One part of the games conversation that is lost in most of the narrative is the discussion about of how this captive audience is looking for an anger outlet. We see it. We know, most recently by evidence of the storming of Capitol Hill that people are enraged. No, it isn’t about the election persay. Yes, that is what pushes most over the edge (losing sucks), but it is at the end of a year of captivity which has tested our patience and our relationships and our ability to withstand boredom. It feels like raging is the most important thing to do and perhaps the only thing we can leave the house for and not get yelled at about for leaving the house. But how do we get there? We sit in the stew of anger and narrow viewpoint that is cable news. We allow ourselves to be manipulated, to be pushed in a direction we are all too willing to go in service of people who say they are like us and represent us but do not in any way shape or form represent us. We ally with forces greater than ourselves to become greater than ourselves and to live an existence greater and more meaningful than are ever-shrinking realities.
Instead of losing ourselves in a game we lose ourselves in the Qanon posts, translating that gibberish into reason and outputting emotion in a way that makes us feel powerful. As a result the country we all act like we love erodes from within.
Let us not forget that Trump was quick to try to deploy the national guard to fight BLM protestors in the streets of American cities, but straight out refused to send that same force to defend the capitol from rioters. In the end, the VP needed to step in to get it done. This is where we are–with a person who never should have been elected trying to burn the thing down as he refuses to leave.
Our reality is shaken by a number of factors all colliding. Trump is not the least of them but we, the people, are the largest of the problems we face. We need to get our stuff together and remember what we are supposed to stand for and represent.