Random Dark Thoughts

November 25, 2016

Day 17, Black Friday, the nation is now distracted with holiday spending, eating and bickering over holiday greeting protocol.  Happy holidays indeed!

I have been told that the first step in facing one’s fears is identification.  Right?  We cannot really face and, perhaps, overcome an obstacle unless we know what the obstacle is.  So, as a start to the identification process, I thought I’d jot down a few to the random thoughts and fears that keep me awake at night, then greet me in the morn.

1. Will our already weak press continue in a death spiral?
   The mainstream press is based upon paid content providers. Research, fact-checking and professional presentation cost money.

   But, one unintended consequence of the internet, is that people now expect information for free.  Why would anyone want to pay for journalistic research that might disagree with what they believe?  After all, it’s cheaper to just read the free “news” web sites that say what you want to hear.

2. Will tweeting replace other forms of mass communication?
   The Twitter platform is roughly equivalent to a bunch of people in a closed room all yelling their opinions out loud at the same time. So, only the very loud, the very popular or the very strange get noticed.

   A Twitter win is based on number of shares – essentially popularity.  Truth, reason, nuance are not really measured since they are not relevant.

   As a place for serious dialog twitter sucks.

3. Will the continued militarization of civilian police lead to a de facto occupying force?
   As an end-around to the Posse Comitatus Act, we now equip and train the police like military units. The law disallows the military from acting like police, but apparently, does not forbid the police from acting like the military.

4. Have ethics become a weapon used by those in power to attack the opposition, but otherwise ignored?
   Yes, they have.

5. National security
   What’s left of the press has reported that our next commander-in-chief can’t be bothered with daily security briefings. The last time the Prez ignored security intelligence things turned out badly.

6. Normalization of crazy shit
   If we accept white supremacists as members of the highest governing body, what else might become normal? A large group of Americans seem willing to embrace double-think as a political tactic.  How far could that go?

   Could our relationship with Russia become so normalized that Russian troops would be welcome onto American soil?  You know, for training.

   Just sayin’

That’s all I got today. Take care of yourselves and each other,

osv