A curious incident a few days ago points out the odd (and somewhat frightful) condition of modern American society.

A customer service representative recently received a call from a borrower. He was upset because his payment was late and therefore he had to pay a late fee and additional interest. When she explained that it was clearly stated on his bill that payment posted when received and not based on the postmark date, the borrower accused her of being a “Trump Supporter” because she is not sympathetic and unwilling to treat him the way he believed he was entitled to be treated. If she was a Biden supporter, she would have worked with him and granted him the waiver of fee and interest which he “deserved.”

This strange little incident illustrates what a sorry state we find our society and nations are in.

Listening to and reading a wide range of political programs and opinions, I quickly come to a conclusion that society seems to be massively fractured. And hopelessly political. We find more and more businesses both encouraged and taking action to deny service to those who do not believe as they (and their supposed market) do. If you are “blue” then Business X does not want your business. If you are “red” then you are welcome by Business X and looked upon with disfavor by Business Y.

We lovers of liberty look on this in amazed indifference. “I’m not really wanting to discuss politics with you just because I want to buy a bag of potatoes.” “I understand you are very much in favor of your chosen political candidate and party, and may I please check-out?” “Thank you for sharing your opinion with me. I don’t see how this has any bearing on the situation at hand here. May I pay you for my parking space now?”

Seriously, this reminds this writer more and more of the political factions in ancient Constantinople, where partisans of the Green faction would ambush and beat up partisans of the Blue faction on their way to the chariot races. And it also reminds me very much of the situation in the Germanies during the wars of religion in the 1500s and 1600s. There, your life (physical, not spiritual) might depend on which way you crossed yourself, or how many angels you believed could dance on the head of a pin. (Again, my spiritual ancestors did not cross themselves or worry about how angels lived: they were more concerned with weighty matters of the new covenant, like love and service.)

I count myself blessed that I only have to listen to a few political advertisements a day on radio, and can quickly tune them out (having heard them so often). I’d much rather listen to an ad for a glass replacement company or even an obnoxious antique and gift shop owner’s horrible voiceover.

But it is more than annoyance to see society become more and more political and therefore fractured. Important enterprises, such as providing raw materials (food, water, minerals, fuels, metals) are not organized, planned, and executed based on sound economics, engineering, and science. Rather, they are based on political impressions, assumptions, and alliances.

Truth is relative – and subject to change based on what your political masters (or teachers) are currently saying.

If that sounds like 1984 or Brave New World, don’t get excited. It IS like those dystopias.

What is the antidote? Truth. Truth and personal responsibility and self-discipline. Politics and government are two sides of the same evil coin: the idea that it is the rightful power of some people to make other people do things.