DNC 2024- an homage to Triumph of the Will but without the jackboots.

For most of us alive in 2024, fear, anxiety, dread, sardonicism, and anger are our permanent waking state.

They are terrorised by foreboding, a sense that the violence of war or economics will extinguish them and their families.

Shakespeare's line from King Lear aptly describes the angst of our times. "As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; They kill us for their sport." However, for us, it's not the gods but the entitled ones who kill us for their profit.

Lately, there was sleeplessness in my nights caused by the Democratic National Convention, which I watched from gavel to gavel Monday to Thursday. It wasn't that the convention speeches wrapped up late that knocked my sleep routine off course. My restless dreams came from the political tone of those who addressed the convention.

Photo by Nils Huenerfuerst on Unsplash

Every speaker- whether they talked about building a strong military or an impenetrable border, mesmerised the crowd with a connecting theme that joy was about to return to the nation. It had the familiar ring of Trump's promises to Make America Great Again.

Joy as a political concept is as terrifying as greatness because in mass political movements, for it to be created- the individual is eradicated.

Hitler did it, Stalin did it North Korea does it today because Joy and strength are the tell-tale signs of authoritarianism.

In 1932, FDR's campaign slogan was Happy Days Are Here Again because it fitted his ideology of putting the nation back to work with jobs that paid fair wages to keep citizens fed, housed, clothed and therefore content-happy with their existence. Fascism never takes hold when working people have concrete economic examples in their personal lives that they are getting ahead- not just keeping the wolf from the door.

Kamala Harris has structured her election campaign around the return to Joy. When the Democrats talk about Joy returning to America; it reminds me of the original Star Trek episode The Return of the Archons, from its first season. The episode is about a society controlled by an AI entity that brings bliss through total societal control.

With today's Democrats- bliss depends on capitalism so corrupted from neoliberalism it only improves the lot for top income earners. In 2016 and 2020, it was "Feel The Bern” because it was for many Democrats about trying to capture the spirit of FDR for the 21st century. In 2024, Democrats snub their nose at social democracy because they've got joy which is essentially a slight of hand trick. Now they must convince Americans who can only afford scented candles from Dollar Tree that buying those are as rejuvenating and joyful as a day out at a wellness spa for the better paid.

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It might work because there was a Leni Riefenstahl quality to DNC 2024, and much of social media as well as the news media, outside of the convention hall bought into the message.

DNC2024 wasn't Triumph of the Will. But it was something like Triumph of the Boomer. This became apparent when Kamala Harris, during her acceptance of the Presidential nomination- hurled forth to the audience, "I will ensure America always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world."

Harris sounded as dangerous as George Bush and Dick Cheney who killed well over one million people with their illegal war against Iraq. Yet they were lionised at this year’s Democratic convention.

Harris's words become even more terrifying when you consider the DNC silenced all the voices opposed to the genocide that the US and Israel are committing with Israel against Palestinians. I can guarantee you that the next groups to be silenced, and erased from consciousness will be the plight of refugees and the homeless.

A message was sold to America and the world at this convention; is it- really genocide if Democrats do it?

Demanding the end of genocide is now considered narcissism by the leaders of the Democratic Party and their news media supporters. It is also now part of social media messaging by Democrats that Trump would be far worse for the Palestinians if he became President.

 This concept that genocide would be worse under Trump than under Kamala Harris is more than absurd, it gaslights the massacred. It's genocide, not a pollution index. Committing and enabling genocide never has varying degrees of evil; it's always evil.

The election fight between Republicans and Democrats has now become about competing visions of fascism. One chaotic, overtly corrupt and personally vengeful. The other is benevolently corporatist, with shout-outs to school lunch programs- between creating the world's most lethal military force.

Kamala Harris has a good chance of winning the White House in November or at least better than Biden. She has the energy of a technocrat to redefine morality in terms of what is good for the 1% is good for us all. Kamala offers Americans guilt-free exploitation of others, genocide and wars of mass destruction because as the commercial says, "she's working tirelessly for "working America." As long as you have joy, you can't see the horrors around you. Donald Trump would remind the nation his evil is their evil every day of his Presidency and that I believe is his Achilles heel not the malevolence but its overtness. We hall see but either choice will not bring joy, greatness or peace. It's closing time for America and us who live under its shadow. 

For me, rent day approaches like the headlights from a truck with an unsteady load on its trailer. It leaves me stuck in the middle of the road, transfixed by it, or perhaps I am too tired to react this time and jump out of its way.

A yearly subscriptions will cover much of next month’s rent because all I need is 6 to make September’s payment. But with 5 days to go, it is getting tight. I’ve added a tip jar as well for those inclined.

Your subscriptions are so important to my personal survival because like so many others who struggle to keep afloat, my survival is a precarious daily undertaking. The fight to keep going was made worse- thanks to getting cancer along with lung disease and other co- morbidities which makes life more difficult to combat in these cost of living crisis times. So if you can join with a paid subscription which is just 3.50 a month or a yearly subscription or a gift subscription. I promise the content is good, relevant and thoughtful. But if you can’t it all good too because I appreciate we are in the same boat. Take Care, John