America has always been curious about snake oil - a cure-all elixir, a winning lottery ticket, an oversized check arriving at the front door - peddled by dubious characters promising the miraculous.
For a small fee one can procure the potion and instantly be made well. The belief that a single thing can cure all ills is the sharp side of the sword that sits opposite American idealism. If one believes the American promise that anything is possible, by default one is open to the idea that indeed anything is possible.
In the 2020’s curiosity in magic elixirs has turned sharply and darkly toward addiction, an addiction not only to the product itself, but also the peddlers brokering it. The market has moved beyond personal life panacea’s and into the mainstream socio-cultural and political realms. Trump, Fauci, DiAngelo - rather than having their wares examined under the lens of skepticism and reason as has been the protocol of liberal society for centuries - have been hoisted atop demagogic pedestals and worshipped with infallible, cult-like adoration.
Quick back of the napkin deductive reasoning suggests that rather than yell at each other, we should be consolidating our energy to hold those with the ability to change the system accountable and push them to create solutions.
Which begs the question - what the fuck is going on here? The simplest answer is that this desperate flailing by the populous for a magical solution to all that ails us is a reflection of the current society in which we live, most notably defined and underlined by rapidly accelerating wealth inequality. As in business where if one “follows the money,” one eventually lands on the truths of corporate action, if we follow the money through the socio-cultural landscape of current society, we inevitably come to the heart of the issue, which is that far too much of the cash has been allowed to consolidate in the hands of far too few.
To be clear, capitalist democracy, the basis of which has created the most free and open societies in history, is not to blame for the issues America faces in the 21st century as some of the snake oil salespeople would suggest. The blame falls in the application and governing of the capitalist democracy and so we must look to those charged with said governance. Turn the light on and the human fallibility of our lawmakers is on full display with the majority of them happy to remain in the dark and let the populous fight amongst itself over issues of race, class, gender, religion wealth, etc.
There is very little in the way of leading and uniting from modern politicians and much more in the way of fomenting division and strategically aligning with one side of the divide. There is scant desire for actual governance or progress as long as a split remains in the populous. This societal schism is good for career politicos and ensures reelection by a society that believes, fueled by ceaseless rhetoric from Capitol Hill and prevailing media outlets, that each side is locked in a culture war with the other. Bother to have a conversation with someone of a diametrical political view however, and one quickly finds there is much more in common than in opposition.
It is crucial that we cease seeking salves from soothsayers and regain our critical thought, skepticism and discourse. We must engage in the dogged search for truth, open dialogue and holding those in control of governance to account. The last vestiges of representative government are slipping away and being not so stealthily replaced with a self-serving governing body consolidating power and control over the populous it purports to represent. If we continue to fight amongst ourselves and cloud our perspectives with social issues that have been deceptively foisted upon us, we will come undone.
As an example, the populous cannot solve systemic racial issues by arguing on Twitter and canceling each other. It is this sort of noise that gives cover to those that need to actually “do the work” at the governance and administrative levels. Systemic issues of any type by definition must be solved for inside the system in which they exist.
Quick back of the napkin deductive reasoning suggests that rather than yell at each other, we should be consolidating our energy to hold those with the ability to change the system accountable and push them to create solutions. The truth is that to date, we’ve seen much lip service and very little substantive action. Making Juneteenth a national holiday is a nice PR moment for the current administration and good for morale, but does nothing to create change within the system.
As we press forward into the 21st century, we must abandon this most American idea that there is a cure-all elixir, a perfect salve or a total solve.
Plug any socio-cultural issue - wealth, health, class, education - into the above paragraph and it is the same formula. Social media opened up the ultimate distraction hellgate that has consumed our attention and fractured our focus. Next time you find yourself engaged in a Twitter/Instagram/Facebook/Nextdoor battle royale, pause for a moment and ask why you’re wasting your time, energy and attention spewing thoughts of the moment into a forgettable void. It is not moving the needle, it is taking a full throated gulp of the magic elixir. You are distracted and misled into thinking this type of engagement will change the world.
Creating the belief that anything is possible was crucial to building the nation and is a central tenant of American idealism. The unintended consequence is that it simultaneously created a hopeful gullibility and soft spot to be exploited by those willing to exploit, and we are currently being exploited to a previously inconceivable degree by the snake oil peddlers - politicians, woke social warriors, tech companies and pharmaceutical and health companies. They are weaponizing our gullibility to further deepen divisions that will rip society to shreds while they reap the profits. We must refocus and consolidate our energy as a populous, realize that we are in the fog and must emerge from that fog galvanized against forces that presently have us fighting one another.
As we press forward into the 21st century, we must abandon this most American idea that there is a cure-all elixir, a perfect salve or a total solve. There can be no single cure to alleviate what ails us, but we can begin by holding up a mirror, for arguably what ails us most is ourselves. After all, in a nation of supply and demand only our willingness to consume snake-oil keeps the peddlers in business.