The Chancellor of the City University of New York (CUNY), Felix V.M. Rodriguez, just sent a mass mailing to everyone in CUNY about… monkeypox. In it, he repeated the advice of the NYC Dept. of Health include “asking sexual partners whether they have a rash or other symptoms consistent with monkeypox and avoiding skin-to-skin contact with someone who has a rash or other monkeypox-related symptoms.”  The chancellor of a great urban university -- to fulfill his administrative and educational duties (not as a medical professional or a counsellor but as a chancellor) -- is recommending all employees and students to ask their sexual partner(s) about symptoms of monkeypox, a disease contracted by homosexuals and bisexuals. One-quarter of the cases in the USA are in New York State, and most of those are in New York City. Rodriguez wants to advise all educators and students what to say one-on-one to avoid placing their rod in the wrong monkeyfied place. This is his way of waving the rainbow flag to show solidarity with homosexuals.

His letter is part of an increasing number of “through the looking glass” experiences we are having in American society.  Each day we may feel more and more like Alice in Wonderland having strange encounters in a make-believe world. One of the creatures Alice meets is the Hatter (often referred to as the “Mad Hatter”) who asks strange riddles. He asks Alice, “Why is a raven like a writing-desk?” which is only one of his many stumpers. In our looking-glass world, the answers to normal questions are strange as his riddles.  We have a candidate for the Supreme Court -- the so-called top nine jurists in the USA -- who evades answering “What is a woman?” and declares, “I’m not a biologist.”  That is an Alice in Wonderland-style answer.

Alice also encountered the Cheshire Cat, notable for its constant grin. It also expresses a perverse sort of wisdom.  For example, this cat that grinned all the time (remind anyone of any President we know?) says to Alice, “Well, then, you see, a dog growls when it’s angry, and wags its tail when it’s pleased. Now I growl when I’m pleased, and wag my tail when I’m angry. Therefore I’m mad.”  Here the cat posits dogs as the standard of mental health and the cat, not being a dog, thus declares himself to be “mad.”  Thus, in our “evolving” society the ever-growing number of gender fluid categories are posited by the woke as true identities whereas those who advance the cause of a binary so-called “cis gender” world are derided by the avant-garde as deniers of reality, tormenters, and dangerous to the well-being of society -- both its health and its order. Measured by dog-ness the Cheshire cat self-designates as mad; and measured by transgender-ness, the straight world is now often deemed similarly mad.

The most terrifying persona Alice meets is the Queen of Hearts even though she understands that the Queen of Hearts is merely a playing card.  Additionally, Alice is informed that the Queen never actually executes anyone she sentences to death, Rather, the angry Queen becomes representative of the idea that Wonderland is devoid of substance. This is not unlike the show Presidency we have had since January of 2021. In his inauguration, Biden claimed the desire to unify our country; yet time and time again he belittles the half of the country that voted against him.  He lies incessantly, claiming that Hunter’s laptop was Russian disinformation and that he never met any of Hunter’s business clients, yet interviews and photos show that James Gilliar and Tony Bobulinski had dealings with Hunter -- dealings where Pres. Biden was referred to as the “Big Guy” behind the scenes. 

Biden takes an oath of office to defend the Constitution of the U.S. but purposely undermines the laws governing access to our country by allowing almost unrestricted crossing at our Southern border. He abandoned Afghanistan to the terrorists we were fighting for 20 years. He and his fantasyland advisers are not building up the military, but are castrating it with an endless stream of gender-sensitive directives about trans-women in men’s showers and toilet areas.  He is a tough guy who can insult questioners during his campaign or at press conferences -- but he is a wimp when it comes to protecting U.S. interests.

Alice also met the sobbing Mock Turtle, who describes his education in such subjects as Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.  Look at the sycophants and incompetents around the President.  Kamala the Cackling Goose is right out of Alice in Wonderland.  If one were to rudely ask her why she frequently cackles instead of chuckling or smiling politely, she might, like a character in the Wonderland, answer “because something is stuck in my throat you boob.” The turnover of employees in her office suggests some deficiencies in administrative and/or social skills.  Or if one asks why, even though she is in charge of the border, she has never gone to the grievous Del Rio, TX area, she might reply in characteristic Wonderland fashion “I’m limiting flying hours to save gas and protect our environment.”  She could rightly say along with the Mock Turtle that her education has been in ambition and distraction.   

Karine Jean-Pierre also studied Ambition and Distraction as she proudly described herself as the first black, lesbian press secretary.  These are certainly high qualifications exceeding the traditional skills of communication competencies, thorough research, articulate presentation of announcements, appreciation of subtleties, and the ability to contend for truth.  What person or persons she is intimate with is certainly a matter of national interest, and the color of her skin is, undoubtedly, not only a matter of equality but of equity.  Equity, which her employment exemplifies, requires not only that people of color be treated fairly in an application process but that they be placed in positions without regard for qualifications altogether.

The Mock Turtle Uglification education undoubtedly applies to the guitar playing Secretary of State, Andrew Blinken, with his prim little Ivy League haircut and self-satisfied face.  He has taken degrees in Ugly and is now carried to the top of Mock Turtle world where he can make obviously great decisions about Iran, Afghanistan, NATO, the United Nations, as well as renewing his subscription to Foreign Affairs magazine.

Yes, dear reader, we are living in an Alice in Wonderland world where government officials and high-positioned individuals in education are living out a fantasy of power and looking-glass reality.  It is funny in one way, but would be even funnier if it were not also so grim.

Image: Tenniel