As you probably already knew, “Schadenfreude” is a combination of the German words for “damage/harm” and “joy.” Apparently, there are a few subsets of this emotional condition. This one would be mine precisely.
Justice-based schadenfreude comes from seeing that behavior seen as immoral or “bad” is punished. It is the pleasure associated with seeing a “bad” person being harmed or receiving retribution. Schadenfreude is experienced here because it makes people feel that fairness has been restored for a previously un-punished wrong.
Perhaps you find yourself struggling to manage a similar affliction. If you’re not sure, consider your reactions to the following excerpts from a recent AP article:
“A wildfire swept through the star-studded hills of Los Angeles on Monday……. Meanwhile, a blaze in Northern California wine country exploded in size.“
Oh no! Could you imagine how devastated you’d feel if your vineyard was reduced to a field of ashes and all you could do is weep in your lodge up at Lake Tahoe?
“Others who own homes in the evacuation zone include Sen. Kamala Harris, a Democrat running for president, who was not home at the time; Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger; and rapper and producer Dr. Dre.“
A post-menopausal political hack, the world’s leading purveyor of cultural poison for children, and some gangster rapper were inconvenienced. Gee golly, that really sucks.
“Anxious residents made their way down steep hillsides in the middle of the night in Range Rovers, Teslas and Maseratis.“
I can totally sympathize. My neighborhood was once part of a mandatory evacuation zone for an incoming hurricane. I had to flee in my Maserati. That was quite a harrowing experience.
“The evacuation area extended west into Pacific Palisades, encompassing some of the most exclusive real estate in California, where celebrities and wealthy professionals live in estates nestled in canyons or on ridgetop retreats that cost tens of millions of dollars but are surrounded by tinder-dry vegetation.“
They put millions into a tinderbox. To these people you’re just scum from the hinterlands who deserves to die and be replaced. Remember the progressive reaction to the Great Smokey Mountain Fires of 2016? Fuck’em.
“With no rain and more wind in the forecast, the coming days could be grim.“
I was rubbing my hands, too. Caution: there are a couple of perils in schadenfreude. The first is that it’s never gonna be enough. California goes up in flames every year. Watching Sodom on the Pacific burn can impart a suspicion that decisive wrath on a Biblical scale will soon be at hand. But, it all keeps rolling along. You can burn yourself out getting your hopes up.
The second is that it’s a poor substitute for the peace of mind imparted from living in a reasonable society where laws and standards are applied objectively. Our escalating nightmare makes one feel like a victim of a crime seeking justice. The only way you’re going to feel like you got it these days is schadenfreude. Not being a victim in the first place would be far more edifying.
In other words, it’s not really a constructive sentiment. Don’t put yourself in a position where you feel like it’s all you’ve got.
I’m proud to officially announce my candidacy for the office of Dogcatcher.
The fires are being set by vengeful Mexican marijuana growers, cartel members and other illegals out of spite and/or stupidity. It also doesn’t help matters much, that the Left have essentially banned cleaning up brush and cutting firebreaks, either.
These fires seem to have coincided with the final phases of the Mexican invasion and takeover of California. Before 2000, these fires happened once every ten or so years. Now it’s every year. As a kid in the 70’s, I don’t recall there ever being a fire in the news, although there was one in 1970, when I was too young to even know what news was.
Complaining about CA while not living in the state is like a “yankee” complaining about Dixie. The rich boomers pick up and leave then say we should give it back to Mexico and wax poetic about how great it used to be. Some people don’t have the luxury to just leave, others don’t see themselves being welcomed anywhere else. What does James Lafond think about the California situation I wonder. It’s not as bad as Baltimore I can tell you that.