Canceling Holidays; The "No More Place"

Americans are a remarkable cooperative and sedate people. Most of us don’t go out of our way to have a confrontation. We believe in “live and let live.”  (Oh, I imagine two or three readers of these Dispatches that doesn't apply to; you boys know who you are.)

Witness how we react to private security guards. They have zero power – no arrest powers, as a rule no real weapons. They are just there to direct traffic (cars and people), answer questions, and watch for anything wrong. But is a security person says, “Don’t use that door, use this one,” usually we respond pleasantly even it the order is kinda stupid. It’s just a door, who really cares.

We are told – not asked - to cancel traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. What will happen?

We react similarly to all sorts of people in addition to security guards – medical people even though it’s our body; accountants even though it’s our money; teachers even though it’s our brains and lives. This degree of friendly cooperation is the lubricant that limits friction in our society. And this attitude is what is making the persons in power or allegedly in power make more and more demands which more and more of us think unreasonable.

There is a hard and sudden place in our minds – The “No More Place.” People in power have known to avoid the “No More Place.” The “No More Place” happens without much warning. It happens with intense emotion. Maybe what has happened in 2020 has emboldened the “leaders” of society; maybe it’s made them more arrogant; maybe it’s given them a feeling of “rightness” or the always-dangerous feeling of wisdom; or maybe the leaders among us are just reckless and dumb.

At some point, one who purports to lead has to examine what they will do if the instructions and orders they give won’t be followed. Only two real choices present themselves: Either use overwhelming physical, psychological or moral force to overcome the resistance or say “Oops, my bad, how about ‘pretty please.’ “

Thanksgiving and Christmas and associated winter holiday gatherings- (I’m not going into every conceivable holiday or winter gathering – you know what you celebrate, so celebrate it however you want.) In 2020, we are worried about the transmission of an occasionally fatal virus which is supposed to spread by touch and in aerosol. (We each have become self-styled infection disease experts, at least to the extent that we could compete in the Infectious Disease version of Milton Bradley “Operation” game without killing the patient. But of course, the virus is real, and Milton Bradley just makes a game which buzzes.) We know – because the real medical folks uniformly tell us – to social distance (how about calling it staying-away-from-people rather than giving it a nifty new name?), to wash our hands, and all the rest.

And most of us do that. The virus continues to spread and various people assign various causes to that. Me? I don’t know. I might still be able to do CPR, but I’ve never seen a virus spread – Viruses are too small.  I'll have to trust the docs.

Here is what we know sociological and socially – Orders – which are what they are – not to celebrate winter holidays will be largely ignored. Not inviting 30 people to a buffet dinner is the far better part of wisdom. Ordering folks to do it invites the No More Place, the I-Won’t-Be-Dictated-To response and – more simply – a large dose of Go To Hell.

What do we do about the Go To Hell response? If a significant portion of society goes along with it, there is not much we CAN do. Lots of people, although a minority, demonstrated against the Vietnam War. The Government could not control them. They tried, but failed. Lots of people, although still a minority, demonstrated in 2020 for Black Lives Matter. The Governments tried to control them. They failed. They failed even though some of the demonstrators (both anti- and pro-) already were doing acts which are illegal and obvious. If you attack someone, that’s obvious. How do you think it will work to enforce having less than 10 people at Thanksgiving?  With a search warrant?  With police counting cars around Grandma's house?  

The important and often unexpected key to the No More Place is that it comes suddenly.

We are getting real close.

Mizpah!

One More Time; Repeating Election History

 

There is a new challenge for Americans.

 Now, that’s not supposed to be a shocking line or a lead-in to really, really want to read this.  There is ALWAYS a new challenge for Americans.  And British.  And Russians.  And Nigerians.  And . . .

But neither can we ignore a new challenge initially.  We have to decide if it’s worth fussing about.

Joe Biden won the election.  That’s a fact, not an opinion.  The chances of a successful election challenge are vanishingly small.  This fact presents a number of challenges, the first of which is how we deal with the fact that Biden won and what everyone can learn from the (possibly) mistakes made previously.

 2016 featured two main reactions, depending on which side you were on.

 Many mouthy Democrats screamed “not my President,” had marches, and vowed to oppose with every fiber the success of Trump.  The Democrats largely didn’t listen to their own moderates – Sen. Manchin comes to mind – that all Americans should want the new president to be successful.  The anti’s followed through for four years, blocking progress, upholding pointless points and generally being nasty.  At the same time, many mouthy Republicans had a delicious bacchanalia of schadenfreude, as they replayed the horrified reactions of Clinton supporters and the press at Trump’s win.  Reps delighted in reminding Dems what Obama said in 2008, “Elections have consequences,” and silently mouthed “Nyah, nyah.”

 It’s still VERY early in the 2020-2021 change of administrations, but we can feel the same spirit.  Only – to quote Joe Friday – the names have been changed. 

 Many mouthy Republicans are starting to scream “not my president,” have marches and vow to oppose with every fiber the success of Biden.  Check.  The Republicans aren’t listening to their own moderates, that all Americans should want the new president to be successful, and plan on following through for four equally longs years with blocking progress, upholding pointless points and generally being nasty.  At the same time, the Democrats are starting to enjoy their own delicious turn at schadenfreude, as they replay horrified reactions of Trump supporters and Fox News.  Again, Obama’s point comes through: “Elections have consequences.”  A prominent Democrat, the Representative from Queens, NY, vows to identify and thoroughly marginalize the Trump supporters, donors and voters.  (Hey, let's concentrate them and . . . no, wait 'til later.)

 In both elections, the harsh words and actions were supported by sincere beliefs:  After all, the other guys are WRONG and EVIL.

 I’ve read that 276,000 votes made the difference in the election to get to the 270 in the electoral college.  NOBODY can claim a mandate.  Johnson crushed Goldwater in 1964 with 61% of the vote.  But Johnson – a proud Democrat and an even more proud American – knew better that to ignore the 27 million who voted for Goldwater.  Johnson had power, but not a mandate.

 So the challenge is, Do we replay 2016 over again?  Or might we come together, even though the last time the other side didn’t come together?  Do we “wait til next time” and vow to right the wrongs or vow to “continue to conquer”?

 I really think that’s exactly what we do.  Sorry, right now, Americans are too dumb to do anything that will to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.  Screw posterity, we have payback to give and wooden shoes in the machinery of society.

 Mizzpah.  But until we meet again, do keep your powder dry.