A good friend asked how my study of Sociology had helped me to make sense of those who would die for Cheato. I thought about it a minute, and realized that it would worry me more if I could make sense of it.
There are, though, some books (surprise, surprise) that have helped. The roots of the problem go deep.
First of all, of course, ALL the books by one of my Sociological heroes, Dr. James W. Loewen, who did not live long enough to get to see us survive the sumbitch.
“Sapiens” by Yuval Harari & I’ll let Yuval say it:
“Legends, myths, gods and religions appeared for the first time with the Cognitive Revolution. Many animals and human species could previously say, ‘Careful! A Lion!’ Thanks to the Cognitive Revolution, Homo Sapiens acquired the ability to say, ‘The lion is the guardian spirit of our tribe.’ This ability to speak about fictions is the most unique feature of Sapiens language.”
“Fantasyland” by Kurt Andersen
Why are we such a volatile compound? We were started by religious zealots and venture capitalists.
“American Rule” by Jared Yates Sexton
Corruption is a feature, not a bug.
“The Berenstain Bears & Too Much TV” Stan & Jan Berenstain
Any amount of Reality TV propaganda, voluntarily consumed, is too much for our educational system to counteract. Some people will believe every bit of the shit.
