The Hand That Takes

 So tired of the modern world. By which I mean social media, my only window on it. I've just borne witness to an unfunny cartoon - a man having an X-ray places a small pyramid of dust next to the X-ray machine and hides behind the door to fool the radiologist into thinking the X-ray was too strong ha ha - and have suffered the humourless pearl-clutching of "Disgusted of the Internet". I struggle to see the offence here. Is it being disrespectful to hard working medical professionals during a time of crisis? Did they recently attend a cremation and think it's too soon? Do they think this could happen? Is it irresponsible? You know, a child might see it and start to fear necessary X-rays, all because of somebody's idea of a joke? Do they think this is real? Do they not see the man hiding behind the door? Or do they think it's cruel to trick a two dimensional drawing of someone who never existed doing something that never happened? Do they just not like mess? Would they prefer to see the dust in a different shape? I too am triggered by triangles...

It's not clear. Nevertheless, people were upset. I know this, without having to read their "real concerns" because the rest of the comments were from braying, snorting bros - you know the type: 100 followers, picture of a motorbike as their status pic, no spontaneous content, just re-posts - telling them they were "humorless", that "they just wanted to be offended" and inevitably, though inaccurately, they were "woke" and "snowflakes". They were insistent on their comedy credentials (they all love Monty Python, as if that's an expression of comic sophistication. I can just hear that emphasis on "Py-THON") and then they made their bloomer - they think you can't be offended by ANYTHING. I'm offended by that. The everything's a joke crew. The lighten up - it's only words. Words can't hurt you posse. The people who voted for Boris Johnson, because he's a proper laugh. Who think Trump is hilarious. And anyway, it doesn't matter - they're all the same. And what's wrong with Golliwogs anyway? They're just like any other dolly, and you think anything different you WANT to be offended. 

At the moment, on what no one is calling "X", the words "dog racism" are trending. Dog racism. A dog killed a man, and the government are looking to ban certain types of dogs and thus the pithy phrase "dog racism" is born, designed to inflame culture wars and start vituperative slagging matches between groups of people who have nothing to go to war about, except that phrase. It's been coined to sow dissent, to promote rage, to make people angry, to provoke and divide. It's an evil phrase, and another one just like it will be coined tomorrow and the day after, to foment hatred and generate hits. It's a disgusting perpetual motion machine, an ongoing and endless degradation and debasement of humanity. 

Though that's probably just me wanting to be offended. 

But I am exhausted by it all.