Stop Me Before I Vote Again

Recent call and response at the Henny Dougman show:

Q: "Is it despair or 'fucking hopelessness' that prompts you to feel that way often?"

A: "It's just being aware of the awful violence of neoliberalism, the slashing and burning of public services, education, universities, the whole edifice of middle class existence, and that all this is happening with such little overt political resistance."

In my day polling marketeers called a response like that "top of the mind". Claim it told deeper stuff about the driver of the shopping machine than a carefully premeditated response.

Here it's schooling .. and what? Public parks, endowment for the humanities. Just what is the top of the mind inside the top of the mind "public services"? Amtrak? worth a repeat: "the whole edifice of middle class existence".

Here's one more culled from this treasure house of puffed rice:

Q: "How does the antidote work and/or how do you employ it?"

A: "In moderation. It's amazing how fast an especially creative LittleBigPlanet level can restore one's faith in humanity. I'm also trying to produce more media of my own these days. Seems to help."

And yet... one can dream...can't one?

I conjure the great Cromwell about to dismiss the Long Parliament: "I will put an end to your prating. You are no parliament."

The cause here? The great endemical corruption? Merit itself. Once it tkes hold of a brain you get nothing but tireless beavering away at the erection of one or other merit powered pyramid scheme.