The kingdoms of experience in the precious winds they rot
While paupers change possessions each one wishing for what the other has got
And the princess and the prince discuss what's real and what is not
It doesnt matter inside the gates of Eden
--Bob Dylan, 1965
Let’s save the postmodern philosophical zen quantum nuh-uh discussion on the nature of reality for later. This is about separating rock-on-the-head-type reality from bullshit. If you can see the difference, you are among the “Reality Based Community” (RBC). Of course you can join anyway, bring your ideological baggage with you, but few will talk to you because you make no sense. We all think we grasp some kind of “reality,” but what is “bullshit?” Bullshit exists to make the bullshitter look or sound good, regardless of truth or falsity or any combination.
We are all wired to believe what we WANT to believe, truth or falsity notwithstanding. That makes us all not only natural-born bullshitters, but highly susceptible to bullshit as well, picking the best bullshit to wear like peacock feathers. Horse feathers. Membership in the RBC only requires practice facing a terrible truth you did not want to believe. It also requires facing a lie you desperately wanted to believe. Truth does not care a fig whether you believe it or not, and here's the prime directive:
The body's been burned to a crisp, hung from a bridge, and the limbs are falling off.
The RBC is now making plans to survive the aftermath. That's the reality we need to prepare for now. To do it, there are certain bastions of bullshit that need clarification:
“USA” is bullshit, US is real.
“America” is a nice continent. The “country” once known as the USA is a dead man walking. We have to get over it. US… that’s “us” as a community, that’s real. We have to get along with our neighbors, next hill or next continent. United states is real too… state of confusion, state of panic, state of wisdom, state of grace. They all mix together in that bowl that combines the individual and the collective. Magpie Thatcher said the collective did not exist… only individuals. That’s bullshit. So is the totalitarian idea that the individual is nothing. We are social animals. That’s the truth.
“Politics” is bullshit, collaboration is real.
Liberals, conservatives, right, left, Republican, Democrat… all bullshit. Yes, the labels can represent real collaborative approaches which are buried under so much bullshit you can’t hear them scream. What passes for “politics” (especially in the former USA) is “boosterism;,” hooray for “our team,” boo on “their team.” “Competition” is bullshit. The only real “competition” is mortal combat. Everything else is a game… with “rules” that can be fudged and “officials” who can be bribed.
“Religion” is bullshit, spirituality is real.
There are things and forces beyond the physical world that we are not capable of detecting with our “normal” senses. What they are… and especially what they “want” us to “do” is anybody’s guess. You can “believe” god exists. Nobody “knows.” Save it for the interesting quantum nuh-uh talk around the campfire. Truth is, most “churches” are full of more bullshit than a factory-farm feedlot and most of the stuffed bloodsuckers that “preach” in them are bullshit factories.
You get the idea.
Don’t you? Otherwise, you probably would not be reading this far. You are probably aware that the nasty combination of “USA,” “Politics” and “Religion” have gotten us all aboard a runaway handcar bound for some kind of fresh sh*t-pit we can’t even imagine. We can stop freaking out about the sh*t-pit and get the hell off the handcar. How to do it? That’s what the RBC has to invent. Nobody else is going to do it, especially the stuffed bloodsuckers and the rich fatties who want our gold fillings.
The dupes and stooges are not going to figure it out. They’re going to jerk those unconnected levers, circulate “petitions,” “vote” for “candidates,” and all those other binkie-suck distractions all the way to the bottom. But we don’t have to. There are great ideas and ways to implement them all over the place. We need to find them and bring them back to share with the community. That’s US. We research and experiment and share the results. That’s collaboration. We lead the way for the “others,” that’s the spirit.
Back to the Garden. It’s the right thing to do.
