The Stupidity of Living Under Tyranny

I wish someone had warned me that living under a tyrant advancing the collapse of an empire would be so aggressively stupid.

I need to know if there were Germans under Wilhelm II, Mongolians under Kublai Khan — I need to know if there were Romans in the year 200 talking about how Caracalla was a complete moron.

I’m not sure how much longer I can stand to live like this.

Photo by Mike Newbry on Unsplash

Look, we know the United States is a country that started from doing horrific things, that it has always been about men with influence wanting to own more at the expense of anyone they deem inferior, other, or less-than-human. I’ve understood this ever since I figured out that “property” and “profit” are at the heart of most government decisions and that both of those things are made possible by violence and exploitation.

I also know that there have always been opponents to these oppressive structures. There have always been abolitionists, resistors, objectors, dissidents, gadflies, who have fought for people and for truth — or at least for a common reality. And that’s the only thing keeping me going right now.

But I can’t recall in any of the histories or biographies or essays I’ve read anyone mentioning how goddamned annoying it is to watch people tell ridiculous lies that no one with any sense would ever…