I borrow the title for my article this month from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, in which Juliet uses the phrase to explain why Romeo’s family name does not change his character. Most people know that the play does not end well for Romeo and Juliet, and most people also know that the basic plot of that play has been reenacted by individuals and civilizations for millennia. The nineteenth-century philosopher, George Santayana said that “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” A more modern philosopher, Byron Katie, said that when you argue with reality, “you lose 100 percent of the time.” My sense is that ignoring reality is the equivalent of arguing with it.
The expression, May you live in interesting times, is thought to be a curse rather than a blessing because conflict is what makes a time “interesting.” We are currently living in interesting times—full of military conflict, mass migrations, and political turmoil. What we now call World War One was originally thought to be the war to end all wars. We now know, of course, that it was far from that. Given the current state of the world and the political realities that come from living in it, the question becomes how best accept and understand our lives at this time. I do not share Neale Donald Walsch’s confidence that “God wants [us] to know that things work in society, because biology compels it. Order eventually restores itself, by psychic equilibrium.” I know enough about history and human evolution to know that things haven’t always gone well for our ancient ancestors. We don’t have a guarantee, and biology doesn’t guarantee order in spite of its orderly nature.
I understand Debra’s difficulty appreciating political satire. At the same time, we are “awash” in politics. Politics, after all, determines the nature of “civilized” life. And humans aren’t the only ones: all living things engage in politics of one sort or another. Bees live in hives. Deer live in herds. Wolves have their packs. Why should it be different for humans? Humans at least can question their social structures and the politics required to maintain them. We have options, even if we don’t always like our choices. A long time ago a musical group calling themselves “The Fugs” asked why we were always “voting for the lesser of two evils” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svPDzNO6GQk). We often want options that simply don’t exist or aren’t available. We are forced to choose, even if our choice is “none of the above.”
The ability to choose is, in fact, one of the most important aspects of being human. The choices available to other animals are limited, whereas humans—especially those living in modern, industrialized countries—have a wide variety of possibilities. The ability to choose, however, depends on awareness of options. If people can’t see their options, they are “stuck.” One of the functions of political satire is to help people see what they might otherwise miss. And people often miss a lot. Jonathan Swift satirized the wars between the Roman Catholics and the Protestants in “Gulliver’s Travels” using the metaphor of Big Enders and Little Enders based on which end of a soft-boiled egg should be opened first. Hans Christian Andersen’s The Emperor’s New Clothes satirizes the way most people can be fooled—at least for a while, by their desire to avoid being considered foolish.
I went into the Army in 1969, when the war in Vietnam was “hot.” The “inductees” for that war were told that we needed to “Kill Commies for Christ.” That’s probably not what the “Prince of Peace” had in mind for his followers, but the concept fits well with the idea of tribal warfare, which has been common for millennia. It is basically “our tribe versus their tribe.” All war, in fact, is essentially tribal in nature. Even when it is a “global” war, it is still basically “our tribe” versus “their tribe.” In the old days, political power was passed from generation to generation by royal birth. Democracy is a relative new-comer, but even in democratic countries, wealth and power tend to be concentrated and to pass from generation to generation based on family ties and accumulated wealth. In the past, those lacking political power and wealth expressed their unhappiness through revolution. Today the displeasure is expressed in political satire. We can now take photos (and videos) that show the Emperor strutting around without his (or her) clothes. In my opinion, satire is a better option than revolution.
We keep saying that we won’t be fooled again, but it’s usually not long before we discover that the new boss is the same as the old boss. Political satire helps us avoid taking the (recurring) problem so seriously.
Lyrics: “Won’t Get Fooled Again”
We’ll be fighting in the streets
With our children at our feet
And the morals that they worship will be gone
And the men who spurred us on
Sit in judgement of all wrong
They decide and the shotgun sings the song
I’ll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I’ll get on my knees and pray
We don’t get fooled again
The change, it had to come
We knew it all along
We were liberated from the fold, that’s all
And the world looks just the same
And history ain’t changed
‘Cause the banners, they are flown in the last war
I’ll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I’ll get on my knees and pray
We don’t get fooled again
No, no!
I’ll move myself and my family aside
If we happen to be left half alive
I’ll get all my papers and smile at the sky
Oh I know that the hypnotized never lie
Do ya?
There’s nothing in the streets
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are replaced, by the bye
And a parting on the left
Is now a parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight
I’ll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I’ll get on my knees and pray
We don’t get fooled again
Don’t get fooled again
No, no!
Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss