The Rembis Report And Other Fascinating Topics - Volume CXLIII

"As you know, madness is like gravity: All it takes is a little push." — The Joker, The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan, 2008

When I studied mythology and religion in college I was humbled. Growing up Catholic, I knew the Christianity that our church had tried to convey, but never knew what I was missing from other religions. In a way, I felt sort of cheated. What did everyone else get that Catholics did not? One professor opened my eyes to multiple texts. Required reading included excerpts from the Bible, the Talmud, and the Quran. We studied Greek, Egyptian, Nordic, and Native American myths. We got a bit into Buddhism, too. The goal was to discover the similarities, recognize differences, and learn how these teaching shaped our world.

I found it fascinating and got into learning more about religion outside of the classroom and beyond my collegiate years. I read all of the Bible and the Quran. As an alleged Christian, I felt like reading the Bible was sort of a duty. The Quran, was just to know what it was all about. I found it exceptionally repetitive. I read more of the Talmud, but once I found out how long it really was, I got bored, and did not finish it. I read the Book of Mormon. That was fun. It was more like an Egyptian sci-fi novel with a hint of steampunk than a religious tome. Lots of people got killed in that one. Then I picked up a copy of Dianetics and made it to the middle of chapter three before deciding that it made no sense whatsoever. Not to me, anyway.

After all of that reading, I was not exactly sure what I had learned. But my thirst for knowledge, to understand what it was that made believers tick, helped me grow a thick skin and tolerance for superstition. I read other books which analyzed religion and decided that I understood how the faithful grew and maintained their belief systems. I could also see how they adopted a natural rejection of other’s belief systems. I felt that I had a better grasp of how the world worked.

Then I discovered politics and realized that the world, as entrenched as we are in tradition, and devoted to inequitable value systems, is sometimes ruled by nonsense.

American politics defy religion. In theory, that is. We have had In God We Trust emblazoned on our money since we starting stamping and printing it. Even though the founding fathers specifically chose to separate church and state to form a more perfect union, they remain hand in hand.

One’s personal belief system is what rules their decision making. Whether they are deciding what to eat, what to wear, how to behave, or how to vote, that personal choice stems from a religious construct whether anyone wants to admit it or not. It may not be immediately evident, but value systems, even for atheists, are rooted in religion.

The two party system, Republicans and Democrats, dominate our politics. Yes, once in a while you hear about the Tea Party, the Green Party, the Libertarians, No Labels, or some other group you never heard of, and you wonder why? What for? Who are these people and what are they trying to accomplish?

I don’t have answers for all that. If I got into it I would just come up with way more questions. For now, let’s just look at Republicans and Democrats. I have tried to distinguish between them in the past. It is difficult. This is why I flail in the center aisle and call myself a Repudemoculan. I like a little bit of some stuff, and other stuff, not so much, just like religion. Better to just be myself and not pick sides.

But eventually everyone picks a side. It is in our nature, which stems from religion. The most powerful thing that brings Republicans and Democrats together is war. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

War is a great unifier. No matter what somebody’s background is, if they need to fight alongside a person of a different race, creed, or color to get what they want, they will. This is especially true of Americans. When people find a leader who will fight for what they think they want, they will forgive every flaw. They may not have a single thing in common with a candidate, disagree with them on multiple issues, may even despise them, and will still vote for them, if it gets them what they think they want.

What they think they want. This is the key to winning elections. Not necessarily offering anyone what they need, but promising what they think they want.

I have always read fiction. Long before I studied religion, I always enjoyed story books, so once I had enough of theology, I moved on and got back into literature. I have read a lot of stuff. Pure fiction, a story for the sake of a story, not meant for anything more than escapism and entertainment, except perhaps to make a statement on the culture of humanity, has always been a welcome haven for my wandering imagination.

Sometimes a story that reads as a fictional account is not fiction at all. Some stories are based in fact. One of my favorite books is Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. It is a true story based on the slaughter of the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. Capote interviewed the killers in prison and witnessed their executions by hanging. While the contents are horrific, the prose is so lovingly crafted, it is a work of art. The book has been made into films and attacked by critics for twisting fact with fiction, but stands on its own as a great read. If nothing else, In Cold Blood is the finest argument in favor of the death penalty that you will ever find.

Published in 1966, In Cold Blood was one of those trailblazing books that broke away from conventional storytelling. While Capote did not insert himself into the narrative, he relates the events as if he is standing right there, holding the ropes and weapons. It paved the way for Hunter S. Thompson’s gonzo journalism, where true observation of a subject is presented through first-person confessional storytelling that includes not only the up-close personal experience, but social commentary, sarcasm, and bizarre events that may or may not be true, to deliver a shock or comic effect. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is presented through the lens of alcohol and peyote stains, warping Thompson’s view of the world, and giving us a unique way of looking at it, too.

This is what great storytelling is. Crafting a view that you would otherwise not consider. This is what religion does. It offers a new outlook. This is what politicians do. They present a vision to follow.

In both religion and politics, nothing is solid. Everything is presented as a concept. Here is what you can have. This is how you may achieve it.

The tenets of religion and politics are presented as a stream of consciousness. That is where we were, now we are here, we want to get there. Are you with us?

Some authors utilize the stream of consciousness in their writing with great success. Jack Kerouac, Toni Morrison, Stephen King, to name a few, do so splendidly. This method speaks directly to the reader whether prose is first-person or not. It brings us into the moment where we can practically share the protagonists thoughts as they are having them.

The following may be considered a partial book review. No spoilers.

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis is written like this. The protagonist delivers the first-person account of serial killer Patrick Bateman. This fiction is set in the late 1980’s in New York City. Bateman, 27 years old, works at a Wall Street brokerage. He and his friends, acquaintances, and co-workers are all relatively successful Ivy-leaguers. He is obsessed with working out strenuously and dandified grooming practices. He describes the designer clothes everyone wears, tells you what things cost, and discusses fashion over cocktails. He reports on the cuisine he is served at upscale restaurants with the same fine detail that he describes the torture and dismemberments of his victims. Gruesome accounts of pornographic debauchery and scenes from daily life; business meetings, lunches, shopping, dates, cringing at the homeless, absolute hallucinations, are interspersed with deep ruminations on popular music as Bateman reviews Huey Lewis And The News, Whitney Houston, and Genesis with and without Peter Gabriel. The stream of consciousness presents Bateman as a meandering soul, possibly in search of something intangible. It is for the reader to decide if he is a strictly diabolical sociopath or truly insane. Despite the horror some of his story is funny. His public persona and interactions with others when he is just being a regular guy in social situations, like a Christmas party or a nightclub gathering, present as relatable when describing embarrassing foibles. Then, something reminds him of somebody he killed and what he did with their body, and he blurts it out between thoughts on his favorite TV shows or in the midst of a review of hi-fidelity stereo equipment. Finally, Patrick Bateman is a fanboy of Donald Trump, who he mentions multiple times throughout the text. He discusses the real estate mogul with others in his orbit, recommends Trump’s book, The Art Of The Deal, and watches for him in restaurants because he frequents establishments where he knows Donald Trump is known to dine.

Patrick Bateman is a character who readers love to hate, yet somehow manages to come across sympathetically. This is because, like all of us, he is extremely complex. We relate to complexity.

Peering into the mind of Patrick Bateman, riding along with him as he spews his thoughts, gives us a glimpse of why he admires Donald Trump. It also helps explain why real people, not just fictional mass murderers, are attracted to Trump. Bateman is enamored with Trump’s wealth. He admires Trump’s taste in beautiful women. He fawns over Trump Plaza and other real estate.

Like the fictional Patrick Bateman, real life Donald Trump presents himself as a living, fluid stream of consciousness that barrels ahead in whatever direction makes sense at the time. That stream may be heading right off a cliff, but who doesn’t love a waterfall? People relate to this.

Like religion, one need not read the complete manuscript of their chosen holy scripture, they just need to find the part that works for them, that makes them feel good about their faith. It is the same with politics. We seek out the one who we relate to most. Not necessarily the one that makes the most sense, but the one that, in spite of whatever we do not like about them, there is one thing we do like.

Some people like Donald Trump because they think he is fun. A hoot. A gutsy rebel who will say anything. Like a warped fictional protagonist who may do something that will actually make the reader feel a little sick, they want to see what he does next, so they keep reading. They stay invested. They vote.

Some voters attend rallies and cheer and wave banners and wear red hats and listen to everything he says. But do they hear everything he says, or just what they want to hear? Is he promising anything substantial? Or is it vague rhetoric that just sounds good in the moment?

Those who have listened and agree with Trump should be able to point out exactly what it is that they like, exactly what it is they expect from their candidate upon election, from what he says. They should be able to quote him verbatim and say “This is what I am talking about.” 

However, it is a challenge to do so because Trump delivers his message via a rambling stream of consciousness. To see what I mean, watch last week’s speech from the rally for Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, and follow along with the transcript provided in the video description.

Pundits of the day mocked Trump’s performance for saluting the criminals who were jailed for attacking the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021. He called them patriots and said they would all be pardoned upon his return to the Presidency. He called some immigrants animals. He claimed Joe Biden was being controlled by China. He also claimed that Joe Biden was unable to string together a coherent sentence, which is a bold statement since a lot of what Trump says comes across with disjointed phrasing.

His speech pattern, appearing unrehearsed at times, delivered as a stream of consciousness, a thought in progress, which it may be, is erratic. Yet, supporters don’t seem to care. Biden’s delivery exhibits a thoughtful, measured form that stays on topic. While Trump may change subjects mid-sentence, it does not seem to matter to his supporters because they hear what they think they want to hear.

In all fairness, President Joe Biden’s state of the union address a couple weeks ago did practically the same thing, giving little in the way of substance, with a lot of big ideas but not much to explain exactly how goals would be accomplished. Both candidates are simply claiming that they are going to do great things. Neither offers a succinctly detailed plan of execution. We are still left with one simple question for either candidate, “How are you going to do that?” To which, they have no answer.

The most scrutinized line of Trump’s speech was, “Now, if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath, for the whole — that’s going to be the least of it. It’s going to be a bloodbath for the country.”

This was supposedly taken out of context by much of the media. While he was indeed speaking of the auto industry, claiming he would bring jobs back to America, imposing 100% import fees on Chinese cars, many saw this as a call to arms for a veritable repeat of January 6th, complete with freed hostage patriots.

This is where Trump’s stream of consciousness presents a concept that may be interpreted in multiple ways, depending upon who hears it, and in what context. Some people may not have heard the whole speech, but even if they did, they may take this sound bite, this concept, hear it repeated over and over again, and build it into whatever they think it should be. This is how January 6th happened.

We should heed the warning Michael Cohen gave us when he testified that Trump “speaks in a code.” When Trump says it is “going to be a bloodbath for the country,” or “if you don’t fight like hell, you are not going to have a country anymore,” this is code. It is concealed in plain sight. The message hidden within the rhetoric of policy is perfectly clear to anyone who is seeking an order and will accept the command to attack. “Stand back, and stand by,” was an early clarion call, “bloodbath,” is the latest.

This call will be answered by anyone who senses that some events are in motion, or they think that they must work to put events into motion at Trump’s behest, to make America great again. They may not know exactly how it will work, because the plan is vague, but it will probably be considered more important than January 6th was. We already know that self-proclaimed patriots with a warped sense of duty exist. All they need is a reason to act and they will do something crazy.

Are you calling Trump crazy?

Not at all. I am talking about the MAGA base, specifically, that minority faction comprised of home grown terrorist extremists who use Trump as a shield. He says “jump,” they say “who?” On the contrary, I believe Trump to have a sense of genius in the way of being able to manipulate people. This is where he excels. How many billionaires do you know get people to send them money with nothing in return?

Only one.

It is not only supporters attending rallies who will vote for Trump. Some staunch Republicans just won’t turn on the party. The hell-or-high-water, give-me-liberty-or-give-me-death Republicans, who were-and-always-will-be Republicans, will refuse to change for any reason. They will vote for Trump whether they like him or not because they have trapped themselves within a majority mindset which demands that whatever most Republicans are doing, like lemmings, is what they will do to ensure that Republicans rule. It doesn’t even matter what the ruling Republicans stand for, because they can’t see past the elephantine banners that depict the Grand Old Party as superior to the Democratic party and any others that claim to exist. It is absolute submission to a superiority complex. They won’t see the what lies ahead until they hit the edge of the cliff.

It was disappointing to see Nikki Haley lose her bid for the presidency and sullenly leave the field. She had to, of course, because the support was not there. Financially, it made no sense to stay. But in theory, she is still a better choice for the Republican party. Younger, new energy, and all that. Leaving as she did, quietly, holding the screen door gently, so as not to slam it on the way out, was sad. I would have preferred to see her march off kicking and screaming and bashing Trump to no end. She should have roared daily to anyone who would listen, getting in front of every camera she could find to warn the American people that “Y’all are making a big mistake. You might not like Biden, I get that, but if voting for him keeps Donald Trump out of power, you should do that.” I think she missed a unique opportunity.

If Trump is not completely financially and legally kneecapped soon and wins the presidency in spite of himself, Republicans will cheer. Some won’t be particularly happy about it but they will cheer anyway because a Republican won.

When I see people choose to support a political party for no other reason than they think they should support the party they have always supported, I am reminded of this monologue I performed in the film Live, Cry, Shampoo, and Die.

“It’s like, do you know what it’s like? I am going to explain to you what it’s like. It’s like the whole lot of you have been wound up with toy keys and thrown in a dark closet where you buzz into action, choose the first direction that finds pace with your feet and launch into the void, only to meet the wall straight on and come out 90 degrees blazin’ to the next target as if you have a clue what that is.” The Voice, Live, Cry, Shampoo & Die, Daryn Murphy, 2003

I wonder, when I hear people supporting a candidate that has so many issues, what are they thinking? Comedians have been asking for ages, Out of the millions of people you pick to lead you - this is the best you have got?

Trump appears to operate like Batman’s nemesis, The Joker, with the singular goal of only satisfying his own amusement, in the moment. He lives in the moment better than any other person on the planet because he can. Winning doesn’t matter because he has already won. Not this particular election, but in his own mind, the popularity contest of the world. When practically every person on the planet, save uncontacted subtropical forest tribes, knows you you are, you can’t get more popular than that.

He lives in the moment like a child pushing buttons on the control board of a nuclear reactor with no concern for the result. The pretty lights turn on and off, and that’s it. Whatever happens, happens. He knows the code words and only need utter them at the right time to get the wrong people to respond. Then he will get to see what happens, like he did on January 6th.

Not everyone will agree with this assessment. We may not actually have all that much in common, and that is okay, because, this is America. In America it is okay to disagree. When a person gets bent out of shape about it, and breaks a law, that is when it becomes a problem.

This is why we must remain vigilant. There are actors waiting in the wings for their cue. It only takes one mad bomber to kill thousands of people. They may not even want a spotlight or recognition, just a reason to flip a switch and do something nutty, then step back to revel in the anarchy, just for fun. Like the Joker or Patrick Bateman.

Some may think that all Trump cares about is money. He may not really care about money, or fame, or any of the trappings of success. He gets his kicks out of being able to make people do things, setting wheels in motion. No need to worry about buildings being taken away from him because he will still have other buildings. He might not care about people, family, friends, anyone. They may just be amusements for him. What happens to them may not matter. What happens to the world may not matter. With a fluid stream of consciousness running the show, one thought churns into the next so fast that whatever happens, happens, right?

Like the deer in the headlights who sees the oncoming vehicle, yet stands firm to watch it swerve away, careen over the cliff, tumble down, and explode in a ghastly fireball, then wonders, Why did it do that?, Trump will stand firm to the bitter end, doing only what he wants for himself, offering people nothing of substance except what they think they want.

"You see, in their last moments, people show you who they really are." — The Joker, The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan, 2008

Thanks for reading.

If you are new to the Rembis Report and would like to read any of the previous issues, PLEASE CLICK HERE to access the archives. To read it from the beginning, PLEASE GET A COPY of The Rembis Report: An Observation.