EXEAT – The Planet’s Narrow Escape

Knock! Knock!
Who’s there?
B’bye!

When I was a young lad in an English-style boarding school (of course!) we were permitted, once a term, to leave our prison to spend a day with our parents. In order to do so we had to complete a small, desperate ticket imploring permission. This was known as the “Exeat” which we understood—as Latin was compulsory for the intelligent—to mean “he may go out”.

I never thought I would ever want to use this word again and yet today Exeat brings me unbridled joy. 

HE CAN GO! 

He’s been fired.

It’s a relief and laughing at him is fun in a way and the world needed to be able to take a long deep breath, and dance, for a moment at least.

We have after all, as a planet, escaped the worst imaginable scenario.

The outlook for the climate, for democracy, for international harmony and stability, for global health, for escape from poverty and even for simple decency, all and more were, as they say in the US, ‘on the ballot’.

All and more were at stake worldwide if the Orange Genius had been allowed another four years.

The USA and Australia do share many values, like the idea of democracy, freedom, free speech, the rule of law, government “of the people, for the people, by the people”, the value of science. All these, as we’ve seen have been, to at least an alarming extent, debased, debauched, defiled, depraved and desecrated by Trump and his enablers. If Trump had succeeded—assuming he doesn’t succeed—in gaining another term other people in countries like Australia would have seen it as permission and opportunity and the delicate fabric of global politics would have begun to crumble.

It was, in fact, really scary; really close. And the people who enabled him? The people who couldn’t see through the most transparent con-artist in American history? The people who bought his poisonous snake-oil? The charlatans who used him? They’re still around, still busy, still fighting for this toxic  but useful idiot.

The USA’s problem is, at its heart, religion. And at the historic heart of American religion is Calvinist protestantism brought to the east coast by the Puritans. The Puritans came to America to escape religious oppression, seeking religious freedom. But freedom only for themselves. Freedom to tell others what to believe. But others liked the simple idea of freedom. And so America has long had an anomalous culture in which puritanism and hedonism have grated against each other. This friction has caused sparks to fly but full of colour and noise like never-ending New Years fireworks. The astonishing creativity that results is staggering, and not only in the arts and science but also in the art of scamming, especially scamming religion.

But. Of course there’s a “but”. The power of religion in the US has never waned. In fact it has ballooned.

“The fact that stares one in the face is that people of the greatest sincerity and of all levels of intelligence differ and have always differed in their religious beliefs. Since at most one faith can be true, it follows that human beings are extremely liable to believe firmly and honestly in something untrue in the field of revealed religion. One would have expected this obvious fact to lead to some humility, to some thought that however deep one’s faith, one may conceivably be mistaken. Nothing is further from the believer, any believer, than this elementary humility.”
— Hermann Bondi

 

Most of the greatest evils that man has inflicted upon man have come through people feeling quite certain about something which, in fact, was false.

— Bertrand Russell

The incongruity between the freewheeling willingness of Americans to believe absolutely anything with total certainty without evidence or logic and the strict (almost puritan!) scientific method of American scientists of sceptical, careful gathering of and testing of evidence to arrive at an acceptable level of “confidence” in the result, this is mind bending.

So Americans are better trained to believe falsehoods and fantasies—like “angels”—than almost anyone else. They are probably the world leaders in believing things that are not true, and falling for conspiracy theories.  Certainly they are leaders in generating religious scams. Like Paula White who frankly commands “god” what to do:—

I have just watched this video and I am now magically converted to the wrath of god. Strike and strike and strike and strike. This woman, this saint, is the real deal. She is not a massive huxster, hoaxster, grifter, con woman like people say. She can talk in tongues so – Here is my creed:

I believe that Paula White is a bona fide living saint who of all the billions of those who have ever lived on earth has private meetings with god. I believe her when she says that god spoke to her, saying he was making Trump win. I believe her when she says angels are coming from Africa and South America to help Trump win the election. I believe she is right that Trump has been sent by god. I believe that the White House is Holy Ground because wherever Paula White goes is holy ground and wherever is holy ground god rules.

I do not believe that Trump has ever been sexist, has never had sex with underage girls, has never met Jeffrey Epstein, that he has never grabbed pussy, or wanted to have sex with his daughter. I don’t believe that Trump’s business model was to systematically stiff his contractors. I do not believe that Trump is a grandiose narcissistic sociopathic. I believe he has improved the unemployment numbers, returned workers to the coal seams and factories and that the farmers who are suffering from the trade war with China should stop blaming Trump.

I believe that Trump has never lied, that wherever he goes he is the least racist person in that gathering. I believe he doesn’t know what the KKK is or who David Duke is. I believe that some white supremacists are good people , that there is not a fascist bone in his body, and that all community-minded compassionate people are evil, anarchistic terrorists.
I believe that he did have bone spurs (which are now, thank the lord, miraculously healed) and if not for that he would have been a great General and would have won the Vietnam War. I believe that Trump is the best negotiator there ever has been and that he would have actually written The Art of the Deal by himself if he had had time. I believe that Trump is admired and loved by all leaders in the world. I believe it has never been his fault and that he has never been responsible. I believe that he always pays millions in taxes every year.
I believe that he is a stable genius, that he has the best memory ever, I believe he knows more about everything than anyone ever, including the scientists and the generals.

I believe that he has all the words, the best words.

I believe that Trump’s handling of the coronavirus has been better than any other country has achieved, that drinking Clorox can kill the virus, that testing increases the number of infections, that 100,000 new cases and 1,600 deaths per day “is what it is”, and that all of this is evidence of his superior leadership and that America doesn’t appreciate and love him enough for all his genius and unequalled skills.

And I believe that he is a loving, compassionate man golfing tirelessly to improve the lives of every single American billionaire.