Opinion: Confusionism: America’s New Philosophy

Pixabay imagePhoto bychezbeate

America loves its “isms.”

We thrive on capitalism.

We shun socialism - sort of. (Though we secretly apply it all the time - don’t tell anyone.)

Publicly rail against racism, ageism, and sexism, and yet somehow, they all manage to persist.

We deplore elitism, being that our country was founded by poor immigrants seeking a new life away from those that would rule over them. And yet we are a nation governed by the 1% and the influence they exert over just about everything we call our own.

We’re proud of our history and defend it unashamedly and want our history books to tell the real story of how America came to be. And yet are prone to becoming seriously upset if they don’t look like the covers of Cosmopolitan - airbrushed and beautiful.

We’re a land of contradictions. We love videos about savings kittens and puppies. While producing epically beautifully, CGI-ladened slugfests with body counts in the thousands. Then do it again and again.

At the same time we deplore bullies and violence and yet are addicted to sports programming that is reminiscent of mock battles fought in Rome’s Coliseum 2000 years ago while eating Buffalo Wings and Mozzarella- stuffed-crust pizzas.

We pride ourselves in being a democracy, a shining example of reason and fairness throughout the world while simultaneously allowing corporations and the 1% to buy elections, and strip away protections of the land and its people. While filling the airwaves with truths that are lies and lies that once were truths and generally turning a once literate nation into the world’s largest kindergarten cohort struggling to understand the very language it speaks.

As a result, we now thrive on confusion. On using words not meant to enlighten but to obfuscate. To turn that bright shining light of decency and kindness into a dim flickering bulb casting everything in its own darkening shadow.

We’ve come to fear the truth, when once we embraced it. Words clear and unambiguous are set aside, replaced by longwinded sentences that lull its listeners into a stupor, incapable of making correct decisions.

Thus we are entering the age of Confusionism. A philosophy our society is embracing where words are used more to distract and confuse than bring about understanding. And where truth is optional and getting the results, you want the only real measure of one’s success

American Politics, once a bastion of reasonable debate and discourse with only the occasional cock-ups has been transformed into a swirling shitstorm where reason is shunned, irrationality applauded and ethical conduct avoided like vaccines at a Trump rally.

The fringes of the far right, in their efforts to be heard, have moved so far over, they are sneaking up on the far left and scaring the bejesus out of everyone.

And while Russia and Putin try desperately to return to the good old days of the Soviet Union, and war rages in Ukraine sending gas, oil, and egg prices out the roof, the rest of us look to Washington and our leaders, with the same myopic stare that Mr. Magoo used to find his car keys.

So, we ask simple questions like What is causing inflation? And are either pointed to a map of the far east with one word being uttered - War. Or are given a fairytale crafted by the modern-day Brothers Grimm, who tell us of monsters and dragons, corporate warlords and princes with secrets, who are being fought by the brave warriors in Washington.

And we wait.

And we listen.

And we wonder how a time-traveling clairvoyant somehow managed to uncover all those instances of voter fraud and how Fox News, another bastion of reasonable debate and discourse, saw these true fairytales as evidence of the Big Lie.

Confusionism has become the answer to a lack of time, a lack of resources, a lack of means, and opportunity to gather the facts required to produce an accurate story and instead rely on the disjointed, disorienting, and dystopian jumble of facts collectively labeled the Internet.

And throughout all of this, we continue to work hard. To mind the nation. Turn up to vote. Pay our taxes, donate to good causes, and never quite give up the dream that has become harder and harder to envision.

We cling to another ism, optimism and all that it portends, and refuse to accept that this ship cannot be righted. And while the vast majority of America knuckle down for another election, another wave of Covid or inflation we don’t give up.

While a Supreme Court heckles its own past decisions and continues to take down reproductive rights in this country while setting its sights on freedoms that interfere with those who need and want more - we gather our dwindling resources, reaffirm our purpose for being who we are and take another run at democracy.

Confusionism is just another impediment. Another set of blinking red and green lights tells us to both stop and go away.

But we don’t. We won’t and we never will.