GlitchSlapTko

Mark my words! The reaction of some folks out there to this monstrosity (The Freedom Tower)...

...will wind up doing to 'freedom' what this blasphemy (The Tower of Babel)...

....wound up doing to language. But the thing to keep in mind is that in the long run, in evolutionary terms, this probably is a good thing. That's because a kind of democratic diversity will be re-introduced into a system that has been for too long homogeneous; Remember how rich early America was with its diverse and multiple political parties?

However, it will take some time for later generations to enjoy the fallout of 'Post-Domocratic Babel' and for the rest of us, the interm period is shaping up to be pretty irksome. This probably had nothing at all to do with what Umberto Eco is saying in his essay 'Languages in Paradise'...so just forget I mentioned it.

Anyway, in concrete terms, just how bad could this impending paradigm shift get? Well, for the brave of heart, here are two stimulating artist's renderings of possible outcomes of a future 'Post-Domocratic Babel' :

1) Here's what Iraqis might look like after a few years of enjoying being weaned on the high-calorie, 'super-sized Freedom Fries'-like manna of American-style democracy (WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT):

By the way, specialists note that the scientifically verifiable 'irony' of the whole thing is that everyone in Iraq will wind up looking like Michael Moore, but think like Bush.

2) And what about the U.S. of A.? Well, here's what Americans will probably wind up looking like if Bush is re-elected (WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT):

Irony again rears its ugly head in this case. Here people would wind up kind of looking like George Bush (born in a desolate war-like wilderness, speaking in a strange, stutterning drawl) but THINKING like Moore.

Our experts also tell us that the picture above wouldn't actually change that much if we had asked them to portray a post-re-elected-Bush Japan. Natch.

This is what I'd do today if I had one wish: C'mere Lady Liberty, you look like you could use a hug. It looks like you weren't cut out for this kind of work. There, there...

I remember reading the following lines somewhere:

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame

With conquering limbs astride from land to land

And with that nugget of love, this is GlitchSlapTko sending out a big 'otsukare' to the Old Colossus, and signing off for a few weeks of travels in China.