Tuesday, December 13, 2011

from gawker part 1

skt.smth typed


We have a distinct--dare I say inherent?--tendency to favor the asshole in almost any argument. The typical argument goes something like, "Well, you should have just sucked it up / walked away / done what you were told / eaten that gigantic pile of shit. Because you didn't, you deserved whatever you subsequently got for not doing so, and I applaud the great skill / righteousness of the asshole who gave it to you." So much of the rhetoric in America deals with people "deserving" their lot in life, no matter what that lot happens to be, and no matter what kind of asshole motherfuckers we end up defending in service of the argument. Look at pretty much any comments section on the internet related to cops brutalizing Occupy protesters for prime examples of this argument. It's no big surprise, being that the larger socio-cultural backdrop of this country is Puritanism, which insists that salvation (or lack thereof) is predetermined, so however the pendulum swings for you, it's what you're getting and it's ultimately what you "deserve."