🔊 Listen to This!

“Beware the beast Man, for he is the Devil’s pawn. Alone among God’s primates, he kills for sport or lust or greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother’s land. Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert of his home and yours. Shun him; drive him back into his jungle lair, for he is the harbinger of death.”

— The Lawgiver, (as spoken by Cornelius in Planet of the Apes)

As I stated in my last blog, “0.” This is an attempt to be the last blog I will write that involves politics directly. If I ever decide to care again about this subject. I will announce it, but I am stepping away from politics as talking points for the foreseeable future. It’s just too mentally, emotionally exhausting, and frankly, pointless. I’ve been trying for so long to see both sides, defend them, analyze them—but really, it’s just a fight over what’s “less bad.” We’re not talking about choosing the best option here, but the lesser of two sides. If one begins to get physically ill due to these things, it is time to move on and ignore them. We’re arguing over perspective, which we both do not have. And that’s not a way to live. At this point, I’m so fed up that I’m considering not even voting anymore. I mean, does it really matter? We’re all just pawns in a game designed by a bunch of rich assholes on both sides. I know I’ve said this before, and yeah, I’ve failed at it before. I get pulled back in. Most of us do. We all cannot help ourselves. I am just making a conscious effort here to ignore it all. The constant political bickering has drained me. The narratives we follow are illusions—manufactured distractions that make us think we have some influence.

But we don’t.

The news and politics do things not to make us think with our brains, but react with our emotions. When the brain is being emotional it tends to shut its ability to critically think off while emotionally compromised. What we’re really given here is a choice between piss and poop. And who wants to choose between those? The real losers are the people who keep playing along, thinking they can change something within this broken system. Living in a burning house while one pretends its not in fact burning with you inside it. I know people might want to challenge me on this, and that’s fine. If you’ve got a different perspective, go ahead, tell me about it. I might listen. I might not, but I’m done pretending this is some peer-reviewed debate where we’re all working towards a better solution. We’re not peers in that sense. We’re not working together in any aspect that could make a difference. We’re just friends trying to navigate a messed-up world. The truth as I see it is, none of this matters in the grand scheme of things. It’s all just noise, self-serving bullshit, and I’m done letting it consume me. I have already been working on projects for the heavy metal band I work with. Been working on fiction projects over commentary. Trying to write some computer scripts, I have no clue how to write. I’ve turned my focus toward more meaningful things to me that are not about fueling the egos of the intellectually and morally bankrupt portion of humanity. I am not interested in having my emotional state on a given day run by either politicians or the FK’n news media.

Politics has become a theater of absurdity, where the only winners are the ones who don’t play. So that’s what I’m doing: stepping off the binary circus. The whole setup is broken, and I’ve realized that my time and energy are better spent creating something new, something that might actually leave an impact, and that actually makes me feel good. Not, “less bad…” The reality is we’re all just bugs in this universe when compared to the infinity of it all, and nothing we do really matters on this cosmic scale. So why waste time on a shit game? Remember E.T. the game for Atari? Yeah, worse than that… I’d rather put my energy into the things and people that bring me joy. That’s where my focus is now—on creation, on things I love, on what little time I have to make a real, personal difference in life. So yeah, I’m unplugging from the political machine. I’m getting there. And I’m okay with that. I have watched approximately less than 15 minutes of media coverage on politics in the last calendar month. I know just as much as I did when I was watching intently.

Absolutely Nothing…

We currently have free speech as a fundamental entitled right shared by all Americans, allowing everyone to express their thoughts and feelings about any situation, in the United States. However, exercising this freedom with good intentionality other than your own personal validation should have higher morality. Not everyone will agree with you, and some will be offended by what you say. Perhaps more than some. Try to think that while you have the right to speak your mind, what is your intentionality behind the words? Your feelings are not always the best guide for making thoughtful statements to make others think; they often don't align with the reality of the situation. Your words, while they are yours, have actions they represent. If those actions do not align with your inner circle’s you may find yourself on the outside, trying to look inside and be shown you are no longer welcome. If that is your intention. I am so so sorry for you. As Bertrand Russell once said, when considering any matter, focus solely on the facts and the truth they reveal. Don't let your beliefs or the potential social benefits cloud your judgment. They may be your undoing when you want support. In a society that is increasingly disconnected even though we are all more interconnected than any species on the planet, we must learn to tolerate differing opinions. If we wish to live together harmoniously, embracing love over hatred and practicing tolerance and charity is vital. This approach is essential for the continuation of human life on this planet. “Beware the beast Man, for he is the Devil’s pawn. Alone among God’s primates, he kills for sport or lust or greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother’s land.”

As a species we have demonstrated we are nothing more than clever apes with no morals addicted to drama and driven by emotional addictions we do not even understand.

I am a polite person until I am not. Politeness does have its functional value to people who are narcissists. For them it is not extended from emotional generosity, intentionality to put positive vibes out in the world, but is instead a behavior conditioned by circumstance and necessity. They don’t want or need. They’re entitled. It is their divine right to consume this thing, whatever the thing is. They do not engage in polite conversation to soothe or provide comfort. You’re the bug. Not them. You… In this lesson, my purpose is not to offer reassurances. It is to introduce doubt. I am polite to show my respect for our very human interaction. That courtesy goes so far, but I always attempt that olive branch unless I sense something is wrong about the person, situation, their intentionality and that is always right. Some may use it to disguise their fear—an unavoidable byproduct of confronting uncertainty. Fear arises when you begin to question the certainty of your perceptions, including whether the reality you navigate is as stable as you assume. Is the ground beneath you real, or is it merely another layer of constructed belief? This is worth considering. Fear is a powerful force. It can distort your perception of reality, twisting what’s in front of you into something unrecognizable. We’ve all felt it, that creeping sensation that something’s not right. And, truth be told, it’s probably one of the most defining experiences of being human. Fear pushes us into a corner, makes us question everything. And in doing so, it often reveals how much of our lives are built on illusion, on constructs that we seldom challenge.

Take professional wrestling, for instance. Most people think of it as a staged cartoon spectacle—a performance. Yet, for those in the nearly 25 million plus fans out there, the emotions it provokes are real. They blur the line between what's genuine and what's crafted. The fights might be choreographed, the outcomes predetermined, but the passion, the excitement, the anger—those are visceral, immediate. Those bumps are real though. And isn't that a metaphor for life? So much of what we experience is scripted, controlled, a product of forces beyond our understanding. But the emotions it brings out? Those are real. The actions it creates from those feelings are real. The fear it evokes? That's real. Imagine, for a moment, that life itself is a kind of performance—a carefully orchestrated series of events designed to elicit certain responses from us. The structures of society, the media we consume, the rules we follow—they all serve to create a certain perception of reality. But what happens when we start to question that perception? What happens when the veil begins to lift, and we catch a glimpse of what's behind the curtain? Just like professional wrestling, life is full of these constructed realities, carefully crafted narratives designed to keep us engaged, to make us feel and not think. The media, for instance, doesn't just report facts—it carefully shapes them, creates a narrative that elicits a specific emotional response from us. Lately, it’s a lot of outrage often from that response being fear. Fear is a tool, a powerful motivator that keeps us in check, that blurs the lines between reality and illusion, just as much as any scripted realityTV character. And the more fear we feel, the harder it becomes to see clearly.

Politics and professional wrestling share more than a few similarities when it comes to crafting narratives for their audiences. Both rely on carefully constructed personas, dramatized conflicts, and the illusion of opposing forces vying for power. In politics, like in wrestling, the public is often presented with exaggerated characters—heroes and villains—whose battles are staged to maintain engagement and loyalty. The lines between reality and performance blur, with each side positioning themselves as the ultimate champion of the people, for the people, all while working within a system that thrives on spectacle. Just as in wrestling, where the outcomes are predetermined, politics often follows the same exact script of power dynamics and alliances that shift more for strategic gain than ideological purity. The drama of debates, the tension of elections, and the theatrics of policy announcements mirror the scripted rivalries of the squared-circle. Everything being thrown in and used, even the kitchen sink. Both rely on media coverage to amplify the storylines, ensuring that the audience remains invested in the ongoing saga, even as the players behind the scenes may be collaborating more than the public ever realizes. But there's an odd comfort in these constructed realities, isn't there? They give us something to hold onto, something familiar, something that makes sense in a chaotic world. We follow the script, play our parts, and in doing so, we avoid confronting the terrifying truth that lies just beyond our perception: that much of what we believe to be real is, in fact, an illusion, a manipulation. The lines between what’s real and what’s fabricated start to blur, and we're left wondering how much of our lives are driven by fear of the unknown, rather than a clear-eyed understanding of the world around us.

"I put these glasses on, she looks like a regular person, doesn't she? Put 'em on, from Maldehyde-face!"
– John Nada, “They Live”

From John Carpenters, “They Live.” John Nada, a drifter who stumbles upon a pair of sunglasses that reveal the hidden truth about the world. When he puts them on, he can see that the ruling class is composed of disguised aliens controlling humanity through subliminal messages embedded in advertisements, signs, and the media. These messages enforce consumerism, obedience, and conformity. The sunglasses represent the metaphor of "waking up" to the hidden realities of the world, exposing the manipulation that is normally invisible to the naked eye. The real “WOKE…”

It’s easy to look at professional wrestling and dismiss it as fake, as a show designed purely for entertainment. The media and politics stole the book that professional wrestling built. Specifically the era in Wrestling known as the “Monday Night Wars.” This war was a fierce ratings battle during the late 1990s between two major professional wrestling promotions: World Wrestling Entertainment, WWE (then WWF), and World Championship Wrestling, WCW. Every Monday night, WWE's “Raw” and WCW's “Nitro” aired head-to-head, with WCW initially dominating thanks to big-name stars signing with the rival promotion, and the edgy NWO storyline. WWE fought back by adopting a more rebellious, attitude-driven, sexy style that resonated with younger audiences. The competition fueled some of wrestling's most iconic moments. It is this book that basically helped drive realityTV to what it is today and now the news and politics use it, play for play… If you watch wrestling for decades that comparison should be obvious. Or is it… Red pill or the Blue pill? How about no pills… How about both sides are poor for steady societal growth and/or taking the moral high ground in this situation?

How much of what we experience is influenced by carefully constructed narratives, designed to provoke emotional reactions, to keep us engaged, to prevent us from thinking and questioning too deeply? The emotions wrestling stirs—love, hate, fear—are raw and real. We live within narratives created by others, and the emotions we feel as a result of them are very real. Predestination is a philosophical and theological concept that suggests all events in life are predetermined by a higher power or fate, leaving no room for free will. This isn't to say that we should all become skeptics, questioning everything around us until we’re paralyzed by uncertainty. We are not trapped in the matrix. Heck, we could be. We probably are… So what, does it even matter? But maybe it’s worth acknowledging how much of our reality is constructed. How many of the fears we carry are born out of illusions? Like I said above; when the brain is being emotional it tends to shut its ability to critically think off while emotionally compromised. Staying calm under pressure means keeping your cool when things get tough so you can think clearly and handle the situation properly. It’s about controlling your emotions, taking a breath, and focusing on what needs to be done without getting overwhelmed. People who are good at this don’t let stress take over. They stay focused on solving the problem step by step, which helps them avoid mistakes and make better decisions, especially when others are counting on them, like in emergencies or tough situations. When we start to question these narratives, when we confront our fears, we begin to see things for what they really are. And that’s the real challenge, isn’t it? To peel back the layers of illusion and see the world as it truly is—raw, unpredictable, dangerous, and often terrifying. But also full of potential, full of possibilities that we might not have seen before. The fear that once held us back becomes the key to breaking free from the constraints of the illusion, from the limitations of a life lived according to someone else’s script.

How can you choose a side when there are two choices and both sides paint the other as wrong, bad, and evil, all of the time?

In a binary system, both sides cannot be wrong, bad and evil. That isn’t how ying/yang work. When both sides are constantly trashing each other as wrong, bad, or evil, it’s impossible not to be cynical about the whole situation. It often seems like it’s tough to find anything genuine amidst all this noise. Try to ignore the constant bickering and focus on what actually matters on a personal level to you. Forget the bullshit, even if it’s not bullshit, forget it. What can you control about any of that? Focus on that and look at your own core values for guidance. Perhaps some semblance of guidance in a landscape where every side is spinning their own version of reality. It’s also important to question the information coming from both sides. Are they both just manipulating the facts to fit their agendas? They probably are. We cannot even agree anymore on what a fact even is. That word gets thrown around so often now it has lost its core meaning. Facts, means, real… It is the very construct we built everything on –on and at the conceptual level of existence. Understanding the true motivations behind each perspective might offer a clearer view of what’s really going on. I know that is easier said than done, even with a computer and knowing how to look for stuff that isn’t controlled by the legacy media corporations.

Ultimately, choosing a side might be less about finding a “good” side and more about recognizing that neither option is ideal. Aligning with whichever side seems less flawed or has goals that might lead to a somewhat better outcome can be a logical approach. If neither side feels right, it’s perfectly reasonable to dismiss both and focus on actions that don’t get tangled up in their endless, polarized conflict. Unless you are a spiteful cynic like myself… So maybe it’s time we all start questioning the reality we've been given. Maybe it's time we confront the fears that have been placed in our path which seem daunting. What better way to distract people than by making it all about them. Ah, validation on social media, the modern-day equivalent of a pat on the back from a thousand strangers who couldn't care less about you in real life. It's where you post a carefully curated snapshot of your existence—usually more fiction than fact—and wait for the dopamine hit from a flood of likes, hearts, comments, and shares. Because nothing screams "I've made it" like approval from people who are just as lost and insecure as you are. It's a glorious cycle of mutual validation: you stroke my ego, I'll stroke yours, and we’ll both pretend it means something; you know, real. That selfie you took? It’s not just a photo; it’s a desperate plea for someone—anyone—to affirm that your existence isn’t as hollow as it feels. But let's be honest, those double-taps and heart emojis are about as meaningful as a politician's promise. Your carefully crafted posts, dripping with faux authenticity, are just bait for the algorithm, designed to keep you hooked and scrolling. Meanwhile, the social media overlords are raking in ad revenue from your neediness. And let's not forget the comments section, that cesspool of insincere compliments and backhanded jabs. It's like a high school popularity contest, except now, it's open to the whole world, and the stakes are your mental health. In the end, all this validation is about as satisfying as eating cotton candy: it looks substantial, but dissolves into nothingness the moment you try to savor it. So go ahead, chase those likes, rack up those followers, and keep telling yourself it matters. Because in the grand scheme of things, who needs genuine human connection when you’ve got a perfectly filtered photo and a bunch of virtual thumbs-ups?

Power possesses the ability to delve into the psyche of a human being and manipulate us against one another. There is no difference between Democrats or Republicans anymore. It’s just Power, now. It employs social, religious, and sexual issues on us to divide us.

Go to New York City, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. What do you see besides the obvious? Lots and lots of bitterness. I see a lot of, ‘alleged,’ smart people who do not have the sense to use that, ‘alleged,’ intelligence and who do not have it mentally, emotionally, and intellectually together. What I see is a lot of people who say they are smart by default based on where they went to school. I see these same people, bitter, living in interconnected boxed right angles, stacked onto one another, like how one would organize the useless things they own and then sit back and be proud of that. Working dead-end jobs, being jealous of others that live free, outside in the sunlight, eating fresh non-processed food. We see the people in the mainstream establishment trying to appear to be intellectuals, but what they are really doing, in doing so, making stupid decisions or saying illogical things. What we are seeing now isn’t just illogical, it is just really dumb. This collective attempts to make minority issues displayed as majority issues and those issues be labeled as normal and/or everyday ‘FACTS...’” They keep telling us everything is great and the country has never been better. It isn’t just black and white. Most people live, work, play and interact with reality in the gray. Only a very small percentage of these people actually live in the black and the white. Go outside, take a look around. Does it matter the person in front of you at the coffee shop voted for Biden or Trump? Does it matter that they may or may not believe in God? Does any of that matter? What is the goal? A goal of self-enrichment and the retention of power? The most effective means to maintain power is through the control of narratives and influence, compelling individuals to believe they are right, good and just.

At the end of the day, my point is simple: be aware of how the media and politics are designed to manipulate our emotions. If we can recognize that, we have a better chance of keeping our heads clear and not letting our feelings take over our understanding of the world. This is my attempt at a final word on the subject. The system is broken, and I’ve realized that my time is better spent creating something new. Something that actually has the potential to leave an impact, even if it’s just a tiny one. So yeah, I’m unplugging. Slowly, but I’m doing it. And after this, I’m hopefully done. No more political commentary, no more wasted energy. Just moving forward with what really matters.

While this all may indeed appear as a complex and manipulative construct, it is not a reason to submit to despair. Even amongst the noise and apparent futility, there exists the potential for change and growth. By directing intention towards meaningful pursuits and embracing value, one may survive. Forward, though challenging, holds the promise of contributing to a better understanding or not…

That’s it…

Rudis est Politica
Latin for Raw is Politics
by David-Angelo Mineo
8/19/2024
3,857 Words