CITIZENS!!! Do you know the torrent of lies that are pouring down?
The wars, Climate Change, vanishing species, health care, lay-offs?
The
dogs of violence are let loose on this beautiful planet. How
can we stay on the sidelines watching the destruction? I can't be
lieve our slavish acquiescence, but the silence is convincing. Are we
trained poodles, kow-towing slaves, fearful creatures? Where are
the steadfast stands for free speech guaranteed by the First Amend
ment, carried out by "One Big Union," aka "the Wobblies," on street
corners in days of yore? Where are the midwest farmers who turned
sheriffs' auctions into five cent bids? Do we sit in armchairs every
night and watch smiling pusses
tell us that all is well—banks are
showing profits again; it will
not be long before the economy
picks up, maybe before Christ
mas.
can we stay on the sidelines watching the destruction? I can't be
lieve our slavish acquiescence, but the silence is convincing. Are we
trained poodles, kow-towing slaves, fearful creatures? Where are
the steadfast stands for free speech guaranteed by the First Amend
ment, carried out by "One Big Union," aka "the Wobblies," on street
corners in days of yore? Where are the midwest farmers who turned
sheriffs' auctions into five cent bids? Do we sit in armchairs every
night and watch smiling pusses
tell us that all is well—banks are
showing profits again; it will
not be long before the economy
picks up, maybe before Christ
mas.
When transportation
charges are added to the price
of one gallon of gasoline, deliv
ered to Afghanistan, the price
reaches $100.
charges are added to the price
of one gallon of gasoline, deliv
ered to Afghanistan, the price
reaches $100.
The
war budget tied to foreign
wars is robbing our domestic
programs. Every county, ev
ery city in our nation is having
severe budget problems. But
that's only the tip of the iceberg.
What about tthe kills we make,
every day, in Afghanistan and
Pakistan? What about those
drones flying for hours over villages, finally releasing their load of
bombs on households where dubious intelligence bought from citi
zens with a grudge, tells the drones, piloted from Creech Air Base in
Nevada, that one or more al Qaeda big-wigs are in that house?
wars is robbing our domestic
programs. Every county, ev
ery city in our nation is having
severe budget problems. But
that's only the tip of the iceberg.
What about tthe kills we make,
every day, in Afghanistan and
Pakistan? What about those
drones flying for hours over villages, finally releasing their load of
bombs on households where dubious intelligence bought from citi
zens with a grudge, tells the drones, piloted from Creech Air Base in
Nevada, that one or more al Qaeda big-wigs are in that house?
Let's
get up close to real war. It is watching friends die. It is
bloated bodies, it is the blast of an Improvised Explosive Device-
-the establishment is very clever in naming things. War is about
digging in rubble to find bodies, civilian and military. It is about armed soldiers lurching through hospitals. It is about fear. The ene
my is fearful, our soldiers are fearful; civilians scatter when a drone
shows up. Drone attacks are cowardice in action, let's not drawback
from that accusation. Civilians die by the dozens as the wars grind
on, fllesh and blood and wounded-for-life are the products.
bloated bodies, it is the blast of an Improvised Explosive Device-
-the establishment is very clever in naming things. War is about
digging in rubble to find bodies, civilian and military. It is about armed soldiers lurching through hospitals. It is about fear. The ene
my is fearful, our soldiers are fearful; civilians scatter when a drone
shows up. Drone attacks are cowardice in action, let's not drawback
from that accusation. Civilians die by the dozens as the wars grind
on, fllesh and blood and wounded-for-life are the products.
What
do newspapers and TV and talk radio make of these
slaughters? They lie by ommision. How often do you see a bloat
ed body, smell its stink described? How often do you see a civilian
woman or child or man or soldier struggling to live and finally giv
ing in to death? Quotations from generals or retired generals or
high-up reporters fill the airwaves. There are blatant lies too: all
will be well, just be patient.
slaughters? They lie by ommision. How often do you see a bloat
ed body, smell its stink described? How often do you see a civilian
woman or child or man or soldier struggling to live and finally giv
ing in to death? Quotations from generals or retired generals or
high-up reporters fill the airwaves. There are blatant lies too: all
will be well, just be patient.
My patience ran out long time ago. It's time, citizens of this
"democracy," to get out on the streets with homemade signs. It is
"democracy," to get out on the streets with homemade signs. It is
time
for "embedded" journalists to tell us the truth of war, not the
sanitized reports about soldiers' fear and how they follow orders in
spite of that, go out to face death, every day or every night.
sanitized reports about soldiers' fear and how they follow orders in
spite of that, go out to face death, every day or every night.
Obama's
being given the Peace Prize is a cruel joke. His speech
in Oslo will be his usual style, intelligent rhetoric, promises that
will never be fulfilled. Our president is addicted to bi-partisanship.
Translation: pleasing everybody.
in Oslo will be his usual style, intelligent rhetoric, promises that
will never be fulfilled. Our president is addicted to bi-partisanship.
Translation: pleasing everybody.
That brings me to the crux of this bloody rant. Middle of the
road
won't work, it never has
and never will. What we desper
ately need right now are points-
of-view, statements, essays, nov
els, poems, that will please some
and anger others. The rich grow
richer on the spoils of doing
nothing about Climate Change;
fomenting wars and not serving
in them; raking in fat bonuses
and making sure that there
are hundreds of lobbyists in D.C. to
keep the corporations strong,
piling up greater short-term
profits.
and never will. What we desper
ately need right now are points-
of-view, statements, essays, nov
els, poems, that will please some
and anger others. The rich grow
richer on the spoils of doing
nothing about Climate Change;
fomenting wars and not serving
in them; raking in fat bonuses
and making sure that there
are hundreds of lobbyists in D.C. to
keep the corporations strong,
piling up greater short-term
profits.
We
are hopelessly in love
with the shreds of a lifestyle that
is strangling the planet. I am
learning from Bonner McAlles-
ter who writes an honest column
in the Monterey News in Massachusetts. She is actively, not wait
ing around, reducing her personal footprint, using public trans
port, walking to buy food, taking home-grown produce with her as
she journies from home. So far I have walked to the post office to
buy stamps and to the hardware to buy light bulbs. I hope to learn
more. These little ventures are practice for the huge changes in life
style that lie ahead of all of us.
with the shreds of a lifestyle that
is strangling the planet. I am
learning from Bonner McAlles-
ter who writes an honest column
in the Monterey News in Massachusetts. She is actively, not wait
ing around, reducing her personal footprint, using public trans
port, walking to buy food, taking home-grown produce with her as
she journies from home. So far I have walked to the post office to
buy stamps and to the hardware to buy light bulbs. I hope to learn
more. These little ventures are practice for the huge changes in life
style that lie ahead of all of us.
My
memories of combat in WWII disturb my sleep at times, and
these visits are hard to take., but I make up for it by rants such
as this one, and attending street protests.Wars cut into domestic
programs, such as Single Payer Health initiative, unemployment
insurance. We live in a human ecosystem where everything is inter
connected. To save the earth, to stop wars, to abolish health-for-
profit, to bring back the era of high wage jobs and a host of other
measures that have to be taken very, very seriously right now, we
need local street protests, and that includes intellectuals—there is
no reason on this earth for intellectuals to feel that it is beneath
their dignity to join street actions. Might lose your job? Consider
the consequences for the earth, for humanity, and there are plenty
of job-seekers out there you can join.
these visits are hard to take., but I make up for it by rants such
as this one, and attending street protests.Wars cut into domestic
programs, such as Single Payer Health initiative, unemployment
insurance. We live in a human ecosystem where everything is inter
connected. To save the earth, to stop wars, to abolish health-for-
profit, to bring back the era of high wage jobs and a host of other
measures that have to be taken very, very seriously right now, we
need local street protests, and that includes intellectuals—there is
no reason on this earth for intellectuals to feel that it is beneath
their dignity to join street actions. Might lose your job? Consider
the consequences for the earth, for humanity, and there are plenty
of job-seekers out there you can join.
In "The Mythology of Imperialism," Jonah Raskin quotes one of
Joseph Conrad's heroes.:
Joseph Conrad's heroes.:
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