Whom the Gods Would Destroy

 

It's hard not to think that something will be destroyed.  For that matter, it's hard not to hope that something will be destroyed, and soon. What that something is isn't clear, and is a matter of debate.What's all too clear, though, is that consistent with the saying which begins with the words making up the title of this post, the gods are making many of us mad. 

For some of us the madness takes the form of a smug, insistent ignorance combined with what seems a kind of reflex of falsity.  Deceit or denial has become an automatic response to any criticism or inconvenient event or information.

What's remarkable about this--what suggests it is a form of madness--is (1) the extent of the ignorance and the flaunting of it though it would be a simple matter to remedy it; and (2) the fact that the deceit is obvious and blatant, and the denial so easily refuted.  But none of this matters to the ignorant, the deceitful and deniers.  They don't seem to care that what they say and do is preposterous and even laughable, or would be laughable in other circumstances.

I think they would care if their intent was fraud or malfeasance. A rational person with such intentions wouldn't pursue them so stupidly.  As that's the case, the likelihood is that those acting so stupidly are irrational or so colossally stupid as to be irrational.  They still may have malicious intent.  But they may not be intelligent or sensible enough to realize they look ridiculous.

For others the madness made by the gods consists of facilitating the madness just described, either actively or by ignoring it.  It's mad to join in or encourage madness, particularly when what's caused by the madness is reprehensible and despicable.  That's the case here and now.

If those the gods destroy are those they've driven mad described in this post, then it's probable that the world will be safer, the sadly disminished reputation of this nation, once hopefully called a city on a hill or beacon, and now an ugly wreck run by entitled brats and their self-satisfied, brown-nosed lackeys will be restored.  But who's to say the gods haven't given up on our Glorious Union, and think it so irredeemably corrupt as to merit destruction?