Heavy Questions

With Obama, a center-right Republican, the only way the GOP can set itself apart is via wacky culture wars and ignoring science. If you happen to be gay, have skin any shade darker than snow or you are a woman, our problems are all YOUR fault! And if you should follow another religion other than Christianity, you are to blame. As I see the Republicans, gays are anti-family values. That’s great for those narrow minded enough to only see a family as a mom, a dad and the kids. This is 1950's mythology that almost never exists as the form a family takes in the real world. How many of us are from single parent homes or lived with a grandparent or uncle or someone you are not even related to? Do we really have a need for amoral politicians to define family? Who are these people? The women of wild Bill Clinton, the wives of Newt, JFK's multiple adventures, John Edwards’ mistress super-fund and Santorum and dead babies are not exactly criteria I'd look for in a discussion on values or family. Scapegoating our brothers and sisters who have more melanin in their skin, happen to be gay or follow another belief system are not solving our complex problems. I love watching these same amoral clowns talk science.

"Drill Baby Drill" seems to be the only solution they have for higher gas prices. Sarah is the best looking of the right-wing lunatics, at least in my opinion. Hence, the lovely picture! But this non-answer is wrong on so many levels. It is hard to know where to start. I guess at the most basic level will do. Oil is a finite resource that sooner or later will indeed run out. With all the smoke and mirrors it is hard to say when but it is going to happen. We at the moment have no viable alternative. Rather we continue to believe the economy has to grow and grow despite the laws of physics and geology. There is next to nothing either political party offers for solving the looming unavoidable problem of no viable alternative. Look at the correlation between the population explosion and oil. When oil runs out, what path do you think this chart will take?

Here is another related red meat zinger, energy independence. This also ignore economic laws as well geo-political reality. We here in North America do not have anywhere near the vast oil reserves of the Middle East. Oil is a commodity on a world market. The companies who extract and process it are mandated by law to maximized profits, not wave the American flag. Other large players (India, China Brazil etc.) are coming on line now and they also want the good life of two cars for all, buying unneeded shit and limitless shopping malls. Oil production may have peaked already. Supply diminishes and demand goes up. One does not have to have an economics degree to get the picture. If the oil tooth fairy visits North America and bestows on us massive reserves for the taking, other producing states will simply slow production to keep prices high. Keep in mind this is not a help the consumer industry, rather a maximize profits industry (and let the public cover any losses).

Join the reality-based community. Drilling for more and more oil is a short-term solution at best and comes at a huge cost. We are no doubt headed for a crash landing. The only question is what kind of crash, controlled or splat? We need to answer some pretty heavy questions. Can we change from a notion or limitless growth to one of sustainability? Can we change the current neo-liberal economic model to one based on fairness and more human rights focused? Can we give up our middle-class consumerist lifestyle and replace it with a take only what we truly need approach? The answer to all three has to be “yes” or we can let mother nature answer for us.   

Gun Crazy and So It Goes

I’ve been away too long working on books and other assorted projects. Now there’s nothing like more homegrown gun lunacy to bring one back to writing a blog. It’s funny how things seem not to really change at all. Another mass shooting and here we go again. Presidential visits, media blather, and a new cottage industry built around some sick psycho (who will not be named here) but little serious discussion of real issues. Instead of discussing the problem, gun sales spike. I don't care to read all about the perpetrator. I don't give a shit about his motives, why he "snapped," went postal or whatever one wants to call it. But if you want to know, just take a long hard look into the mirror, America. See the deranged nut staring back? That's it. Why do we have concealed carry laws? Why can an average shmo like me own an AK-47 complete with thirty round clips? Why do we have such a thing as the NRA? It is not to protect our Second Amendment right to own arms. No, it is because we are taught to be absolutely scared shitless of each other. Fear is the most powerful tool in the state's tool box. Keep 'em afraid and more importantly, keep 'em dumb. Let's do anything but ask real questions about why these things continue to happen time and time again. After all who can stop watching DWS long enough to ponder things like Structural Violence, a gutted mental health system or a nation hopelessly addicted to violence? Our so called Representatives are too busy doing the biddings of their real masters to address issues that affect everyday people. They got banks to enrich and more invasions pending. Meanwhile, things are only getting worse.  Let's keep income disparity growing and finish shredding the social safety net. Things may soon get very ugly and the sad thing is they don’t have to.

Do the elites and their bought and paid for politicians ever crack a history book? I’d say no based on their actions. If they did, we may get real health care (including mental health), a serious jobs program and the NRA could to return to its roots of gun safety education, outdoorsman activities and informed reasonable input on gun control. But why crack a history book now? The top earners are doing so well and what could possibly go wrong? Allow me to answer. Large numbers of young desperate people plus more guns than people plus utterly clueless leaders equals a gathering bloodbath that will make the rapture seem like a sunny day at the beach. (I personally don’t but into the rapture mythology but it helps get the point across). Conflict arises from inequality, period. It’s simple, the greater the inequality, the deeper the conflict. Ever ask a suicide bomber what’s he got to lose? We are facing massive inequality mixed with a heavily armed populace? Do you really think a few cops and blackwater types can stop well armed mobs at the gate of your little community? Remember at least a few people in the mob will have training and combat experience from illegal wars they were forced to do repeated tours in. It has all happened before but it can be avoided.       

There are people aplenty who can point out problems but very few to offer solutions. I’ll try. Those of us who have read history need to share what we know. Knowledge in the antidote to state sponsored fear. We need to start with knowledge of each other. This will dissolve the notion of “the other” and replace it with “we”. And “we” make elites tremble. Note the violent crackdown on Occupy protests by heavily armed paramilitary forces pretending to be police. Despite their efforts, the national dialogue changed from one of deficit hysteria to a discussion of having the rich pay a fair share of taxes. Somebody noticed. But that is obviously not enough to halt our national (perhaps global) meltdown. What Occupy offers is something long forgotten yet desperately needed community. Think about it, how many of you know more about your neighbors than their names and occupations? TV and AC have conspired to kill off any sense of community we once had. It is drilled into us almost from day one we live in a hypercompetitive individualistic society. It is everyone for themselves and fuck everyone else. Look at the result, a bunch of fear driven hoarders who could care less about the well being of those in the house next door. In fact, they too are to be feared. It’s a pretty damn sad state, I’d say. However, Occupy is just beginning to break through the isolation, the fear and the ignorance of each other fostered so long by popular culture. We are not alone in our homes (fortress?). There are others who know politics is nothing but infotainment at its height. There are others who know our government serves only the interests large corporations and multi-national conglomerations. There are others who know we are fighting wars for anything but real security. Together, we can retake control of our world. Those who are blissfully blind to this are so at their own peril. How many more mass shootings, ruined families and repressive measures will it take to wake up the “we” in all of us?