Cat Show 06/19/20

VG: Back in the Soviet Union, there was a popular song, “Communism is the youth of the world, and it is the young who have to build it.” Not sure about communism, but today’s COVID Capitalism surely looks like the old age of the world, which will be eventually dismantled by the old folks.

ALICE: Are you referring to the senile Trump, and unfortunately – rather senile Biden? I wish we had someone more dynamic, but I am sure that he’ll choose a young dynamic vice president who’ll galvanize the party and the voters. Time for a change, have to agree with you.

HOBBS: I remember peeking into Vladimir's computer and noticing a rather memorable phrase, by Russian philosopher, Rozanov. He is musing on the collapse of the tsarist empire and says the following: “By the end of the ‘glorious century,’ all groups, individuals, clans, estates, professions suddenly became rather cold toward their task: workers toward their work, soldiers toward war, parents toward children … children toward their parents, and finally, tsar toward governing, the priest toward the church service…. Suddenly, all ties that hold this planet together got loosened." I think something similar is happening now. Except I would add that even cats are indifferent toward dogs and vice versa. Through the window, I observe stupid dogs walking their owners and feeling so smug and proud of themselves. Everyone is so chill, as if they are on some sort of universal ganja all the time.

VG: Good quote. Indeed, it looks like we are observing some slow motion food fight in the so called, “assisted living facility.” Trump thrown Jell-O at Bolton, while Bolton pulls out his dentures and casts them at Trump. And then Pelosi pitches in in her funky African outfit, imagining that it is a Halloween and forgetting that she is not supposed to appropriate another people’s culture. In this culture of identity politics that Democrats push with abandon, only a Russian hat is allowed for Hillary. Where is she in this mess, by the way? Chasing Bill with garden shears?

ALICE: This grotesque misrepresentation of the Democratic Party leaders is getting on my nerves. As if Republicans are better, Trump in particular. Not knowing that Great Britain has nukes or that Finland is an independent country. And look at some younger people in his cabinet. Kushner, for example. The dude goes to Middle East and imagines he can come up with some sort resolution of the conflicts. Does he know the area? Does he feel passionate about it? He just manifests the same lukewarm indifference that your Rozanov talks about. We clearly need new blood. Young energetic woman of color, I say. Not the same Koch Brothers or Soroses all over again.

HOBBS: The virus was the last straw, I believe. I think that young people – whatever energy they had left after hours of staring at their phones – are done for. All they can do is order their avocado sandwiches on line and getting paranoid about the latest scare-fad. Now Democrats are trying to get them going about the race, which is such old news for them. That’s the only thing they learn in school, day in day out. That United States is the racist homophobic sexist country. It might be news for Biden – well, everything is news for Biden-- but it is not something that would really energize the youngsters. Especially after they did so will impersonating little mice hiding in the corners and observing social distancing.

ALICE: Don’t underestimate the youth. They marched heroically during the recent wave of protests. They go at old sculptures with abandon. First they’ll overthrow old monuments, and then the old political and social structures that oppress all of us. And never forget Greta. With her mind of a six year old, she’ll lead the way. Too bad, Biden can’t appoint her as his Vice. That would have been match made in heaven. Judging by Greta, the youth is angry. And it is passionate. So all your talk about passionless youth is just a talk.

VG: Well, as if echoing Rozanov, Yeats observed the same:

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world…
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

In other words, there is intensity, but it is the intensity of the worst, not of the best.

HOBBS: Don’t you worry, I consider Alice the worst, myself the best, and yet, we both are full of passionate intensity. And I hope will continue using all our energy to pierce through the constant brainwashing to which we are subjected to.

VG: Sounds like a plan. The days might start getting shorter next week, but it is our task to add a few photons of light to the waning days.