Narrative management is where it’s at, and the story about U.S. space travel is about glorifying the empire — while ironically racing toward its collapse by hollowing out its life support systems.
Or maybe glorifying the domination and pollution of space and rapacious billionaires who enable it is the substance of upholding the narrative around our disintegrating empire at this point in history?
Odd that perseverance hasn’t gotten us universal health care, an end to the (designed to be endless) “war on terror,” or vaccines for everyone who wants them.
Nurses unions are begging for the Center for Disease Control to recognize that aerosols convey COVID-19 virus, a scientific fact that I’m pretty sure most 2nd graders in our nation grasped months ago. (You can sign their petition to the CDC here.) Will perseverance get them there? Probably not without a strike.
Science denial about climate crisis has led to Texas frozen in a freak storm, its water treatment plants darkened, its mansions flooded from burst pipes.
The fossil fuel industry that caused both the underlying climate chaos and the unregulated power grid dependent on dinosaur remains plus the underfunded social safety net is busy churning out lies. Failing to supply millions of homes with the power to heat or cook was falsely blamed on solar and wind energy systems.
All the while, Pentagon contracting and its newest division Space Force roll on, gobbling up the vast majority of our taxes and hastening our demise. But hooray for landing on Mars! Because narrative management is where it’s at.