The Politicization of Stupidity (text by Roger Deff, tr. Dan Hanrahan)

Via a couple of serendipitous FB connections, in recent years I've made the acquaintance of a group of poets & musicians from Belo Horizonte, Brazil whose work ignites my imagination and inspires me greatly. One such artist is the remarkable MC, Roger Deff. I was introduced to his music through the poet and translator Leo Gonçalves and immediately connected to his poetry, the atypical accompanying beats/sounds by artists like Barulhista and the images of the streets & skies, BH street art & the poignant portraits of the residents of Belo Horizonte in Deff's music videos... Today I came upon a brief reflection by RD on FB on the "politicization of stupidity" in Brazil. It sounded all too similar to what we face here in the US in the waning days of Trumplandia. So, I got R. Deff's permission to translate it and I share it below. We are not alone in the struggle against this weaponized idiocy! Enjoy...

"One of the most maddening things to contend with these days is the politicization of stupidity. People have taken to labeling the most idiotic traits – denialism, selfishness, ignorance and the lack of basic common sense – as not just opinion (which was already a stretch), but as “political stances.” People defend with tooth and nail positions that are both irresponsible and idiotic - when what is at stake are people’s lives. In the past, I believed that this was only a question of people being ill-informed, but it is more than that. Beyond the kingdom of disinformation - in a world ruled by algorithms, where reason can rapidly recede, among people lacking the capacity to process complex ideas (reality is only simple in the confines of our heads) - there is the question of one’s personal character. To say that (Brazilian soccer star) Neymar and people who act like him or who see themselves represented in his blasé attitude of “fuck it” are just stupid is not the whole picture. There is also a lack of ethics to consider. To see such idiocy among those in power is quite serious – but it all begins, or ends, in those who feel themselves represented in such leaders. And that is what scares me most… because such people are not an exception among us. -- Roger Deff, tr. Dan Hanrahan