No This Is Not the Handmaid’s Tale, This Is a Worse Story

Maybe you're afraid of what's to come, but I think you should be prepared for worse

AI Image created by the author

I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next (wo)man, so I’d love to believe the Republicans stole the election. But I’m convinced they didn’t. The Democrats lost because, apart from the clownish performance of the Republican nominee, there isn’t that much difference between both parties anymore.

They both suck. They are both working for and pandering to the same demographic. Rich people who want to become richer. The rest of us are stooges. Fodder for the machine that prints the money they spend on their election campaigns and parties.

We have become a backdrop to the shenanigans of uber-rich capitalists. Given a modicum of attention only when the time comes to cast votes at the urn to uphold the appearance of a democratic process. Quickly ignored right after the votes are tallied.

At least the prancing, babbling old man that will run the former most important democracy in the world has entertainment value. Like the circus clowns of old. Or Harpo Marx. Do you remember the Marx brothers? Unwieldy, clumsy, slapstick. Very popular. Much like the orange clown that will once more be given the keys to the largest arsenal of atomic weapons.

If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal

The elections aren’t about who gets a chance to shape a livable future for you and me. It’s not about you and me at all. They’re about who gets first access to the pot of gold to stuff their pockets. The winner gets the spoils. We get a bad taste in our mouths and the chance to give up more rights and work harder to help them become richer.

You might wonder why I care about the US elections. After all, I live in Europe. Not my monkey, not my circus, right?

Wrong.

Unfortunately, what happens in the US of A is a blueprint for bad things to come worldwide. Right-wing pundits everywhere are eagerly taking notes and practicing their acceptance speeches. Hoping to recreate the disaster that is American politics.

And much like in the US, the other parties, those pretending to be on the other side of the aisle, in all our countries are working on becoming indiscernible from the fascist Medusa that is rearing its head in our midst.

Why talk about fair pay, affordable living, clean air, water, education, choice and the right to self-actualization if you can furrow your brow and warn the masses that immigrants are the reasons they can’t have all these things?

Job security, clean, healthy food you don’t struggle to afford, and a general feeling of well-being isn’t something the political “elites” want you to have. If you had a sense of security, how would they force you to do their bidding?

The Democrats are a different head of this exploitative Hydra. Same DNA, different name. Much like a slightly less adept twin sibling.

Trump at least pretended to have answers to people’s everyday problems. So he won. He doesn’t, but that doesn’t matter since he has no interest in changing anyone’s life for the better - except his own. And that ridiculous cabinet he’s putting together doesn’t either.

Rich people are our new monarchs

Those who hold the keys to the coffers that oil the political machine will not support heretical ideas like a fairer tax system, well-funded education, and worker rights and protection. The wealthy donors have no interest in well-educated, confident masses.

They don’t want you to know that you have a choice.

They want fearful, anxious, ignorant people who will do anything to secure access to the measly crumbs they’re given. People who will not upset the precarious balance of power. And who will believe the lies they’re told about the other fearful, anxious, ignorant masses.

They must keep the masses divided, afraid, and unable to join forces. Or else they might notice that the “elites” steal and hoard resources. Pretending they deserve the fruits of your labor of everyone’s labor - except their own,

They know they need the masses to uphold this Potemkin village they call the free market willingly.

There are too many of us to force us to uphold the system, so we, or at least the majority of us, have to believe we’re doing it out of choice. And if we try hard enough, our lot will improve.

Spoiler alert: you can’t try hard enough. It’s just downhill from here. It’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

There is and was a lot of talk about women’s rights being taken away. About the oppression of women. And yes, they are. “Your body, my choice” - what a funny slogan. Even funnier when you understand that this is not only about the oppression of women.

This is not the Handmaiden’s tale. This is George Orwell's 1984 with much better technology.

365-degree digital surveillance and AI-powered military weapons, drones and robots, and even robot dogs to keep you in check.

This is about the oppression of everyone.

Everyone who is not part of the circle of millionaires and billionaires. Everyone who can’t wield power through money. Regardless of gender and skin color.

In our new version of monarchy, you don’t have to be intelligent. This is not a meritocracy. You only need to belong to the right circle of families. Have resources, money, maybe a mine. And voila, you can be a rich, incompetent dingdong like Elon and still be given leave to wreak havoc on the lives of millions. Not only will you be able to, you feel entitled to.

Because these miscreants genuinely believe they are better than you and me. All of us are NPCs (nonplaying characters) in their narcissistic little bubbles of power. Unimportant. Dispensable.

Oppression never stops at merely one demographic

Yes, they use misogyny and racism as a weapon. They always have. But they’re just convenient tools that are used to divert your attention from what is happening. From how the system has shifted. Shifted from the oppression of women and brown people to now you, me, everybody.

Oppression never stops at merely one demographic. Look at Afghanistan. Now that the Taliban have implemented the complete oppression of women, they’re coming for the men. And the men are suddenly afraid. Like fools, they thought the leopards wouldn’t eat their face.

But it will. The tyranny is always hungry. It uses one part of the demography to oppress the other. Then, it moves on to the next prey, which is weaker because it no longer has any allies.

The women, the Latinos, the Brown and Black people are the first prey because they’re an easy target. They have less power already. But men and (poor) white people are next. You know this. This is why social media is full of hysteria and doom posts.

Yes, that twinge in your stomach, the impending feeling of doom. That metallic taste of fear in your mouth. The panic everyone around you seems to emanate - that’s you and them knowing. Knowing that now it’s no longer only the brown people, the women, and the poor, the people in the shithole countries who will feel the heel of the oppressor, this time it will affect you too.

So you’re rightfully afraid. But I don’t think you’re scared enough…

First, they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me

Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)

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