Re: The Empire State Building, "they need the sheep fearful," and "sense of entitlement":
That sub-thread of conversation is groanworthy. But, if anyone cares, my quick take is as follows:
1. The color on the Empire State Building makes the thing look dystopian. I'm sure they were well-intentioned, but it was a well-intentioned mis-step. They should switch it to something soothing, or patriotic, or cheerful. Right now it looks like the
Eye of Sauron has found a new home.
2. This is
not a good example,
@Musikron, of "they/them" trying to manipulate the proverbial "sheeple." I don't deny there are people, even in the unruly U.S.A., who are too-easily cowed or swayed by mass-marketing or ideological propaganda. And I don't deny that we should be skeptical of those who knowingly try to manipulate the "sheeple." But
IF the bad choice of color on the Empire State Building
was a conscious attempt at any kind of manipulation, it was ham-handed and counterproductive, and thus not the work of a skilled manipulator, but of an inept clown. That's
IF it was a dumb attempt to terrify.
But I doubt it was. I'm confident the real explanation is something like this: A bright, sensitive young thing with a marketing degree, recently hired to do PR work for the city, proposed at a meeting, "We should do something to celebrate emergency responders!" ...and the boss half-glanced down from the end of the table with a look of boredom and said, "Sure, Cindy Lou, make it happen," and Cindy Lou went off and did it, without running it by anyone more experienced.
3. I'm sure you didn't mean it this way,
@jon, but if there
were any genuine threat to anybody's life, liberty, or property in the
Empire Sauron Building debacle, then it would be important to stress that unalienable rights are, y'know,
unalienable, and not the product of a "sense of entitlement." (That is to say, we shouldn't construe liberty as something a spoiled person
feels he is owed, but isn't
actually owed, since even a spoiled brat is
really and truly owed equal justice under law, protection from arbitrary seizure of property, etc.) But of course there
isn't any such threat from the
Eye Of DeBlasio (I prescind from the question of de Blasio himself), and as you correctly noted the
real threat, at present, is the pandemic!
Jeez. The whole thing wasn't even worth saying all that.
But I've typed it, so I guess I'll hit post. What the heck.