Intercepted on Facebook: We Can't Do Without Our Friends

Okay, so here’s what happened. At about 3:00 in the morning on November 9th, I woke up, rolled over in bed, and checked Politico on my iPad. I was so disturbed by what I saw, I immediately deleted all my news apps and social media apps. Then I got up and turned on the PC and cancelled all my news feeds and deactivated all my social media accounts.

For almost three months after that I read no news, watched no news, listened to no news, overheard no news. None. No TV, no Politico or Real Clear Politics, no Facebook or Twitter, no nothing. When a news-related conversation started up near me, I walked away from it. When I entered the kitchen, _____ and _____ turned off the TV. Sure, I was being a chicken-shit. But I was genuinely dismayed by the state of our country. I do not exaggerate.

Then, toward the end of January, a concern arose at work as to how the Muslim ban might affect our international students. As a member of the senior staff at the college, I needed to be informed so I could help protect our kids. So I read up on the Muslim ban, then started reading other news too. After that, I eased back into the online world little by little. But I missed the entire transition, the inauguration, and a couple of weeks after that.

I’ve picked up on a few things since then. I do know about our national regression on environmental protections, the rollback of oversight of the corporate and banking sectors, the proposal of economic and tax policies benefiting the rich, the condemnation of the sick and the hungry, the baseless accusations and personal insults of public officials, the vilification of the free press and the court system, the continued refusal to disclose personal financial connections, the disregard for longstanding international commitments and partnerships, the public expressions of support for known despots, the demonization of immigrants and minorities, the support of religiously-justified bigotry, the continuous drip of evidence of conspiracy with a foreign state to manipulate a presidential election, the disregard for national security protocols, the off-handed instigation of diplomatic crises (including at least one threat of invasion), the use of the office of the presidency for personal gain, the conspicuous nepotism, the nomination of government officials to departments toward which they had previously shown animosity or through which they were positioned to benefit personally, the attempted use of federal investigative agencies for political and personal purposes, the demonstrated ignorance of many areas of common knowledge, the repeated demonstrable lies, the infantile personal comportment, and the overall tone of arrogance, willful ignorance, and general douchebaggery. So I’m all caught up.

Also, I hear there have been some Tweets.