Saturday, April 07, 2007
An Attempt at Optimism
So many of my blog postings lately have taken a considerable dive into "American't." As a test of my capacity to control tone, I'm giving optimism a try. Here is my take on a positive future.
The Democrats continue to enjoy political ascendancy. Although a few in the Bush Administration were quite determined to implement the techniques of population control trailblazed by fascism, they just moved a little too fast. From imposing education 'reform' on the entire nation to spike the profits of a few family business, to invading a country in the manner that put the safety of Halliburton's profit margin far above any other concern; they just had their fat little fingers in too many peoples' pies. Almost every American family - well, except for white, upper-class, neurotically christian families - have seen themselves or those they care about thrown into the wood chipper of FOX dominated media. Be they black or latino, gay, liberal, union, or just someone who thinks evolution kinda makes sense, they have seen their identity portrayed as a stereotype - with challenging portrayals dwarfed or all together absent.
Neurotic christians' love this analogy about a boiling frog. 'You see, if you like throw a frog into a pan of boiling water, he'll like jump out right away. But, if you like put a frog in a pan of warm water, and then like slowly turn up the heat, he'll just sit in there until he cooks, see?'' The tactics being leveled against this country, combined with the level of media conglomeration and religious lunacy in this country was easily the most dangerous threat to America of the last 100 years, but by being too greedy, too drunk on power; too many Americans felt the water was boiling. They instinctively jump away from all things Republican, as they will remain 'brand Bush' for the next decade.
Not that Democrats can go back to 'triangulation' business as usual. Damn Bush, his violations of international law, constitutional integrity, and the rights of human beings; now all these groups are charged up and working together. Grassroots and community groups all over the country have a much better understanding of just what is at stake - what citizenship is all about. More people understand the role the ACLU plays in a liberal democracy than ever before. Nobody takes a politician's word at face value anymore. If politicians cannot justify legislation with something other than political contributions from a PAC, they find themselves weeded out of America's ruling garden.
Our healthcare system is brought up to par with the rest of the white world.
Our secret services are finally collared with proper oversight. No more murdering a democratically elected leader in South America to help the short term profits of a company with one of your friends on the Board of Directors. No more funding terrorist groups, just cuz you think they are going to murder the citizens of some country we don't like. No more kidnapping people all over the world, putting them under sedation and into adult diapers, then flying them thousands of miles to be tortured in BFE (literally.)
The asteroid that is predicted to have a close call with us in 2012 misses. Sentient beings all over the planet engage in a new spiritual awakening, spurred by the intoxicating emotions of pondering global cataclysm. Major religions are moved towards a more moderate, inclusive doctrine, as the understanding that we are all in this together, clinging to life on planet earth was nearly driven home with a tremendous impact. Also, the event triggered a new resurgence in the public's interest in astronomy, with major cities enforcing nocturnal bans on light pollution as legions of amateur star gazers bring out their telescopes.
Somewhere, a water cooler conversation transitions from the visible moons of Jupiter to recent U.N. resolutions, instead of from the visible cleavage of Sue in accounting to American Idol.
America once again becomes a leader in the world. Refusing to trade with nations that do not respect the values of labor, human rights, and individual liberties that we cherish. Got a warehouse full of DVD players constructed by workers who have lost all hope - fuck ya. Americans are learning that the choices made every few years in elections have some effect on the world, choices made every time they go to Wal-mart vs. the Goodwill store are much more important.
Keiffer Suterland publically apologizes for subjecting the masses to the indulgent fantasies of power and paranoia that be 24. Rush Limbaugh is found dead after a tragic, vicodin fueled, self-eroticification mishap. Pink Floyd gets together for a culture shaking new album, and when they tour I'm able to afford tickets.
Yep, everything is going to work out just fine.
The Democrats continue to enjoy political ascendancy. Although a few in the Bush Administration were quite determined to implement the techniques of population control trailblazed by fascism, they just moved a little too fast. From imposing education 'reform' on the entire nation to spike the profits of a few family business, to invading a country in the manner that put the safety of Halliburton's profit margin far above any other concern; they just had their fat little fingers in too many peoples' pies. Almost every American family - well, except for white, upper-class, neurotically christian families - have seen themselves or those they care about thrown into the wood chipper of FOX dominated media. Be they black or latino, gay, liberal, union, or just someone who thinks evolution kinda makes sense, they have seen their identity portrayed as a stereotype - with challenging portrayals dwarfed or all together absent.
Neurotic christians' love this analogy about a boiling frog. 'You see, if you like throw a frog into a pan of boiling water, he'll like jump out right away. But, if you like put a frog in a pan of warm water, and then like slowly turn up the heat, he'll just sit in there until he cooks, see?'' The tactics being leveled against this country, combined with the level of media conglomeration and religious lunacy in this country was easily the most dangerous threat to America of the last 100 years, but by being too greedy, too drunk on power; too many Americans felt the water was boiling. They instinctively jump away from all things Republican, as they will remain 'brand Bush' for the next decade.
Not that Democrats can go back to 'triangulation' business as usual. Damn Bush, his violations of international law, constitutional integrity, and the rights of human beings; now all these groups are charged up and working together. Grassroots and community groups all over the country have a much better understanding of just what is at stake - what citizenship is all about. More people understand the role the ACLU plays in a liberal democracy than ever before. Nobody takes a politician's word at face value anymore. If politicians cannot justify legislation with something other than political contributions from a PAC, they find themselves weeded out of America's ruling garden.
Our healthcare system is brought up to par with the rest of the white world.
Our secret services are finally collared with proper oversight. No more murdering a democratically elected leader in South America to help the short term profits of a company with one of your friends on the Board of Directors. No more funding terrorist groups, just cuz you think they are going to murder the citizens of some country we don't like. No more kidnapping people all over the world, putting them under sedation and into adult diapers, then flying them thousands of miles to be tortured in BFE (literally.)
The asteroid that is predicted to have a close call with us in 2012 misses. Sentient beings all over the planet engage in a new spiritual awakening, spurred by the intoxicating emotions of pondering global cataclysm. Major religions are moved towards a more moderate, inclusive doctrine, as the understanding that we are all in this together, clinging to life on planet earth was nearly driven home with a tremendous impact. Also, the event triggered a new resurgence in the public's interest in astronomy, with major cities enforcing nocturnal bans on light pollution as legions of amateur star gazers bring out their telescopes.
Somewhere, a water cooler conversation transitions from the visible moons of Jupiter to recent U.N. resolutions, instead of from the visible cleavage of Sue in accounting to American Idol.
America once again becomes a leader in the world. Refusing to trade with nations that do not respect the values of labor, human rights, and individual liberties that we cherish. Got a warehouse full of DVD players constructed by workers who have lost all hope - fuck ya. Americans are learning that the choices made every few years in elections have some effect on the world, choices made every time they go to Wal-mart vs. the Goodwill store are much more important.
Keiffer Suterland publically apologizes for subjecting the masses to the indulgent fantasies of power and paranoia that be 24. Rush Limbaugh is found dead after a tragic, vicodin fueled, self-eroticification mishap. Pink Floyd gets together for a culture shaking new album, and when they tour I'm able to afford tickets.
Yep, everything is going to work out just fine.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
We Hold Atheism to be . . . aw fuck it.
In the last few months I've read quite a few books on the Evagelikal Brownshirts and arguments for Atheism, from Chris Hedges trip and a half (see highlighted sidebar) to Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion. Many have been some fine works, while others have been a bit indulgent - regardless, I jumped naked from the shower yesterday morning to transcribe these thoughts to a water stained piece of paper: We Hold Atheism to be Self-Evident.
It all seemed so fucking obvious, once I had finally gotten this horrible realization out of my subconscious and onto paper. Atheism is self-evident. A priori, just like fucking congito ergo sum.
To quote the Ballad of Bill Hubbard (which I'm listening to now, trying to distract myself from the sounds of wii downstairs) 'lightened my heart if you like. . .,' this is what I've known since the fourth grade but could never get my head around. This is the casus belli of my pathetically late partisanship of counter-culture and socialism. I know 'self-evident' is a loaded term, yet I just know it is right.
I'm never going to make an effort to convince anyone ever again that they might want to consider atheism. Every developing mind confronts the reality of N0-G0d, and they either grapple with it or shirk backwards into something less mature. That's not completely fair, cuz religion is a socially transmitted virus. Those religions that are most effective at stunting the development of children and precluding the chance that they might ever achieve adulthood, are going to be the most successful viruses in the pool. Mother's once threw their children into the flaming mouth of Moloch, religious parents will lobotomize their own children rather than face the horrors of a child who might not reinforce their desperate, childish, world-view. Mongol remains have deformed heads, as the culture would mold the soft skulls' of their infants into cones - what damage did that inflict upon the potential for consciousness? And the bloodthirsty fucks slaughtered all civilization in their path.
Retarded theists can and will destroy everything thinking, civilized individuals have worked for thousands of years to make our culture into. Homicidal monkeys . . . aw fuck it. Just fuck it all.
It all seemed so fucking obvious, once I had finally gotten this horrible realization out of my subconscious and onto paper. Atheism is self-evident. A priori, just like fucking congito ergo sum.
To quote the Ballad of Bill Hubbard (which I'm listening to now, trying to distract myself from the sounds of wii downstairs) 'lightened my heart if you like. . .,' this is what I've known since the fourth grade but could never get my head around. This is the casus belli of my pathetically late partisanship of counter-culture and socialism. I know 'self-evident' is a loaded term, yet I just know it is right.
I'm never going to make an effort to convince anyone ever again that they might want to consider atheism. Every developing mind confronts the reality of N0-G0d, and they either grapple with it or shirk backwards into something less mature. That's not completely fair, cuz religion is a socially transmitted virus. Those religions that are most effective at stunting the development of children and precluding the chance that they might ever achieve adulthood, are going to be the most successful viruses in the pool. Mother's once threw their children into the flaming mouth of Moloch, religious parents will lobotomize their own children rather than face the horrors of a child who might not reinforce their desperate, childish, world-view. Mongol remains have deformed heads, as the culture would mold the soft skulls' of their infants into cones - what damage did that inflict upon the potential for consciousness? And the bloodthirsty fucks slaughtered all civilization in their path.
Retarded theists can and will destroy everything thinking, civilized individuals have worked for thousands of years to make our culture into. Homicidal monkeys . . . aw fuck it. Just fuck it all.
Labels: A-apologetics, personal
