Cranks Complain

“Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.” Barry Goldwater, Conservative Presidential Candidate, 1964
Conservatives are, "A fanatical neo-fascist political cult in the GOP, driven by a strange mixture of corrosive hatred and sickening fear, who are recklessly determined to either control our party, or destroy it.” Thomas Kuchel, Republican Senator, 1966

Political partisans constitute an arc from radical left across varying shades of socialist to liberal, through majority of centrists or moderates, to conservatism, fascism and nadir of insanely radical right whence majority oppression, nuclear destruction, social ruin, and terrorist acts. No one who holds such views wants to acknowledge these gradients, because a) it’s too complicated to exploit, b) means compromise and disagreement, and c) won’t get own spoiled way of divide to conquer. Most religions encourage conservatism, espouse fascism, preach tolerance but profit off pestilence, unrest, and war, and side with whoever mentions pro-life despite murdering opponents daily. Fascism is embraced by ego, evil, fear, mental defect, misogyny, patriarchy, prejudice, privilege, sociopathy, supremacism, and xenophobia. America’s Supreme Court now has a 6 to 3 conservative quorum. England’s Parliament has been plagued by conservatism for decades, as has US Senate. MAGA mimics slogan (Make Italy Great Again) of Mussolini’s march to Machiavellian micromanagement and murderous purges.

Surprises that sane people don’t collect names of fascists and list them on line, since they pose the biggest threat to global annihilation. They blame everyone else for their own greed, mistakes, sedition and vices, “You forced me to commit atrocities!” Little wonder an anti-fascist movement has been started to counteract neo-nazis. You may be told you’re entitled to your own moderate opinion, but dare to express it aloud and you’ll be attacked, ostracized, or possibly assassinated for it. For evidence just look to mindlessly vicious social media trolls. But to participate in blog comments, bulletin boards, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, Twitter or whatnot proves you’ve got loose screws short circuiting your neural network. No good has ever come from associating yourself with lunatics on any level. Such outlets let the 25% with personality disorders and raw nerves dance exposed, harmless and possibly healthful amusements, but not to be joined lightly or taken seriously.

CBS does list a few dozen C-list celebrities who support incumbent, suitably including cast members from shows Clueless and Pawn Star along with a smattering of millionaire sports has-beens. Many times more have distanced themselves during months of social distancing. An A-list multitude endorse opponent only to dump a despot and rid themselves of an embarrassment.

Government exists because asshats take too much, will kill to get ahead, and won’t settle for decency and wellbeing of entire community. While many resent taxes, consider what they’re buying: Aid to least fortunate, disease control, drug oversight, food inspection, garbage collection, fire/police protection, national security, paved streets, waste sanitation, water that won’t kill you. Only a billionaire could otherwise afford these absolute necessities. Most take it all for granted, which is stupid, since each has broken down in many communities in recent past. Worst enemy of the average individual is not a foreign führer but some bastard close to home: Corporate raider, corrupt official, robber baron, stealthy sellout, uncaring traders who are all traitors wearing tailored suits and ties. Letting them commit unchecked crimes created current crises. Public rather buy into fictions about a solitary boogeyman that transfers blame from real culprits. Can include a fat billionaire president who wants another term after boasting about a lackluster GDP performance shored by domestic policy of predecessor’s administration, and unilaterally dismantling many safeguards, thus ushering in a pandemic which has sent economy into a nosedive. POTUS 45 has no legacy to speak of, but he wasn’t solely responsible. GOP controlled senate has had the final say in policy for decades. Conservatism is folly en masse, group dementia, reckless faith in capitalist self interest at the expense of decency and social justice. Voters evaluate a smirk and wink, forget incompetent track record, loathe any change including improvements, let themselves be led by empty promises, and never get how bad leadership and policies pulled rug out from under them as they pencil in or pull lever for party in entirety.

So-called ultra-left hippies, long since extinct, pose zero threat. Post disco survivors dropped out and formed communes apart from mainstream, mimicking Amish and Mennonite farmers. Leftish majority may complain sporadically, remind people of contracts and duties, sometimes march around in solidarity, but such behaviors are innocuous to anyone but control freaks and criminal bosses. Yet working within a corrupt system simply corrupts, so anyone who exercises human right to participate in policy formation runs a risk of seduction. Civilization only exists because many take chances and trust others. Mindlessly conforming to expectations and regulations will kill you. Counterculture of the 60’s recognized that forsaking consumerism, returning to nature, and simplifying lifestyles would increases civilization’s chances of carrying on. Socialism has been a fact of American life since FDR’s New Deal; its entitlements of retirement and welfare were long secured by participant payments, just as recently added health insurance pays as you go with sketchy expectations of someday getting repaid in need.

Movies can be commercial mind rot, exist only for profit motives, and not always be worth your time. Distinctions blur among biopics, documentaries, features, and shorts; facts are presented, messages communicated, narratives delineated, points made, and tales spun more or less equally. Honesty is not an entertainment requirement. Labann tries to focus only on those in which a cast member actually rides a bicycle as a story element, passing over mere depictions of ubiquitous bicycles, which randomly appear in many films set in modernity. At the moment, how films affect political thinking weighs heaviest, since propaganda has long been associated with all forms of media. A long debate has never been resolved; since advertising has been shown effective getting consumers to buy stuff they don’t need, how gullible to specious logic and susceptible to violent urges does story content make audiences?

In Parisian comédie noire À la folie... pas du tout (To madness... or not at all, Laetitia Colombani, dir., 2003), aka He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, art student Angelique (Audrey Tautou) passionately loves cardiologist neighbor Loic (Samuel Le Bihan). She pedals her vintage Motobecane to shops to buy him gifts, and writes love notes. Problem is Loic has no idea who she is, is faithfully married, and wife Rachel (Isabelle Carré) is expectant. Angelique is an erotomaniac (sounds suitably filthy and French) with an excessive impulse for being in an all consuming affaire d'amour, which targets and torments Loic to a bad end for all, especially those who dare to intervene. Where did Angelique ever get such ideas? Idealized screen romances?

Set in 1950’s Ontario, misfit Catholic high-schooler Ralph Walker (Adam Butcher) gets into so much trouble harsh headmaster Father Fitzpatrick forces him to join team run by coach Father Hibbert (Campbell Scott). Ralph’s dad died in WWII and mom’s ill, but nobody cuts him any slack and repeatedly threatens to expel. Saint Ralph (Michael McGowan, dir., 2005) sees youngster train with bicycling friend Chester, who drags him around by rope, then Hibbert, who paces him by bike, to run in 1954 Boston Marathon. Ralph figures a win will be the miracle that awakens mom from her coma. Dismal tearjerker comes to a rousing conclusion when Ralph comes in second and revives her by giving her his silver medal. Pure fiction, youngest marathon runner ever to place or win was an 18 year old Kenyan. Labann has biked marathon route, which used to be a popular pre-race pastime on Patriots Day mornings before 2013 terrorist bombing at finish. Next marathon is postponed at least until Autumn of 2021, date to be announced.

Recall view from bus, Further, of destination New York City and 1965 World’s Fair in Magic Trip (Alex Gibney, Allison Elwood, filmmakers, 2011) about Ken Kesey, Neal Cassidy, and their Merry Pranksters cruising America. “Being on the bus was like being in an aquarium looking out...” at gawkers including a street vendor on a tricycle. Kesey’s reputation consists of an All American jock gone wrong by promoting unproductive personal experimentation after volunteering for CIA psychological tests. Taking all that LSD freed Ken from any desire to think cogently, though he continued to write and published one novel afterward among anthologies of essays and short stories. Authors get accepted by being slightly ahead of readers, not transcending this relationship on a quest of unfathomable space-time to which few can relate. Having passed The Acid Test meant graduating beyond dogma that suffocates and need to repeat processes. At least he had been heard, unlike millions of boomers who allowed themselves to be sucked back into machine and survived to testify. But who could live a free lifestyle without a royalty trust fund, and who wants to be known as a dropout slacker anyway? Anyone else with such a resume would have to resort to crime, because nobody hires admitted druggies with long gaps in productivity.

Micro-budget multiple award winning drama Short Term 12 (Destin Daniel Cretton, dir., 2013) has social worker Grace (Brie Larson, Captain Marvel) bicycling throughout between a sloppy flat and a temporary shelter to help troubled teens. She lives with scruffy coworker Mason (John Gallagher, Jr., Tony winner) who loves her despite her desperate past. Nate (Rami Malek, Mr. Robot) joins staff to help Marcus (Lakeith Sanfield) graduate out to a fairly normal life with a girlfriend and job in an aquarium after a suicide attempt. There’s no logic in altruism or empathy practiced daily by mental health workers, nurses in emergency wards, and such everyday heroes without whom society would collapse. Academy snubbed excellent performances because box office leverage in mega-millions is all they admire. Being rich is no measure of character.

Cousins raised as siblings Chloe (Krysta Rodriquez) and Vivien (Aimee Teegarden) inherit their aunt Isabelle’s (Linda Lavin) Bakery in Brooklyn (Gustavo Ron, dir., 2016). Chloe is a chef, palate and soul behind a television cooking show. Bicyclist Vivien just wants to enjoy Europe on a long planned vacation in this sappy romcom. At first, neither wants to be saddled with an old school boulangerie mortgaged to the tin tile ceiling. But banker can’t seem to carry out foreclosure after he tastes their tarts, and keeps boss at bay by helping get their century old shop listed on Historic Register. Family, promises, respect comprise duct tape and Post-it adhesive that hold civilization together, although people think machine guns whenever they hear civilization mentioned.

Go-along conditioning and habitual substance abuse have negatively impacted public’s ability to think critically. If your vote actually counted, you wouldn’t be allowed to. Millionaires aren’t the sole cause of society’s ills any more than poor account for national debt. However, any class but middle class is a detriment, sucks vitality from system, and transfers wealth upwards. Excessive saving or spending other than for necessities and sensible purchases denies livelihoods and diverts money. Eliminating debt would slow inflation and stiffen economy against recession. Devoting resources to value adding industries - agribusiness, manufacturing, mining - instead of pandering to what people want - addictive substances, distractive entertainment, pain abatement, sexual gratification - sounds responsible, but won’t expand industrial sectors, improve diversity, provide occupations for all skillsets, remain safe, or sustain society, since industry to date meant excessive carbon emissions and waste mountains. How cars and cigarettes harm environment has already been measured. Tax code let its worst evader in history become president, so only provides a solution when enforced without discrimination. Too-big-to-fail strategies steal from struggling masses to preserve a small number of privileged positions. Bank bailouts were greeted with big executive bonuses, while Job Bill around since 1990 never got discussed in Congress. Unless system of government works to increase middle class it isn’t worth preserving.

Bicyclists know how to cram everything they need into tiny bags. Paragraphs thus compartmentalized become interlocked jumbles. Apologies for being cranky at a crucial juncture. Life is convoluted, messy and twisted. Why should movie viewers expect everything neatly wrapped up in 90 minutes? Labann began commenting on bicycling culture in 1990 having lived within it since 1950, and still hasn’t revealed all that underlies it. A simple spin outdoors for fresh air and fun touches on everything under the sun from absolute mismanagement to zero contentment with how planet is being run.