I’ve been re-reading Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson. The protagonist, Spider Jerusalem is a gonzo journalist based on Hunter S. Thompson. The plot focuses on Jerusalem investigating and exposing the corruption of two U.S. presidents in a dystopian future.
It was published from 1997 to 2002 and bears a frightening resemblance to the world we live in today. Perhaps the most chilling quote from the series:
I always thought people were essentially bright. Distracted, sure, and weak, and beaten, but never stupid. And then you show them, here’s the two people who want to be president. One is evil, but you can deal with him, because he actually harbors beliefs. The other one will tell any lie, wear any mask, to become president, and not only that, he f*cking hates you, and he’s doing this just so he can make your lives hell. And who do you think they vote for? Stupid.
Spider Jerusalem, Transmetropolitan, Here to Go (issue #25)
Compare to the late P.J. O’Rourke’s assessment of two recent presidential candidates:
(Candidate 1 is) wrong about absolutely everything, but (they’re) wrong within normal parameters.
P.J. O’Rourke, quoted in Clarence Page | After P.J. O’Rourke, who can save conservative comedy now?
I mean, (Candidate 2) just can’t be president. They’ve got this button, you know, in the briefcase. (They’re) going to find it.
Now we find ourselves in a situation where a jumped-up little thug who managed to become an oligarch has invaded a sovereign nation largely in support of his stated opinion that “…the demise of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century”.
(To be fair, he also said “Anyone who doesn’t regret the passing of the Soviet Union has no heart. Anyone who wants it restored has no brains.” Thanks for that clarification. The people of Crimea and Belarus might beg to differ.)
And let’s be frank: While I support the sanctions that the U.S. and its allies are placing on Russia as a result, it’s a virtual certainty that nothing short of armed conflict is going to stop Putin. He doesn’t strike me as someone who cares about sanctions as long as he holds on to power.
But I digress. In Transmetropolitan, Spider Jerusalem quits his mountain compound and returns to The City to fulfill a two book contract, taking a journalism position to pay the bills in the meantime. He knows he can’t change the world, but he intends to do his part before he returns to the mountains to spend time with people that are important to him, enjoy his garden, and be left alone.
I suppose in the end that’s what it’s all about. Do your part, spend time with loved ones, and hopefully be left alone by the people that are out there trying to f*ck you over in order to further their misguided agendas.
If only the people of Ukraine were that fortunate.
Stay healthy and safe.
Song of the Day
The entire Song of the Day playlist is available on YouTube.