Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Wanting the World to Crash
My conversation with an ulta-liberal friend:
HIM: "I can't believe it. Even now."
ME: "Why not?"
HIM: "How could 59 million people be so dumb?"
ME: "You're just quoting a British newspaper."
HIM: "Yeah, but I believe it."
ME: "Then you like over-simplifying?"
HIM: "Whatever. People voted out of fear."
ME: "Again, you sound like a fucking website quote. I've heard this before. Think for your fucking self. Don't tell me some bullshit I've heard before. 59 million are dumb? My dad voted for Bush. He's a well-respected businessman with a Master's Degree. He's not dumb. He's just different from you. Don't you realize what that makes you sound like?"
HIM: "This country is fucked. I should move to Canada."
ME: "Yeah, enjoy the weather up there. You're being ridiculous. You're like your own little mascot of yourself. It's really quite remarkable."
HIM: "Easy for you to say, Mr. Nixon."
ME: "This may be hard for you to understand, but we're gonna be all right."
HIM: "Whatever."
ME: "I think that's a fear of yours: that we'll be OK, even though your guy wasn't elected."
HIM: "You're naive for thinking that."
ME: "Careful of those glass walls. Listen it's just how things are. OK, I'll grant you, we've got lots of problems. The house is on fire. But in this country, we don't put out the fire until it's creeping up next to us on the couch. We'll put it out. It just hasn't reached us yet. We're all gonna be all right, as much as it must kill you to hear this. The plane has not yet crashed into the mountain."
HIM: "Republicans are just afraid of gay people and afraid of losing their money and willing to bomb anyone for oil."
ME: "Yeah, my next-door neighbor, a right-winger of all right-wingers, just told me how he was looking forward to bombing the gay bar downtown and then enlisting to go to Iran and then maybe Kuwait. He's just gotta check with Paul Bunyan first and get permission from the Tooth Fairy."
HIM: "You just don't get it."
ME: "You're right."
HIM: "I can't believe it. Even now."
ME: "Why not?"
HIM: "How could 59 million people be so dumb?"
ME: "You're just quoting a British newspaper."
HIM: "Yeah, but I believe it."
ME: "Then you like over-simplifying?"
HIM: "Whatever. People voted out of fear."
ME: "Again, you sound like a fucking website quote. I've heard this before. Think for your fucking self. Don't tell me some bullshit I've heard before. 59 million are dumb? My dad voted for Bush. He's a well-respected businessman with a Master's Degree. He's not dumb. He's just different from you. Don't you realize what that makes you sound like?"
HIM: "This country is fucked. I should move to Canada."
ME: "Yeah, enjoy the weather up there. You're being ridiculous. You're like your own little mascot of yourself. It's really quite remarkable."
HIM: "Easy for you to say, Mr. Nixon."
ME: "This may be hard for you to understand, but we're gonna be all right."
HIM: "Whatever."
ME: "I think that's a fear of yours: that we'll be OK, even though your guy wasn't elected."
HIM: "You're naive for thinking that."
ME: "Careful of those glass walls. Listen it's just how things are. OK, I'll grant you, we've got lots of problems. The house is on fire. But in this country, we don't put out the fire until it's creeping up next to us on the couch. We'll put it out. It just hasn't reached us yet. We're all gonna be all right, as much as it must kill you to hear this. The plane has not yet crashed into the mountain."
HIM: "Republicans are just afraid of gay people and afraid of losing their money and willing to bomb anyone for oil."
ME: "Yeah, my next-door neighbor, a right-winger of all right-wingers, just told me how he was looking forward to bombing the gay bar downtown and then enlisting to go to Iran and then maybe Kuwait. He's just gotta check with Paul Bunyan first and get permission from the Tooth Fairy."
HIM: "You just don't get it."
ME: "You're right."
