Be Not Afraid of the Tyrant

Learning to negotiate today’s perilous times

Minoritarian tyranny.

I didn’t catch who said it — CNN was on in the background providing white noise — but what a captivating phrase for our times. Is there anyone around who doesn’t feel a little tyrannized by the minority Other these days?

Currently it is Senator Tom Tuberville (R-AL,) who seems to be enjoying his absolute power over the entire Marine Corps and Department of Defense, among other things. A Forbes writer called it “defensive obstructionism” but I think “minoritarian tyranny” has a nicer ring to it. Sen Tuberville may have studied under Sen Joe Manchin — or a few higher-ups who will remain nameless here.

But minoritarian tyranny looks like it’s here to stay. When one person drinks the poison power cup, the rest of us are condemned to wait it out because those tantrumming tyrants are having so much fun. It isn’t restricted to politics, or even to humans. How about -

That driverless car whizzing around town, as if it really noticed me having the pedestrian right-of-way when it was silently making a left turn onto a one-way street?

Or the bot which is so sure of its superior artificial intelligence that no amount of human reason will get a human past it.

And then there is -

The guy behind me at Starbucks with a pistol on his hip. We need to pack heat in Starbucks in case of a Russian invasion?

Or the Florida mom so worried about her sensitive kid that she is now preventing a few million less sensitive kids from accessing a good book?

I won’t even start on the wedding planning cake-baker who got the Supreme Court to back up her little snit.

It is increasingly hard, though, to be a polite latte-drinking book lover hungry for a piece of cake at the gay neighbor’s tea party. Assuming I make it past the driverless car.

But I feel better now. Tyrannized minorities seek comfort in venting. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Just don’t look the Starbucks guy in the eye.