Comment by martythemaniak
6 hours ago
I have to post my rant every time Idiocracy gets mentioned, so feel free to downvote (it is the best way to spend my karma!)
What we're seeing is fundamentally nothing like idiocracy - the similarities are only surface deep, but the structures are vastly different. In Idiocracy, the nation is led by a person who cares about the well-being of all his constituents and seeks out the most capable person in order to improve the material state of his people. Despite his wrestling persona, President Comacho is far, far, FAR closer to Jed Bartlet from the West Wing, than Trump. People in the 2000s could not imagine the true nature of the 2020s.
What you're seeing is a sort of slow-motion civil war. The Trumpist Republicans fundamentally believe only they are allowed to rule and everyone outside their group is an enemy. They despise their enemies and wish to see them suffer, from denying disaster relief, to targeting cities with ICE, the more suffering there is the better. Sadly, reality turned out nothing like Idiocracy.
The effects of mobile phones, "social" media and AI are showing signs of Idiocracy. Thinking is abandoned, living is consumption, and difficult tasks are taken over by machines.
What will differ is the autocratic nature we seem to be heading to. Political power may come to rely even more on exploitation of lower instincts. The result can be some kind of 1930s tyranny without high culture.
Astute take on current events.
> The Trumpist Republicans fundamentally believe only they are allowed to rule and everyone outside their group is an enemy
Both parties believe it. It's why you only have two parties.
Your country's only real God is making a quick buck and everyone believes it their duty to do so. The immigrants, the non-immigrants, the politicians, the business people, everyone.
There's money to be made in cruelty, so there's money being made in cruelty. There's money to be made in being outraged about someone making money from cruelty, so there's money being made from being outraged.
Your only God is a quick buck, remember. Nothing else. Nothing.