• “Let’s be honest, the real threat is Trump”
• “Maybe the pandemic ‘freethinkers’ are really sheep. Claims of individualism are a feature of American conformity.”

These two opinion pieces appeared in the Los Angeles Times the same day. They reveal an Orwellian disconnect from reality. I used to think progressives and I agreed on goals but differed on methods of getting there. Then I realized that we differed on goals as well. But now I see that we disagree on reality itself. In effect, we live on different planets.

High fuel prices? High prices of food and other necessities as a result of high fuel prices? Clog in the supply pipeline caused in part by stringent California smog rules that sideline about half of trucks? Wide open border with deluge of drugs and immigrants, an unknown number of whom are Covid-positive? Rising rates of homicide and other violent crime as police are defunded and demoralized? Government spending that puts drunken sailors to shame? The resulting inflation that whittles away the value of everyone’s dollars? A labor shortage caused in part by paying people not to work?

What, Trump is the problem? Name one thing that Trump is doing to make any of these problems worse. You can’t? Told ya.

As if that weren’t enough, we are told that bowing to extreme government Covid regulations isn’t conformity. Oh no, conformity is refusing to bow. Making our own decisions is not individuality. Oh no, individuality is going along with the crowd. Orwell had it right. But do we have to work so hard to prove him right?

Don’t Tread On Me? No more. Now many people’s motto is Please Tread All Over Me. But it’s not my motto. Is it yours?