About a third into the sci-fi classic “Aliens,” the hyperkinetic Private Hudson loudly exclaims— “We’re on an express elevator to hell, going down.”
Watching the American political climate disintegrate as we hurdle toward November 8, I’m thinking we’re close. The monsters keep multiplying, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake.
And people aren’t paying close enough attention to what’s going on. They’re not consuming enough media beyond whatever meme shows up in their social media feed. They’re not reading the books, papers and articles about why this is happening, how we’ve gotten here and the actual risks our republic faces.
Both Axios and The Atlantic Monthly published lengthy pieces recently about preparation ALREADY UNDERWAY should He-Who-Shall-Not-Named run for President in 2024 and win. Dozens are working already to construct an administration that will gut the Federal Government and fundamentally alter the fabric of our nation. I read both pieces and had to catch my breath more than once.
Several hundred election-denying, QAnon-following, conspiracy-theory candidates are running for local, state and national offices across the country and many will win. And, my colleagues on the left, while not as detached from reality, still spend far too much time on fringe progressive issues that DO NOT matter to moderate voters who make and break elections.
I love our United States. However, if we can’t fix this soon, it might be time to consider the option offered at the end of “Aliens” by Ripley, the heroine played by Sigourney Weaver. She looks at the remaining survivors and says “I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.”
Indeed, if we can’t fix this soon, Ripley’s might be our only option.
I’m Wester Wuori and that’s my thermonuclear Perspective.