[lit-ideas] double standards-long version
- From: Scribe1865@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 00:40:21 EST
When Clinton said he "didn't inhale," some part of the public assumed it was
a lie, but liked Clinton anyway because:
(1) Clinton's feigned innocence was an ironic statement -- "I know you know
I'm lying and that makes us equals" --- which acknowledged the laws were unfair
and stupid, BUT that citizens had to pretend the laws weren't unfair and
stupid, because so much depended on the pretense, namely
(2) Clinton's career as President (and by extension the public's careers in
general) were in service to some larger falsehood that would take away the
Presidency (and by extension many careers) if they told the truth or tried to
change the laws. The drug testing industry was getting into full swing.
(3) Hence the -wink, wink- Clinton made ("did not inhale") told such people
that he was on their side, that he was in the same boat, subject to the same
hypocritical and unfair rules, which were beyond democracy, beyond activist
reform of legislation, or appeal, and which one had to pretend to agree with
and
support even while knowing they were arbitrary and stupid.
(4) Yet these laws weren't harmless because thousands and thousands of people
were having their lives ruined by the laws, so after the -wink, wink- was
over as a news story, Clinton turned back to signing legislation that
significantly decreased individual privacy and put everyone -- Colombian mafia
killer and
former Woodstock hippie -- in the same boat.
Some intense damage to the public trust happened here, something new in the
way of metacommunication and levels of irony.
A President, doesn't matter which party, is in effect telling the citizenry:
"You and I both know this pot story of mine is a lie, but we have to pretend
it's true, because if any of us admits it's false, corporations and other
groups will punish us. So watch me for cues on how to pretend. Meanwhile, my
-wink,
wink- should encourage you by telling you that I suffer under its yoke too,
even though I will never admit the truth in so many words, even as I intensify
its cruel mandates."
Eric
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