Boxed In, 2019
You cannot fight unreason, and as these dead multitudes will tell you — are telling you right now — certitude is the enemy.
–Steven Erikson, The Bonehunters (2006)
I wasn’t going to write anything this morning. Hadn’t planned to comment on the insanity of last night’s state of the union from our mad king. I couldn’t watch it. Thankfully, I was asleep before the madness began.
Then this morning I came across this short passage from a book in The Malazan Book of the Fallen, the ten-book epic fantasy series from Steven Erikson. I haven’t read the series nor was I even aware of it but the sentiment contains what I consider to be a universal truth, that certitude is our real enemy and that you cannot argue with the unreason in people brought on by such certainty.
I am not going to go on a long spiel here. I have discussed certainty and uncertainty here before, pointing out that seeing absolute certainty in anyone, even myself, instantly raises the suspicion that it might only serve as a cover for the instability of the argument on which that certainty is based.
I am never more doubtful of myself than when I am certain I am right.
That line could send us down a long and twisting rabbit hole but let’s stay focused on whatever the hell I think I am trying to say here this morning. And that is, based on what I have read about and seen from last night’s address is that we are dealing with a governing party that is absolute in the certainty of their fealty to the mad king and are unwilling to compromise or listen to reason of any sort.
In fact, at this point, I don’t think they have a mission statement for their governance that would be any way in the best interest for a majority of this country’s citizens. I get the feeling that their mission is to get to a point where they can incarcerate, expel, or kill anyone who opposes them with total impunity.
They no longer feel the need to find common ground, no longer see their opposition as even being American.
No, the see the majority of the citizenry as being the Other. They will not accept coexistence with this Other, only as someone to be dominated and subjugated.
That is the certitude which they embrace without rhyme or reason.
That is my personal view on this. I would never want to say I am certain of this belief. In fact, I keep trying to find evidence of the flaw in my thinking on this. And every day provides even less proof than the day before that this is not their ultimate goal.
It just seems that it has come down to, like the title of the old Pink Floyd song, Us and Them. Unless we conform to their will and ways, we will always remain the Them to their Us, never the We that encompasses us all.
Okay, I had my say. Sorry, but it had to be said, if only for my own well-being. I am literally sick and tired this morning. And frustrated. Writing this relieves some of that frustration. It’s much more productive manner than punching the wall. I learned that painful lesson long ago though sometimes I forget.
You better get out of here. I might start swinging any time now.
Here’s Pink Floyd and Us and Them from their landmark album Dark Side of the Moon.
Redtree Times 