A Cultural Comeback
- Joe Hayes
- May 24, 2021
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 19, 2021
I originally wanted to declare in this piece that we are in the midst of a cultural war, but determined such phrasing would not be accurate. The current moment is more akin to a cultural crisis, in which we lost control of the reigns at some point, thus causing us to spin out of control.
It's quite possible you may not even realize we are experiencing a cultural crisis - maybe you feel something is off with society, but that you can't put your finger on it. Nonetheless, that is why we are here - your trusted political sherpas in trying times. I have been meaning to say this for some time now - I absolutely despise politics. It is the only civilized occupation in the world where the most nefarious amongst us flock in droves. I had once been watching an interview with Charles Krauthammer, a well known political analyst. He gave up a promising career in physics for the world of politics, to which he was being asked one of the hardest questions - why? He explained that one of the Founding Fathers - I think it was Jefferson - had written all of society begins and ends with politics. If we do not get the politics right, we cannot enjoy other subjects such as science, art, music, the list goes on. Essentially, we cannot enter the realm of prosperity, if politically we go awry.
Likewise, Rush Limbaugh had once said - "to political people, all they see is politics." Majority of people elected to "represent us" end up just representing themselves. John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Ted Sorenson had written Profiles in Courage to highlight how few heroic people walk the halls of elected government. It takes a figure like a Lincoln to course correct our society, drown out the noise, and defeat the servants of greed who exacerbate problems so they can say they are solving them - when in actuality they are creating messaging that makes them look good so you'll vote for them to continue their tenure in office. It's a vitriolic cycle.
Rush Limbaugh had an idea he coined the "Limbaugh Theory," when trying to define the Obama Presidency. In essence, I think the strategy utilized applies to most politicians across the spectrum, and not just Obama. The political tactic embodies self-creating as many problems as possible, and then make it seem like you are solving them by campaigning against them. As more issues arise, it makes it impossible for your opposition to focus on one issue because so many hound the public. In some respects, this political tactic could be compared to the "rope-a-dope" boxing strategy Muhammad Ali devised, but I am going to write about that in a separate piece because it is slightly different.
Take the issue of police mismanagement for example. The last time a Republican held the office of Mayor of Minneapolis was 1973, and it was for one day. A Republican has not truly held that office since 1963, and most of the years since that time has consisted of Democratic rule in the legislature, which means nearly five decades have passed under one party supervision. So democrats have long held power as the legislative force within the state. Yet somehow Republicans are at fault, in particular Donald Trump. The logic does not hold, but the Democratic politicians are able to deflect because they are aided by the media, academia, and big business. Republicans in turn have no backbone, because they need a constant boogey man they can tell their base they are working to counter. So they in essence become perennial losers because they don't even try to solve the problem - they rather say they are working too but need your vote to stay in power. Republicans thus prefer to have a wish list of to do items, than a resume of accomplishments. As a result, both parties continue to accomplish nothing, but happily break bread together behind closed doors as they reap the perks of public office, while those who elected them suffer.
Life has improved marginally in minority communities over the decades. I am linking a video of Malcom X that is key to understanding the point I am trying to make. Normally, I attach my notes at the end of my pieces, but you need to stop and watch this seven minute video, and then return to my commentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3PaqxblOx0
People need to understand that those who have walked the halls of government for decades do not care about you. Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy - they are two sides of the same coin. It's just as Malcom X said, "The conservative is a wolf, the liberal a fox. One bites with a growl while the other bites with a smile but we're still being bitten." Think of Nancy and Chuck as the fox. They are grimy politicians playing the game. In public they cheer for social justice, but behind closed doors they are plundering the country. Nancy and Chuck are aided by Mitch and Kevin, who are happy to lose insofar as they retain their eternal boogeyman. They go to their base and tell them they are fighting the cabal, but behind closed doors they break bread with Nancy and Chuck. Both pretend to be friends of minority communities, but they aren't. As Malcom X said, "they use these people for their political football game."
I firmly believe with all my heart the overwhelming majority of the country is constituted of good well intentioned people. I think many of those in office - liberal and conservative alike - do a good job of fooling the public. If society is to reclaim itself and arise out of our current cultural deficit, we need to root out the wolves and foxes of elected government. Take a second to think about it - why do you really think Donald Trump was attacked at every angle? His own party barely supported him, and the entire establishment order threw everything but the kitchen sink at him. Could it be possible that he threatened to disrupt the happy set up enjoyed by these parasitic politicians who share a bed with big business, the media, and academia?
The heart of the cultural crisis we are facing does not begin with social media, but it did exponentially compound the problem. I wrote a very comprehensive piece on the topic of groupthink I will attach below if you'd like to read it (It's very long), but essentially social media has acted as an echo chamber in which people are constantly looking for either societal approval or fame. The politicians have capitalized on the conundrum of groupthink via mediums such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, along with the media to taint the well of public discourse to meet their own expedient ends. A symptom of this political crusade is the deterioration of our culture. You might be asking yourself what I mean when I say our culture has deteriorated? Look no further than the rise in cancel culture as a first step. Think of all the problems we are facing, and Aunt Jemima got tossed into the ash bin of history with Mr. Potato head. I have a news letter planned featuring her story, but essentially the person who was Aunt Jemima - Nancy Green - was a massive success story.
Most people don't even watch the news. Tucker Carlson is the highest rated TV show, and he only pulls in around 3 million viewers a night - everyone else is beneath that number. Yet somehow the media has such influence on society. The unfortunate reality is many people only tune in once in a blue moon - like for a Presidential election - and then take whatever they hear at face value. Instagram, Tik Tok, and Twitter have all acted as a conduit to degrade the need to critically think. As a result, the intellectual fortitude of the populace is disengaged from the hard reality of the issues, and all in on an artsy photo with a witty caption.
Eric Thomas, a famous motivational speaker, had once said, "A setback is a setup for a comeback." Despite our current predicament, I believe the cultural crisis we are enduring is the beginning of a roaring comeback that will send shockwaves throughout the world. I have unbridled optimism that our generation will find itself in due time, and we will end the political apartheid our "leaders" have stoked amongst us. We need to realize that career politicians will only continue to stoke the flames and cause cultural declines to serve their own needs. We cannot uplift those in need with these people steering our ship.
Group Think Essay
Another Piece about the political establishment
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