(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Settle In and Listen Up: Get out of the Rabbit Holes [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-06-09 Settle In and Listen Up: Get out of the Rabbit Holes - Have you never read Watership Down? Treachery and deceit — define Mirror Universe and Trumpism Often this is what I want to say. It is how I feel when people who I disagree with keep running deeper into delusion. Unfortunately, those deeper in the rabbit hole think I am the one deluded. This is where we have arrived the ‘Mirror Universe’. For the non-Trekkies I will explain the ‘Mirror Universe’. In one of the original episodes of Star Trek, that aired before the majority of living Americans were born, a transporter accident sends Kirk, McCoy, Uhura, and Scotty to a different Enterprise. A ruthless evil empire where everyone has an identical counterpart existing in this totalitarian world. The evil Spock is revealed, Spock with a goatee. An image now used in ubiquitous memes. Star Trek writers have been unable to restrain themselves from this ridiculous concept. The ‘Mirror Universe’ has been in episodes of “Enterprise”, “Deep Space Nine”, and “Discovery”. Even though, our current reality is not the result of a transporter accident or anomalous alignment of an alternate universe. The fanciful “Mirror Universe” still best describes our two separate realities. One is treacherous and evil, and one is striving to bring cooperation and peace. Living in the same space but in different realms This is not like the Mirror of Erised in Harry Potter. A mirror that reflects what the viewer wants to see (desire spelled backwards). Many of us, especially men, succumb to seeing in the mirror more fantasy than reality. Back in the early days of the Internet tubes I was naïve. I like many innocent fools thought no one would intentionally post incorrect facts on social media. If they did, replying with the actual data would be appreciated. The usual response is not one of appreciation. I hear: I want it to be true, I have a right to my opinion, you socialist liberals are all deluded. They continue to post or say untrue or contradictory things. Today in America we live in an immersive world of multiple realities. Some folks are wearing invisible VR headsets. I have MAGA friends. They seem normal enough, but when a discussion involves culture or politics, and now religion, they are untethered to reality. I use the term MAGA as a definition of a culture with absolute Trump loyalty and extreme partisanship. It encompasses more Americans than those who wear the red caps. My MAGA friends and neighbors live in a well-constructed fantasy world with few deja vu glitches in their Matrix. Many claim to believe what is simply not true. Having read and watched an abundance of science fiction, I have developed a theory. I am not saying it is true, but I’ve heard it being said. The method of sleight of hand employed by Fox News. Many humans have a special tuner installed in the brain. All outside stimuli support and reinforce one’s belief. If faced with a contradiction or action that they once condemned, the tuner adjusts thought to match belief. The tuner may obscure rational thought by allowing the brain to hold contradictory beliefs simultaneously. Orwell’s 1984 portrayed the ever-present Big Brother, the thought police, but our modern Winston Smiths possess a far more invasive device. They maintain their own totalitarian enforcement. The device makes memory elastic, remembrance changed at will. As a writer of fanciful tales, I will propose another hypothesis. An alien has come to Earth to eliminate humanity or else f- with us. The aliens have created a virus. It causes human delusion once infected. The alien is broadcasting to a profitable tabloid on the home planet. It is a smash streaming series, promoted as must see, relax and watch deluded humans eliminate themselves. Opposition to vaccines, masks, and safety measures facilitate virus transmission. Do you find aliens bent of exterminating or simply playing a cruel hoax on humans too fanciful? Maybe there is a more scientific explanation? Yes, MAGA doesn’t hold with science, too much fancy learn’n makes one a commie librul. Growing up a hick in the hicky-est of communities, I know plenty of my fellow hicks glory in ignorance and extol mythical beliefs. There will be none of that book stuff. Monsters Due on Maple Street — Twilight Zone We hicks, of the salt of earth tribe, are not much of a threat. We are simply extras called in when rabble is required to threaten the castle. In the modern world pitchforks are in short supply, and torches are of the pathetic Tiki variety. The real existential crisis is the many highly educated and powerful MAGA people. I would prefer to believe they have an alien infection or device implanted in their medullas. If there is not some external control, it must be their own character and moral core on display. If they are not under mind control, we are left to surmise all the GOP MAGA are disingenuous power seekers. Craven cowards who would rather spout hypocrisy than care about the future of America and the world. Would Elite MAGA gleefully pawn the future of their own grandchildren for more power and control? They would. It is such a harsh unpleasant thought, surely a device or virus is a more comforting belief. Even though Nazi predecessor words are coming into usage; vermin, filth, ultimate Reich, polluting the blood, disease carrying parasites streaming over our borders, it would be too disturbing. Nazis were a special evil race created in eugenic labs. They weren’t simple mediocre folks filled with bigotry and fear. OK, yes, they were. Simple mundane normal people who first ignored, then cheered, then cheered out of fear not to, and finally marched to war or death camps. Nazis grew in strength — ignored by important people It is sensible to hope it is a device or a disease. Otherwise, I must conclude so many good folk are a threat to humanity’s future. These elite MAGAs know libruls aren’t commies. Commies aren’t commies; the communist countries are all crony capitalists now. Russia and China are authoritarians, a ruling oligarchy. The control of their governments is perpetuated by one party rule. A party in control of all information sources. Elite MAGA are projection hiding intention. Calling opponents commies, socialists, jack -booted thugs distracts. They fight woke-ism because authoritarian government is a lifelong dream. Elite MAGA welcomes Corporate Oligarchy with authoritarian control; Elite MAGA sees all of us as their slaves. Boosting irrational issues with great emotion are their tools. If the wealthy can play a long enough game, they can play us all. Once gun rights meant hunting rifles (hunting rifle three rounds, no clips) and now, they are about the right to maintain an arsenal to rival juntas in small countries. The Catholic Church began with Right to Life. Oh, the babies, a good distraction to rend one’s garments over as pedophile priests were hidden. As with all the anti-abortion crowd the concern for life ends at actual life, the birth and breathing of a child. The discrimination against certain peoples by systems of government must be forgotten absolutely not taught in schools. It would harm the comfortable MAGA. Remedies to correct would discriminate against the good people who did not suffer systemic discrimination. These social issues and other litanies of propaganda have been nurtured to cripple government for the benefit of the wealthy oligarchs. I cannot distinguish between many GOP members of Congress and paid Russian agents. Our corporate press finds it impolite to report their lack of an ethical core. The elite MAGA wouldn’t intentionally be tools of Russian propaganda. It can’t be they are traitors to the Constitution and rule of law. MAGA supporters and allies have an outline called 2025 that would please any modern-day secessionist or America First Nazi. It will certainly please Putin and Xi Jinping. It is apparent people exist in two different worlds. MSNBC host, former Republican in W Bush administration and McCain campaign advisor, Nicole Wallace refers to reality as Earth One. Divergent world views do not have separate facts, they have fantasy facts. Rumor is fact in MAGA world. In the mind controlled MAGA, facts are squishy. MAGA facts are ‘what I want them to be in this moment.’ The ‘Mirror Universe’ is a treacherous transactional world, much like Trump and MAGA. Trump’s rants echo the precursors to Stalinism and Hitler’s Reich. Trump has kept his hot air balloon afloat for almost ten years. He has an inexhaustible supply, but his balloon is fraying at the seams. Carl Guardian of Forever — Section 31 I have seen the same quotes shared by MAGA and Lefties. Here is one of the many quotes I have seen shared by MAGA and the Woke. “The first step in a fascist movement is the combination under an energetic leader of a number of men who possess more than the average share of leisure, brutality, and stupidity. The next step is to fascinate fools and muzzle the intelligent, by emotional excitement on the one hand and terrorism on the other,” -- Bertrand Russell. Quotes are usually edited to be more soluble in the MAGA mind. We rely on too many short quips. Memes to be read in one quick frame. We need fewer page turners and more thoughtful reflections that slowly absorb in one’s thinking. Thoughts still resonating in our minds, months later. Maybe it is the mind control devices or the viruses, but we are in an age where delusion is allowed. It exists because all the checks of authority and reliable reporting from verified sources can easily be dismissed. I saw this meme on the Internet rabbit holes and it holds the same credibility as peer reviewed research. Those unhappy with Trump or expecting the Trump administration not to be Putin’s patsy were called snowflakes. Now we say, you are not being discriminated against buttercup. We dismiss political opponents with ridicule and expect the same in return. Gidney and Cloyd — Moon Men Hey MAGA, settle in and listen up. Make time even in this modern world. It is eighty years past D Day. Reality was not the latest Q conspiracy in that time. Read an old book or listen on audio. Pick up your grandchild; what world are you leaving them? Us non-MAGA, stop the drift to an authoritarian state – put planet health above all else. Speak up and vote. It isn’t about perfect solutions. Not voting is opening the door to an evil age. Call me a commie librul, but I am every bit as much a hick as any MAGA. Why is a hick like me not spouting MAGA nonsense? I hid in a cave the day the devices and viruses were implanted. Spock’s famous parting line, “Live Long and Prosper” – seems overly optimistic in our current age. Written by Steve Davis — ShireSteve on substack shiresteve.substack.com shiresteve.blog Now back to helplessly watching the insanity of our current world. Climate should be the first priority of every policy. Novel Solace of Solitude & Null Stillness: Land of Spirit for a Barren Soul are available on Apple Books & Kindle — search for ShireSteve Stay up with literature in Dubuque John’s Substack An interesting Indie publisher in Iowa — Ice Cube Press Pulse of the Heartland [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/6/9/2245619/-Settle-In-and-Listen-Up-Get-out-of-the-Rabbit-Holes?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/