Scapegoats

     Many preclassical religions employed the notion of a “scapegoat:” an animal to whom the sins of a penitent could be mystically transferred, securing forgiveness for the penitent at the cost of the animal’s life. This practice was in deference to the old maxim that “there can be no remission without the shedding of blood.” Jews of the First Century held to this belief as well. That’s part of the reason – though by no means all of it – that Jesus allowed Himself to be sacrificed on the Cross.

     It makes a weird kind of sense that scapegoat practices should have returned in the Twenty-First Century, though not in the guise of religion. There are an awful lot of sins of the political variety demanding expiation.

     We’re all familiar with the loss of cognitive function – including awareness of his surroundings – exhibited by Joe Biden. No one who’s watched any of the videos of his sputtering or aimless wandering could honestly claim to be unaware of his deterioration. Yet this is the man the Democrats’ kingmakers decided to install in the presidency by hook or by crook: a man visibly incapable of discharging the lightest of its duties. Intelligent observers have, quite naturally, been wondering why.

     Simultaneously with the ever-deepening dementia of Joe Biden, we have the spectacle of John Fetterman, currently the lieutenant-governor of Pennsylvania, running for a seat in the United States Senate. Fetterman, a recent stroke victim, is so plainly mentally disabled that even legions of Democrat-friendly reporters can’t conceal the fact from the public…though God knows they’re trying.

     There’s also Eric Adams in New York City and Lori Lightfoot in Chicago to consider. These people are so obviously incapable of performing the duties of their offices that no further comment is necessary. Both cities are on the verge of total collapse. Neither mayor has the least idea what to do about it…and, quite possibly, would be prevented from doing anything that might work even if they were to stumble upon it by accident. Are they brain-damaged? Perhaps…but they’re certainly unequal to their public responsibilities.

     Gentle Readers can extend this list of inadequate-for-public-duties Democrat officeholders at their leisure. I’m more interested in the why than in making a definitive list of the who.

     Remember that the scapegoat was chosen to be sacrificed: to shed its blood in place of the human sinner. The dubious spiritual efficacy of the procedure to one side, the practical value – that is, the uninterrupted life and health of the sinner – is obvious. Few persons are so consumed by contrition that they’d elect to be ritually slaughtered for whatever sins might lie upon their consciences.

     The political scapegoat is a horse of a different color. His function is to shield others – the handlers and real policy makers – from the odium for their sins. If public outcry against the policies dictated by those gray eminences becomes too loud, the scapegoat-officeholder can be pushed forward to take the blame and suffer the penalty. While the practice is neither honest nor kind, as the penalty is usually just loss of office, it’s not quite as savage as the blood sacrifices of yore.

     Decent persons would never tolerate such things. Neither would we knowingly elect an obvious incompetent. It requires massive electoral fraud to put a political scapegoat in office. It requires huge and complex deceptive operations to keep the fraud, and the incapacity of the scapegoat, from being successfully plumbed, which is why the cooperation of the media is essential.

     Perhaps this has already occurred to my Gentle Readers. But contemplate this as well: for some of these scapegoats, specifically the ones in executive offices, there may be backup scapegoats, ready to be pushed forward should the gray eminences decide that the “front-line” scapegoat must be sacrificed. Kamala Harris is only the most obvious example.

     It’s something to keep in mind in those states that will hold gubernatorial elections this coming November…also, among those who think that merely ridding ourselves of Joe Biden would do anything much to repair the policies with which the Usurper Regime has saddled us.

     “Do not look at the hooded figures in the dog park.” — Welcome to Night Vale