Most of the movies that are coming out are based on childhood nostalgia, basically hoping that everything will still be as magical and thrilling as it was when people first saw these icons grace the silver screen. However, the backdrop of society was also coupled with those images, and in “simpler” times–read, “when everyone understood less about how the world works”–those images were able to inspire. One of the main reasons that those rebranded images fail to bring the crowds to the box offices and the streaming services is that life is vastly different now than it was when, say, Superman first appeared in black and white. Now, Batman looks like a billionaire who gets his kicks off of assaulting petty thieves in a distorted interpretation of justice, rather than a vigilante avenging his parents. Just like Batman, people are looking at the United States with a completely different lens, and the ole propaganda don’t hit like it used to, and anyone buying into it is slowly finding themselves isolated.
Some motivation about why mindsets are shifting can be found in the entire concept of the suburb: a “safe” community far away from the “dangers” of the city. Suburbs did more than segregate people; they segregated experiences in a way that nobody could appreciate until right about now. Instead of seeing how dysfunctional it was to have local governments who ignored portions of their citizenry, suburbanites saw local governments as their friends, since there were very few occasions when the local politicians were required to serve the entire metropolitan areas. Families in the schools in suburbs had the belief that they were the best of the best, regardless of how many barriers to progress were placed on “other” schools. Most importantly, there was no one to challenge such distorted beliefs, and when suburbanites had to go around “other” people, they were startled into instigating violence based on a lack of exposure.
People who lived in those early suburbs had no clue about anything outside their bubbles, and highways were built so that those residents could speed past unpleasant realities. Basically, suburbs and highways are monuments to emotional insecurity and, just like emotional insecurity, are very costly to repair and maintain. Now more people are starting to see suburbs as what they truly are, which is evolution from the plantation. It is fitting that people would desire the possibility of running their own plantations, especially since that “lifestyle” was glorified for so long. Realistically though, everyone in the world is not entitled to set up a plantation, and such a mindset is destroying the planet.
Delusion has been the fuel running the country since it first began, because the main lie was the laziest people in the country telling the busiest, most hard-working individuals that the busy ones are lazy. The lie was further expanded to decide who was allowed to dominate over the busy individuals, and how many resources such individuals deserved to have. So much energy has been expended explaining that such a thought process is gruesome and irrational, but again, emotional insecurities that have been cultivated and passed down are difficult to assuage. This is further compounded by emotional insecurities that have a megaphone in the “free press,” which has expanded to social media. Emotional insecurities have blossomed into conditioning, and that is how the United States devolved into an oligarchy.
It is delusional to keep believing lies, no matter how well they are crafted, just because it is more comfortable to believe than to challenge. Additionally, it is delusional to keep explaining to those who believe lies, and too many resources have been diverted pouring into people who chose not to understand. Finally, it is delusional to keep trying to convince older generations to be better because, despite their refusal to get out of control, they are the ones who created the conditions with which everyone is being forced to reckon. The fall of the United States into an oligarchy was not an accident, and all of the liars understand that they are the ones who created this mess, and nobody–not even the “good” people–are doing anything to change it.
What happens when people who are past their prime, who understand a reality that no longer exists, remain in power for far too long? Chaos, and everyone is seeing it everywhere they go. The housing situation is out of control because people see homes as assets and commodities, instead of dwellings for individuals, making the idea of a “family” impossible for many. Food is out of control because the dragon-hoarding elders think they should get rich if someone is allowed to survive. Leisure is an impossibility for millions because those with control and resources believe that they are the only ones who deserve rest–which makes sense, because it takes a lot of energy to maintain a blatantly false understanding and corrupted mind. Consequently, mental health is out of control, no one can get a job fast enough or afford a therapist to maintain it, and violence is skyrocketing.
It is rational to mourn the lost of equilibrium, but more importantly, it is rational to mourn the image of the United States that so many people believed for decades. Equilibrium under current conditions is impossible, so chaos will reign for quite a bit longer, and some people will not survive the strain. Uncertainty is a strong stressor, and considering that TikTok went in and out in the same amount of time that South Korea declared martial law, there is an entire menu of uncertainty waiting to be served by the sociopaths that bought elections around the globe. Sadness and grief are part of a healthy growth process, and a lot of people are about to learn how to express them; those who already know will be sheltering ourselves, and doing our best at self restoration. Loss of institutions is reality, and there are no more blinders available.
Chasing A Dying Empire 