- Sep 22, 2013
- 4,956
- 250
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This is a modern-democracy vignette (my last one) inspired by My Fellow Americans and referencing Helter Skelter.
Signing off,
====
"An knight-angel of God named Apollyon decided to help America deal with the modern problem of class-based anti-capitalism angst which had been growing since 9/11. Apollyon realized that U.S. President Donald Trump had a hell of a time shaking off anti-TrumpUSA comments and protests especially since he was being implicated in various scandals in the news! Apollyon knew that if this wasn't controlled, it would become worse than the Los Angeles Race Riots of 1992 and would reach global proportions in this modern age of civics and commerce based political etiquette (e.g., European Union, World Bank, etc.)."
"America was the world's Big Brother. It led in military intelligence, consumer products, entertainment, computing, security, and even fast-food. The American companies/franchises IBM, Microsoft, Energizer, Toys 'R Us, Gap Kids, and McDonald's were considered titans of industry. America also boasted the world's best schools --- Harvard, Yale, MIT, Stanford, Caltech, Princeton, Dartmouth, Duke, Notre Dame, etc. There was a Yale University conference on modern-day business students appreciating 'multi-tasking intelligence' and Apollyon attended, pretending to be a future employee of Microsoft. Apollyon wondered if American capitalism was creating a sort of 'class-based free-speech angst' (since communication was the hallmark of modern democracy --- e.g., WikiLeaks!)."
"Apollyon did some research about the roots of high populism angst in America and looked at the counter-culture movement of the 1960s and the free-love 'hippie-music-festival' Woodstock as well as the anarchy-laden jarring Charles Manson 'Satanic-revolutionary' murder-crime spree known ominously as 'Helter Skelter.' Apollyon wondered if Helter Skelter somehow captured all the class-based American contradictions and hysteria associated with the filth and fury of pluralism. After all, when many peoples made contact in one country (America), there would be great civil unrest..."
"Apollyon decided that the cure to all this modern madness was the ethnic-minority American comic book 'superhero' Green Lantern John Stewart (DC Comics). Green Lantern John Stewart (GLJS) was a valiant crusader who wielded a powerful magic-ring and a bright lantern which was the source of the ring's incredible power. GLJS represented democracy and American pride, and his African-American identity made him a terrific symbol of peaceful political dialogue. Why should American youngsters reject racism? Why would GLJS remind Americans of the inherent value of teamwork?"
"Apollyon immediately recognized that all this great philosophical passion would stir up the dark demons from the underworld, so he gained God's permission to deal with the 'captain' of all these underworld demons, a giant reptilian-dragon like menace known as Black Leviathan. Apollyon knew that Black Leviathan would creep up into the hearts and minds of Americans (and all of humanity!) and create feelings of mistrust towards political processes. Black Leviathan was the ultimate terrorist, so Apollyon chased him back down into the underworld by riddling him with the following political-theory question: 'If capitalism confounds democracy, why are there monsters who destroy human sensibilities regarding social contracts?'(!)."
"Apollyon then appointed two 'symbolic Americans' (Hollywood movie superstar Tom Cruise and an idealistic Internet-blogging Ivy League student named Ajay Patel). Cruise and Patel both cared about the power of modern media (e.g., TV, cinema, Internet, radio, magazines), so Apollyon visited these two in their dreams and told them they should simply hype consumerism idealism (to chase away the anti-commercial influence of the nihilistic Black Leviathan). That's just what Cruise and Patel did, and it was a minor but inspiring 'democratic achievement'."
"Apollyon realized the wheels were turning and the Trump Administration was taking the proper helm and managing important things such as the commerce-based peace between South Korea and North Korea and America's ties with the World Bank. Apollyon decided to go back up to heaven and transformed himself into a fairy-man. Apollyon now only wrote poems about the simple bliss of democracy. Only Cruise and Patel could 'contact' Apollyon now (using their special prayer-microphone which Apollyon gave them for Christmas!). Apollyon's democracy-poems were...Utopian.
e.g.,
Hail to the Americans,
Democracy stands as a contract,
Never retract your trumpets
from the Hellmouth of pure betrayal;
this is democracy --- Dianetcs/EWTN!"
GOD: Apollyon saved the world...
SATAN: Now, Trump, Cruise, and Patel will take over!
GOD: Are you a fan of G.I. Joe comics (Hasbro/Marvel)?
SATAN: I appreciate how those comics address terrorism.
GOD: Terrorism is the real malady of modern civilization.
SATAN: Yes, after 9/11, people realized humanity had 'deviated.'
GOD: I agree; 9/11 was like the Pearl Harbor of the Information Age.
SATAN: The destruction of the World Trade Center frightened everyone.
GOD: Perhaps eTrade can 'rebuild' the devastated 'totems' of peaceful commerce.
SATAN: We have to be wary of Internet viruses now.
GOD: Yes, and American computer-scientists develop powerful anti-virus tools.
SATAN: Hail to eCommerce, eh?
GOD: Someone should make a movie about democratic commerce...
SATAN: Well, The Founder (Michael Keaton) is sort of about that!
GOD: Oh yes, that American film about McDonald's is 'classy.'
SATAN: I believe in capitalism (more or less).
GOD: I'll remain sceptical about Helter Skelter...
SATAN: Cool!
====
Signing off,
====
"An knight-angel of God named Apollyon decided to help America deal with the modern problem of class-based anti-capitalism angst which had been growing since 9/11. Apollyon realized that U.S. President Donald Trump had a hell of a time shaking off anti-TrumpUSA comments and protests especially since he was being implicated in various scandals in the news! Apollyon knew that if this wasn't controlled, it would become worse than the Los Angeles Race Riots of 1992 and would reach global proportions in this modern age of civics and commerce based political etiquette (e.g., European Union, World Bank, etc.)."
"America was the world's Big Brother. It led in military intelligence, consumer products, entertainment, computing, security, and even fast-food. The American companies/franchises IBM, Microsoft, Energizer, Toys 'R Us, Gap Kids, and McDonald's were considered titans of industry. America also boasted the world's best schools --- Harvard, Yale, MIT, Stanford, Caltech, Princeton, Dartmouth, Duke, Notre Dame, etc. There was a Yale University conference on modern-day business students appreciating 'multi-tasking intelligence' and Apollyon attended, pretending to be a future employee of Microsoft. Apollyon wondered if American capitalism was creating a sort of 'class-based free-speech angst' (since communication was the hallmark of modern democracy --- e.g., WikiLeaks!)."
"Apollyon did some research about the roots of high populism angst in America and looked at the counter-culture movement of the 1960s and the free-love 'hippie-music-festival' Woodstock as well as the anarchy-laden jarring Charles Manson 'Satanic-revolutionary' murder-crime spree known ominously as 'Helter Skelter.' Apollyon wondered if Helter Skelter somehow captured all the class-based American contradictions and hysteria associated with the filth and fury of pluralism. After all, when many peoples made contact in one country (America), there would be great civil unrest..."
"Apollyon decided that the cure to all this modern madness was the ethnic-minority American comic book 'superhero' Green Lantern John Stewart (DC Comics). Green Lantern John Stewart (GLJS) was a valiant crusader who wielded a powerful magic-ring and a bright lantern which was the source of the ring's incredible power. GLJS represented democracy and American pride, and his African-American identity made him a terrific symbol of peaceful political dialogue. Why should American youngsters reject racism? Why would GLJS remind Americans of the inherent value of teamwork?"
"Apollyon immediately recognized that all this great philosophical passion would stir up the dark demons from the underworld, so he gained God's permission to deal with the 'captain' of all these underworld demons, a giant reptilian-dragon like menace known as Black Leviathan. Apollyon knew that Black Leviathan would creep up into the hearts and minds of Americans (and all of humanity!) and create feelings of mistrust towards political processes. Black Leviathan was the ultimate terrorist, so Apollyon chased him back down into the underworld by riddling him with the following political-theory question: 'If capitalism confounds democracy, why are there monsters who destroy human sensibilities regarding social contracts?'(!)."
"Apollyon then appointed two 'symbolic Americans' (Hollywood movie superstar Tom Cruise and an idealistic Internet-blogging Ivy League student named Ajay Patel). Cruise and Patel both cared about the power of modern media (e.g., TV, cinema, Internet, radio, magazines), so Apollyon visited these two in their dreams and told them they should simply hype consumerism idealism (to chase away the anti-commercial influence of the nihilistic Black Leviathan). That's just what Cruise and Patel did, and it was a minor but inspiring 'democratic achievement'."
"Apollyon realized the wheels were turning and the Trump Administration was taking the proper helm and managing important things such as the commerce-based peace between South Korea and North Korea and America's ties with the World Bank. Apollyon decided to go back up to heaven and transformed himself into a fairy-man. Apollyon now only wrote poems about the simple bliss of democracy. Only Cruise and Patel could 'contact' Apollyon now (using their special prayer-microphone which Apollyon gave them for Christmas!). Apollyon's democracy-poems were...Utopian.
e.g.,
Hail to the Americans,
Democracy stands as a contract,
Never retract your trumpets
from the Hellmouth of pure betrayal;
this is democracy --- Dianetcs/EWTN!"
GOD: Apollyon saved the world...
SATAN: Now, Trump, Cruise, and Patel will take over!
GOD: Are you a fan of G.I. Joe comics (Hasbro/Marvel)?
SATAN: I appreciate how those comics address terrorism.
GOD: Terrorism is the real malady of modern civilization.
SATAN: Yes, after 9/11, people realized humanity had 'deviated.'
GOD: I agree; 9/11 was like the Pearl Harbor of the Information Age.
SATAN: The destruction of the World Trade Center frightened everyone.
GOD: Perhaps eTrade can 'rebuild' the devastated 'totems' of peaceful commerce.
SATAN: We have to be wary of Internet viruses now.
GOD: Yes, and American computer-scientists develop powerful anti-virus tools.
SATAN: Hail to eCommerce, eh?
GOD: Someone should make a movie about democratic commerce...
SATAN: Well, The Founder (Michael Keaton) is sort of about that!
GOD: Oh yes, that American film about McDonald's is 'classy.'
SATAN: I believe in capitalism (more or less).
GOD: I'll remain sceptical about Helter Skelter...
SATAN: Cool!
====
