You know those movies or tv shows from a while ago? The ones about politics (I’m talking about Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, or even The West Wing) from a bygone era?
It occurs to me that when those movies or tv shows wanted to drum up some kind of political controversy, it was always something like “a Senator is using his influence to possibly make some money on a public works project!” or “The President accidentally called his political opponent ‘stupid” on a hot mic!” or something like that.
Then I look at what’s happening today. The leader of the Republican party–the last Republican president, and the one who is poised to receive his party’s nomination this year–has said he’ll be a dictator for his first day in office, and has argued that he should be allowed to assassinate a political opponent, who has been found liable for sexual assault, and who uses Hitlerian-style oratory when describing immigrants (I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point). Politicians (especially those on the right) regularly call their opponents “communists” or “people who hate America / baseball / babies / freedom (pick your sacred cow).”
Oh, how absolutely cute and quaint those fictional controversies are!
Seriously, what we used to find scandalous and objectionable and “oh-no-you-DIDN’T” about public behavior has become more than commonplace now. I don’t consider myself a Puritan (the best definition of that group I’ve ever heard is “someone who has a sneaking suspicion that somebody, somewhere, is having a good time”) but I do want to hit the pause button on what is permissible and normal in our behavior to one another.
Now listen up. Before you get that look on your face, let me say I do not mean what is permissible insofar as innocent but perhaps outre behavior, like getting a lip piercing or a Daffy Duck tattoo or twerking to Duo Lipa (I think I have that name right). While that’s not how my bread is buttered I have no objections to it. You do you, as the kids say.
I’m speaking specifically here about behavior and speech that is directly insulting to the principles of decency and respect towards others to which we should all aspire. It’s not insulting if you want to shave half your hair off, use black lipstick and wear carnaby gloves and fishnet stockings. Nor is it insulting for you to decide to call yourself this gender or that one, or even to refuse the concept of fixed gender at all. You do you, and I celebrate that. No, again, I am speaking of hurtful words and behavior. It used to be well outside the norm to even consider electing a person to office if that person called their opponents “vermin” and who said immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country” or who organized and encouraged a violent coup attempt on our government.
Or if that person was a rapist. I don’t want to forget that.
How will history judge us? I fervently hope my grandchildren (are you reading this, my daughter and son?) will read in history books about the “Madness of the early 21st century” or whatever the chapter is and they will ask me, “Grandpa, did we REALLY almost pick that guy for president a second time?” as if they cannot believe how our society could have fallen so far.
I wonder if young German kids ask their grandparents how their nation could, almost a hundred years ago, have done what it did. I know entire branches of psychology grew up studying how a rational, Enlightened nation could have fallen so far into evil as it did. Will we one day do the same?
And what will political satire look like tomorrow? How can we have satire of something that is so far outside the norm, so absurd, so inconceivable as to be almost beyond comprehension? Satire often works by magnifying the characteristics of that which is being mocked. How can one magnify the enormity of evil that is taking place now? How can we make the already ridiculous ludicrous?
And if we continue on this path, I have another question.
What do we say to the dead who will follow?
It occurs to me that when those movies or tv shows wanted to drum up some kind of political controversy, it was always something like “a Senator is using his influence to possibly make some money on a public works project!” or “The President accidentally called his political opponent ‘stupid” on a hot mic!” or something like that.
Then I look at what’s happening today. The leader of the Republican party–the last Republican president, and the one who is poised to receive his party’s nomination this year–has said he’ll be a dictator for his first day in office, and has argued that he should be allowed to assassinate a political opponent, who has been found liable for sexual assault, and who uses Hitlerian-style oratory when describing immigrants (I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point). Politicians (especially those on the right) regularly call their opponents “communists” or “people who hate America / baseball / babies / freedom (pick your sacred cow).”
Oh, how absolutely cute and quaint those fictional controversies are!
Seriously, what we used to find scandalous and objectionable and “oh-no-you-DIDN’T” about public behavior has become more than commonplace now. I don’t consider myself a Puritan (the best definition of that group I’ve ever heard is “someone who has a sneaking suspicion that somebody, somewhere, is having a good time”) but I do want to hit the pause button on what is permissible and normal in our behavior to one another.
Now listen up. Before you get that look on your face, let me say I do not mean what is permissible insofar as innocent but perhaps outre behavior, like getting a lip piercing or a Daffy Duck tattoo or twerking to Duo Lipa (I think I have that name right). While that’s not how my bread is buttered I have no objections to it. You do you, as the kids say.
I’m speaking specifically here about behavior and speech that is directly insulting to the principles of decency and respect towards others to which we should all aspire. It’s not insulting if you want to shave half your hair off, use black lipstick and wear carnaby gloves and fishnet stockings. Nor is it insulting for you to decide to call yourself this gender or that one, or even to refuse the concept of fixed gender at all. You do you, and I celebrate that. No, again, I am speaking of hurtful words and behavior. It used to be well outside the norm to even consider electing a person to office if that person called their opponents “vermin” and who said immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country” or who organized and encouraged a violent coup attempt on our government.
Or if that person was a rapist. I don’t want to forget that.
How will history judge us? I fervently hope my grandchildren (are you reading this, my daughter and son?) will read in history books about the “Madness of the early 21st century” or whatever the chapter is and they will ask me, “Grandpa, did we REALLY almost pick that guy for president a second time?” as if they cannot believe how our society could have fallen so far.
I wonder if young German kids ask their grandparents how their nation could, almost a hundred years ago, have done what it did. I know entire branches of psychology grew up studying how a rational, Enlightened nation could have fallen so far into evil as it did. Will we one day do the same?
And what will political satire look like tomorrow? How can we have satire of something that is so far outside the norm, so absurd, so inconceivable as to be almost beyond comprehension? Satire often works by magnifying the characteristics of that which is being mocked. How can one magnify the enormity of evil that is taking place now? How can we make the already ridiculous ludicrous?
And if we continue on this path, I have another question.
What do we say to the dead who will follow?
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