Are You Not Entertained?

Here we are, a week out from the US Presidential election. Tensions are higher than ever. The people are divided as ever. And although many Americans are unaware, the reality is that the outcome will not fundamentally change the inevitable continued decline of our material conditions either way.

All of the anger pointed at one another, instead of at the powerful, has ensured that their power is maintained, and nothing more. A vote for red, blue, or green is a vote for the criminal establishment which has ruled over the people for centuries. The bankers, the families, and the institutions who control the money and the resources internationally are always the winners. 

Always. 

But boy, can they put on a show! If you didn’t know any better, it’d be really hard to believe that the parties actually work for the same ruling class. You can’t deny that the acting is top-notch, and the script is captivating. The production value in and of itself is something to behold. 

This makes sense, of course, when you take into account the stakes at play. The show must be believable above all else. Because if the audience ever saw the man behind the curtain pulling all of the strings, there would be hell to pay. The distraction must be interesting, dramatic, and entertaining enough for us to never take our eyes off. 

If we did, even for a second, we might see that the show is actually pretty horrendous. We might see that it’s funded by genocide, war, oppression, exploitation, and utter disregard for us, the people. We might see that it’s a demoralizing act, a joke at our expense. We might see the truth and that cannot happen.

That’s why the actors are so talented. Their images are carefully curated for years and years. Each role is vitally important, because if one mask slips, it calls into question all of the others. That’s why many of the actors are well known and have starred in movies and TV shows of their own. We recognize their faces and although we might not know what they really stand for, at least they offer us some comfort. 

We know them and they’re just like us; they’re relatable. They’re even funny at times! We get a good laugh from them. They help us forget all of our hardships and pain. Even though they’re the ones helping to cause it. 

They represent us and have our best interests at heart. They know life is hard for us and only getting harder. They don’t want to bore us with speeches about policy or scare us with the truth. That’s why they bring our favorite celebrities to their rallies. We get to sing and dance and forget about life for a while. 

We get to hear all sorts of beautiful promises. They’re going to make things so much better for us. They’re going to rid us of war, poverty, and sickness. And yea, we know that they’re funded by the interests that create war, poverty, and sickness. But what are actions when we can just listen to nice sounding slogans?

They’re putting their lives on the line for us. They’re shot at, even. They’re a threat to those Bad Guys we keep hearing about. They protect us against them and that’s a good thing, because we have a lot of enemies. And sure, we know they work for those Bad Guys. But what good does it do us to always focus on the bad?

It’s far better to be hopeful. It’s far better to be positive. It’s far better to believe that this time will be different than all the rest. Plus, it’s far more fun this way. 

The drama is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. It’s like a real-life soap opera that dazzles and enchants right in front of our very eyes. And there is little else that we love more than drama. It gives us something to focus on, instead of the world burning around us, of course.

It’s like a drug that we can’t get enough of. And it might actually kill us. 

And so, the show goes on! The audience is thoroughly entertained. The circus and absurdity of it is all-consuming. It’s the most ironic escape from reality known to man. They’ll laugh, they’ll cry, and they’ll willingly walk themselves right into the next act. 

As for the rest of us, we’ll keep screaming FIRE!! in the theater… until there’s enough of us to tear down the set for good.