Welcome To DupliCity

Where everything is unprecedented

One day, every aspect of life in DupliCity came to be described as unprecedented, never done or known before. The word was everywhere, news headlines, political speeches, signs, and eventually in the mouths of every resident in DupliCity.

Days seemed similar, history became irrelevant. A scorched earth landscape replete with misstatements, contradictions and outright lies, none of which were ever acknowledged or retracted, completely void of remorse.

Residents behaved in unprecedented ways, accepting unprecedented events, held unprecedented elections, functioned in an unprecedented economy, life itself became unprecedented, after all, they lived in unprecedented times.

Laws were applied differently, guided by skin tone. Darker shades experienced a heavier weight of an unjust system, discrimination by law enforcement and an overall iron fist approach. Those of a lighter persuasion however, were usually met with calm and deference, even when they clearly violated laws.

President, pandemic, and protests

The President calls the shots… I have absolute authority. — The President

The President claimed absolute power only to deflect it upon others, accepting no responsibility for failure, yet constantly declaring victory, a true man behind the curtain.

It’s going to be up to the Governors. — The President

The highest office in the land, implemented restrictions, only to advise against them, calling for residents to defy the very orders he administered.

Liberate Minnesota! Liberate Michigan! Liberate Virginia… — The President

A pandemic, became both fact and fiction, some believing few if any deaths were attributed to a virus, while others thought it was killing nearly everyone.

When you have 15 people and the 15 within a couple days is going to be down to close to zero — The President

Despite lacking knowledge concerning this specific virus, shortage of testing, insufficient evidence regarding treatment, a variety of loud voices with mass followings claimed expertise, further confusing and dividing the public.

I’ve felt that it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic — The President

Should you need a fact or source for validation, media outlets were more than happy to provide it. Life was put on hold and news became the sole currency of DupliCity.

All the talk about Coronavirus being so much more deadly doesn’t reflect reality. — Fox News

Regardless of your opinion, someone was readily available to claim it as fact, confirming your bias, guilt free. Unprecedented times indeed.

Covid19 is 20 times more deadly than the flu. — LiveScience

While record numbers became unemployed and small businesses were closed, markets measuring value grew in wealth, with the same headlines justifying both.

Unprecedented unemployment… Unprecedented month for stocks since 1987 — WSJ & NYT

Despite having personalized channels and individual truths, inhabitants were constantly offended, defying reasonable requests in a knee jerk fashion. Echo chambers in Duplicity became air tight, inhabitants were depleted of Oxygen, resulting in cognitive decline.

Duluth protests over George Floyd’s death called unprecedented — Star Tribune

Protests spilled into the streets. Being DupliCity though, they were of two kinds. One involving residents carrying hand canons, in full military regalia, marching to the highest office in the land, threatening violence and demanding restrictions be lifted, or else.

While others dressed in plain clothes, free of weapons, calling on law enforcement to discontinue indiscriminate killings against them and their community. They were swiftly reminded of double dealing in DupliCity. While some may protest, others may not, they must accept their standing or be met with the full weight of the law, national guard, tanks, and curfews.

You want answers?

I think I’m entitled to them.

You want ANSWERS?

I WANT THE TRUTH!

You Can’t Handle The truth! (From The Film: A Few Good Men)

Unprecedented lies

The real casualty in DupliCity was truth itself. Shortly prior to unprecedented times, residents accepted a post truth world. Some say that’s when the real trouble began. The only truth that mattered was your truth, anyone doubting that was persecuting you. Even the wealthiest, most powerful among them, constantly claimed victim.

Not surprising, those in government, dismissing and appointing heads of agencies and departments, claimed discrimination by the same institutions that they themselves were leading!

Qualifications were irrelevant, outsiders became insiders, novices were experts, laws selectively applied, falsehoods were facts, in the post truth, unprecedented times of DupliCity.

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. — Bertrand Russell

When everything is unprecedented, nothing is unprecedented, residents become numb, desensitized to all stimuli. Some preferred burning DupliCity to the ground. Yet buildings are not evil by nature, owners, occupants, or business conducted within could very well be.

Allowing history to be our guide, we must first concede, these are NOT unprecedented times. Injustices of the past were worse in frequency and severity than those of today. We do need to acknowledge a flawed foundation, which requires rebalancing, and an end to systemic discrimination. Looking to precedent, invoking and applying previous victories for equality may guide us forward.

Hardships have plagued the past, but those in power never last. Better ideas eventually rise, to the oppressors demise. Help all you can along the way, for a better tomorrow starts today.