While I despise writing too much about electoral politics, I think there is one thing that people have neglected to discuss on a regular basis: lying. In 2016, when everyone thought that Hillary would surely win and nobody like Trump could defeat her, it was discovered that people lied in the exit polls. In 2024, when everyone again swore up and down that they supported Kamala Harris, it was discovered that again, people lied in the exit polls. The empire is waking up to the cognitive dissonance when people say that “Love wins!” while supporting the worst people in the universe. It is also time to discuss why there will never be social progress as long as people continue to lie about their intentions.
Segregation was already maintained, but people had to be crafty about it so that nobody caught on, and those who were discriminated against were taught to internalize their oppression. First, people argue about class instead of race because they are unaware that algorithms were specifically designed to make sure that certain people 1) would never even get an interview; or 2) would never get a promotion once they got an entry level job. Despite excessive education and hours of extra work, some people could never pull ahead while others were able to lean in to DEI. Then, property valuations were higher in some communities than others, meaning that some communities were more vulnerable to displacement than others due to people “investing in real estate,” which really meant kicking out poor people for tourists. Put it all together, and segregation was maintained in such a way that segregationists were blissfully unaware of their racism, but still perpetuating a lie about their progressive intentions.
Moreover, most of the people who got rich from antiracist efforts were white individuals looking to inspire comfort rather than take actions. Now, there are people who are constantly whining about “coming together” who are shocked that others are not accepting any overtures based on insincere engagement. In truth, over the last five years, there were several people who were happy to get attention and go to a protest–then go right back to discriminating against their coworkers and hoarding their resources. Marginalized people watched the comfortable folks revert back to their previous behavior after swearing up and down that they would do better, and we see such platitudes for the lies they are.
Most importantly, the world can see that the empire is a fraud for all of its actual behavior versus the reputation it wants to maintain. There are fools prancing about in handmaiden costumes while the whistleblower for forced hysterectomies in ICE detention centers is dealing with the retaliation against the truth. People are working to viciously erase any notion that the government ever did anything wrong against anyone because they are desperate to believe that everyone had a fair chance and some people are just “lazy.” None of the environmental issues are being addressed by anything except greenwashing, which is why there is such an obsession about electric cars when the real question should be, “Why are suburbs being built in 2025?”
Lying about who one is keeps everyone rooted in dishonesty, and those who are harmed by the dishonesty never feel relieved. At this point in time, people are demanding accountability for the demand to keep up lies that hurt them, and those who benefitted are throwing tantrums. If there is any hope of progress and generosity of spirit, people need to accept that lies were told to keep some harmed and others comfortable. There will never be another time when people will support falsehoods just to maintain a disgusting status quo.
Chasing A Dying Empire 