Does life imitate art or art imitate life? The past couple of three days has been a mind boggling numbing unreal stream of imagery and actions, protests parades and political posturing in powerful and dangerous ways that we are witnessing first hand at home on the couch on our phone in paradise while the sun shines and the roosters crow and the dogs bark at nothing, write Ruta Mave.

Donald Trump, current President of the United States of America attended a live production of Les Miserables days before his planned military parade. The musical is based on a story of an escaped convict who becomes mayor of a town and years later, he is caught in a political uprising and revolution of the people of Paris. 

This show ends with the people being defeated in a single battle in the streets but as history will tell us they the people ultimately won the war and the king and his queen Marie Antoinette were beheaded in front of the people of Paris.  The day marked as the turning point of liberation is commemorated every year on July 14 known as Bastille Day and has the oldest and largest military parade in European history.

June 14 Trump arranged for a display of military might for their 250th anniversary of existence which coincidentally is also his 79th birthday, with a military parade that is estimated to cost the taxpayers 45 million dollars. It was a kind of nod to the past and present military might with soldiers donning WWI and WW2 uniforms. However, tanks rolling down the streets of Washington DC was interpreted by the people as such that are only ever seen in non-democratic countries where they are often run by a dictator. 

Meanwhile, in imitation of the Le Miserable production, the vast majority of people were taking to the streets marching and protesting, “No kings” in their country.  As they calmly walked the streets with their signs and rights to free speech they were met with military armed and trained marines from their own country with orders to use force and people filmed them on their phones. 

Never before have we been able to witness firsthand what the fall of an empire, an administration or a country may look like as we are now with social media and live feeds and videos from the people.  More than ever pictures that tell a thousand words are in our own living rooms and more than ever we can’t tell what is real and what is AI artificially intelligent content. 

Meanwhile in Washington DC the supposed display of the American military might parade showed empty seats in the stands and quiet spectators so much so the squeak of the tank wheels could be heard rolling down the street. 

In direct contrast to DC and in reflection of the French Revolution 2100 cities across the US where U stands for United,11 million people marched for truth and liberty and no kings where even small states like Idaho had thousands turn up seemingly out numbering those in DC.

With the access to world news at our fingertips if you choose to go down that rabbit hole as opposed to watching how to lose 10 kilograms by taking a new supplement drink. The internet gives us the world of Hollywood in the palm of our hands the question is how much of it is real and how much of it is fake news. 

For those who are keen on hearing the news of the world and are watching your screens via YouTube or Facebook where real people are sending in their videos live from the action there are just as many who are mixing matching old video footage and making it look like the present time.

Check the comments on the videos you will soon see which ones are phony AI generated and scarily how many people believe in whatever is shown. What does seem to be consistent with the news is the more money and power someone takes on and generates for themselves at the harm and persecution of others generally falling off their precarious perch. 

Is Prime Minister Mark Brown engineering his own parade under the guise of a 60th anniversary? We don’t have a police force worth mentioning let alone an army but non the less Brown is pouring millions into nonessential services. 20 plus million dollars on Manihiki airport for 100 voters which could pay for existing and future police, teachers and nurses. Instead of fixing the solar power in the pa enua islands that benefit them all, he is spending 4 million dollars  to bring the pa enua to Raro for a short lived one-off party. Who gets to come? Surely someone has to stay behind to turn off the lights? Oh, that’s right, they don’t work after dark.