I get so conflicted about this kind of thing. When I was out of work for 8 long months (outside of a disastrous temping gig), of the hundreds of jobs which I applied to it was an old boomer, nearing retirement, who was a diehard Trump supporter. He had been an alcoholic, Christianity had helped him get sober and he was quite serious about it. He could be shockingly racist one moment and kind and fair the next (sometimes even to the same racial groups). He is unequivocally responsible for my second career in construction accounting, an industry famous for its reactionary politics. By the end of it I even considered him a friend. He got fired before I quit. He has Parkinson's now.
How many excuses do you make for the people around you? Excuses you would never make for yourself? Is contorting your ethics to make what they are doing okay not also a form of condescension?
I struggle with that, perhaps so, I don’t know. I don’t laugh along, but I also don’t protest because it could lead to huge problems at work, which is maybe worse.
I don’t know how to navigate hearing the worst thing you have ever heard from someone who you have to see everyday. It just sucks all around lol.
I used to work with this accounting temp, she was a Russian immigrant, the only true believer in Qanon I've ever met in the wild. She was dead serious,unironically believed that kids were being sold at Walmart. She was serious to the point she used a vacation day so as not to be at work when she thought the COVID vaccine was going to kill everyone who took it rapture style. I couldn't stand her, but mostly just ignored her. At worst, one time I just got up from the lunch table and said "I refuse to listen to these conspiracy theories" and walked away. She was far less sympathetic than my old boss. I found it very hard to see anything likable in her.
You see part of the reason I struggle with this, is that there isn’t a place to walk away to, you’re trapped in this retail panopticon, with 8 people watching you. It’s crazy. Basically you’re just perpetually dodging conversational landmines from both customers and coworkers, if you start tripping over one, they are all about to go off.
From an anthropological POV, it makes sent and is interesting to unravel and think about. You've done a fine job, with a beautiful ethnographic sensibility. I was thinking about ethnographies of the state and of capitalism, from plantation 'living dead' through Bolivian tin mine devils, and colonialism's 'spririt possession' (Les maîtres fous etc). We need to listen more to our mythologies and hear what they're saying, harness them for the good. You've done lovely work there.
One of my oldest friends truly believes in a cabal of lizard people who torture children and the way she came to that belief and how I take care not to invalidate her experience of the world in our interactions is pretty much as described here. Because aside from the lizard people aspect (and is that even important?) what she describes is the same reality I observe.
Exactly, you saw it as a lament of the world we possess, a desire for humans ‘not being responsible’ for it somehow, that the evil seems inhuman, so maybe inhumans are the ones who do it?
I remember talking to a friend about current events and at one point he said “I don’t really care if America went fascist. It wouldn’t affect me.” And then he was genuinely surprised that I would be upset about the idea of living through democratic collapse. I don’t want to be that guy who attributes politics to the totality of a person’s being, but I have never looked at him the same since that comment.
The unfortunate thing is sam, especially for a certain type of millennial cohort, this appears to be the normative reaction. It, in my opinion, is a reflection of our inability to contend with what many fear our future will be.
Weird thing is he denies it now. We were in a group chat the other week and he was trying to “both sides” ICE and all of Trump’s Constitutional violations and I called out his enlightened centrism as a thinly veiled attempt to mask his self-interest as reasonability and open-mindedness. He’s made other comments about converting to the GOP now that he moved to Florida, so it’s not like this is a one-off thing.
Weird question, but did they recently get a job that one could say reasonably allowed them to enter the 'petit bourgeois'? Or is the move to florida alone enough to occasion such a change in your opinion?
The moved from Alberta (notoriously conservative province of Canada) to Florida. Born wealthy, worked in consulting so always made pretty solid money. Definitely a privilege thing where they’ve always been insulated from the worst of politics.
“Take for instance the specific theory shared in this moment. Namely a belief that Fast Food restaurants demand a level of beef that exceeds the capabilities of current production, and that human meat is used for the production of your Mc Dougal’s burgers.” How very Soylent Green of you you seem to be going places 🫡 I’m happy to be a guest on your 🚢
Thank you for letting me hitch a ride back to my Lovecraft Island 🏝️
Well, this was interesting, as are the comments. I had to come back today to read this weird tale. It resonated in parts (saw lots of human shite in San Diego's Gaslamp district), but these days it seems paranoia is a common state of mind. Just heard our country (right or wrong) has kidnapped the president of Venezuela and Trump has announced that "We will run this country". What happened to the land of the free, the home of the brave? It seems we are now the land of the fleece and home of the depraved. Is Greenland next? Glad I don't eat fast food.
I get so conflicted about this kind of thing. When I was out of work for 8 long months (outside of a disastrous temping gig), of the hundreds of jobs which I applied to it was an old boomer, nearing retirement, who was a diehard Trump supporter. He had been an alcoholic, Christianity had helped him get sober and he was quite serious about it. He could be shockingly racist one moment and kind and fair the next (sometimes even to the same racial groups). He is unequivocally responsible for my second career in construction accounting, an industry famous for its reactionary politics. By the end of it I even considered him a friend. He got fired before I quit. He has Parkinson's now.
How many excuses do you make for the people around you? Excuses you would never make for yourself? Is contorting your ethics to make what they are doing okay not also a form of condescension?
I struggle with that, perhaps so, I don’t know. I don’t laugh along, but I also don’t protest because it could lead to huge problems at work, which is maybe worse.
I don’t know how to navigate hearing the worst thing you have ever heard from someone who you have to see everyday. It just sucks all around lol.
I used to work with this accounting temp, she was a Russian immigrant, the only true believer in Qanon I've ever met in the wild. She was dead serious,unironically believed that kids were being sold at Walmart. She was serious to the point she used a vacation day so as not to be at work when she thought the COVID vaccine was going to kill everyone who took it rapture style. I couldn't stand her, but mostly just ignored her. At worst, one time I just got up from the lunch table and said "I refuse to listen to these conspiracy theories" and walked away. She was far less sympathetic than my old boss. I found it very hard to see anything likable in her.
You see part of the reason I struggle with this, is that there isn’t a place to walk away to, you’re trapped in this retail panopticon, with 8 people watching you. It’s crazy. Basically you’re just perpetually dodging conversational landmines from both customers and coworkers, if you start tripping over one, they are all about to go off.
don't worry about it, personally woke people do some insane shit in their jobs... I'm assuming the construction itself wasn't super racist somehow
The folklore of our era
Unfortunately for all, it does appear that way.
From an anthropological POV, it makes sent and is interesting to unravel and think about. You've done a fine job, with a beautiful ethnographic sensibility. I was thinking about ethnographies of the state and of capitalism, from plantation 'living dead' through Bolivian tin mine devils, and colonialism's 'spririt possession' (Les maîtres fous etc). We need to listen more to our mythologies and hear what they're saying, harness them for the good. You've done lovely work there.
Wow this is such a compliment, I appreciate it very much Caroline. Thank you for reading.
Sense
One of my oldest friends truly believes in a cabal of lizard people who torture children and the way she came to that belief and how I take care not to invalidate her experience of the world in our interactions is pretty much as described here. Because aside from the lizard people aspect (and is that even important?) what she describes is the same reality I observe.
Exactly, you saw it as a lament of the world we possess, a desire for humans ‘not being responsible’ for it somehow, that the evil seems inhuman, so maybe inhumans are the ones who do it?
My brudda my brudda my brudda my brudda my brudda my brudda my brudda
https://open.spotify.com/track/5tcIqTwj1GqXOJuNM2YAqA?si=8rVI1tP2RLWUC1BR9LZbpg
I remember talking to a friend about current events and at one point he said “I don’t really care if America went fascist. It wouldn’t affect me.” And then he was genuinely surprised that I would be upset about the idea of living through democratic collapse. I don’t want to be that guy who attributes politics to the totality of a person’s being, but I have never looked at him the same since that comment.
The unfortunate thing is sam, especially for a certain type of millennial cohort, this appears to be the normative reaction. It, in my opinion, is a reflection of our inability to contend with what many fear our future will be.
Weird thing is he denies it now. We were in a group chat the other week and he was trying to “both sides” ICE and all of Trump’s Constitutional violations and I called out his enlightened centrism as a thinly veiled attempt to mask his self-interest as reasonability and open-mindedness. He’s made other comments about converting to the GOP now that he moved to Florida, so it’s not like this is a one-off thing.
Weird question, but did they recently get a job that one could say reasonably allowed them to enter the 'petit bourgeois'? Or is the move to florida alone enough to occasion such a change in your opinion?
The moved from Alberta (notoriously conservative province of Canada) to Florida. Born wealthy, worked in consulting so always made pretty solid money. Definitely a privilege thing where they’ve always been insulated from the worst of politics.
ghost ridin
Great to see you back in the mix Mari! Thank you for reading!
“Take for instance the specific theory shared in this moment. Namely a belief that Fast Food restaurants demand a level of beef that exceeds the capabilities of current production, and that human meat is used for the production of your Mc Dougal’s burgers.” How very Soylent Green of you you seem to be going places 🫡 I’m happy to be a guest on your 🚢
Thank you for letting me hitch a ride back to my Lovecraft Island 🏝️
It’s been a ride that’s for dang sure! 🤠 👍
Did you mean to comment at exactly 4:20 pm? Crazy coincidence!
My life is crazy like that. God thinks I’m funny so we joke around together sometimes.
Well, this was interesting, as are the comments. I had to come back today to read this weird tale. It resonated in parts (saw lots of human shite in San Diego's Gaslamp district), but these days it seems paranoia is a common state of mind. Just heard our country (right or wrong) has kidnapped the president of Venezuela and Trump has announced that "We will run this country". What happened to the land of the free, the home of the brave? It seems we are now the land of the fleece and home of the depraved. Is Greenland next? Glad I don't eat fast food.