When the Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie ...
That’s America, and it may give you a black eye.
Let’s face it, we are a kooky country in love with ourselves. We’re fickle to say the least. Our cake and circus society is unique to the American freedoms that we both espouse and abuse. We love and revere the movie stars and entertainers that supply our fantasies and alter ego. We mistrust and denounce our politicians and leaders, the bane of our existence, who forge and supply our inescapable realities. We are hypnotized by our 24/7 news channel cycles and media stars who tell us how and what to think and what to say.
Conversely, the reverse is true of all the above. We can think and say anything we want, wherever and to whomever we want and we are protected by our embattled Constitution and laws. If we can think it and feel it, it’s true. We convince others it’s true, doesn’t matter what the facts are. We’re entitled. We’re also gullible and confused but won’t admit it. We think we’re righteous and invincible, truth is many Americans can’t even spell righteous or invincible. Meanwhile, the rest of the civilized world is winning spelling bees and eating our lunch, while America is “out to lunch.”
We never learn. Didn’t someone say once that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result? Then our country must be insane regarding the outdated set of constitutional laws and administrative procedures to which we righteously, religiously adhere.
Over and over again, different names different faces, same result. If there is no loophole, simply make one. Pass go and collect.
Trying to follow the plot regarding our newly elected president and his administration is like trying to understand a ‘pie-in-your-face’ food fight plot in a Marx Brothers or Three Stooges Movie. Our fantasy media mirror shows us that it’s okay to bonk someone over the head with a large mallet or poke someone in the eye (nyuk nyuk nyuk) or lie straight-faced to the news cameras or in court under oath. Our video games teach us to kill. Our politicians tell us it’s okay to kill. Trump’s crew makes the The Keystone Cops look like a well oiled machine. He’s only been in office a year and it seems like a decade. When will it all end?
Soon.
But here’s the upside to all this reckless negativity. That cliche about doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is not the definition of insanity with many people, because they don’t expect a different result. The same result is just fine with them. A comfort routine that calms the mind and spirit. Religion for example. Alternative beliefs, dreams, hopes, wishes. Heros, habits and hobbies. Running.
Conspiracy theories.
We all have our vices, our preferences, things that can not be disproved, and who is to say we are wrong if it brings us comfort ...and sanity.
In Joseph Heller’s famous ‘Catch-22’, the American bomber pilots waned to get out of flying dangerous missions by claiming they were crazy, insane. However, the psychiatrists determined that wanting not to fly life-threatening missions was not an insane or a crazy thought. So, they were declared not crazy and had to fly the missions.
It’s kind of like being an American citizen these days. Catch-22. You want not to be part of this repugnant political craziness, but the only way to change things for the better is to become part of the insanity and vote for a candidate who makes sense to you. Which open up a whole ‘nother can of worms. Who’s running? What qualifies them to be leaders, and what qualifies you or your idiot neighbor to make a rational decision? That’s Catch-22 twice over! Catch-44.
It might be a losing battle. Something’s got to give, doesn’t it? Or will this worldwide but uniquely branded American madness just continue ad infinitum? But then again, maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m the idiot next door neighbor.
Nonetheless, we are all caught tup in the same American dream which is quickly turning into an American nightmare. I hate to be pessimistic, but I think we can and should all agree on that reality. Because If we continue to fantasize that all is well or ignore the writing on the wall, we may get caught with our pants down. Like 9/11. Pearl Harbor. Parkland. Flint.
Our politicians are useless, congress is ineffective. These are facts, not fantasy. Our government, our leaders, our systems and processes are failing us. Something’s wrong. But we know all this and we still continue doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results. A blessing for some, a curse for most others.
When I was a kid in Brooklyn, we were having a snowball fight with kids from another neighborhood. I though it was all good fun. Until I got hit in the eye with a snowball with a rock inside. Reality check.
So, before the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, duck, America! Because no matter what Dino says, that ain’t ‘Amore‘ any more ...
John Kushma is a communication consultant and lives in Logan, Utah.
