{"id":5210,"date":"2016-11-08T04:36:54","date_gmt":"2016-11-08T04:36:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/?p=5210"},"modified":"2021-02-13T03:26:37","modified_gmt":"2021-02-13T03:26:37","slug":"mi-dulce-and-donald-trump-made-me-a-contrarian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/?p=5210","title":{"rendered":"‘Mi Dulce’ – and Donald Trump – made me a Contrarian (or actually an Independent)"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Ralph Waldo Emerson<\/a>\u00a0– possibly the first real\u00a0Contrarian<\/a>*\u00a0<\/strong>in American History…<\/em><\/p>\n

* \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n

(Editor’s note: Make that “Independent, like Moses and Jesus.” As discussed in my upcoming February 2021 post, which means changing – to the extent possible – all references to the word “Contrarian” in the text below into “Independent.” Then too, it seems that most Independents have to have a bit of a Contrarian streak to stay<\/strong> Independent…)<\/em><\/p>\n

* \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n

It’s the eve of Election Day, 2016, and thus a time for reflection. \u00a0(Not to mention prayer…)<\/em><\/p>\n

Whatever the outcome tomorrow, we’re in for more turmoil. \u00a0The “war for the soul of America<\/a>”\u00a0will go on. \u00a0It will continue largely unabated. \u00a0(And by the way,\u00a0Googling<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>that “war for the soul” phrase got me 13,400,000 results.)<\/em>\u00a0 So whoever becomes the next president, he or she will face\u00a0rabid<\/em><\/strong> hostility from close to half the American population. \u00a0Which means in turn that he or she will face\u00a0the prospect of impeachment, or at least a realistic threat<\/em><\/strong> of impeachment.<\/p>\n

But as\u00a0Lincoln<\/a>\u00a0noted – some time before that <\/span>other<\/em> Civil War – a “<\/span>house divided against itself cannot stand<\/a>.” \u00a0He went on to add that “I do not expect the house to fall – but I do expect it will cease to be divided<\/em><\/strong>. \u00a0It will become all one thing or all the other.”<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, it may take a good long time – not to mention a lot of\u00a0weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth<\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0before that “all one thing or all the other” comes true. \u00a0In the meantime, Cheer up!<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n

I’m about to tell you how Mi Dulce<\/em> – and Donald Trump – turned me into a\u00a0Contrarian<\/em>:<\/p>\n

A contrarian is a person who takes up a contrary position, especially a position that is opposed to that of the majority, regardless of how unpopular it may be.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

(See Wikipedia<\/a>.) \u00a0<\/em>And a word of explanation: \u00a0The Internet says\u00a0Mi Dulce<\/em> is\u00a0Spanish for \u201cMy Sweet.\u201d \u00a0That’s what I call the\u00a0lady I’ve been “dating” some time now. \u00a0(Since the start of the relationship, near the time\u00a0I started saying she had me “wrapped around her little finger.”)<\/em><\/p>\n

Also since then she’s broken up with me at least 10 times. \u00a0And I learned – over time – that\u00a0she is an ardent conservative. \u00a0(What I now call an \u201cRWW,\u201d or \u201cright wing wacko.\u201d) <\/em><\/p>\n

There’s more on that later, but it does raise the topic of\u00a0Contrarians<\/a>.\u00a0 <\/em>As Merriam-Webster<\/a>\u00a0defines it, a\u00a0Contrarian<\/em> is a “person who takes an opposite or different position or attitude from other people.” \u00a0There are good reasons why I prefer that term over “moderate” or “Independent.” \u00a0(One of them is based on Ralph Waldo Emerson<\/a>:<\/em> \u00a0\u201cWhoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist<\/a><\/em>.\u201d \u00a0But basically I just like the sound of it. \u00a0It sounds more “manly.” \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

That is, I used to call myself<\/em> <\/strong>a “moderate,” but these days that sounds pretty\u00a0wishy-washy<\/a>. \u00a0(“Oh, I just can’t make up my mind!”)<\/em>\u00a0 Then back in July – close to Independence Day – I toyed with the idea of calling myself an “Independent.” \u00a0(See\u00a0On the Independent Voter<\/a>, which includes the image at left.) \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

But in the end I’ve taken up the term\u00a0Contrarian<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, and it’s all because of Mi Dulce<\/em> – and Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

Getting back to Mi Dulce<\/em>: \u00a0When we first met, I was\u00a0all “moderate<\/a>\u00a0and nicey-nicey.” \u00a0(Like Aristotle<\/a>, below right.) \u00a0<\/em>I used to say – or at least think<\/em> – things like,\u00a0“Let’s not rush to judgment!” \u00a0Or, “Let’s wait until we get all the facts before we say anything that might be taken the wrong way!”<\/p>\n

\"CopyThe problem is that in my neck of the woods – especially with someone like\u00a0Mi Dulce<\/em> – that moderate, reasoned, common-sense approach will get you nothing but\u00a0bowled over<\/a>. \u00a0(In the sense of hearing something so “whacked” that you are rendered temporarily speechless with disbelief.) \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Now, to be fair – not to mention moderate and reasoned – I’m sure there are lots of\u00a0left-wing<\/em><\/strong> wackos out there as well. \u00a0(Somewhere.)<\/em> \u00a0But I haven’t met any. \u00a0None of them seem to live in my neck of the woods.<\/p>\n

Instead, where I live there seem to nothing but right-wing<\/em><\/strong> wackos.<\/p>\n

That means I’ve had to listen to nothing but moaning, groaning and complaining these last eight years. \u00a0(Since\u00a0Obama<\/a><\/em>\u00a0got elected.) \u00a0<\/em>So naturally I got a bit tired of it. (Hearing the same complaints over and over.) \u00a0<\/em>But then – to top it off – it turned out that Mi Dulce<\/em>\u00a0was a right-wing wacko too.<\/p>\n

(But not really. \u00a0She has a heart. \u00a0I’ve seen her buy a hamburger for a homeless guy, and there’s a stray cat that keeps coming by to mooch a free meal from her. \u00a0Plus she’s cute…)<\/em><\/p>\n

And I’ve learned one thing about RWWs. \u00a0(Including but not limited to “Mi Dulce.”)<\/em> \u00a0They all use the\u00a08-track tape<\/a>\u00a0mode of political discourse.<\/p>\n

If you’re under the age of 65, you probably don’t remember this “magnetic tape sound recording<\/a> technology,” popular in the U.S. from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s. \u00a0That’s when “the\u00a0Compact Cassette<\/a> format took over.” \u00a0(And what’s<\/strong> a compact cassette?)<\/em><\/p>\n

The thing about 8-tracks was that they never stopped. \u00a0You never got to the end. \u00a0They used a “continuous loop” system, which is why they didn’t have a rewind option. \u00a0As long as you played the tape, you got the same thing over and over again. \u00a0The same “data,” the same songs played in the same order over and over again.<\/p>\n

Which is pretty much like trying to have a meaningful conversation with a right-wing wacko…<\/p>\n

The upshot? \u00a0My definition of a Contrarian<\/em> includes the fact that we have to take a position directly opposite the person we’re talking to\u00a0just to get a &^%$ word in edge-wise!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

You could also refer to it as having to “out-wacko the wackos.” \u00a0And that’s<\/em> <\/strong>turning out to be a skill that we former “moderates” are definitely<\/em> going to need in the years ahead.<\/p>\n

Which is where Donald Trump comes in.<\/p>\n

\"DonaldHow “the Donald” could turn someone into a Contrarian should be\u00a0self-evident<\/a>. \u00a0But in another sense\u00a0you could say he’s liberated us from all those hangups about having to be factually accurate in what we say. \u00a0(In other words, “moderate.” \u00a0Or for that matter feeling the need to say only<\/strong> things that actually makes sense.)<\/em><\/p>\n

But that also means that from now on, those right-wing wackos are going to feel free to say anything<\/em> <\/strong>outlandish that comes into their pointy little heads. \u00a0In fact, the more outlandish to better.<\/p>\n

Which means in turn that if we former-moderates stick to “just the facts” – or only<\/em> <\/strong>make sense in what we say – those RWWs are just going to bowl us over. \u00a0So, in self-defense both moderates and L<\/em><\/strong>WWs will need to learn how to “out-wacko the wackos.”<\/p>\n

Which turns out to be actually kind of fun, once you get the hang of it. \u00a0And that’s something I would never had learned without Mi Dulce. \u00a0(And of course “the Donald.”)<\/em><\/p>\n

I’ll be writing more on this topic in the days to come, but for now I’d like to\u00a0watchfully wait<\/a>\u00a0until tomorrow night. \u00a0I want to see who I’ll be “contrarying” over the next four years.<\/p>\n

But before closing, a few observations. \u00a0One is that being a Contrarian<\/em> is a bit like being\u00a0a\u00a0public defender<\/a>\u00a0– which I was, for 24 years \u2013 or like a \u201cDevil\u2019s advocate<\/a>.\u201d \u00a0(One of the\u00a0\u201csee alsos\u201d in the\u00a0Wikipedia<\/a>\u00a0article on\u00a0Contrarians<\/a>.) \u00a0<\/em>Another is that at times, the give-and-take between Don and Hillary these past few months have reminded me of\u00a0Playing the Dozens<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But finally, note that being a Contrarian<\/em> means learning how to make a\u00a0snappy comeback<\/a>. \u00a0And the nice thing about right-wing wackos is<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>the fact that they make the same arguments over and over again. \u00a0Which means your “moderate” or “Contrarian”\u00a0snappy comebacks<\/a>\u00a0don’t have to be all that snappy. \u00a0You can plan<\/em><\/strong> your snappy comebacks way ahead of time.<\/p>\n

Which translates to: \u00a0“Bless those right-wing,\u00a08-track<\/a>\u00a0political arguments…”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

* \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n

Stay tuned<\/a>…<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

“Factory optional 8-track stereo player … mounted between the center console<\/a> and dash…”<\/em><\/p>\n

* \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n

The upper image is courtesy of Ralph Waldo Emerson – Wikipedia<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The 8-track image is courtesy of\u00a08-track tape – Wikipedia<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Re: \u00a0<\/em>\u201cWhoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist<\/a><\/em>.\u201d \u00a0On the other hand I could<\/strong>\u00a0just give up the fight and join the ranks of grumpy old white people who now surround me on every side. \u00a0But who wants to be a cliche? \u00a0Or to paraphrase\u00a0Jackie DeShannon<\/a>:\u00a0 \u201cWhat the World\u00a0Doesn\u2019t<\/strong> Need Now Is a Bunch More Grumpy Old White People<\/strong><\/a>.” \u00a0(See also\u00a0\u201cNo city for Grouchy Old White People<\/a>.”)<\/em><\/p>\n

Re: Playing the Dozens<\/a>. \u00a0This verbal game is\u00a0known best \u2013 in the white world \u2013 through the phenomenon of\u00a0Yo Mamma Jokes<\/a>. \u00a0<\/em>\u00a0(\u201cYo\u2019 mamma so fat,\u201d \u00a0\u201cYo mamma so ugly,\u201d etc.)<\/em><\/p>\n

The Dozens is a game of spoken words between two contestants, common in Black communities<\/a> of the United States, where participants insult each other until one gives up. \u00a0It is customary for the Dozens to be played in front of an audience of bystanders, who encourage the participants to reply with more egregious insults to heighten the tension and, consequently, to be more interesting to watch.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The problem \u2013 as\u00a0Richard Pryor<\/a>\u00a0once noted \u2013 is that\u00a0\u201cwhite folks\u201d do not know how to play. \u00a0White people \u2013 witnessing such exchanges \u2013 fail to realize that they offer an alternative<\/strong> to actual violence. \u00a0(\u201cThe status of a participant is greatly diminished if he answers a verbal insult by fighting.\u201d) \u00a0And they fail to recognize that the goal is to show some linguistic creativity, rather than \u201cweakening\u201d the opponent or the community. \u00a0<\/em>Which of course opens a a whole new topic of discussion: \u00a0Teaching white people like Hillary and Don the right<\/strong> way to play the game…<\/em><\/p>\n

The lower image is courtesy of\u00a08-track tape – Wikipedia<\/a>. \u00a0The full caption: \u00a0“Factory optional 8-track stereo player in a 1967 American Motors<\/a> (AMC) vehicle mounted between the center console<\/a> and dash.” \u00a0The article added: \u00a0“The format is regarded as an obsolete technology, and was relatively unknown outside the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Japan.”<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ralph Waldo Emerson\u00a0– possibly the first real\u00a0Contrarian*\u00a0in American History… * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * (Editor’s note: Make that “Independent, like Moses and Jesus.” As discussed in my upcoming February 2021 post, which means changing – to the extent possible – all references to the word “Contrarian” in the text below into “Independent.” Then […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5210"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5210"}],"version-history":[{"count":96,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5210\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10279,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5210\/revisions\/10279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5210"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}