13 February 2009

It is appropriate that today is Valentine's Day, a glorification of fantasy; it has long been my (albeit unnoticed) position that our republic has been being taken over by fantasy for some time now.  Fantasy, the dominant role of the movie and television industries (including the news), has been moving inexhororably into government, such as it is (government that is), but with the last election it has taken over: we now officially live in a world of blissful fantasy.

How so?  After stumbling on excess we have now  taken the bold move to rectify the stumble by - guess what: bigger and better excess.  Spend more money; prime the pump.  Make the government BIGGER, and of course we all know that means more effective, right?  But it doesn't stop there; we are going to make nice with all the other opposing forces in the world and they, naturally, falling all over themselves with joy and happiness, will in turn make nice with us.  All they have been waiting for was for us to smile and beg for their friendship.  Valentine's Day writ large.  Oh, it is so wonderful.

This of course makes total sense.  If everyone is happy all will be right with the world once again, won't it?  All we have been lacking is for everyone to be happy, and we all know friendly is happy and happy is peace, and that's all any of us - all over the world - has really wanted.  Well, isn't it?  Peace in our time (have we ever heard that before?).

I have been debating whether this beautiful fantasy dream is arrogance or stupidity - ignorance goes without saying - but I have finally concluded that it is naively  arrogant stupidity spawned by living in a fantasy world created in Hollywood and spread like Australia's wildfires, started (as we can see) the same way - and fed by a great and sustaining blow of hot air.

Doesn't it give you the warmest feeling?  In a stroke the whole world has jumped into the warm baths of happy fantasy, and surely we shall all live happily for ever after.

Oh joy!