Solipsism In A Time of Catastrophe
My focus on my own little life here at the beach seems to me to be a bit obscene. The social networks that are formed in the world, not online, seem to be crumbling before my very eyes. In Africa, Asia, Europe, and our own USA. I feel as though the world is perched on a shaky precipice that is being undermined by violence and hate. I feel as though I have been here before in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, and in the years since 9/11/2001. Each time things seemed to resolve themselves into a new normal that felt somewhat safe. And yet, here we are again. If this has been the Arab spring that GWB spoke of, I liked the winter better. When I hear Donald Trump make his stump speeches about "Make America Great Again," I am hearing George Wallace and Richard Nixon using the same coded racist speech. I am hearing the Know Nothing Party and other nativist saying "Whites Only." I am hearing "Christians Only." I am hearing "Dogs, Jews, Muslims, Hispanics, P...