Tag Archives: #metoo

And Into the Void

 

Whew. That was close.

We almost didn’t survive our final round of political chemotherapy: The confirmation today of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

Please understand: I don’t think Kavanaugh should be anywhere near a federal bench. Or a public bench near a bar, for that matter. Brett Kavanaugh deserves to be a stunt groin in kung fu movies.

But his confirmation was critical to diagnosing just how serious our cancer is. We ingested a president that brags of taking women by the vagina. Not considering the personal allegations, Kavanaugh’s sworn testimony that he believes  that one of America’s two political parties orchestrates “hit jobs” demonstrated how metastatic our illness. So long Roe v. Wade and affirmative action. Your runs were noble.

But it’s best for Kavanaugh’s confirmation to come a month before the midterms. (It would have been better if Jeff Flake didn’t feign being conflicted and waste America’s time with a GOP investigation of itself). Still, for a news cycle that has the attention of a carnival goldfish, the confirmation will seem a gazy recollection. (At least for news; not, certainly, anyone who wants an abortion or a job).

So it’s up to us to remember come radiation therapy day Nov. 6. But whatever the outcome, we asked for it.

Who could claim to be swindled? Now all political cards, on both sides, are on the table.

The right was willing — pardon the pun — to shove Kavanaugh’s nomination down our throats, demonstrating where Republicans feel a woman’s place is. That is strategy incarnate: The party is betting that enough women will agree with them, galvanized by an odd support for the judge. A Quinnipiac Poll about the believability of Kavanaugh versus Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, conducted before Saturday’s confirmation turned prophetic:

  • 80% of black voters believe Dr. Ford over Kavanaugh, as do 66% of hispanic voters. Only 40% of white voters do.
  • When split by gender, 46% of white women believe Dr. Ford and 43% believe Kavanaugh, a statistically insignificant difference.
  • Only 37% of white men believe Dr. Ford.

What a snapshot of America.

Of course, the left has plenty of self-inflicted wounds of its own, namely the desire to silence those who disagree with them (is that the serotonin of power?) Most recently, the New Yorker, an otherwise sublime publication, proved itself gutless by disinviting Steve Bannon to its annual “Festival of Ideas” this fall. If that’s not the heavyweight of idea discussions, what is? But celebs threatened to boycott the festival, and Economic Darwinism took over.

New Yorker editor David Remnick quickly disinvited Bannon, saying in a statement: “I don’t want well-meaning readers and staff members to think I’ve ignored their concerns. I’ve thought this through and talked to colleagues — and I’ve reconsidered.” Not to engage in hard questioning because celebs will be offended? Turn in your press badge, motherfucker. Image result for david remnick
So the cards are on the table. Both sides are supposedly stoked for battle. #metoo versus #notnow.
How dramatic. Why, it almost feels like a TV show.

In Sickness and in Health

 

The test results came back. And the news is not good.

We have cancer. Stage 4.

This should surprise no one. We’ve been courting political cancer the way smokers court black lung, the way drinkers court rotted livers, the way junk foodies court heart disease. We know exactly the direction we’re headed, do little to change course — and are stunned when we arrive at trip’s end.

Such has occurred on a national, political scale. When 60% of residents vote in presidential elections, when 40% vote in midterms, when more citizens vote for the next American Idol than the next American president, malignant tumors are inevitable. Given the warm(ing), mossy climate we offered the malignancy, could we have wound up with anything other than Game Show President Syndrome? Related image

For us, the menacing odd-shaped mole appeared with the presidential election. Since then, the nation has responded to the diagnosis by experiencing four of the seven stages of grief, as codified by the American Psychology Association:

  • SHOCK & DENIAL — Did anyone believe their ears November 8, 2016?
  • PAIN & GUILT — How many people, looking back, wished they’d voted?
  • ANGER & BARGAINING — From the over-extension of the post-modernist left to the overreach of the American fascist right, we have proven lousy mediators.
  • DEPRESSION, LONELINESS — Trump may be the first president in history who gets people riled when he comes up — whether you’re for or against him. Opponents are furious he won; Supporters are pissed because their leader has convinced them they are ripped off rubes.
  • THE UPWARD TURN — Finding hope in small breakthroughs.
  • RECONSTRUCTION & WORKING THROUGH — Learning to rise and stare down that which felled you.
  • ACCEPTANCE & HOPE — Realizing you are doing what you should have been doing long ago, and praying it’s not too late.

The first four stages have already occurred. The question is what we do with the last three.

To be sure, there’s no guarantee we survive this — or that we’re even serious about the diagnosis. Our cancer-in-chief rejects science, believes global warming a hoax and gazes  directly into solar eclipses. He hired a doctor who told him he could live to 200. That’s the thing about cancer: It can’t recognize itself, only its victims.

And make no mistake, this cancer has metastasized to every region of the body politic. From the executive branch to Congress to the Supreme Court, it’s harder to find a body part that isn’t rotted than one that is.

Treatment’s gonna be a bitch. We’ll suffer hair loss (or at least the reforming of it in angles that defy modern physics). Image result for trump weird hair There will be much blood, screaming, loss of dignity. And we still may be too late.

But there are signs Americans are taking recovery seriously. They stopped a pederast from becoming an Alabama senator. They rejected rejecting universal healthcare. They look to a Perry Mason-type as their true top cop. Image result for muellerTwo women altered an historic Senate hearing this weekend by literally blocking an elevator door to be heard (and promising they’d be heard again come the Nov. 6 mid-terms). Image result for women flake elevator

Perhaps that is what ultimately defines the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, which are  less about the character of the candidate than character of the country. Image result for angry kavanaugh

Kavanaugh is the chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is on Nov. 6. Remember to fast: don’t eat, drink or watch anything 12 hours before the procedure. We’ve seen and swallowed enough.