I used to wonder there wasn’t another character present to argue against the fruit-eating option in the story of the Garden of Eden. Maybe an angel or some talking animal to counter the serpent’s smooth rap about becoming like gods or whatever he was selling. But then I thought more about it and realized that it probably would not have worked. The choice as Eve saw it was a pretty good status quo versus a fantastic upgrade with no downside. Apparently, under the applicable disclosure rules, the no-apple side could not really present the whole pain-suffering-outside-of-the-garden as an outcome. The garden is great, and you could even make it better with what you are learning. Not a sexy alternative to being like gods when you look at it. The other relevant argument: Consider the sources here: the one who said don’t eat it versus some sketchy, verbose reptile. The good guys would likely lose on this point because the snake’s identity/criminal record was apparently also inadmissible.

We tend to unfairly dump on Eve and her idiot husband, but that is hypocritical in that many of us continue to go for the magic apple instead of just making the garden better. We still have not learned that lesson. In the political realm, the snake promises us utopia and gives us the USSR or Venezuela. On only a slightly smaller scale of stupidity, our urban populations continually vote for/legislate/regulate in the name of a grand vision of social justice and instead wind up with horrific public housing, crime, and parks full of homeless addicts and schizophrenics. Urban America has left the garden.

How does one make the pitch that the garden is actually not bad and the way to make it better requires work with no fake magic solutions, and that personal responsibility and freedom are key ingredients? Not very sexy or consonant with the “vision thing” as our 41st president might have framed it. Who wants tradeoffs when they could have solutions?

Consider that the quality of life in the Western world (and increasingly elsewhere on the planet) has never been better at any time or place in human history, and yet many believe the planet (and the USA in particular) is a hate-filled hellhole on the verge of environmental collapse. It is as if the snake is doubling down by trying to convince Eve that the garden sucks — and she’s buying it.

Like the missing advocate in the “forbidden fruit” story, the anti-mirage side (that’d be us, Ricochetti) is virtually precluded from pointing out that statism and its functional equivalents and versions never work because we will be told that the repeated catastrophes were not “real” socialism or some other ideal “ism” hanging off that tree.

And it is still about Eve making the choice because without a default, 55% of the women’s vote is going to apple-peddlers the snake would lose to most or all of the time. So how do we make that pitch?

Not that long ago, journalists would get offended if they were accused of presenting the news with a liberal bias. Now, they are publicly stating that “fairness is overrated.” A Los Angeles Times reporter recently wrote an op-ed in which she stated that the extreme views of Republicans mean that they are not a serious party and should not be taken seriously: “This is a Republican Party that is not serious about governing or addressing the nation’s actual problems, as opposed to faux ones like critical race theory … Democrats can’t be expected to deal with these guys like they’re on the level. Nor should journalists cover them as if they are.”

Journalists and others from all over the country chimed in with their hearty agreement. Bill Buzenberg wrote: “Great Op Ed — important message for every journalist. (NPR and PBS this includes you). Please don’t ‘balance’ the truth with an outright, calculated lie, and call it objective reporting or interviewing.” NBC anchorman Lester Holt said, “I think it’s become clear that fairness is overrated … The idea that we should always give two sides equal weight and merit does not reflect the world we find ourselves in.”

These aren’t whacked-out stoners in a California commune. These are mainstream journalists. And these journalists not only find their coverage to be insufficiently unfair to Republicans, they are openly stating that “fairness is overrated.” Our news media and our educational system are the most powerful force for leftist indoctrination in our country, in my view. It sounds like journalists agree with me. And it sounds like they’re happy about it.

I wonder why they tried to hide their beliefs for so long? And I wonder why they’ve stopped trying to hide them now? I find their newfound boldness to be concerning. They seem to think they are in complete control and no longer need to hide behind a veil of objectivity. I think they’re probably right.

I hope we’re both wrong.

Just a brief jumping-off point here. A Politico article begins with the following sentence-graph: “Republicans have been feuding for months in Nevada’s largest county after a pro-Donald Trump insurgency with ties to far-right activists threw the party into chaos.” Well, I haven’t conducted a study of the thing, but informally, I cannot recall the last time I saw the supporters of Black Lives Matter, Antifa, ACORN, Organizing for Action, or any of the rest of that stuff referred to as “far-left activists” in an ostensibly balanced news outlet, especially when casually name-dropped as “tied to” a prominent figure on the left, such as a former president. Perhaps you can educate me, but I figured that likelihood of juice isn’t worth the squeeze, so I certainly did not bestir myself.

I don’t know what is going on in Nevada. Don’t care. Never heard of whomever it was mentioned in the article. I support the Trump guy. Hope he doesn’t suck.

You are allowed to support somebody without having to vouch for every blooming thing about him. As the left used to say of Clinton, “We’re voting for [office], not for [role in community].”

When you think “far-right,” please think of me. That’s what I tell my young relatives who are hypnotized by the left. And by the way, my young relatives are about evenly split between conservative politics and the other. Which is not bad, considering what Churchill (I guess) said about political positions of youth versus age.

I figured I’d be at least 90 years old before I made this discouraging comment about getting old. My older friends have said that they have already set limits on how much time they allow for groups they visit to complain about their aches and pains, their doctors, their hospitals, their nurses, pulled muscles, raging allergies—well, you get the picture. If you’re not careful as you get older, your entire conversation can be dominated with mumblings and grumblings, punctuated with the comment, “Getting old isn’t for sissies.”

Well, I’m trying to nip this personality modification and distortion in the bud. Yes, my elbow hurts, my right quad is aching, my body is stiff when I first wake up, my wrinkles are getting wrinkles (notice how I snuck all that in there!) but I’m taking charge of my internal dialogue and my conversations with friends.

It is all maintenance from here. And frankly, that’s how G-d intended life to be. But by gosh, I’m alive! And I can still think for myself (mostly) and take brisk walks on the days I don’t work out. And when I do work out, I work my upper and lower body, every other day—a three-pound weight in each hand. And people still “like” my funny comments here on Ricochet—whether that’s out of pity or amusement!

The challenge is not giving in to “the lamentations.” First of all, it’s boring. Second, it’s boring. Third, it’s boring. And more than that, it’s like a bad rash that spreads and you can’t get rid of it. Did I say it was boring?

So, my aches and pains will be transformed into reminders of my maturity. My ideas will remind me that I still have some wisdom to share. Even my sad days can remind me to take time for reflection and serve as a reminder of my blessings.

*     *     *     *

Where did all this navel-gazing come from? I think it started after we visited BJ’s and did our usual stock-up on bulk goods. I couldn’t help but notice the price tag after a fairly modest shopping trip. But the shelves were full, except for the pop-up tissue boxes. Then again, BJ’s doesn’t promise always having the same products, all the time.

But I thought about the weeks and months ahead. Eventually, there will be shortages. Prices will continue to rise. And I will periodically grumble about missing some of my favorite products. I may even indulge in an occasional rant.

But I won’t let the shortages consume me.

I grew up in a family where we had leftovers as often as we had fresh meals. A big chuck steak thrown on the barbecue was a big deal. Picking up freshly picked corn on Highway 39 and eating it as a main course was a luxury. We were never hungry.

And I live in the most abundant nation in the world.

I plan to make sure that I recognize that there will be some things I can’t control. I will miss some things. I may not be able to maintain my usual lifestyle, but I can strive to maintain my point of view.

In some ways, for now, it will all be maintenance from here. And it’s all good.

[photo by Maria Lin Kim at unsplash.com]