“A Consensual Hallucination”
In William Gibson’s dystopian sci-fi novel, Neuromancer
Jon Taplin’s Blog
Occasional musings on the collision of Digital Culture and Politics
About Jon Taplin
Jon Taplin is a Professor at the USC Annenberg School for Communication. He has produced film, music and television with Martin Scorsese, George Harrison, Bob Dylan and The Band among others.
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Goodness no one ever said that protest signs had to be true or even intelligent. Or for that matter to the same goes for members of congress like Rep. Wilson….
Michael
September 15, 2009 at 10:37 pm
How out of touch I must be.
I have recently seen TV commentators and news pundits on the left, and even Jimmy Carter talk about how much of this anti-Obama rhetoric is racist driven. But, I didn’t believe it … didn’t want to believe it. Understanding a majority of the teabaggers couldn’t be that simple, could it? After watching the videos of the 9-12 rally and seeing the openly racist signs and hearing the bigoted talk, I have to face my own naivete.
I understand that the protests and the protesters cover a wide gamut, using the healthcare debate to complain about everything under the sun – some legitimate things, but mostly conspiracy theory whacko propaganda, like the ascendency of the African-born, Nazi, Communist, Death-to-all-Republicans, kill grandma, wealth stealing President. I understand the stakeholders on the right manipulating the weak-minded among their ranks and using them as pawns to destroy the present administration, even if that means destroying America as we know it. I understand all that. But, dear God, these people sound like another civil war is about to break out over a minority of the white population’s insane dislike of blacks. I wanted to believe that blacks and black organizations were being overly sensitive and overreacting to some Beckian/Limbaughstic dialogues. But now, I’m not so sure.
Can we really have regressed this far in our racial relations … or did we never move forward at all?
David Prata
September 16, 2009 at 5:11 am
David- I’m afraid you are right. Here’s Carter’s comments.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/09/15/carter_cites_racism_inclinatio.html?wprss=44
Jon Taplin
September 16, 2009 at 6:45 am
Ubi caritas et amor deus ibi est.
This ain’t that. Ok, songwriters and filmmakers, we have work to do.
len
September 16, 2009 at 6:57 am
Wow. I’m a big Armstrong fan and damn, what were they thinking choosing that for their music.
It’s s if they had no clue or context about Armstrong and his history, or quite frankly the entire point of the song. Oww, that makes my eyeballs hurt.
David- It’s astonishing to me as well, but the people in these pictures have always been a part of the American story. I find it sad to see so much hatred and ignorance stuffed into one place at one time, but truthfully, every country has populations and issues like these. You are just lucky enough to live someplace where you don’t have to deal with it on a day to day basis. I think the picture painted of racial relations in this country is vastly oversimplified, and can tend to leave you with the simultaneous feeling that things are much better than they used to be, but that you are not getting the full story. The ultimate problem though, is you are dealing with a population that has what I call a fundamentalist mindset, they are incapable or unwilling to accept facts that upset their world view, and they are totally dependent on their “leaders ” to proscribe safe bounds in which they can exist. If you have the time, check out some of Sara Robinson’s writings on Orcinus, or a book called “The Family” by Jeff Sharlet to see what we are up against.
bigring55t
September 16, 2009 at 5:51 am
LOL @ Obama sucking Saudi Jewels. Bush would never bow to the Saudis.
Obama’s a socialist! No, wait, he’s a Czar! Like they had in the USSR! and a Fascist! He’s very conflicted apparently.
How pitiful. They’re losing the affluence they once enjoyed, and their political ideology has been given its comeuppance. In response they lash out at the black elitist (educated, rational) president or anything a handful of egomaniacal charlatans tell them to.
Apesofmath
September 16, 2009 at 6:19 am
I don’t see any Afro Americans nor do I see any Latinos . Where is this country ?
bernard
September 16, 2009 at 6:20 am
sup Michael Richards?
M. James
September 16, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Here in the Mid-West our local radio station does a minute or two from Fox News every hour. And every time I hear their tag line I get angry, “We report, you decide.” For me that would only be true if you are advocating, which in my opinion not the role of a news organization is? I thought it was to report and we were informed. So they don’t hide there agenda as a propaganda operation.
Jim Ramsey
September 16, 2009 at 6:39 am
Morgan isn’t the only reason I haven’t been as involved here recently. The more I see of this stuff, the more upset I get; the more I want to simply throw up…my hands in frustration and stuff my head into my yarn stash. But. I. Just. Can’t. Do. It. I’ve come up with these few ideas:
1) No more name calling (from either side)…do what my friend Len recommends and patiently and peacefully attempt to elevate the discourse whenever possible.
2) Turn off the TV (all of it). No more Viagra/Cialis ads, no more ads for stuff I don’t need, no more half-truths designed to make money, rather than inform. No more sordid entertainment programs.
3) Vote with your wallet. I’m taking a lesson from my 98-year-old Mormon Grandma. I’m gonna squeeze a penny ’til it shouts for mercy and then I’m gonna squeeze it some more.
I keep thinking ignorance and greed are somehow at the bottom of all (or most?) of this. Shouting doesn’t help. And, for the first time since I attained voting age, I’m thinking even voting isn’t going to help. Mouth open (for intelligent, respectful protest); TV off; wallet shut. It’s the best I can manage right now.
Amber in Albuquerque
September 16, 2009 at 7:39 am
Amber,
I would suggest one other thing regarding the wallet, (and I think you are correct on all your points). Find out who is running against the representatives who are sustaining this craziness, the Michelle Bachmann’s, Joe Wilson’s, Virginia Foxx’s, etc. and give them whatever small amount of money you see fit, along with a letter saying that there will be more to come, if and only if they speak out against this madness, and work to restore something resembling rational thought and dialogue to the legislative and governing process. Don’t lose faith, and PLEASE, don’t lose faith in voting, although I understand exactly what you mean. But we must support the people who are willing to take up the cause.
Also, I have contributed for many years to the Southern Poverty Law Center, and in their mailings and newsletters, one can see how deeply racial hatred is ingrained in some people, always more people than you would expect or hope. I think we must call it what it is, and not retreat from our intractable opposition to this way of thinking. As Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
You are so right about the TV. There are some great documentaries out there that put a lot of this in perspective, and if you feel the need to stare at the TV, I can suggest a few that are very enlightening.
Mason Dixon
September 16, 2009 at 11:27 am
The thing that most surprise me …totally surreal …is that they would depict an Afro American
as being a nazi. This is beyond my understanding, am I missing something ?
bernard
September 16, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Bernard,
Didn’t you know that WWII was actually started by a cabal of Jews, Catholics and freed slaves? Read up on it. I’m sure Glenn Beck’s website has a suggested reading list that will fill all this in for you.
Mason Dixon
September 16, 2009 at 12:55 pm
And it’s an easy read — almost no words of more than one and a half syllables.
JTMcPhee
September 16, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Let’s remember, we have Jim Crow and David Duke and lynchings and slavery hanging around our necks, which are variously colored not black or white but rich human shades of ocher and umber and warm reds and almost obsidian and also peaches and cream and tannish-yellowish and the soles of everybody’s hands and feet are pretty much the same color.
We also have Tawana Brawley and the forgotten punch bowl incident and the the everybody-gets-a-piece-of-it lacrosse-sticky thing around Duke University.
I know it’s politically incorrect to say anything about “the curious situation,” and there’s nuthin’ but trouble in doing so. Any entry into the matter threatens somebody’s sense of entitlement and status as underdog and victim or being in danger of losing primacy and power.
But given that we aren’t likely to ever all just get along, would it not be wise to reinforce, whenever possible, by reference to facts instead of things that some people believe “ought to be true,” that we all, every last bleeding one of the 6.8 billion of us, have feet of clay, and that none of us is really entitled to a claim of moral ascendancy?
Of course that’s pretty much too much to ask, that everybody remember all the constantly, almost geometrically growing catalogue of horrible things that humans do to other humans, given the instinct to box-score everything, isn’t it?
Just asking, of course.
JTMcPhee
September 16, 2009 at 1:27 pm
> for the first time since I attained voting age,
> I’m thinking even voting isn’t going to help
If you don’t vote, and they do, will things get better?
Everyone has a responsibility to vote.
I’m a big believer in the tenet that if you don’t vote you’ve no right to complain about the result.
Fentex
September 16, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Me too. I just think it’s sad that the only reason I can see for casting a vote at the moment is to justify my right to complain.
Amber in Albuquerque
September 16, 2009 at 5:00 pm
And who is “they” anyway? My larger point is that money, not voters, is in control of elections now. Until that changes, it’s likely nothing else will either.
Amber in Albuquerque
September 16, 2009 at 5:02 pm
I am on the road so I haven’t been able to visit but I really do miss you folks, Keep up the good words, Jon.
rhbee
September 16, 2009 at 2:27 pm
And ounce you have voted and you lost in a fair election then you’ve no right to complain about the results. I believe in that, very much so.
bernard
September 16, 2009 at 2:42 pm
“in a fair election.” Seen any lately?
JTMcPhee
September 16, 2009 at 3:27 pm
hahaha , maybe I am becoming desilusional in my old age.
bernard
September 16, 2009 at 3:50 pm
delusional
, sorry.
bernard
September 16, 2009 at 3:51 pm
How about disillusional? Split the difference.
Mason Dixon
September 16, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Mason , I’ll stick to delusional .
ie : The belief that a strong military can protect us is delusional.
or :
To believe in fair play or chivalry in 2009 is delusional.
Its a media circus anything goes, in Japan for example they call their president the ET because of his eyes and lately is wife in a public interview said that when young she was abducted in a triangular space vessel and went to Venus.
I am delusional indeed.
bernard
September 16, 2009 at 5:59 pm
The theater of the absurd and in some case of cruelty.
bernard
September 16, 2009 at 6:02 pm
This whole thing would feel much better to me if there was a strong anti-war component.
You can construct a sequence every bit as hateful and nazi-laden from photos of Bush protests. The amount of “kill Bush” signs and picture of Bush as a decapitated hitler were equally pervasive if not more gruesome. The difference, of course, is that those protests were anti-war. Now, the fact that the anti-war left has largely, well, left, one must wonder if those protests were heartfelt anti-war or largely partisan.
Either way, I’m anti-war and anti-state. These protests about the deficit and corporatism need to pull in the anti-war component to have more legitimacy for me. After all, the wars are EXPENSIVE on top of being murderous and making us less safe.
If the trade-off with Obama was “I’m pulling out all the troops, shutting down the world police and putting the money toward healthcare” I’d be more prepared to hold my nose on the healthcare corporatism/socialism and salute him on the end of the empire. Given the healthcare deal would still be a mess, but it’d be a tradeoff for the better.
But that’s not whats going on. He’s upping the ante on defense spending. Pulling out the missile shield and opening up to Cuba are good steps, but small.
So yeah, these images are nutty, but they’re nothing new. The media is playing their role as propaganda arm for the DC consensus, downplaying a much broader discontent then they’re willing to recognize. It’s not so good.
John Papola
September 19, 2009 at 6:58 pm