Maybe This Is Just What Normal Looks Like

“Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in.” – Isaac Asimov

I think the hysteria has died down a little now. It has for me now, anyway. After I went looking for sympathy and found it between shit and syphilis in the dictionary, the desire to complain about the terrors of a new world order dissipated. For the ‘patriots’, disgruntled poor and self-proclaimed anarchists desperate to see ‘the system torn down’, the ‘Remainers’ of Brexit and the #NotMyPresident protestors objecting to Trump are whiny crowds of kale, quinoa and avocado salad eating liberals who can’t accept the fact that their side lost. Which is ironic when you consider that the cause of much of the ire of their counterparts is the belief that facts got in the way of useful lies. And the aftermath of the elections has exacerbated feelings of outrage, fear and impotence.

When Nigel Farage says ‘that promises should never have been made’ in response to queries about redirecting £350 million from the EU to the NHS, people understandably feel misled. When Donald Drumpf states that a wall across the border with America will in fact be a fence in a number of places, some of his voters might feel as if they were deceived. And although I profoundly disagree with their principles I empathise with their sense of betrayal. Michael Gove spoke with little disguised contempt for the opinions of experts in his infamous Sky News interview in June this year. Yet as we knock on December’s door he tells us on The Andrew Marr Show that it is ‘manifestly nonsense’ to suggest all experts are wrong. Meanwhile, the clementine Emperor Ming informs us that despite all empirical evidence indicating that he lost the popular vote by 2 million ballots, he in fact won because millions of people voted illegally. Which also seems pretty ironic as he won yet still feels compelled to talk about voter fraud. Donald Trump – the man who proves you’re never too old to learn or say something stupid.

And in this depressing quagmire of fake news, post-truth and presidential decree via Twitter and You Tube there has been a statement uttered that is growing in volume and repetition - “let’s give him/her a chance”. Whether it’s giving Theresa may an opportunity to prove that she truly has the interest of the “just about managing” families – or JAMS as the media has lovingly dubbed literally every person in the country – we should give her a chance. We didn’t vote for her, the benefit cuts that disproportionately impact the poor and disabled still went ahead, she hasn’t got any semblance of a plan for Brexit, she’s already started to sell of pieces of the NHS (contracting care services through Virgin Health) but let’s trust her. Give her and her government a chance.

Herr Sonnengebraunt Hitler appoints the head of the foremost white supremacist website in Amerikkka as his most senior advisor but don’t question his choice. After all, he has a mandate, the people have spoken. He attends meetings with a head of state with the woman he fetishizes most in the world in a complete broach of protocol (no, of course I’m not talking about his wife you idiot - his daughter. Actually, has anyone seen Melania since the visit to the White House? I’m getting worried). He is appointing billionaires and political insiders as cabinet members in his efforts to ‘drain the swamp” and return power to the people (I’m tired of highlighting irony). He treats security briefings like gossip, sitting in only 2 of the official intelligence briefings to date and relying on a “number of sources” to inform his decision making capabilities as commander-in-chief. I can’t help but think that one of these reliable sources is Vladimir Putin.

But all of this is normal now, because they won. Brexit is “the will of the people” so let’s stop moaning about the result and get on with it. Give them a chance. Yeah, Hillary won the popular vote by over 2 million and Drumpf might have spewed some racist, misogynistic, wilfully stupid, intolerant, bullying, bigoted, hateful rhetoric in the course of the campaign but come on, that was just a campaign. Of course he’s going to be more presidential. He didn’t mean half of the things that he said. Besides, he made up most of the shit he said. Forget the fact that this clearly makes him a lying, hypocritical, racist sunset. All of this is normal. Give him a chance. Personally, i thought we gave him many chances. After the prisoners of war comment. After the Mexican rapists scandal.The Judge Curiel accusations. The disabled reporter impression. The Ms Venezuala Twitter war. Access ****ing Hollywood. Chance after chance after chance. And the media gave him the oxygen of unlimited publicity.

To those of us for whom facts, truth and acceptance (not tolerance) matter, this is far from ‘normal’. They say if “you can’t beat them join them”, but I feel like “if you can’t beat them, beat them”, because while they’re expecting me to join them I’ll have the element of surprise. Yep, that’s how frustrated I’ve been. I’m not saying it’s their entire fault; I’m just blaming them. The fact that xenophobia, fear, sexism and intolerance have seemingly been rewarded is the shit-flavoured cherry on the dung-filled cake. But an unfortunate reality is that this is the new ‘normal’. It is increasingly what is usual, typical or expected and our media’s indulgence in pandering to demagoguery in order to increase ratings has ensured this ‘philosophy’ has traction. Lying is easy and it seems the Trump and Brexit credo is hard work never killed anyone but why take the chance.

However, if this is indeed the new normal, despair isn’t a solution. Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives are a parody, their desires an imitation of a nirvana suggested by someone or something else. People’s weaknesses make them believe they are persecuted whenever they are contradicted and it these conditions that the demagogue always exploits successfully. It is the responsibility of all of us that think our ‘normal’ values of compassion, justice, equality, fairness, self-determination, family and love are principles to live by to resist this new reality. It’s our responsibility to laugh at the anger, the lies, the idiocy, in good humour and respond with truth and facts, not superiority. It's okay to disagree with the thoughts or opinions expressed by other people. That doesn't give you the right to deny any sense they might make so listen to them and the reasonable people will reciprocate. As for the rest…..what is it they say about idiots? Don’t argue with them because they’ll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

Remember, your opinions might have changed but the fact that you think you’re right doesn’t have to.