The American idiocracy is here Peter Heck Oct 14th, 2021 7:45 am
Several years ago, a friend talked me into watching Mike Judge's 2006 comedy "Idiocracy." The premise was part sci-fi, part political commentary, as it detailed the travails of the lead character portrayed by Luke Wilson. Wilson plays the quintessential average American who was selected to participate in the U.S. Army's prototype human-hibernation program. He awakens to an America that is beyond moronic – one ruled by a Harley-riding president named Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho, a hard-talking tough guy who unleashes a barrage of automatic rifle fire to bring the House of Representatives to order.
The movie is a not-so-subtle criticism of increasing corporatization as well as the carnival tendencies of current American politics, which seems to consistently appeal to our lowest common denominator.
Given that the movie was produced shortly into the second term of President George W. Bush, and the fact that the only news source that existed in Judge's "Idiocracy" was Fox News, there's no doubt it was intended as yet another liberal Hollywood sneer directed at those rube conservatives. And more than a few left-wing commentaries have attempted to equate the presidential style of Camacho to former President Trump.
But if we're truly considering the very real possibility that America 2021 has plunged deep into a state of idiocracy, spare me the argument that it all exists on the Republican side of the aisle.
On the one hand, we have a President who struggles mightily to string together coherent thoughts in public and wanders aimlessly down random sidewalks at the White House when not escorted. His vice president has an embarrassing nervous tick that causes her to laugh hysterically whenever she is placed in a pressured environment.
Even when she holds her composure, everyone is left wondering what in the world they just watched:
-- excerpt, rest at link above --
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
We watched this movie fairly recently and didn't realize that there were GWB references, so we enjoyed it. In a painful kind of way. I recommend it.
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
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