Phonies, Presidents, and the Pain of Progress: A Look at Our Strange World

 

 

 

If phonies were real, we’d make them the funnies on a treadmill—running endlessly, never stopping. Imagine being chased down by incessant behaviors with no limits. The world is in pain, and we must save it from itself. Let’s ask Putin, supposedly the only president with common sense. The rest? Baggage of dishonor. One moment they possess willpower; the next, they quench their thirst with the cold, burning flames of Hades. It’s one way to know we live in a virtual reality—a reality as vivid as your dreams and imagination. The only difference is the degree of interaction we have.

So here you are, reading this, perhaps thinking there’s an interesting topic at hand—a distraction from the whines and memes of the internet and the dormant culture riding the waves of our distant actions. No one is truly safe if they insist on close interactions with others. Physical proximity is losing its dominance. We know by now that calling out to a woman on the street isn’t “fancied” anymore. It’s appalling—always has been, even before the internet existed. But now, it’s unmistakably apparent. Still, let’s not dive too deeply into that sea. Instead, let’s salute the women and men who make the world stranger than it already is.

These men and women—some with degrees, some without—work tirelessly to turn our reality into an illusion. They are the presidents, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and self-regulated individuals who solve problems by creating them.

The world was, is, and will always be safe—but only if we acknowledge that without the efforts of these individuals, our dreams would remain illusions we cannot trust. Those who embrace illusions end up leading the world, convincing us that Elon Musk is a genius while Donald Trump is a villain. Meanwhile, Africa trails behind, trapped in a cycle of poverty and degradation. Why is this so? What convinces you that Trump is a terrible president or that Xi Jinping is a tech-savvy leader with an enigmatic face hiding countless secrets? Why do you think your boss is unbearable while your work is supposedly stellar—good enough to be fed to sharks at a bar?

There’s a brief history of everything. I’m not updating that—you are. We’re continually rewriting it with memes and gender-based debates, arguing that left legs and right legs shouldn’t meet in between. Then someone points out that there are people who are biologically both male and female. And you know what? It’s true. Everyone faces discrimination at some point. But as these battles rage on, there will come a time when these fights are no longer relevant—much like how slavery enslaved certain people for over four hundred years. Now, almost everyone either hides their biases, practices them in secret, or openly rejects them while holding onto silent prejudice.

We are truly delusional creatures. We say one thing, mean another, and do exactly what we’ve warned others not to do. And yet, we call ourselves “humans,” not “human beings.”

How should I end this? I didn’t go as in-depth as I wanted. This is a blog, not a vlog, documentary, or reality TV show. Just take a bite.

Half the population on this planet has grown smarter. We’ve become acutely aware of information that was once scarce. Wars were fought because the powerful knew not everyone was aware of who they were or where others were. But now? We have a rough idea of both. We can watch a sports match across the globe and have proof of it. Better yet, we can form friendships, partnerships, and long-distance relationships with people oceans away.

We’re now in an open-world game, and the maps are clearer than ever. The more clarity we gain, the more we’ll either fight or grow curious.

Enough said. Time to retreat to my cave, where few would care to visit. Maybe I’ll find someone interesting to share it with.

-KJBeya