Some have asked me, Stan D. Garde – “What is a Tropetopian Age? What do you mean by Tropetopia?”
First, the etymology —
trope:
Latin tropus, from Greek tropos turn, way, manner, style, trope, from trepein to turn — a word or expression used in a figurative sense; figure of speech — a common or overused theme or device; cliche
topia — by way of utopia:
Utopia, imaginary and ideal country in Utopia (1516) by Sir Thomas More, from Greek ou not, no + topos place — an imaginary and indefinitely remote place — a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions — an impractical scheme for social improvement
Of course, my slogans and policies are the furthest from “impractical” — that’s why the u in utopia is dropped. I’m not talking noplace here. I’m talking the world today. Tropetopia.
Unfortunately, book critics such as the ones below, though extraordinarily well-meaning, just don’t get it. It was sad really what these good men and women had to say about my previous book, Youthtopia:
A terrible book. Irresponsible.
– Dean ObayThis book should be banned.
– Will ServileNo one under 21 should be allowed to read this book.
No one over 30 could have written it.
– Connie SiretonNo reputable publisher would go anywhere near it.
– Amanda ThorityBan it. Burn it. Bury it.
– Newt Baas
I thought well only of the review by Dimn Flattary, in which he wrote, “High School like you’ve never seen it. High school like you’ve always known it.”
(I can state authoritatively due to many years of service in lovely Rockview Terminal, the Terminators never forget that our children are our greatest resource, and they do everything in their power to make sure our children are mentally cleansed, as thoroughly and as efficiently as possible — patriotica, electronica, Americana: YouthTopia — which is exactly what my mentally cleansed kin above value as well as I. Actually, I think the critics were simply afraid the book would fall deleteriously into the hands of those who have not yet been properly mentally cleansed — youth. Of coure the book is not for youth, and I give strict orders in the book to keep it out of the hands of all youth. I wrote Youthtopia for thoroughly cleansed eyes, ears, and minds only — those of mature adults, of course. Wishful thinking, I suppose, since the ban was quickly broken — but to few ill effects, apparently. So I now feel free to write Tropetopia for everyone.)
Whereas Youthtopia revealed school as if people (parents in particular) had never seen it though always known it, with Tropetopia I hope to illuminate the world entire by way of this Global Campaign Journal that may strike many as if they never had known such a global campaign for the benefit of all humankind even existed though they’ve always seen it.
Don’t look now but this is an age of massive public relations. A very large percentage of the Gross National Product consists of advertising alone. What civilized institution anymore isn’t advertising a great deal — or isn’t in and of itself a sheer monument of PR? The realm of trope.
The more you think about it, the more you live, the more you come to see: All is trope — living, breathing, thinking, believing, buying, selling, living, breathing, thinking, believing, buying, selling – more than ever, we trope to live, we live to trope. Tropetopia.
The power of trope – we couldn’t think a straight thought, live a straight life, or put our world on the straight and narrow without it.
A Practical Policy 