Just leave us in peace. That is the desire most of us feel in our hearts, though we may not say it aloud. We just want to be left alone to go about our lives, without threats or unwelcome intrusions. But maybe I am wrong. Maybe I am among a minority who want to be left to my own devices; to live without interference from power-hungry lunatics with control-fantasies. Either way, just leave me in peace.
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Animals in the wild (non-domestic) have very little “free time” or “leisure time.” They are forced by Nature to engage in an almost constant search for resources: food, water, places to sleep, and protection from predators. When scarce resources cause animals to compete with one another for them, life or death struggles may ensue; not because they are looking for a fight, but because they are in combat for their very survival. Consider humans facing similar challenges; we would have little “leisure time” available to allow us to pursue conflict for the sake of supremacy. Like animals, we would, instead, be too busy battling for survival. Unlike those animals, though, today we do have choice. And it seems we have collectively made our choice. We devote a significant amount of our “leisure time” in pursuit of power and control and utterly unnecessary luxuries, as if they were just as important to our survival as are food and water. Assumptions. Just assumptions. I know no more than anyone else; and less than most.
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When reading about today’s so-called “resistance” to the burgeoning authoritarian state, I wonder how members of this “resistance” think they compare to the French Resistance of World War II. Unlike the French Resistance, the domestic resistance has (so far) not engaged in deadly tactics like bombings, assassinations, sabotaging authoritarian telecommunications infrastructures, etc. I wonder whether such tactics might be judged necessary at some point and, if so, when? In every circumstance in which such a response is deemed critical, there is a point at which it can be too late. At this early stage in the evolution of dictatorship, the opposition strategy seems to rely on the courts to block the most egregious power-grabs. Whether that reliance is intended to show “due process” before more aggressive action, I do not know. I suspect, though, that reliance on court assistance is largely a waste of time and opportunity. Will there come a time when a unified collection of cells of resistance comes together to take whatever actions are necessary to fight a dictatorship? If so, will it come in time?
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We enjoyed a very satisfying visit with friends yesterday afternoon, when we stopped by to make a delivery. What was intended as a brief pop-in turned into a considerably longer visit, filled with casual conversation. I miss having more of such unexpected opportunities to chat about a range of relatively unimportant but pleasurable topics. I would get out more, if not for my damned waves of fatigue and concerns about risks of viruses, etc. Exposure to even minor contagions could be especially dangerous for me, thanks to my weakened immune system.
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As usual, I have nothing profound to write—even to think about—this morning. My head is foggy and my body is sending me signals that I got up too early. Just two and one-half hours out of bed and I’m already feeling the need, again, to go back to sleep. Maybe I’ll write more after a while. More likely I won’t.
