You're absolutely correct - as a society, we hate to look backward, and we allow monsters to attempt to rehabilitate themselves because, as a society, we love stories of redemption (even though monsters cannot by definition redeem themselves).
Great piece. Summarizes what I haven't been able to quite put into words. For a few years now, I've been admonished by the Unity crowd for refusing to forget what came before, for calling out the anti-Christ in the Christian Nationalist movement, for expecting Justice, consequences... and which often seems to trigger a "both sides" argument from the blinded fools.
"Prohibition fused the amateurism and catch-as-catch-can national tendencies of the early days of the republic with a more modern, highly organized lust for violence and the quick buck. It fused the need to massacre twelve hundred thousand American Indians and ten million American buffalo, the lynching bees, the draft riots, bread riots, gold riots and race riots, the constant wars, the largest rats in the biggest slums, boxing and football, the loudest music, the most strident and exploitative press with the entire wonderful promise of tomorrow and tomorrow, always dragging the great nation downward into greater violence and more and more unnecessary death, into newer and more positive celebrations of nonlife, all so that the savage, simple-minded people might be educated into greater frenzies of understanding that power and money are the only desirable objectives for this life."
"He’s a turd of magnificent size, in other words, and I’d like to briefly express my relief before I flush."
Pure poetry like this is one of 700 reasons I'm a paid subscriber.
Ooh, plot twist teaser, revealing an unforeseen connection between seemingly unrelated plotlines, inserted at the very end. Quite appropriate.
I found this column to be particularly resonant. Love your writing and your perspective. Thank you for sharing.
*Jan 6, 2021
You're absolutely correct - as a society, we hate to look backward, and we allow monsters to attempt to rehabilitate themselves because, as a society, we love stories of redemption (even though monsters cannot by definition redeem themselves).
Great piece. Summarizes what I haven't been able to quite put into words. For a few years now, I've been admonished by the Unity crowd for refusing to forget what came before, for calling out the anti-Christ in the Christian Nationalist movement, for expecting Justice, consequences... and which often seems to trigger a "both sides" argument from the blinded fools.
This was a very good read. I look forward to the total protonic reversal of the next.
This is hands-down the BEST piece I've read in a long time on these interrelated subjects/national shitstreams. THANK YOU!
thank you.
"Prohibition fused the amateurism and catch-as-catch-can national tendencies of the early days of the republic with a more modern, highly organized lust for violence and the quick buck. It fused the need to massacre twelve hundred thousand American Indians and ten million American buffalo, the lynching bees, the draft riots, bread riots, gold riots and race riots, the constant wars, the largest rats in the biggest slums, boxing and football, the loudest music, the most strident and exploitative press with the entire wonderful promise of tomorrow and tomorrow, always dragging the great nation downward into greater violence and more and more unnecessary death, into newer and more positive celebrations of nonlife, all so that the savage, simple-minded people might be educated into greater frenzies of understanding that power and money are the only desirable objectives for this life."
Condon, Richard. Mile High (p. 178). MysteriousPress.com/Open Road. Kindle Edition.
Fantastic!