Politics
friend’s studio, photo by Lady
I haven’t read much about post structuralist thought but I was talking to someone who had. He said that everything is subjective - historical narratives, ideas of good and evil… something to think about.
My mind tends to reject complete subjectivity. I want to believe in an absolute reality. Yet the more I see, the more I realize how incomplete our understanding of basic human reality is. The academics, scientists and engineers all have their own very special blinders… I have an electrical engineering degree. I used to think I was hot stuff intellectually but now I realize how very blind I was. The “best” educated brains among us are those who are most brainwashed when it comes to humanitarian and historical issues. They are the ones who buy in, wholesale, to the narrative of globalization.
Our specialization is going to kill us.
I do believe in “underground” education - independent media, anti-academic works of thought. I believe in Bukowski.
State education is necessary but it’s been co-opted by authoritarians and “pragmatists.” It raises us to accept invisible chains.
Nov 29 2007 02:37 pm |
Philosophy and
Politics |
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friend’s studio - photo by lady
“Why do I feel guilty?”
You’re a good rat. Don’t worry. We’ve ordered a guilt-free brain for you.
“Hm.”
It hasn’t arrived. They’re like free range chickens. Free range brains.
“Hm. I like the idea of a guilt free brain. But people can rationalize anything, can’t they.”
One can if one is good. That’s one of my potential jobs, professions I could have. I can spin anything, no matter how ludicrous. But there’s a difference between spinning for humor and spinning for morality.
“Don’t you mean humor and exploiting something?”
I can only spin guilt-free in morality-free situations. I can’t spin right and wrong. But I can make fun of it. Especially wrong. If we all made fun of wrong, it’d go away.
“You really think so?”
Yes.
“Ah. So this is a defense for the rhetoric of ridicule…”
Not ridicule. More laughing in the *face* of. Evil don’t like to be laughed at. That’s why Dick Cheney has no sense of humor. Wait, you don’t need to write that down. We don’t need Dick Cheney.
“I like that. It’s relevant.”
I’m trying so hard not to be nasty.
“No, it’s OK to make fun of Dick Cheney. Really. He probably won’t find us and kill us…”
He did shoot his friend in the face.
“No really, I’m not afraid of Dick Cheney. Are you?”
I fear anything that moves…
“That moves?”
And even some that haven’t moved yet, like falling rocks.
“Ahhhh. I understand completely. If you’re heading for the border, you gotta cross the line. If you’re building ‘detention’ camps…”
Make the future ‘detainees’ pay for it.
“Wow. Yeah. I didn’t even think about that. You afraid to post this?”
Nope. Not. Besides, he’s a lousy shot.
(brought to you by Thin Ice Productions)
This is from myspace blogger Jennifer Hates Hubris:
First Step of Redemption
Congress has taken the firsst step, they may just be on their way to redeem themselves. Moments ago the House of Representatives passed the vote on Kucinich’s bill to impeach the Dick…Cheney. It’s official, the process will go to the Judiciary Committee.
What does this mean on a global scale? Plenty! For Congress to recognize that they suspect war criminal activities have been going on within the executive branch, is HUGE. Watch as the whole world stops breathing for a moment, and takes pause to see how this will effect our international policies - it WILL happen. If this actually comes to fruition, it could also mean a little redeption for all of us in the world’s eyes.
I’m so choked up right now, I can’t write anymore. I’m a VERY proud American today, and so should all of you that took the time to call your representatives to support this measure. Good work Patriots!
peace, love…and IMPEACHMENT!!!
mmmmm….YUMMY!!!
UPDATE:
So like Cynic said, we’ve got 48 hours worth of time to hit DC hard if we want this vote today to actually amount to something! Our leadership is subverting our will, and they need to know PLENTY about how that makes us feel.
Here are a BUNCH of contact resources:
Toll Free:
1-800-828-0498
1-800-862-5530
1-800-833-6354
These are probably bogged down, and will be more difficult to get through on so…below are the regular lines. I’m also posting FAX numbers for a very good reason - use them ALL!!! Pass this on in a hurry too. 48 hours, 48 hours, 48 hours….and then, I’m hoping to see some serious shit-eating grins by the end of this week!
DC Switchboard (202) 224-3121
Just ask for whomever it is you want to talk to.
I believe this are Pelosi in DC direct (as well as C-SPAN’s below):
(202) 225-0100
Her fax: (202) 225-4188
Her email address:
AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov
sf.nancy@mail.house.gov
C-SPAN lists these numbers for her in DC:
Phone: (202) 225-4965
Fax: (202) 225-8259
Her office in San Francisco:
(415) 556-4862
Fax: (415) 861-1670
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., immediately moved to table it after Kucinich introduced it. So I think he needs a little hammering too, so give him a ring-a-ding-DING:
(202) 225-3130 or (202) 225-4131
Fax - (202) 225-4300
His email:
http://hoyer.house.gov/contact/email.asp
District office contact info:
Voice: 301-843-1577
FAX: 301-843-1331
Behind Blue Eyes posted this petition today for you to sign too:
http://www.pelosiwatch.org/article.php?list=type&type=195
Thanks Lady!
I suggest telling whomever answers that we can’t afford to shelve the motion because of Dick’s increasing aggressive posturing towards Iran. If you really want a comprehensive understanding of the bill, you can have at it here:
http://kucinich.house.gov/SpotlightIssues/documents.htm
I also highly recommend we call the reps that voted not to table it today and thank them for representing us well. That may be the very encouragement they need to keep it up, and they may be the ones that prevent it from being shelved. However, it wasn’t the Dems that did it…
Here is the roll call that passed NOT to table:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1037.xml
It was the Republicans that ended up passing this vote…we gotta LOT of calls to make, emails and faxes to send people.
Find your rep here:
http://capwiz.com/c-span/directory/congdir.tt
or here:
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
TOMORROW:
Conyers, Chairman of the Judicial Committee will de making a decision on whther or not to move forward on the investigation. Contact him ASAP to let him know he MUST:
http://www.judiciary.house.gov/Contact.aspx
phone: 202-225-3951
48 HOURS TO GET IT DONE!!!
PASS IT ON NOW
Nov 07 2007 04:25 pm |
Politics |
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Krakow, Poland (photo by Smith)
Having grown up in a relatively free albeit sheltered society, my impulse was to think that fascism could never happen here.
But fascism is more common than not, and the US sponsors it in all these other countries. Why is it so hard to believe they’d dare to do it to our own country as well?
It’s sobering to witness the systematic dismantling of our rights. Goodbye, habeas corpus! Goodbye, freedom of speech!
The latest scary thing I read was that in February 2008 the gov will require US citizens to “apply” before they are allowed any foreign travel. I don’t know if this is a rumor, or true, but it is from this article by Naomi Wolf: http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/11/05/5018/
It’s also disconcerting hearing some of the remarks of people in public. A vendor at the West Side Market (a huge traditional food marketplace) appealed to our “patriotic” fears in trying to get us to shop his stall. He said the other row was owned by foreigners. I understand protectionist sentiment, but it feels icky in this context. And another vendor asked us how our travels went, then asked if we had trouble getting through passport control. She then said, “I wish they’d only allow Christians LIKE US into this country.” Wow. Why would she assume that Smith and I are Xtians?
Nov 07 2007 03:00 pm |
Politics and
cleveland |
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Tremont, Cleveland (Photo by Lady)
When anthropologists uncovered more about Neanderthals, they were amazed to find burial rituals. Civilization. In civilizations, people have concern for others.
In the most civil civilizations, all people have an opportunity to survive and thrive. Civilization provides a means for individuals to become socially and financially mobile and it protects and honors its citizens.
I believe in social security, free education, free health care, full representation, small business rights, anti-trust laws, lawyers, free speech, freedom of religion, and the constitution.
I am far far left of the mainstream. But twenty years ago I’d probably be considered dead center. I believe in a mixed economy and social freedom. I believe in a government that serves and represents its citizens. Democracy.
In this era, most do not keep abreast of news and nuance, and intelligent discussion is not valued. I wish we didn’t keep falling for these people who claim to be for our interests while stabbing us in the back in smoky back rooms.
I think a lot of the liberal left falls victim to “strategic thinking” syndrome. They want all or nothing support for their party without any critique.
The problem with strategic thinking syndrome is that it doesn’t really advance one’s causes. If politicians can’t be held accountable, then we are not being represented, and we’ve not really achieved anything.
Strategic thinking syndrome is a dead end. It allows Democrats to fall to the easiest political path while taking psychic advantage of the left. The left is always told that Democrats are for its interests, but to just wait, that it’ll improve step by step. Well, at this rate, it’ll take a thousand years to have citizens’ interests represented. The Democrats say they have to deal with “real world” politics, meanwhile they conspire with oligarchic corporations, making the “real world” even worse.
Prospect, Cleveland (photo by Lady)
REAL DEMONS
I would like to know why it is necessary for the see-i-a to:
- put hoods on people when they take them away
- diaper people and shackle them to the floors of planes
- keep people in solitary confinement long enough to make them crazy
- h2o-board prisoners
#3 & 4 seem like definite torture to me. #1 & 2 could be rationalized as not causing permanent damage (tho I wouldn’t be one to rationalize this).
People have died during “interrogation.” Methinks that would only happen if the interrogation crossed the line into torture.
Does power know that it is evil? What do the soldiers or agents think when they hood and shackle and diaper a person? Do they feel remorse? Do they sleep at night?
Many of these detainees are simply people who had enemies from their home countries and are pointed out because of personal vendettas. I’ve read reports that people are captured in Pakistan and put in containers and sent to secret camps for reward money from the US. Some of these prisoners die en route.
If you believe you are fighting evil and that you are good, why would you torture? Isn’t torture indicative of your own evil? How is this rationalized as a good thing? (The ‘ticking bomb’ scenario is a disingenuous explanation.)
I really want to know the inside of these guys’ minds. Do their acts of exploitation bother them? Does this even hit the radar of their consciousnesses, or are they conscious?
I don’t like to demonize, but it’s difficult for me to see the power class and its enablers (both the GOP and the DLC) as something other than demons.
Ontario and Prospect, Cleveland (photo by Lady)
Oct 31 2007 03:47 pm |
Politics and
cleveland |
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We protested Tuesday outside the Union Club in Cleveland, a venue hosting a $500 breakfast fund raiser for Guiliani. His speech was canceled so we took our “SUPPORT THE TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME NOW” signs to a traffic-laden corner.
Some demonstrators ridiculed the people in suits who entered the Union Club. I don’t think wearing a suit is an offense. I joke about “suits”, but I’m not hostile to someone wearing one, and I’ve worn my share. I feel sad for someone in a suit. It seems like a prison uniform.
One demonstrator tried to get passersby to sign a petition to put the Libertarian candidate on the ballot. He approached one man who didn’t even wait to hear what the inquiry was about. He dismissed the lot of us saying, “I’m a Republican.”
I don’t see Republicanism and peace as opposing concepts. A “limited government” party that examines itself should have qualms about spending 750 million dollars a day in Iraq and bloating the debt.
The demonstrator approached another guy who just said, “F- off.”
Blind team affiliation is a natural and regrettable behavior. I used to be a Democrat. I just assumed that the Democratic party was “for” my interests. I didn’t bother to dig deeper and see if the party’s actions followed its words. After more research, I see the Democratic leadership as corporate kowtowers.
I remember the viciousness directed against Bill Clinton, his daughter and wife. I couldn’t understand then how people could be so cruel, and I didn’t think Chelsea deserved scrutiny. That viciousness is repeated in the personal attacks against Bush and his family. Yes, I’ve relished the attacks because Bush and Cheney are de facto mass murderers and their crimes arouse ugly feelings in me. But the problem with hostile discourse is that it undermines opportunity for constructive dialogue and change.
It’s important to recognize that there is a class war in this country, and the class war is escalating, and it has real consequences for most people in this country. But it’s also important to recognize the potential for change in individuals. Ridicule reinforces boundaries. We need to try to get beyond boundaries and parties and classes. We need to try to humanize and empower each other rather than demonize. (I appeal to my better nature here, but I expect relapse.)
Oct 11 2007 05:09 pm |
Politics and
cleveland |
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Traveling Light (by Smith)
More from my project:
THE REPUBLICANS
“Why did you fight with Grandpa?” I asked Dad.
“Because he’s a Republican.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well, there are Republicans, and they try to get all the money from people like us and give it to rich people. And then there are the good guys on our side, the Democrats.”
My opinion of Grandpa immediately plummeted. How could this good man like Republicans? Didn’t he know what they do?
“Nixon was the worst Republican. He was a real bad man. He broke the law. He spied on Americans.”
“I don’t understand. Why do people like the Republicans?”
“Because they don’t know any better. President Reagan is a Republican. He’s one of the worst. But the absolute worst was Nixon.”
“President Reagan likes jellybeans.” That’s pretty much all I knew about him ‘cept that he was old like Grandpa and had a big smile. We learned about the jellybeans in our weekly reader in school. We also learned about Sam Walton, who made Walmart. But I’ve never seen a Walmart.
“Did you know Reagan thinks ketchup is a vegetable? He’s trying to stop them from putting vegetables in your school lunches. He doesn’t care about kids.”
The rich kids at school got tator tots and pizza. Some of the really poor kids got that too. They had free lunches. But I’d never seen a vegetable in a school lunch. And we couldn’t afford to buy lunches, so I packed mine.
“But I’m really mad because Reagan is crazy. He sends money to bad people in other countries as long as they’re against the communists. He talks real tough to the Russians and they’re afraid he’s going to start a nuclear war.”
“Oh my God! What can we do to stop this? Why are people so stupid?”
“We can’t do anything about it, Kath. But we’re probably OK here. If there’s a nuclear war, the Russians will bomb the big cities, the military bases.”
“Will they bomb Cleveland?”
“Hard to say.”
“I’m scared, Dad!”
“Well, I’m thinking about storing up some food, putting it in barrels in the basement. We can store food, water, some basic things we might need until it’s safe to look around. If they bomb Cleveland, we have to wait in the basement until the main fallout is done.”
“Reagan sounds like Ray-Gun.”
“You’re my little hippie girl.”
“Good night, Dad. I love you.”
“Good night, Kath.”
He leant down and gave me a bristly kiss. Turned out the lights. I saw his profile blocked out in yellow light from the hall.
“Wait!”
“What? Good night, you.”
“No, tell me your favorite thing. What was your favorite thing today?”
“Oh, talking to you.”
“Do you want to know what my favorite thing is?”
“OK, what?”
“Talking to you!”
“OK. Sleep tight.”
He closed the door and left me in the subdued lighting from the fish tank. I couldn’t see the fish from the bed, but I saw the green cast by plants, the beige and black rocks at the bottom. The hum of the aerator was comforting. I had my own little controllable world in a fish bowl.
My thoughts flowed with the hum of water. What could be done about Reagan? How could I be safe, and how would my family be safe?
The basement wouldn’t be good. I just knew it. Mold grew down there. I decided I would try to dig a shelter in the backyard. We could live in the shelter for years if we could store enough food. I’d make it really big, so Mary could come, too.
I didn’t think our cats and dog would be good down there. I’d have to ask Dad.
I’d get Dad to give me some money, and we could tile the walls and floor. We could make it really nice. And I’d bring a lot of books. Dad could figure out how to make it work as long as I dug the hole. He could make electricity and plumbing.
I fell asleep into heavy dream. In the dream, we lived near a volcano. The volcano was going to erupt and I was trying to shake everyone. I shook my Mom, my Dad, but they seemed to be sleeping. The volcano erupted, and I ran down our street towards our house. I flapped my arms, and I clumsily floated a few feet off the ground. The harder I flapped, the more difficult it was to float. Then the lava came, engulfed the street, and I was way up, in the clouds, dizzy. Some type of weird miscalibration. I aimed myself down at the street, towards the rooftop of our house. My family was on the roof. I grabbed my Mom, but she was too heavy, I started sinking towards the ground. I grabbed my brother and I was able to fly away, over the spurting volcano and into a dizzy height where I again lacked control.
Lady K, 1976?
From my writing project:
That night, Mom and I took our bath together. I liked this time with her. When Grandma gave me a bath, she was in a hurry, and rubbed my face too roughly with the washcloth. I still feel the harsh washcloth in Grandma’s fingers, scraping my ears. But Mom lingered in the tub.
The water smelled like iron and sulfer. It was from the well. The bathtub was yellow and smooth. I sat between Mom’s stubbly legs.
Mom layed her head back and closed her eyes. I leaned against her thigh. I felt the washcloth float against my skin. I grabbed it and squeezed water out. It trickled and plinked. I put the washcloth in my mouth and sucked it. It tasted like soapy iron.
Mom started to sing an Irish tune in her clear, soft sweet soprano. The steamy air in the bathroom contributed to intimacy, made it a world enclosing just Mom and me. Her voice was a reedy instrument.
When Johnny comes marching home again,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
We’ll give him a hearty welcome then
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The men will cheer and the boys will shout
The ladies they will all turn out
And we’ll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.
With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo,hurroo
With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo,hurroo
With your drums and guns and guns and drums,
The enemy nearly slew ye
Oh my darling dear, Ye look so queer
Johnny I hardly knew ye.
Ye haven’t an arm, ye haven’t a leg, hurroo, hurroo
Ye haven’t an arm, ye haven’t a leg, hurroo, hurroo
Ye haven’t an arm, ye haven’t a leg,
Ye’re an armless, boneless, chickenless egg,
Ye’ll have to be put with a bowl out to beg,
Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye.
I felt a constriction of my throat, and my eyes burned like I was going to cry. I didn’t know why, but I loved that song, and I loved her voice, her passion in singing it. I thought about the chickenless egg and the bones, about the drumstick I ate for dinner.
“I’m a little egg,” I thought.
“Do you know what the song means?”
“No. I like it.”
“It’s about war. People kill each other in war. Governments send our young men to fight wars and they die, or they come back without arms or legs.”
“Why do they do this?”
“Because some people are bad. There are good and bad people. There are good and bad wars, too. But all war is horrible for the people who are in it. Grandpa was in a war.”
“World War II.”
“That was a good war. We fought against the Nazis in Germany. The Nazis wanted to kill all the Jewish people. Grandma’s Jewish, and her brother died fighting in the war. But there was a bad war just a couple years ago. Your Daddy Wayne wouldn’t fight in it because it was a bad war. That was Vietnam. I met your Daddy when he was hiding out from the war.”
“Why was it bad?”
“Because we wanted to kill people because they didn’t want to live the way we do. But people all around the world are different. They don’t have to live like we live. We killed them even though they’d never done anything to us. Our government was wrong, just like the Nazis were wrong in World War II.”
This was news to me. I didn’t know who Mom was talking about when she said the “government.” I didn’t know who the Nazis were or why they would want to kill Grandma. The world had a darker, serious cast to it.
“But we’re all OK now, right Mom?”
“We’re fine for now, honey.”
Lady K & Mom, 1975?
THOUGHTDOM
You’re creating a lot lately. Wonder what kind of thoughts are oozing around in your brain. I’m thought-dumb. You’re in thoughtdom.
“So, you aren’t thinking?”
I try not to. I’m trying to keep low mileage on the brain in case I try to resell it. Too much thought causes wrinkles.
“Yes, I have punctuation between my eyes. Quote marks. I think G. Bush has a question mark on his head.”
He has a smirk mark on his mouth.
“Oh, I know, he smirks. Makes me want to hold his lips and make him tell truth.”
He always has a look like, “I can’t believe they’re buying this.” And his wife, Laura looks like a sated weasel.
“Oh boy, funny how we relish these personal attacks. I was astonished by the viciousness I witnessed against the Clintons in the 90s. In the 90s there was all this aggression coming from Rush Limbaugh, and that was all we heard. But now it’s now, and the Clintons and Bushes are the corporate establishment, and I’m vicious towards both. And now there’s also this loud liberal counterattack.”
Liberal? By who?
“Jon Stewart, bloggers. Even Hollywood. ‘Cept Stewart and Hollywood haven’t caught on to what the Dems be doing. And Hollywood’s got us segregated into little market niches. They still got those patriotic movies, but anything offbeat is liberal. We live in niche bubbles on the Web, too. I’m hard pressed to find reactionaries who produce cool writing or art on the Internet.
“I’ve also been thinking a lot about education. I think it’s a propaganda tool for the economic/political system. The system reinforces in-the-box thinking with its achievement tests. It’s the amniotic fluid for budding citizens. It’s where people are first exposed to authority, taught to follow directions. The basis for swallowing the reactionary line is to stay in the box, defer to authority, follow directions.
“But it’s not a perfect tool. People learn how to read in school, and then they have the power to free themselves by reading more books.
* * *
Here’s a weird & intriguing conspiracy documentary about Christianity, 9/11, and the Federal Reserve. Looks totally hokey at first, but it’s pretty educational. You can watch it online here if you have broadband:
http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/
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