Insecurities on Display at Walmart

I didn't have to go to Walmart today, but I was doing an 'experiment' in trying to find something. It was a bust, but I needed deodorant anyway, so I went. But I am probably very far from original in this observation, and I'm sure people made note of this 25 years ago, but I generally avoid Walmart like the plague is if I can, and when I do go in, it's generally as quick as possible. If you wanna read the raw version: raw rant

But today, I noted some things. First off the giant lift truck with "this we'll defend" and all the 'merca' shit on it, then the fake vanity plate about "zero fuck given". Heh heh, if you really gave 0 fucks, I think there would be no point in putting that on there. Clearly they do give a fuck, but just not about what anyone else thinks, because I guess they're right. Or really, they're just insecure about something and need to project some kind of apathetic attitude. Making your truck you identity that you drive everywhere and make sure everyone knows all the time is pretty weird.

Then just all the old dude with they're punisher shirt, that clearly either never read the Punisher, or just really really didn't get it. <- I saw this show well before this became a meme. Then the other just nonsense about being a 3%'er, or whatever else 'patriot' strength projection nonsense. And to me it's just so weird. The need to constantly be projecting 'strength' and 'I'm such a badass' or 'I'll kick your ass and no give a fuck' is all weird. What are these dudes so afraid of? Is their identity really just that?

It seems like probably a lot of this is a product of our current place in time and history, with garbage like facebook reinforcing stupid ideas, the need to let everyone know what you think of everything all the time, this weird us vs them mentality, rage/engagement bait bleeding out into the non-internet world. I dunno. It's weird.

It's also funny that at a time when the engagement bait machine/algorithm is pushing Europeans coming to the US for the world cup and 'finding out' not all Americans are like the stereotypes, and that they're actually pretty nice, you got these dudes, that probably actually are, but are dressing and projecting this aura of strength and power that isn't really them. Or maybe I'm an idiot and I've just got it all wrong. Who knows?

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