For reals this time. We got lucky and dodged the bullet with Y2K but ever since the Acolytes of Ayn inexplicably failed to save us we've been turning and turning in that widening gyre. Don't worry though y'all, New End Times is same as the Old End Times, doesn't really matter as long as you've got the fear.
Now if only we could figure out a way to profit from fear... Never mind, that's already the business model of governments, religions, and media conglomerates everywhere. "Someone is doing something, somewhere, and it will be the end of xxxxxxx as we know it! Now give us your money and don't ask questions."
If it weren't so pernicious it'd almost be cute. In the 60s and 70s it was television doing to people what tiktok is today. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion of early 20th century vintage tastes much the same as 21st century vintage QAnon. When I was growing up violent music was a clear and present danger, depending on whether the speaker wanted to control guns or African-Americans determined if it was rap music or Marilyn Manson they were talking about. No matter which political team you root for, the other team is forever only one game election away from DESTROYING EVERYTHING!!! Anita Bryant would like to have a word with you about cancel culture. Almost forgot terrorism, y'all remember terrorism? Once upon a time, terrorism was such a big, bad, terrible danger that we had to wage a war on it. The war never really went anywhere and neither did the terrorism but somewhere along the way we seem to have forgotten to be worried about it. Had bigger fish to fry, like policing bathrooms and libraries.
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" Was FDR trying to be punny? Whatever the case, he wasn't wrong. Fear in the right time and measure is a good, healthy thing. I'm not talking about that sort of fear, it tends to wane with the adrenaline and the immediate threat, and if it doesn't we call it PTSD. The Fear is a more nebulous, existential sort, ill defined and hangry despite a steady diet of perpetual crisis.
You encounter the latter far more regularly than the former. Anytime a politician is looking to extend their free ride term, whenever a police department or military is looking for a handout, every time the ratings start to drop at the advertising news agencies, you can be sure The Fear is there.
In case you haven't guessed it by now, we're being manipulated. The means and ends vary but the manipulation is constant. Who needs reason when you can appeal to emotion?
Think about racism, sexism, any of the other isms we've seen fit to label, if you dig beneath the surface, you will find The Fear waiting for you. Fear of the loss of power, privilege, position. Fear of change, of uncertainty, of inequality. Fear of the different, the new, the other.
We'll never be able to prevent folks from preying on The Fear, that's been with us as long as there's been a conception of 'us'. As human as hubris I suspect. Still, it's a lot easier to avoid falling for once you realize what's going on. Cynicism and a dark sense of humor help too. My question to you the dogged reader is this: Short of putting the world in a K-hole for a bit, how do we get to where we can take a step back, crack a few jokes and deal with one another like the semi-rational adults that we are?
Unless that happens we're ruined :>)
Now, is anybody in the market for used chemtrail equipment?
All images created with the dangerous AI known as MidJourney.