We live, some would say, in the age of the inconsequential. We do though live in an age with seemingly no consequence.
That we are surrounded by the inconsequential is hardly worth mentioning. In fact, we accept it to such a level is only astonishing if one stops to think, because carefully mixed in with the spin and the propaganda and the PR exercises and the impassioned statements about this sad old world in need of more laws and regulations, are matters of absolutely no consequence.
Today I saw in a mainstream news source a report about the outrage that the removal of a character in an animated TV series was causing. There was we were told a real storm brewing because something that was unreal on all sorts of levels (a cartoon of a talking dog, no less) was about to leave our television screens. An act so terrible to comprehend that it was about to make people's lives unbearable.
Apparently the additional news that a new speaking cartoon dog was about to replace the old speaking cartoon dog of 14 years was not deemed likely to stop this reported impending explosion of anger. The afficianados of this televised fantasy, and who no doubt could repeat whole shows line for line, were I was reliably informed going to be upset. Very upset. Very, very upset. Petitions would be raised, urgent emails sent. Sharp comments made to friends.
People would say, with their voices cracking with emotion, that they could not possibly watch the show any more. "It's over," they would say, biting their bottom lip bravely. "They have ripped the heart out of this pointless animated fantasy that is sporadically amusing but not very well drawn and has gone on far too long."
No, sorry, I made that last bit up. None of the faithful who stare slack-jawed at this TV show would ever say that.
So I have been given inconsequential information and I suppose it had an effect: it prompted me to write this.
But there is (though hard to believe) something more important related to the inconsequential. This is the fact there is little or no consequence of any action these days. At one time there was a degree of honour, a sort of public admittance that wrong had been done. People in power resigned if found doing something wrong or immoral. A sort of falling on their sword.
Now though, those who comprise our lords and masters, the elite who dictate what we must do and think (even if they don't do it themselves) shrug so-called 'errors of judgement' off. Possibly they may admit, loosely, that they made a mistake or an error of judgement but no one would step down from a very personally rewarding office for screwing the nation or telling lies. No point in throwing in the towel when it's so well-paid and such an easy job too with all the perks and expenses and luxury living.
A small fuss may be made, but it will blow over in time. before too long people will have forgotten, and anyway you can always say sorry and carry on not being sorry. You see, one thing our elite has learned is that there is always the death of a TV cartoon character to deflect the public's attention from being dissatisfied for long.
This, in turn, moves down the food-chain. As above, so below.
We know that there are people 'out there' with no position and no authority but they have learned they have nothing to fear from any action they take. I understand that most petty crime goes unsolved and in fact, most petty crime is no longer reported because it just wastes your time. It would be just another statistic, lost in the maze of official documents to be filed away and forgotten. Nothing will be done and even if the system caught the little shit who did something to you and yours, chances are he or she will be told not to do it again. Possibly told in a strict voice, too, but really he or she can live with that.
Let me tell you a little tale. It is not significant in that it is probably happening all over the country these days to a greater or lesser degree, but it helps illustrate my point about no consequence.
Someone I know teaches in a comprehensive school. Tough job, but someone's got to do it. He does it with as much humour and good grace as he can manage; he knows the kids appreciate a light touch on the wheel of education if only to stop the uninterested falling asleep out of boredom. If you can tell them you like dubstep or whatever they listen to the lesson and thus one can begin to claim some of the little darlings' usually fragile attention.
One day Mr X (not his real name) was walking down school corridor and a child, big enough and tall enough to pass as a fully grown male, was beating the living poo out a little kid four years his junior. Right there in the school corridor, where teachers walk. Mr X dragged the wild child-man off the helpless little mite, hearing the bigger one saying -- the way teens do -- that he was fuckin' gonna kill the little twat, or words to that effect. The little twat was spared injury by fist and boot by timely intervention but as Mr X hauled the big lad away the thug was trying to still get punches and kicks in around the teacher in a last bid to hurt the smaller one.
Hauled off to the head's office the grinding wheels of scholarly justice ground into action and... nothing was done. The school it seemed did not want to expel the potentially homicidal yoof for fear of gaining a 'bad reputation.' The school's answer was to give Master Thuglet a three day suspension to reflect on his thuggery (and probably reflect well by playing violent video games and listening to rap or whatever) and then he could return to his local bastion of education to learn more. Or not.
The point is that this lout knew in today's society there would be no consequence. What are you going to do? Who are you going to call? There's nothing you can do to stop me. Say what you want but it has no bearing on me. Three days off school? Wow, that hurts! Can't you make it four and really make me suffer?
So the little kid, who may or may not have done something so terrible that he deserved to be punched and kicked by someone at least a third bigger, older and stronger, probably now lives in fear of his life. After all, who will defend him? The little one may hope that Mr X or Miss Y or another teacher is always around and the head of this school may hope that not only does it not happen again but also that the news doesn't get out and local parents remove their kids (though as you could only remove them to a school where another muscular lout can do the same, there's not much point.)
The big lout may one day end up committing a crime so terrible that he goes to jail, though you wouldn't bet on it. Whatever happens to him now though you can rest assured he got one good thing out of school: he has been taught there are no real consequences for any action.
He may however get very angry about the death of an animated talking dog on TV and really take it out on someone, no matter what the small consequences are.
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