APRIL 20, 2020 – In these upside-down times, explanations abound as to which way is up and which is down; the differences among black, white, and gray; that “up” is “down,” green is red, and black is bad. Math, anti-math, math models, science, non-science, news, “fake news,” fake “fake news,” and information—baked, half-baked, misperceived, misstated, manipulated, intentionally distorted, wholly fabricated out of falsehoods—are injected into our senses and synapses to produce explosive compounds.
While we at home cull through explanations, health care workers put their lives on the line to save lives in the trenches. Governors, meanwhile, have to ask the president, “How many times do I need to say ‘thank you’?”
Welcome to the Crazy States of America, where a disordered 73-year old pretender-president is (still) a playground bully. He locked up the teachers, then turned to the kids.
“Come on!” he shouted. “Time to play!” He led them out onto the playground, and yelled, “Play my game if you want candy!”
The little kids followed like lemmings. The older students stood back, too wary to join.
“First drink this Kool-aid,” he ordered, “then line up where I tell you.” The little kids imbibed as directed, then clambered to be on the front of the line. “Pom-pom pull-away!” the bully shouted, and his little followers rushed across the sand. As they did, the bully shoved and pushed, tripped and grabbed. The little kids skinned their knees, battered their elbows, choked on the dust and rubbed sand from their eyes. But the Kool-Aid worked its magic. The once innocent ones were all too eager to be like the bully and apply his antics.
With a diabolical laugh, the bully exclaimed, “Great! You’re very, very nice kids—as long as you do as I say!”
He shouts again, “Pom-pom pull-away!” Now, though, his followers are supposed to run in exactly the opposite direction. By round three, it’s . . . game over. Those who never wanted any part of the game are to be ravaged by the Kool-Aid they never drank. They are under ruthless attack by a wild bunch of little bullies driven by the Kool-Aid and directed by the big bully, Lord of the Flies.
“Just wait until the bell rings!” say the optimists among the older kids. But they’ve forgotten that the teachers are locked away, that the bully has the key, that this is a recess like none other. By the time a bell rings, it will be the one that signals “school is over.”
What will save the school? Who will wrestle the bully to the ground? Who will jimmy the lock on the supply room door? Who will rescue the little kids from themselves? Who will restore trust and confidence in the older kids? And who will dump the doctored Kool-Aid?
Parents, you should be worried.
(Remember to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.)
© 2020 by Eric Nilsson
