I’m reminded of a conversation I had with a Canadian woman just weeks after the Danger Yam (credit for this goes to someone somewhere else) was elected. We were both just passing through Wells, NV and we shared a table in a cafe. We were both still reeling from the disaster unfolding, so politics did come up - very cautiously. She said s…
I’m reminded of a conversation I had with a Canadian woman just weeks after the Danger Yam (credit for this goes to someone somewhere else) was elected. We were both just passing through Wells, NV and we shared a table in a cafe. We were both still reeling from the disaster unfolding, so politics did come up - very cautiously. She said something that has stuck with me. In her view, a big reason for some important differences between Canadians and American can be traced back to the days when Hollywood was golden, and cinema took over a big chunk of time. In her view, people on both sides of the border had approximately equal exposure, but Canadians tended to keep the understanding that what was on screen was fiction, whereas Americans seemed to lose track of what was real and what was fantasy. They enjoyed the entertainment, we believed we could have that glamorous life.
So I ponder the ability of so many to buy in completely to the alternate reality of the maga state of mind. I marvel that literally millions cling to the fascist fantasies believing that they will somehow prosper under authoritarian rule. Perhaps they all see themselves as the heroes who will ultimately rise to the upper echelons when maga is finally achieved. I think perhaps they didn’t stay for the part of the movies where consequences come home to roost.
I've written a lot about this question, but the idea of a separate, hermetic reality has always been the dream of authoritarians and dictators.
Until our era, they simply didn't have the means and the technology to accomplish it at scale. Speaking of Canada, I'm grateful to Kim Richard Nossal, who just sent me his terrific book "Canada Alone." Well worth a read.
I’m reminded of a conversation I had with a Canadian woman just weeks after the Danger Yam (credit for this goes to someone somewhere else) was elected. We were both just passing through Wells, NV and we shared a table in a cafe. We were both still reeling from the disaster unfolding, so politics did come up - very cautiously. She said something that has stuck with me. In her view, a big reason for some important differences between Canadians and American can be traced back to the days when Hollywood was golden, and cinema took over a big chunk of time. In her view, people on both sides of the border had approximately equal exposure, but Canadians tended to keep the understanding that what was on screen was fiction, whereas Americans seemed to lose track of what was real and what was fantasy. They enjoyed the entertainment, we believed we could have that glamorous life.
So I ponder the ability of so many to buy in completely to the alternate reality of the maga state of mind. I marvel that literally millions cling to the fascist fantasies believing that they will somehow prosper under authoritarian rule. Perhaps they all see themselves as the heroes who will ultimately rise to the upper echelons when maga is finally achieved. I think perhaps they didn’t stay for the part of the movies where consequences come home to roost.
I've written a lot about this question, but the idea of a separate, hermetic reality has always been the dream of authoritarians and dictators.
Until our era, they simply didn't have the means and the technology to accomplish it at scale. Speaking of Canada, I'm grateful to Kim Richard Nossal, who just sent me his terrific book "Canada Alone." Well worth a read.