Politics

They Have A Fetish

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I’m rather genteel here, but I don’t feel like being genteel about the issue of idiots banning abortion. Abortion is necessary to let people who get pregnant to control their bodies. As far as I’m concerned a lot of the people who want to ban it or limit it extremely are acting out a sexual fetish by creating and enforcing these laws.

Harsh? Cruel? Well if you read this we probably think alike, so you may agree, but look, I’m on a roll here.

So first of all, let’s note that most of the “for the children” claims come from people who don’t give a damn about actual kids. There’s no concern about immigrant children (quite the opposite). No one’s talking about expanding medical care or heavens forbid universal health care. Schooling is treated as just a chance for indoctrination by the forced-birth crowd. Also if kids are LGBTQIA+ then, well, this crew of womb-controllers seem to be happy to let them die.

Since all the reasons for banning abortion as “protecting kids” are obviously not what the control-freaks say, we can focus on the anti-choice crowd’s obsession with controlling people’s bodies. Yes, it’s an obsession, because it’s everywhere in the usual right-wing control-o-sphere. If you’re familiar at all with these right-wing mindspaces, the overwhelming, constant anti-choice repetition is unmistakable. It is embraced, it is, in short, a fetish.

Now the anti-choice swarm ignores people’s right to control their bodies, ignores their choice of medical treatment, and ignores abortion is a lifesaver in many ways. The need of the pregnant people is tuned out. Again, the utter obsession is beyond anything, into the realm of sexual obsession – of a fetish.

Sounds harsh? Not really. You’ll also notice as much as womb-controllers say they’re “for the kids” they are also obsessed with suffering. Most of the anti-choice people also seem to want to “save the children” from assorted imagined Satanists, evil cabals, etc. They’ll talk endlessly about human suffering, and it’s clear they take pleasure recounting how kids are tortured in their imagination. Again, these people have a weird sexual fetish about control and suffering.

And they go on, and on, and on . . .

But all of these people who want to tell people who can get pregnant what to do with their bodies want to do it with force. With the law, with the police, with threats, and in a few too many cases when you really listen with execution. There’s a sick, bloody, need for control and to punish.

So, yes, the anti-choice crowd as far as I’m concerned are sexual fetishists who want to nonconsensually draw others into their obsession. They’re ready to use the state to act out their twisted desires.

Sure, there’s also issues of control and politics, but this stuff goes all the way into weird, sexual fetishism. These people are obsessed, unhealthily so, and to the detriment of everyone.

And, yeah, this isn’t my usual deep discussion. Or maybe it is in a more angry way. But having a bunch of people who can’t confront their own fetishes and who want the police and government to rope us into them? We should be angry.

– Xenofact

The Insecurity of Politics and Religion

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As I write this America is awash in discussions of politics and religion. It is my sincere hope that when you read this you know I mean “in the past,” if you get my drift. It’s certainly not being written when it’s the past if you get my additional drift.

There’s an insecurity about religion in politics, at least in America. You can feel it as preaching politicians try to convince you they’re somehow divinely guided. You hear it in their voices and see it in their actions – a mix of unsure and too sure. Insecure confidence, where you wonder which side of the state came first.

So as I am prone to think about such things, I’ve begun to speculate as to why some of these religionists who supposedly have great faith are so insecure. Also the bastards keep wanting to tell me and mine what to do with our lives.

First,think that’s because when you mix religion and politics, you end up having to deal with politics. You have to deal with power blocks and publicity, bureaucracy and laws that are there no matter what you believe or want to believe. Or say you believe. Religion has to deal with politics (even if, say, religion predated politics) as soon as it gets involved.

It’s talk Divine Truth when you’re really thinking in voting blocks and power blocks. The very sphere you want to move your religion to – and inflict your religion with – challenges it.

Politics also has to deal with reality, no matter how often it avoids it. Politics, as many of us are aware, is already awash in insecurity. People have to explain why they should be elected, or stay in power, or be listened to. When challenged they may have to explain themselves – or crack down which means people just lie to them out of self-preservation. Either way if you’re not facing reality, someone is lying.

Bring religion into politics and religion also has to collide with reality – even if some religious folk are real good at dodging that reality. This all means that when you bring your religion into politics, it’s being challenged constantly, and a lot of religious folks don’t deal well with that. A lot of politicians aren’t so hot at it either, so you get a kind of double-punch of self doubt and insecurity.

I think those trying to mix religion and politics in America are facing constant challenges, and often respond with made up confidence and bravado. Confidence of course is easily challenged, leading, of course, to more insecurity. It’s no surprise you end up with plenty of supposedly spiritual people acting like dictators – even if they didn’t start that way.

(Though for my money, most of them do start that way, they just get worse.)

Now these thoughts apply to current America and it’s revelatory/monotheistic dominant religion and our media landscape. In an age of television preachers, cable TV, and social media everything is in our faces constantly. You can select your own reality, but also have it challenged if you step outside of your media bubble. If you’ve ever seen some host of, say, an extremely political news show try to desperately spin reality you know what I mean.

I suppose at some point it’d be interesting to explore religion and politics in areas non-Christian (and indeed non-Abrahamic) religions. Though obviously you know where my concerns lie . . .

They Don’t Believe, But They Believe

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Honestly, do the various grifters, fake gurus, and political pundits believe their own shit? That’s a question I hear a lot in the spheres I run in. Perhaps it says something about the time – or humanity – if we have to ask, “does this libertarian selling crystal shorts that protect your genitals from 5G believe what he’s selling?”

However, I don’t think the issue is one that always has a yes or no answer. The question is what do these grifters believe themselves and what do they want you to believe?

Let’s take a look at some of the bizarre magical/supernatural/New Age practices that set off our bullshit detectors. You know the ones, where someone has “discovered new energy centers via a Lunar download” or provides an insanely complex map of colored rays that connect you to aliens. The stuff that looks wrong in part because it’s described in just the right way to get attention.

Sure it may be a load of holy horse crap, but what happens to people taking these practices seriously? Does it just occupy their minds with crap – so they can be sold more crap? Does it drive dependency on the guru or make your mind mushy? Any of us with some mystical experience know certain practices can really mess you up.

The metaphysical grifters may not believe in their practice. But they do believe it will affect you and it may not be in a way that’s good for you – but it’s good for their bottom line.

The same can be said for political grifters and opportunists who clearly are selling people policies that make believer’s lives worse. People who complain about taxes will vote for politicians who cut taxes on the far more wealthy while raising those of the complainers. Politicians will blame someone of another skin color for drug problems created by giant pharmaceutical companies. It’s very obvious – and it keeps working.

What the grifters sell you works but for them to get power and money. They don’t necessarily believe it but it’s a tool.

And behind all that? Well the grifters and opportunists and gurus may have actual beliefs. I suspect they’re also way more disturbing than many want to admit.

Look at the mystical would-be Space Shamans and Cosmic Love grifters. They’re making bank selling you all sorts of made-up stuff, usually by re-purposing what others do. But how much metaphysical malarkey do they believe? Perhaps they really do think all those controlled souls empower them or that they’re in contact with ancient gods – they just don’t want to spill the goods to their victims.

The political grifters? Well it’s often clear they believe something but they don’t want to admit it. Many a grifter has a barely-disguised philosophy of some kind, though it’s usually “how do I get more power.” They usually have some kind of plan, so something is clearly in their heads..

(For some reason it seems these political types believe more than the New Rage guru types, which is probably worth it’s own exploration.)

Next time you see someone selling Cosmic Witch Ray Charts, Crystal 5G Negating Shoes, or The Solution To Your Money Problems By Electing me don’t ask “do they believe or not.” Ask what they really believe and what they want others to believe.

The two probably don’t line up, but belief is there. Figuring out what is important to understanding them – and dealing with the crap they foisted upon us.

(Shout out to Nonsense Bazaar (https://thenonsensebazaar.com/) for being the core inspiration for this post.)

– Xenofact