Petty distractions herding us along.

There is nothing I hate more than when someone refers to regular people as "sheeple".
It's derogatory.  It implies that the speaker is more aware than the masses.  It is like saying we all deserve to be where we are because we are:

• too trusting of the system
• eager to believe that someone in power cares about the well-being of everyone
• denying that anyone would ever manipulate things;  the news, the economy, politics, for a personal gain that was not good for the majority of individuals
• stupid

So I hate the word.  And am reminded of that great movie in which the craggyfaced older reminds the younger that "a person is smart, people are .....(read as---sheeple).

We are weeks from an election.  And we are deep in a time of a polarized nation, a time many of us thought was done.  We thought we had moved on from racial tension, from misogyny, from class warfare, from fixed elections, voter manipulation, propaganda usage, and all that stuff from history class that happened a long time ago.

We have a new activism going now.  And I can't argue with it.  But are the activists sheeple?  Or is that term reserved for those people so immersed in their own little worlds, with going to work and coming home, paying their bills, feeding their kids, going to church and complaining with friends, relatives, and neighbors about what is wrong with the world.  You know, most of us, most of the time. 

Anyone ever notice, that while activists want change, the people going about their routine want everything to stay the same?  Some of them are even dreaming of an earlier, rosier time--the 1950's is the most idealized, although I have seen it done with the 1800's, the 1920's, the depression (those particular individuals were farmers, and their families lost nothing in the depression, but they loved watching the Waltons) the 1940's--what is not to love about a nation that pulls together for a common enemy and then wins.

The people that loved the 60's were kids during the 60's, they loved the music, they loved the TV, they loved dads at work and moms at home when you got out of school, and they were white kids, middle-class, running on the momentum of the 50's and with parents that tried to keep them from hearing about race wars and communes and drugs and all those things that were going on at commie campuses and San Francisco and Watts.  The kids knew about TV shows like 'Lost in Space" and "Lassie" and "Flipper".  The kids knew about Barbies and transistor radios and bell bottom pants.

The 1960's may have more in common with this decade than any other time.  We have a Vietnam-like war action going on eternally, and it is doing things to the minds of our young men and women that frankly made for some truly dramatic books and movies and some horrifying homelessness and addictions.   We have a very liberal president that scares the crap out of those happy, 60's-like parents (and no, those original 60's parents weren't into that liberal stuff either, but assassination does make people think hard about talking bad about you,. We have activism---and racism, and feminism and sexism and bigotry and repression and propaganda and just plain crookedness in high places. And Activism. 

But remember, the 1960's were scarey.  Kids heard tidbits on the news, heard backyard gossip not meant for their ears, continued to have drills to keep from being nuked ("get under your desk"  really?) while no one really explained anything about that.  We knew the world was full of danger; there were people like Manson, there were commie spies everywhere trying to take over our wonderful country and they would take all the children to schools that trained them to turn in their parents and neighbors, there was satanic music,  and of course, we were all waiting on the Rapture and Apocalypse.

So are we mostly herd animals?  Do we not think for ourselves?  Are we so reactionary that if someone yells "fire" we all run off the cliff en masse?

Maybe.  I don't know.  I just know that we currently have an election coming up and that in our state, the most climate change denying, oil supporting old codger is now running on his daughter's decision to adopt an African Child, and the time he spent talking to soldiers "like a regular guy".  Do I think the first Ad about this bit of news, where the child is now about grown and its the first I've heard of her, is related to the Ebola scare and the anti-immigration work done in my fine state (or at least an attempt to lessen the negative appearance of those?  Do I think his daughter's decision has anything to do with anything at all? Of course not.  And the stories about visiting with soldiers, that reeks of a belief that we are idiots, drooling fools that fall for any bit of kindness from on high.  I would think that the people that sent our young people to other countries to risk their lives would talk to them with great respect and honor.  Only a politician that thought he was someone very special and better-than would endorse such an advertisement.

Yet three different coworkers have suddenly started supporting him--again.  Because?  I have no idea.  I really don't understand politics at all.  Maybe it really is just a form of sheep herding.

I'm still going to vote. I really do want to believe that we can have a government that is a democracy--and yes, I know its just a republic.  We are all deniers I guess.

I really would like to see us be a herd of a democratic, equal opportunity  species.