This Carbon Based Life

By David Glenn Cox

It is interesting in these days of oppressive incompetence to look at Bonhoeffer’s theory of stupidity once again. Stupidity isn’t a mental inability to understand and make sense of the world. But a willful action, a willful refusal of the brain to function properly. I don’t want to deal with this. I don’t want to understand. You can’t make me learn or understand. You can’t! You can’t! I don’t want to.

A legacy of tribalism, I suppose. Everyone must think the same thing, so some choose not to think at all. It’s safer that way. No dictator ever decreed “Round up all the stupid people!” A lifelong adventure of believing whatever momma and daddy believed. And it flows like poison through all strata of society. The college educated idiot or the backyard genius. A mind coasting through life because they just don’t care or see the importance of caring.

A portent of our future with the finger of fate pointing towards Eloi and Morlocks. I think I heard the air raid siren on my smart phone app. [Report downstairs immediately!] A society overwhelmed and choking on its own waste of over information and under, understanding. Just ignore it, close your eyes and maybe it will all just go away or get better all by itself. “They’re only taking bad people to those camps. These are the good kind of concentration camps. With cable and internet access and toilet paper.”

Yesterday, Bonhoeffer’s Wall Street soared. Tesla stock was up 10% Why? What had changed in 24hrs to prompt such a change of sentiment? Did Elon fall down a flight of stairs? Has the absolutely black future outlook for Tesla suddenly brightened? Did Elon stop being one of the most hated men on the planet? Did the world-wide boycott suddenly reverse itself?

Don’t look! Don’t look! You can’t make me look. The tariffs WILL destroy the auto industry making vehicles too expensive to afford under any credit scheme. Auto stocks up!  Banking stocks up! Because everything is going to be alright. Everything is just great! Mass deportations won’t affect our ability to harvest crops. It won’t make the price of food soar. It won’t cause rampant inflation and social dislocation. Grocery stocks up!

The sudden disappearance of government money from the farming industry (Farmers for Trump!) means John Deere and Case and a host of others are going to be in big trouble. Broke farmers can’t buy million dollar implements. Ag stocks up! All the signs point to imminent disaster and there is a general sleepwalking. Iceberg? What iceberg is that? What’s your hurry stranger? Everything is fine. Everything is okay.

Everyday when I log on, I check the news to see which world leaders we’ve insulted. What pointless ploy or stupid remark was made today. It’s like watching clowns juggling hand grenades with greased palms. Just knowing there is a disaster out there brewing and watching Wall Street sleepwalking and mumbling. “It’s alright, it’s going to be alright. Tesla owners are dumping their cars worldwide. Tesla founders are dumping hundreds of millions of dollars of their stock, but it’s going to be okay!

Wait until Florida finds out FEMA no longer exists. You wanted state’s rights and now you’re on your own! No more big government interference or money when the big hurricane hits. But sure, let’s buy Florida Municipal bonds; they’re a safe bet!

In Chicago, without help amounting to over 700 million dollars the cities mass transit systems will be forced to make draconian cuts to service. But I’m sure it won’t affect productivity. The affluent can just buy more cars and the poor can just walk. But I’m near certain it won’t affect unemployment any! In these obscene times we have little need of infrastructure repair or maintenance commodities. No new police cars! Too expensive! No new books for the schools or the library. No new fire stations. But it’s going to be alright! Everything will be fine! Gimme some of that Tesla stock! And some more Municipal bonds! What could possibly go wrong?

Allegedly well-educated and intelligent people with a blind spot. Unwilling to admit even to themselves in the darkest hours of the night what they’ve done to society and done to themselves. Their grandchildren, provided that there are any, will curse their names. Let’s have no more frivolous talk about the ascent of man anymore. Gee, do you really think taking a couple hundred billion dollars out of the national economy for tax cuts could have negative repercussions? “Naw, it’ll be fine.”

Like an apogee or a highwater mark the decline and fall of the system which has pampered the elite for several generations. They’ve bought a handful of magic tax cut beans and now, they’re losing their farm. In red Nebraska, they are already talking about the state government going bankrupt. But it’s going to be alright. Everything is fine! The King is deporting our agricultural community, but it’ll be fine.

Bonhoeffer is very insightful and explains Congressional inaction. Either stunned beyond belief or believing their course is correct they cover their eyes and pretend not to see. A dictator, an autocrat ruling with sharpie at the ready. Ready to cast down sanctions and proclamations at anyone who strikes his fancy or draws his ire over breakfast. And Bonhoeffer’s Wall Street sleeps soundly. What do you suppose would happen if one of those clowns happened to drop a grenade someday? It’ll be fine, I’m sure, it’ll be fine.

“Intelligent discontent is the mainspring of civilization. Progress is born of agitation. It is agitation or stagnation.” ― Eugene V. Debs

“…most men and women will grow up to love their servitude and will never dream of revolution.” ― Aldous Huxley