Not The Truth Or No Consequences

Truth or Consequences was an old TV show that proves that Bob Barker was not born an old man like Morgan Freeman.  (Scholars argue over the exact age, but generally estimate that he was about 49 years old at birth.) 

Here’s the Wikipedia article:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth_or_Consequences

And here’s the YouTube algorithm top hit for me of an old black & white episode:

https://youtu.be/YFC2xc35ezM?si=AMO6dRy2nN7sG4XM

Let’s Make A Deal comes to mind as being in the same light hearted vein.  The more outrageous the costumes, the more fun the contestant.  In ToC, it was more about the zany stunts than remotely trying to be a trivia genius.  It was centered around “ordinary” people doing crazy shit, the consequences being some teasing and putting up with gentle mockery while doing something harmless in good fun.  Which also had a modest financial reward attached.  Old school TV - put butts in front of the screen with something fun and relatable.  Deliver advertisements from established manufacturers for dish soap, cars and paper towels.  The audience is there because they’ve volunteered to be there because it’s fun.

Grammatically, Truth or Consequences is a solid “either/or” concept.  Once the Truth part is stripped from the math, the question always being answered wrong because that’s the format, a zany stunt is inevitable.  And that brings us to this moment in U.S. History.  Something that’s been baked into the non-functional legal, accounting and political systems for multiple generations.  Why should you follow rules if there are no consequences for not following rules?  Why should corporations clean up the pollution left behind if the rule only exists on paper?  Or if it only exists in the minds of those with a semblance of critical thinking skills and a functioning moral compass?

More specifically for this week, why should a federal agent be allowed to use excessive force to murder a person without due process?  Is it because the actual wording of their code of conduct is a stupid rule nobody got around to eliminating or is it maybe because there’s no expectations of consequences for their actions?

The game show analogy is solid.  There is neither actual truth nor real consequences involved in the show’s format.  And there doesn’t need to be as the show would be far less entertaining for the common person.  It’s not designed for bigger picture issues, like should it be influencing if you vote for Reagan or Mondale.  And now as the media landscape has shifted towards lopsided monetization that only the most extreme versions apply to the audience, now we’ve shifted to is it okay for ICE agents to arbitrarily murder people because there are no consequences?  Yes, that does seem to be the case.

And the arbitrary moment we’re in now didn't just suddenly appear.  Boats that may or may not be loaded with drugs getting blown up.  Rioters storming the capitol being pardoned just because they’re on the right team of extremists.  Victims of child trafficking committing suicide because any real justice, any significant consequences being issued seems remote and abnormal.  The normalization of politically motivated violence is here.  It’s no longer the fun and games of being a media influencer for some cheap thrills and a bunch of Patreon subscriptions.  Now we’re beyond, “Vote Republican if you want to keep your job.”  Now we’re officially at the stage of necessary compliance or get a bullet in the face.

Oh sure I’m biased about this.  I took the time to watch the video footage knowing it would disgust me.  The only credit I give to the pro ICE variation of the story is a tiny car bump that may have been self induced.  Easily avoidable and certainly not worth three bullets.  The entire confrontation was unnecessary and avoidable.  No trauma over affordability.  No federal troops asked to intervene and make uncoordinated and arbitrary decisions.  No violence.  The best thing that happened to me in the last 15 years was my exit from working for landlords.  How profit is going to be driven by moderating a large group of diverse people that can be arbitrarily shot any day?  Paying for security is part of the overhead and economy?  I’d never remain sane in that atmosphere of toxic office politics.  The, “Oh No My InVeStMeNtS!!” crowd smugly loves to ignore shit like this.

Before I forget, there is a gematria cheapo to throw in here.  If conspiracy gematria actually worked, this would mean something:

But they don’t want you to know that.  The quick flyby of the Zachosphere shows the old habits die hard.  The same lack of consequences for running scams by not being truthful drives all the online grifting.  The zany stunt is calling cold blooded murder a hoax, while simultaneously projecting it’s the Minnesota governors fault, the Yale Brotherhood of Death is involved and some weird shot for a two digit number match about dinosaurs.  Because, yeah sure.  That makes all kinds of fucking sense that it’s a hoax and a ritual sacrifice murder simultaneously.  It’s Not the Truth AND No Consequences by the crowd that calls themselves truth seekers.