Get Ready to Ride the Red Wave of Betrayal
Indeed, only a few weeks into this thing, this awful, unimaginable, shit show of a thing, and grumblings of REALITY are taking hold. Reality of price increases on everything from beer, to gas, to produce, to lumber, and meat, due to contrived trade wars. Reality of psychotic billionaires having access to private government information about individuals they have ZERO business/need/interest of having access to. People appointed into positions requiring major decisions, impacting MILLIONS of people, they know NOTHING about. Reality of fear, and reckless erratic dismantling of constitutional systems that have protected most people, most of the time, and have remained relatively in tact for hundreds of years, until just a few weeks ago.
Indeed, the rate at which unimaginable things are becoming REALITY, is head-spinning, mind-numbing, and heart-stabbing.
But we knew. At least a WE that I’m part of. WE knew. What WE didn’t know was how angry, afraid, self-serving, and self-righteous a huge swath of others actually were. No need to go into analysis here, I’m not a political scientist. The how/why we landed here will have its day of historical commentary somewhere in a future long after we’re all dead. That is of course, if anything survives.
Critical climate occurrences are REALITY. Being unable to focus, concentrate, or think with any meaningful reflection is a REALITY. People are overwhelmed, disassociated, distracted, and relying upon AI way too much to communicate or express themselves. But no matter. I’m not here to be a doomsayer. I’m wondering about the shaky fabric of human compassion.
I’m thinking about what WE are going to do when the huge swath of others realizes they’ve truly fucked themselves? When their retirement’s been drained after the economy tanks, when prices on everyday items have skyrocketed, when they’ve lost their home to a fire, flood, or hurricane, when they’re unable to get medical care, afford housing, receive veteran benefits, or when the BIG BOMB DROPS and eventually, they realize, that their so-called golden calf’s the one who’s crushed them? That “thoughts and prayers” shoveled out on a grammatically mistake-ridden press release will do no more to help them in their darkest hour than a dashed-dream filled by buckets of regret.
I believe we’re in for a huge red wave of those who’ll eventually realize they’ve been betrayed. Though they will hang on by crooked tooth and rusted nail, clinging to their falsehoods and justifications, the huge letdown and ultimate betrayal are inevitable. Their new REALITY will take time to sink in. Justifications. Denial. Yeah, but. Blame. Finger-pointing. All without having any sincere understanding of the very systems, impacts, or ramifications that were once in place just for them.
Slugs for Salt. Ever see that drawing going around on the internet? It’s an image of slugs celebrating a salt shaker standing on a podium.
The dam will break. Floods of red wavers will be disillusioned. They’ll wander in confusion for some time, clutching onto Justifications. Denial. Yeah, but. Blame. Finger-pointing, like Charlton Heston’s “from my cold dead hands.” Eventually, they will need support. They will need food. They will need services. They will need help that no longer exists.
All of a sudden, love thy neighbor, in both a biblical and REALITY sense, might actually mean something to them. Then what?
What would I do?
How will I have compassion for others knowing they’re the ones responsible for setting these harmful wheels in motion?
I picture them not only financially, emotionally, or REALISTICALLY broken, I imagine they’ll be doubly-broken, because on top of all the chaos and destitution, illusions will shatter, the depth of betrayal will become clear. And somehow, knowing how far that broken-hearted wave will inevitably be carried, the human in me tries to see how I’d manage compassion? Given all that we know, could WE find compassion? Could you?
It seems that none existed to get us here.
Instead: Anger. Fear. Frustration. Dissension. Ignorance. Apathy. Entitlement. Disparity.
Hundreds of years into a social experiment that sometimes worked, sometimes healed, sometimes allowed a co-existence where hostility was kept at bay just enough for us to BE. Until WE weren’t.
And now’s the time to ask yourself important questions about who you are:
Are you human enough, compassionate enough, resilient enough, forgiving enough, or faithful enough, to make room for our unimagined human flaws and frailty? Will you offer grace when it’s needed, and when the inevitable red wave of those betrayed starts to flood? Will you be able to look at others you likely resented, with a sense of understanding? Will you be able to extend a helping hand to someone who’s not only destitute, but also drowned by an ultimate betrayal?
