Not quite sure why worst-writer’s worst-thoughts, when confronted with the big picture that is the enduring decline of western civilisation as lead by my beloved & missed united mistakes of #Americant, often get caught up in The Enlightenment. I mean. It’s not that I know all that much about it. Ok. I’ve read a few things from Voltaire. Then there’s Descartes, Spinoza, Adam Smith, etc. Then there are the others. Thomas Paine. Thomas Jefferson. Wait. Check that. I’ve read very few things by any of those dudes. But let’s not get too hung up on worst-writer’s pseudo intellectual inadequacies and unlearnedness. Let me just go with this on account, say, I dig typing. Ok? Indeed.
For worst-writer The Enlightenment is what it is because it’s the first time in human history where human intellect is used to counter arbitrary and oppressive social and political authority. The Enlightenment in its essence boils down to not only questioning authority, which by the 16th and 17th century had lead to massive political chaos and abuse, but it also provided a means with which one could legitimately and logically question power and authority–whether monarchial or religious. Hence it’s no wonder that The Enlightenment lead to some of the best known human rebellions in all history. Namely, the American and French Revolutions. Of course, it must also be remembered that the same intellect that pathed the way for freedom from religion and freedom from arbitrary (hereditary) monarchial rule would also be the basis for which human greed would discover its greatest asset, you know, what Gordon Gekko said: greed is good. Moving on.
The motivating factor for this re-hash of worst-writer’s pseudo intellect aka limited knowledge about The Enlightenment comes from the links below, dear worst-reader. I’m especially interested in the recent NYT article about the extra-judicial killing1 of a so-called Antifa activist in Washington (state) in September 2020. I’ve been lackadaisically following this case ever since I saw the video of the activist Michael Reinoehl defending his actions–and subsequently admitting to the killing of Aaron Danielson who was a right-wing #Trump supporter protesting #BLM protestors. Confused yet, dear worst-reader? Shall we go down the list of confusion?
- Antifa
- #BLM
- extra-judicial-killing
- Protestors protesting protestors, etc.
Actually, the story is quite simple. Michael Reinoehl wanted to support the #BLM protest as he heard that counter protestors (aka #Trump supporters that were protesting against #BLM) were coming to town. Eventually Reinoehl confronted one of the counter protestors named Aaron Danielson. It was during this brief encounter Reinoehl pulled out a gun and shot Danielson. Danielson died and an arrest warrant was quickly issued for Reinoehl. A few days later and in another town an armed police-like unit–identified by prezident piss-hair #Trump as US Marshals–attempted to arrest Reinoehl but only ended up killing him by shooting and shooting and shooting and shooting. You know, as police do these days when it comes to addressing any social or political issues. Am I wrong.
What does all this have to do with The Enlightenment, Spinoza, Thomas Paine and the American Revolution? Well, welcome to the world that is worst-writer’s mind. This has everything to do with The Enlightenment. Or, as the title might allude: Unenlightenment. Even though I’ve provided the main links (below) to the same information that I reviewed regarding this case, the one thing that really stands out in my mind is the level of stupid, as in THE LAND OF FREEDOM TO BE STUPID, that seems to permeate through everything political and social issue in #Americant today. Or. Put another worst-way: This situation may be one of the best examples yet of how the rich and powerful hold the strings of life over the powerless–and the only way for the powerless to deal with all that is to f’n get smart. As in. Be smarter than the powerful. It ain’t all that hard, you know. Especially when one studies just a bit of history. But on that worst-note, I must die-gress.
The thing is, dear worst-reader, if you watch the video of Michael Reinoehl admitting to killing Aaron Danielson (link below) it’s perhaps not difficult to confuse, or is it obfuscate, the issue at hand. The issue being: two #Americant political ideologies, one from the left and the other from the right, should not be carrying guns around at protests nor should these people be given an ounce of credit for having any cognitive ability. I mean. Don’t forget, dear worst-reader. Just a few days prior to the killing of Danielson there was a similar protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. There an underage male crossed states lines with a high-powered rifle to aide the police who were trying to deal with #BLM protestors. And of this ring of misconstrued vigilantism? Again. Protestors protesting protestors. Seriously? This young man, btw, ended up killing two other young men who were using skateboards to try and disarm him. With all of this chaos worst-writer can only beg the question: who raises these idiots?
A country.
Yeah, baby. Obviously worst-writer could go a lot further when it comes to playing the blame-game regarding where all this STUPID comes from. That is, in part, what this worst-blog is all about. Yet. With that in mind. How ’bout this? Someone or something is being well served with all this STUPID. And if you think that someone or something is a government or a star chamber of elitists, I would beg that you think again. And so. I’ll leave you with this last worst-thought. The only thing that can save my beloved & missed united mistakes of #Americant is NOT mindless violence from children reared by children reared by children. How ’bout some good old fashion Enlightenment instead?
Yeah. Good luck with starting anew suckers. You got a long way to go.
Rant on.
-T
Links:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killings_of_Aaron_Danielson_and_Michael_Reinoehl
- One of many available videos available about the case | YouTube
- https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7g8vb/man-linked-to-killing-at-a-portland-protest-says-he-acted-in-self-defense
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenosha_unrest_shooting
- https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/10/us/michael-reinoehl-killing-investigation.html
- I’m probably crossing an ideological line using the term “extra judicial killing”. But I’m gonna stick with it and admit to being, politically, kinda on the left. That said. According to the NYT article (links) the unclarity regarding who/what the police unit was that attacked and killed Reinoehl is mind-numbing. It is especially numbing when you watch/listen to Reinoehl trying to explain what he did and that he believed he was acting in self-defence. The fact that he admits to being against fascism but not in any Antifi organisation speaks for itself, doesn’t it? Or is there simply too much need out there for understanding fascism? ↩︎
worstwriter 