On the cusp of the race being called, we need to start the process of discussing how to manage the transition. There are literally tens of millions of people nationwide who have been hypnotized. Lost. Hoodwinked.
This is not a joke. These people have fallen prey to a tactic that was astoundingly effective. Propaganda works. Never in our nation's history (and seldom in the world) have we seen such a strategic manipulation of a populace. Bring out Godwin's Law. We are clearly in that territory.
The question should not be avoided, and cannot be overstated-
What do we do about it?
With a problem as serious and complex as this, of course the answers are not simple. But of this much we can be sure - a lack of an effective strategy will lead to the problem worsening, and the nation being torn apart further still.
It would be surprising if any of us did not know at least one person who could be classified as a zombie. Perhaps in the past few days you've heard them grunt grrrrmm....count vote Arizona.....mrrrffff....stop count Pennsylvania.
When someone is as divorced from empirical reality as to not see their own intellectual inconsistency in a place like this, we need to pause and think about how to cut through the hypnosis.
Firstly, although I share the temptation to escalate things by ridicule, mocking, or a solid two by four upside their head, these things are unlikely to accomplish the goal we should have to repair the problem.
(And yes, I realize the inherent hypocrisy of that statement in light of the title of the diary; but remember, this piece is directed to sympathetic eyes not the zombies themselves.)
Secondly, as much as I am tempted to advance the Overton Window by suggesting these groaning masses be herded up and sent to re-education camps, let's be clear - that's unlikely to happen, however necessary it may be.
So that leaves us with a less gratifying but more plausible set of alternatives.
Without having any certification of any kind in zombieology to speak of, I can only share what I have found anecdotally to work for me over the years. Perhaps some of you have spent more time engaging zombies, or had more recent face-to-face encounters with them in recent years. But in my 5 decades on this blue dot, I have worked hard, often getting paid for that work, to persuade such people to come back to reality.
Which is a perfect segue for the first bullet point.
- Remember they are (mostly) human
Yes, the “mostly” is there for comedic effect. They are human. We have the phrase "all men are created equal" in our nation's charter, and it is something we need to keep in mind when engaging the hypnotized. They were able at some point, theoretically anyway, to see truth at some point in their lives. Most of them, anyway. Speak to that part of them. The human part. The capacity for objective reality part.
Yes, it will seem that isn't there anymore. If it isn't, then cutting your losses with any particular zombie is understandable.
But if you are a tireless warrior for justice, then forging on in the face of daunting odds is something you eat for breakfast. Just be sure you have the right amount of caffeine in your system before trying to eat pieces of shit for breakfast. Ahem.
This is important. They may not be able to listen to you if they think your goal is to gay marry all the illegal aliens for the socialist coup. Be smart about what you can agree upon. And don't say there is nothing. There is always something. Perhaps you won't have much beyond, "I know you love this country. I do too." But try to be more precise about issues of substance.
I have found supporting our troops is a particularly good one. We have the upper hand on this point, but the right wing has consistently done a better job of co-opting the narrative with this. Talk about veterans' health.
Find something less complicated if your first point isn't a simple common ground. At this stage, most of us know someone who has had COVID. Discuss how sad the suffering and loss of life due to the pandemic has been. Try to talk about an issue that taps into their inner goodness. The most human part of them.
As much as it impresses me and my friends to hear Jon Ossoff rip off an 9-syllable word (epidemiologically) in context flawlessly like he did on CNN yesterday, a zombie is likely to shut down when they see you as an intellectual. You're not trying to impress the zombies. You're trying to engage them.
- Employ non-violent communication.
Sure, many zombies will literally attempt to eat your brains. Don't fret. They move slowly. And they're not particularly ingenuitive. Take the moral high ground when they verbally try to raise your blood pressure.
But if they get physically aggressive, be sure to have that two by four handy.
There are books written about deprogramming cult members. I am not alone in believing there is hope. I plan to read up on the topic. But know that snapping a zombie out of their hypnosis is not as easy as the snapping of fingers that Mesmerino has led us to believe. It will take time.
And finally, for now
Whenever going into a battle of any kind, find the Golden mean between cowardice and foolhardiness- courage. If you have a subject you would prefer not to toss into the scrap heap/mass grave, take bite-sized chunks from the enormity of the situation. Spend a few minutes per day discussing things of substance with your zombie. When it gets too painful, return to talking about sports, even if you don't care about sports.
This could become a much longer diary, and I may update with your suggestions in the comments. Or perhaps it can become a series as I have been, albeit reluctantly, prone to undertake in years past on this site.
But for today, let's sit back and relax just a bit. We have worked hard to achieve this victory, and suffered immensely enduring the past 3.8 years.
When you have had your celebratory vice of choice and are ready for the next battle, please help me and the rest of us learn of your particular victories and methods to un-zombify the magats before they burn the country to the ground and eat our brains.