The Dead Dog, And The Flooded Zone

The weekend with that dog was a gift maybe to him, certainly to his people, but time is a luxury good.

In 2018, former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon told Michael Lewis. “The real opposition is the media. And the way to deal with them is to flood the zone with shit.” The idea is that the media can only pick a few things to cover and amplify on any given day, so they will settle on a few things, and the majority of actions will fly under the radar.

The media, whatever you may think of them, has no innate power. The only power the media wields is that of public awareness, this is true of The New York Times, Coffeezilla, or Car and Driver. Flooding the zone is a strategy of making sure a public who might care, will remain unaware of actions taken by the administration. Many reporters and outlets have earned valid criticism, or even contempt, but when the goal on any day is flood the zone, the enemy is the public.

There is a lot going on right now, not all of it political. This week a dog who, while not mine, was in my life reached the tipping point. He was taking 7 daily pills, 3 daily eyedrops, and at the end I had to hold his hips up when he used the bathroom. He probably got five extra years due to medical science, but by the end he needed care like that of a baby, yet he wasn’t growing up, only old.

Knowing the right thing to do for that dog, flooded my zone and the zone of the dogs true owner. The dog had a weekend of joy, he ate his favorite foods, went to his favorite places, and sat among the flowers he ran among when younger. His perfect weekend wasn’t much different from his usual ones—just intensified, turned up to 11. He died eating a muffin in his mother's arms.

Time Is A Luxury Good

Time with that dog was a gift. The weekend with that dog was a gift maybe to him, certainly to his people, but time is a luxury good. I distract myself from my individual problems by looking outward, in the few days when I knew what would come of the dog I wrote 5,000+ words for my neglected newsletter. I read the news of the world, and reached out to old friends.

Of those friends one was living in a hotel with two kids, unable to make enough money all at once to get into a rental. Another friend, had been ripped off by someone they trusted, they were now driving food delivery in a panic, because the long term job they started didn’t pay for two more weeks, and they needed money ASAP. Both had things to grieve, neither had time, because time is a luxury.

After the dog passed, I had things to do, because time is a luxury. I had maintenance tasks, do laundry, cook dinner. Important tasks, find a shirt for the wedding, my wedding that happens next week. Urgent tasks preparing documents and mailing them out for a hearing, because a company that hired me last year has refused to pay me, and claimed to the Texas Workforce Commission I never worked for them.

Time is a luxury, and some will lie to buy themselves time. In Texas, back wages are owed within six days. Ignoring communication, lying and dragging out the process is a favorite strategy of shitty people. Delay, deny, defend, the mantra of the modern monster.

The Perfect Day Most Cannot Afford

The dog got a perfect day and a peaceful end, because the luxury of time was afforded to those around him for a few days. Someone heading to a food bank after a roommate stole the rent money and fled the state has no such luxury. They have the maintenance tasks we all have, they have spontaneously appearing tasks urgent, and important that creep up on all of us.

For many, our zones are flooded without the government trying to overwhelm us with shit so we remain unaware of actions we would oppose. But driving to the food bank, after selling something they said they never would to pay the rent they just had stolen, one may lack the luxury of time. Driving to the food bank, they may not know the U.S. Department of Agriculture is canceling $500 million in federal funding for food banks, food pantries and local meal programs.

Our zones are flooded, already. Flooding the zone labels the enemy as the people, not the media.

Now rest in peace little man. You were an amazing boy, and I don’t regret a single late night standing outside with you.

Postscript

As the events above were happening, I got a message from an immigration attorney I know well saying that Border Patrol was targeting migrant aid groups. A friend who worked for FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) let me know she was laid off.

For global events of this period, well, we found out defence secretary Pete Hegseth brings his wife to meetings with foreign military counterparts. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney essentially gave a diplomatic breakup statement, addressing the end to the old relationship with the United States. Iran’s president rejected direct negotiations with The United States regarding their nuclear program. In Myanmar thousands of people are presumed dead following an earthquake.

I can grieve a dog, I am allowed to. I know it’s a privilege, but I am allowed it. Many lack the time to grieve, for many others I know, the old adage, "It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it's a depression when you lose yours." is holding true. I had about 19 conversations with people who think things will all turn around, the hard economic times are just a blip or that DOGE stimulus checks are coming to save them.

We must keep hope alive, but we cannot live in delusion. Currently many people, even with the luxury of the time needed to stay informed are willingly buying the hopium of videos like “Fed up RIGHTWING judges hand Trump major DEFEATS.” To be informed only from such a perspective is worse than to be uninformed. Not knowing allows complacency, believing Trump is being beaten down encourages inaction, and public action is the only power the media holds.