There exists a fable about the Frog and the Boiling Pan of Water. The fable suggests that a frog, when placed in a pan of cool water, will remain in that pan even if someone were to introduce a source of heat, applied gradually, to eventually boil the water. Modern biologists don’t necessarily take the fable for truth because, although there are reported attempts to perform such an experiment, logic simply precludes such a thing from happening – after all, frogs are not typically known to simply sit for long periods of time without ever moving, unless of course their brains are removed. Of course, that was a different experiment altogether.
In any case, the fable is apt in describing a human characteristic. While I could also focus on individual tendencies, let’s just avoid that for the sake of brevity. We love routine, we love status quo, and this is in part because we have adapted to work within a conforming, comfortable system. After all, what societies can function effectively amid chaos? Likewise, what culture can survive when there is constant risk of death, famine or plague?
Consider the 1340's and 1350's : much of the world was firmly within the iron grip of the Black Death (a super-strain of the bubonic plague). See how the lack of power structure quickly toppled kingdoms? See how lawlessness and amorality spread when there was no authority? See how suddenly society crumbled?
Society, as we know it, is truly a balancing act; it is its own biome, and therefore, permeable and mortal. Humans have difficulty conceiving of their society crumbling until it happens, and even then, the walls must be shaking down around the foundation before anyone becomes genuinely concerned.
World War II did not happen overnight, it didn't happen over a week, or a month, or a year, or even a decade. The second Great War was the result of decisions going as far back as 1918. Truly, one might even argue that the decisions resulting in the first Great War almost guaranteed there would be a second. In any case, the German people didn't suddenly elect a populist one day because they were fed up with Europe. And the Japanese didn't get together one night and figure on blow up Pearl Harbor because it seemed like a reasonable next-step. And the Italians, well they're just feisty, right? Obviously, all players had decades of decisions that eventually led to the outbreak of war. Even in the wind up to hostilities, Germany took Austria through the Anschluss, then Czechoslovakia, then Poland, then France. This took time, and inaction, as the Allies stood by quivering, biting their nails and "staying out of it".
Humanity takes time to really come to terms with change. There has to be a breaking point, and that's often not immediately evident. Like the frog in hot water, we allow so many transgressions until the last straw finally breaks the exhausted camel's back.
So tell me how it makes sense that a company like Apple, who had already managed to brainwash millions of people into thinking their mundanity is somehow "better", is able to boldly admit that they purposely throttle performance of old software? Sure, just buy a new phone dummy. And your computer - what are you waiting for? Spend. Spend. Spend. And if you're not already dumb enough, just stop complaining and wait it out - maybe you'll be lucky enough to wait in line for four days so you can be one of the first to own another shiny white piece of shit in a box that cost you more than most life saving surgeries. But it's not just Apple, it's everyone - buy our shit, let it break, buy new shit, let it break, then shut up and buy some more. Our rifle accidentally fires without pulling the trigger? Shut up and buy another one. Our TVs break after a year? Get a 4k! Our pink slime makes you sick when you eat it? Buy our steaks!
What about all these militant thugs (i.e. innocent black people) who the police see fit to shoot while they are unarmed? Like dogs - they are being murdered like rabid dogs. White people stand on the side lines and come up with genius game changers like, "Well this one white guy, like, a year ago...yeah, the cops shot him and he was unarmed." Great fix, guys. Great way to ignore the facts. Black people are pissed - and I don't mean black people are all just one seething group, but talk to your local black dude or chick, and they'll probably tell you, "Gotta stop killing black folk in the streets." The answer isn't, "Thin Blue Line, baby!" and the answer isn't, "All lives matter!" Where is our society right now? Where are black people in our society? If a group of people find this onslaught of death to deprive them of their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, how will our society address this?
And what about our Commander in Queef, Donald J. "I don't give a shit about the peasants" Trump? Forget politics - how can the most righteous, holy rolling bible thumpers actually poopoo Trump's evil behavior? I'm talking about the way he speaks of women, children the disabled, etc. How can someone who says they follow Jesus, nay, "love" Jesus, how can they "Follow the word of God..." and murmur out the other side of their mouth, "...unless it means upsetting the money changers' tables in the temple..." and still look themselves in the mirror? They had better stare down the eye of that needle long and hard because you and your camel are simply not going to fit through no matter how many ounces of Jesus-Juice you pour down the sides. God was a bastard in the Old Testament, but Jesus was the new and everlasting covenant, and he sure as shoot wasn't making friends with people who mocked the disabled. Jesus healed the disabled, the leperous, the maimed - not mocked them. Are you kidding me? Where is the anger? You call yourselves followers of Christ? You shall know them by their fruits - Satan, get behind me! No...no...he's doing some "great" stuff, so let's just ride this Satanic wave and hope God turns a blind eye...
The heat's been on a while now but the water's not yet boiling. I'm no prophet and I'm not even a qualified intellectual, but you're lying to yourself if you think society is a brighter side of peachy right now. And anyway, you don't think that - you know it's shit slowly hits the every rotating fan. I mean, what if I told you we were reaching another schism? Would you stockpile food to feel safe? Or water? Or cash? Would that suddenly change your game and you could stop worrying? It helped some people for Y2k, did it not?
I'm not suggesting we're on the brink of collapse, but as time marches ever forward, isn't it hindsight that teaches us? What about the German people? Well damnit, they shouldn't have elected Hitler; they should have demanded he step down after he became chancellor AND president; they should have voted him out after he took Austria, and Czechoslovakia, and Poland...and France...and Russian territory... But they didn't, did they? There were good people just like us and they made many shameful and lazy decisions, just like Americans did in 2016. The difference is that their decisions resulted in a world war, and ours, well...time will tell.
But over these last 20 or 30 years, through both democratic and republican administrations, through the evil and lazy decisions we've made, are we not coming to a boiling point? And if we are, when will we hop out of the pan?
Or are we doomed to fry?