The Anti-Herd Herd by Nicole Terry One of the newest oldest fads to hit the western shores called "America" is Stupidity, and its opposing anti-fad, Anti-Stupidity. In an age where most everyone who does not supply or provide for the self-centered egotist, anti-American or American is dubbed the old adage, but favorite "Asshole," a popular euphemism along with the grittier "Fuck America(ns)!" continues to gain popular appeal. Anyone outside of an Individual or Collection of Individual's way of thinking constitutes an Asshole. These Anti-Herd Individuals are the new Christians, by their vehemence of Anti-Christian. To spread insult and ridicule of Imbecility has taken on the new cloth of a Religion, so large is the congregation of anti-worshipers. The Anti-Herd Herd are they who are fed up with the illusion-riddled, post Cold War foot of deluded Americans who can neither file a paper properly, answer phone calls, answer questions with more than a single worded response; most of all the American who cannot move from the television set to acknowledge the decadence and depravity of this particular geographical area. The Anti-Herd Herd's philosophy, disseminated mostly via the Internet (where most of their Anti-Herd literature thrives) and short-wave radio, has taken on the same amount of mania as the 30s Shirley Temple and Gone With The Wind. What makes this fad stand out even amongst such fad giants as Doom3, the Boondocks, or Magic: The Gathering is that much of what the Anti-Herd says is documented as true. Parts of the fad are familiar angst: Teenager Against Parent, Younger Generation Against Older Generation, Governed Against Government, but the fact that much of the Anti-Herd say and write being true, validated by the very originators of the fad: the highly-educated elite in literary reviews, books, journals, and the like. The Anti-Herd does not buy into the old America-the-Great-America-the-Beautiful, Land-of-the-Free-Home-of-the-Brave, Pledge-Allegiance-to-the-Flag tripe much of which are outright lies anyway as demonstrated in sundry of historical texts, congressional records, court cases, treatises, nonfiction tomes and such. It is this foundation of disillusionment that separates the Anti-Herd fad from all previous others. Like the best of Urban Legends, it is heard that the next Revolution shall be between the imbecilic Herd and the knowledgeable Anti-Herd. The Anti-Herd's mantra seems to be ʻNo Government, No Herd’ befittingly opposite to the Herd's mantra 'More Government, Less Thinking.' What is certain is that the Anti-Herd is indeed Intelligent, as has been exhibited in their zeal for research and study and their writings and essays on the Internet. They're smart and they're pissed off at the Herd's insouciant and untiring imbecility. They're sick of compensating for the Herd's fear under oppressive laws and obligations, and of course idiocy. Perhaps, Time be ripe for a “Civil War”, this go round not about money, but about freedom of space and the annihilation of stupidity and Herd Mentality. The new merchandise market and advertisement of the quickly growing Anti-Herd Herd will demand 'Cull the Herd!' t-shirts and 'Reap the Harvest' lunch boxes. Perhaps we should be watching...and listening for the first to bleat at the Slaughter.  © Copyright 2008 Nicole Terry ALL RIGHTS RESERVED [back to Essays] [more Writings]