20160214.0820

We marvel
Shake our heads sadly
Grimace with disgust
That the world has changed
And how it has changed
But
In essence
It has not changed
The same sorts of people
Lived in the amorphous then
As do now
And in the same proportions
(More or less
Scaling introduces rounding errors;
Despite the protestations
Of too many fucking idiots--
And, yes,
Those ARE the right words--
People are not
Fractional
Partial
Even if they ARE fucking idiots)
There were assholes then
Sanctimonious jerks in positions of power
Claiming to uphold laws and decency
"The way things ought to be"
While privately violating those same standards

Only two differences emerge.
The first
Is that we hear about it more often and more quickly.
The second
Is that we are more willing to tolerate it when we hear about it.
Who will ask
"Have you no decency?"
Among those whose voices will be heard?

It annoys, to be sure.
It is the cost to be paid for things we like, to be equally sure.
I would rather be annoyed
Than not have what the annoyance affords me.