There are scenarios in life which were utterly unimaginable until they became imaginable and then transposed to reality. At times that change was good and at others, quite bad. The stark contrast in what was once believed impossible to its reality was often shocking, delaying the ability of people to believe their eyes and ears, to accept the reality as fact, like it or not.
People said that the land of Goethe, of culture, could not turn into a killer nation, rife with fascist beliefs, proponent of mass murder - and yet, there it was. People said that France would never turn on its native French born citizens, and yet, there it was: an enthusiastic roundup of French born citizens, Jews, sent to Drancy, Vel d'Hiver and other temporary stations before being shipped off to their deaths. People stated that democracy would never cease in the USA and yet, there came along Donald Trump, the dissolution of the Republican Party and the shattering of its ethical ethos.
Yes, there are good things that became reality. Better medicines. Space travel possibilities. Electric cars and alternative fuels. Synthetic fabrics. Ease of travel. All overshadowed by too much of the negative unimaginable scenarios becoming imaginable, even frighteningly real.
Laws of war. War crimes. War itself is a crime, indicative of the failure of leaders. How does one regulate the mass killing and awful destruction inherent in war? Laws in a fundamentally lawless reality? The oxymoronic character of its reality cannot be denied, try as hard as one might. The assumed belief in the growth of humanity is quickly shattered as proof of its failure lines the streets and byways of the war-torn area.
Have you ever imagined that the way over the top Oscars awards show would stop mid excess and crazed musical presentations to present a deadly serious appeal from a heroic besieged President of an invaded and besieged, pulverized country? Yet, there it was, Zelensky on screen with a poignant plea.
"The war. What is more opposite of music? ... Over 400 children have been injured and 153 children died, ... “Our musicians wear body armor instead of tuxedos. They sing to the wounded in hospitals. Even to those who can’t hear them, ... But the music will break through anyway. We defend our freedom. To live. To love. To sound. On our land, we are fighting Russia, which brings horrible silence with its bombs. Fill the silence with your music. ... Tell our story. Tell the truth about the war on your social networks and TV. But not silence.”
Will that plea be heard? Will the appeal to stand up for what is right, to defend a country fighting for its life, for independence, for democracy itself - will it get through? Will it be acted upon? Take a guess. One guess is as likely as another, though a positive response seems unlikely at present. And if not now, then maybe not ever, or a case of too little, too late.
Even as reports of war crimes proliferate, rapidly, upon the withdrawal of Russian troops, an army historically noted for its brutality - rape, murder, looting, destruction, kidnapping and murder of civilian opponents. To the point of a return to the barbarity of shooting entire families, disposing of their bodies as trash, consigning them to deep pits.
Nor is this lack of laws or adherence to laws unique to Russia. No, it is quite apparent here, in our own USA. The unimaginable - a president turning on his country, instigating, planning a coup, and worse - getting away with it. Despite the punishment of hundreds of others. Despite the deaths on that terrible day. Despite the shock to the system. Despite all the proof. No one seems to have the courage to say enough is enough. Time to get real. Indict. Convict. Imprison. A manifest danger to democracy, this traitor worse than any other in our history, an existential threat. Once again, the one in charge hesitates, moves slower than a huge turtle in the sand. Heartening to the traitor's followers. That he has followers is unimaginable in itself, even as it became imaginable and then a sad and dangerous reality, fed by lies that sucked the blood out of the arteries of this nation - our nation.
Unimaginable. A Supreme Court Justice tainted, a crazed wife who is outspoken in her desire to abort this nation's government. Refusal on his part to recuse from all cases of Jan.6, an attempted coup, whose planning she was in up to her neck. Was he? Impeach? With a Congress tainted itself by the presence of too many supporters of that coup, stained by the presence of so many outright felons?
How have we come to this unimaginable state of being? How? How have we allowed the incivility of Congress, of the political framework of our nation to deteriorate so? How have we allowed Fox, a company with individuals who push the fascist system of Lies, Lies, and more, bigger, egregious Lies, how has it risen to its place in the nation's life - and death?!
Perhaps the sane need to imagine better, to create a better transfer of the imaginable to reality. We need to imagine a country filled once again with true patriots, a thinking population, true public servants, and a growing attitude of a return to optimism, and good old American can do spirit. Lest all is lost. There are so many of us out here who are beginning - no, deepening - our despair, our growing feeling that perhaps we have indeed lost it all, gone too far down the wrong road and cannot turn back. Lordy but I hope not.
The unimaginable become imaginable become a dreaded reality? Unfortunately, not unimaginable any longer.
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