{∅, {∅}, {∅, {∅}}} : Rage Against the Meat Grinder

Reflecting on the behavior of the masses almost makes me sympathize with ... individual police officers.     Not as far as authentic riots for social justice goes, but riots over sales on TVs and iPods or riots over farkin' football/soccer/hockey games ... Christ Almighty!

Paradox?  Contradiction?

What a catastrophe mass-industrialized consumer society is!

Experts in ancient Greek culture say that people back then didn't see their thoughts as belonging to them. When ancient Greeks had a thought, it occurred to them as a god or goddess giving an order. Apollo was telling them to be brave. Athena was telling them to fall in love.

Now people hear a commercial for sour cream potato chips and rush out to buy, but now they call this free will. At least the ancient Greeks were being honest.

― Chuck Palahniuk, Lullaby

So, the question still remains, Are the gorts innocent dupes?



I certainly do sympathize with the employees.  I would not want my mother to be trampled by hordes of gorts.  In the only letter I ever received from the woman who called herself Crazy Squirrel here, she offered me a heartfelt diatribe against having any kind of compassion for "the masses".  The Black Friday Phenomenon is a practically perfect proof validating her viewpoint.

This ties into the final lines of "Madness Theory" :

I can no longer accept ignorance on the part of the masses
As the explanation of fascism – I demand an explanation
That takes into account the desires of the masses

Masses of desiring-machines asking for repression
Not only for others – but also for themselves.

We speak of the masses, the deluded masses -
No! This may not be the case at all
The gorts are not the innocent dupes
We may have thought them to be

Under a certain set of conditions
They want fascism, they desire chains
Chains for me, chains for you,
and worst of all, chains for themselves
But I sense the masses are not innocent dupes

It is the perversion of the desire
Of the masses that needs to be accounted for
If we are to at least be conscious
Of the bars of our cages as we address
The rulers and wardens and guards and bosses
Here in the Prison Colony of s-h-i-t-ting Machines

As you wake up to your true nature,
You will be like a mute who has had a dream,
but is unable to talk about it.