Let’s Have a War. Us and Them. Keep the Home Fires Burning. 7 O’Clock news. Civil War. It’s A Mistake. Run to the Hills. Gimme Shelter. For What It’s Worth. I’d Love to Change the World. Imagine. Killing Strangers. Protocol. Systematic Execution. They All Look the Same. This is War. To Washington. State of the Union. Tell me why. They All Look The Same. What are you fighting for? Zero Sum.
Yes, they’re all songs. Anti-war.
Earlier this year, I was exposed to the concept of Othering. Subtle throughout my childhood, hindsight had me deeply reflecting encounters and language I had used, others had used around me, and how this concept was normalized. Even today, my elder co-workers (sure, Boomers), mimic accents, say things like “I can’t understand this guy on the phone”. “Some Russian, some Asian, some Spanish person”. The older I get, the more it sinks in. I’ve been surrounded by othering my whole life. Today, it has grown exponentially worse, extending into gender identities. Now, I have run to the hills, I have sheltered myself from this hate. That doesn’t mean I don’t hear about it. I can’t ignore it. Several online communities I am a part of discuss frustration, feeling like they can do nothing but put themselves in harms way. Some discuss things they’d like to see or do “in minecraft”. Afraid to openly “wish ill”, a user suspended on bluesky for saying something so tame. Yet this is a two-sided coin… there is a wide open platform with paid soapboxes where government officials lie, curse, and promote America’s internal conflict – and people celebrate, no, glorify the violence. I don’t understand how someone can sit there and watch TV, scroll a web page on their phone, and repeatedly see death and violence over and over and over. This is psychological warfare. You’re being distracted, bombarded – and you’re slowly accepting these conflicts as the status-quo.
How did we get here? What happened? How could it come to this.
Harmless “meme” images, jokes, and phrases – twisted to fit an agenda.
Recently, A “Political activist” was assassinated. His death was exposed to millions of people, uncensored. “Hey fascist, catch this!” a bullet casing would read.
The public at large? Clueless. In disbelief. “Fake news”. How do you explain this symbolism… the inputs for a 500KG bomb drop in the game Helldivers – The Strike Eagle; engraved on a bullet casing. Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao. References from the game, based on a real world anti-fascist hymn. What exactly are we dealing with? Is this normal? So many ecstatic to witness an act of violence. The government was quick to point to “others”. Othering has been the excuse, the primary motive for the chaos rapidly descending around us this year. “It’s not anyone else’s fault but the transgender, the immigrants, it is they who corrupt the public”. By any means necessary, this is the pushed narrative.
The elected president of the United States of America declared war on its people. “The illegals”. Immigrants working normal jobs, living peaceful lives – paying taxes – their lives and well being threatened beyond measure. A dictators personal army, the police called to arms.
The National Guard.
Protests in the city.
Fights amongst ourselves.
It’s not enough.
“You are unleashed,” Stephen Miller told law enforcement officers earlier this week.
So what do I do. What can I do. I’m a witness. I’m a bystander. If I sacrifice myself and well being to fight for this injustice, what will happen to me? Will it make a difference? This isn’t normal. What do I do. What can I do? A final song comes to mind, from a band I was exposed to in the 90’s.
I was young. What it meant then, I’m not sure. What it means now – is literal.
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