Spex:
The sovereigns offered their subjects entertainment and fierce beast fights in circuses
[Les souverains offraient à leurs sujets des divertissements et des combats de bêtes féroces dans les cirques]
(1882 - 1884)

" … we cannot help but hear their disturbing noises."

Outrage, outward rage, might be the signature emotion of the MAGA movement. They seem consumed by theatricality, always performing as if they were cast in a production from Ancient Greece where the actors needed to artificially project their voices so the backbenchers could hear their lines. Their every expression seems cartoonish and caricatured. They seem incapable of thoughtfulness or gentleness. They never seem to be merely disappointed with an outcome but enraged. Their emotional content seems unsustainable, but with each new performance, that same familiar character emerges. Whatever the role, they seem to overplay their part. They seem decidedly self-conscious, not just in role but hyper-aware that they're in that role. They rarely, if ever, let down this facade. Some speculate that they're deep down shallow. A seething frustration lies just above their surface. They have an unscratchable itch. They bitch about everything. They would seem ferocious if their performances were in any way believable. They project a phony-seeming form of ferocity instead, mere Pherocity.

They seem to believe everything's a life-or-death matter and a zero-sum game. I've learned that whenever anybody acts as if something that's not life-or-death is, something significant's happening. This behavior seems most like a reliable tell. It tells that something 'in here' might be wounded or broken rather than anything 'out there' needs fixing. Those who engage in this type of behavior tend to be insatiable complainers. It might be that their disappointment at not being able to resolve their 'in here' difficulties by attacking something 'out there' has poisoned their relationship with the world. Incapable of success, they become inveterate complainers and blamers, for the difficulties they observe, could not possibly originate anywhere near 'in here.' They stay on the lookout for others who either have or plan to take advantage of them. Their aggression seems focused upon their usual suspects, and it's a remarkably short list. No more than a scant half-dozen classes seem to belong on their Out List at any given time. This might be due to storage limitations in their internal outrage buffer.

Immigrants, the ultimate others, always top their list, though we are all immigrants or their sons or daughters. Liberals come next, for they champion change and thereby deeply offend anyone who firmly believes they read the minds of the founders. Socialists always appear because they have been the bugaboo of American politics ever since the term arose from the Russian Revolution, glamourous in its threatening lack of definition. Communists, too, are frequently mentioned, especially people who were never especially Communist but more communalist. Those accused through association seem to be the most insidiously culpable and worthy of the outrage machine. Patriots also often appear in their census of their true enemies of the state, for they reserve their allegiance to the constitution and, therefore, refuse to bend a knee before any pretender to any trumped-up throne. Minorities also always appear, insisting upon equal rights before achieving a majority. The MAGAs believe them at least presumptuous and unappreciative.

Anyway, it really doesn't matter who's on the outs with this crowd; someone's always on the outs, and it's always, always, always somebody else's fault. Contrary to the old folk wisdom that cautions if it smells like dog shit where ever you go, check your own shoes; they're hot on the scent and already know whose shoes carry the stench. Meanwhile, they're tracking the stench everywhere they search. They exclusively engage in theaters of the absurd. Their solutions for every imagined ill inevitably worsen matters, but those outcomes couldn't possibly be their fault. They know who sabotaged their latest initiative and blame one of their usual suspects. They blame in loud voices as if to deflect attention away from the most likely suspect. They make noise until the crowd tires of the fuss and stops asking unsettling questions. Their Pherocity remains tenaciously toothless.

They are not without power, though. They possess the power of a monkey operating a printing press. They don't print much, but they do much damage without noticing the damage they're doing. Indeed, any damage they might notice sparks a fresh insistence, overplayed in their usual way. The more outrageous the damage, the more egregious their deflection. They cannot see the world the rest of us inhabit. They bartered that world away on the promise of power they'd never learn how to use and an endless list of fresh complaints. They sought power so they could feel more powerless. If you wonder why, ask their mother or father. Some people are just brought up sideways. They seem incapable of public service. They seem overwhelmed just servicing themselves and fueling their continuing Pherocity. They are paper tigers, still capable of inflicting severe paper cuts and making outrageous noises. We dare not take them more seriously than we should, but we cannot help but hear their disturbing noises.

©2025 by David A. Schmaltz - all rights reserved

Tags: #NextWorld, #PureSchmaltz