misled into a fog of misinformation while quenching your thirst for propaganda with specious Kool Aid.  It takes some real work to become and remain a moron.  Indifference takes no effort beyond worrying about the local sports team and posting pictures of your dinner on Facebook. And there’s nothing wrong with that.  But can you let the rest of us know that you’re among the living.  Just a teensy weensy bit?

I guess at some point, some of the inert will get it figured out.  They’ll find that their health insurance doesn’t cover anything beyond hemorrhoids. Maybe they’ll find that the close friend who hasn’t called in a while was long ago corralled by ICE and sent off to God knows where.   Maybe they’ll find that during their slumber a new war broke out.  Or it might be the disappearance of a basic right that they took for granted for all these years.  Yeah at some point in that dreamy stroll through life Donald Trump will jump out of their self-induced fog… and they’ll get mugged.    

~ Posted by Paulie, San Francisco CA.