American Fascism Isn't Going Away
Saturday, June 11, 2022
Friday, June 10, 2022
Gun Violence as a Symptom
The recent mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas is about as horrific as it gets. It was far from the first school shooting and will certainly not be the last. Once again we find ourselves in the same situation as every mass shooting; profound sadness and shock, blaming guns, poor security / police response, lots of hot air about gun control vs. Second Amendment and at the end of the day nothing changes. I think we are far beyond effective gun control measures. That ship sailed fifty or sixty years ago. The problem is only a symptom of something much bigger.
I've written on guns before (here) and things have only worsened. With our national legislature in the pocket of gun makers, gun sellers and a plethora of other like-minded lunatics, we cannot get even minimal reforms, much less anything approaching a solution(s). It is a much deeper problem than high capacity magazines, AR-15's or no limits on ammo. You see, it's too late for bans and other "you cannot have that" solutions. There are more guns than people here. And no, the government cannot "take your guns." It is logistically impossible. The point is, guns are not going away. I think real solutions are only possible by doing something Americans hate, looking in the mirror. Let's start to peel the onion of gun violence.
Our "winner take all" society is sick, very sick. How else to explain Sandy Hook and nothing changes afterward? Some in the gun crowd scream mental health! Are they wrong? Sure, I'd say if one shoots up a school, church or grocery store, they have some severe mental health issues. Let's go deeper. Why? Remember we gutted mental healthcare back in the '80's. It's hard to get care for mental wellbeing. Good luck paying for it in this healthcare system! And then there's the stigma. Good luck finding work afterward. "But we cannot afford it!" So screams the Party of Deregulation and tax cuts for the rich. Let's dig deeper.
What can cause the mental illness that leads to mass shootings and other violent crimes? Well, we basically have to reform ourselves from top to bottom. The crushing effects of late stage casino capitalism come into play. Here's a link for a deep dive. Basically, if you're poor, it's your own damn fault. If you fail and you are rich enough, Uncle Sam will not let you fall. The economy is rigged like a casino that cannot lose money (Donald Trump not withstanding). We live surrounded by debit traps of all sorts; credit card debit, medical debit, car loan debit, mortgage debit, student loan debit, rent, utilities and so on and on. Yes, there are jobs but many pay too little to even afford necessities much less give some breathing room. We are not dying of starvation but the cheap food comes with new costs all their own- feeling like shit all the time and poor long term health outcomes like heart disease and diabetes. So far our response to these things has only made the situation far worse and more dangerous. Come along- we got more digging to do.
Instead of making changes to reduce suffering, the powers that be have only doubled down to keep the rigged game going. No job? No future? No hope? Lonely? Sad? Depressed? It's the blacks' fault! It's the Chineses' fault! It's the Mexicans' fault! It's the Muslims' fault! It's the liberals' fault! They are stealing your country. You must FIGHT back! Get your guns while you still can (They want to take those too!). Guns make you powerful. Guns make you a man. Don't be weak! Arm up and FIGHT back. Don't be weak. These dangerous sentiments resonate with hopeless and powerless people being crushed under the weight of American Capitalism. Add to all of this our ever increasing isolation. Gone are the union meetings, neighborhood activities, many clubs and associations that used to bring different people together. Mass shootings are only one symptom. We also see more suicides and other "Deaths of Despair."
Mixing guns with fascism, toxic masculinity and Christian extremism is proving to be deadly. The culture has grown so toxic mass shootings are just another Wednesday afternoon. They are American as Baseball, apple pie and napalm. So how do we reverse course? Can we? We start by bringing people together. Find stuff / create stuff to get involved in! For Fuck's sake turn off the computer, put down the tablet or phone, give the social media a break! Do stuff with people. Don't leave people out. Rebuild a sense of community. Alone time in echo chambers feeds bad things. To the gun bros- stop fetishizing firearms! Have fun at the range. Learn and teach how to hunt safely. Guns are tools, not status symbols. Yes, gun violence is fixable. Real solutions will take time. So can we? We have too.
Monday, May 23, 2022
Readings 5.23.22 Climate Change Consequences Already Here
Hate to break it to you on a Monday but the effects of climate change are here.
The Southwest’s Drought and Fires Are a Window to Our Climate Change Future
What does climate change and trees have in common?
The best time to plant a tree or start working on climate change was decades ago. The next best time is today.
Saturday, May 21, 2022
The Pejorative of "Mainstream" Media
I often see both left and right using "mainstream" media in a pejorative sense. Oh, that's just the mainstream media not telling the whole story or only what "they" want you to hear. I've been guilty of this as well. Here's the thing- all media is created by human beings. All human beings have bad days, bias of one form or another and different prejudices. Everyone has an axe to grind. Sometimes it's more obvious than others. I too, as a consumer of news / media, have the same issues. We are programmed to think we are one of the good guys and we think what good people should think. Others are wrong, operating in bad faith or worse yet seek to actually harm us. Who is paying for the news coverage? So what can be done? Where can we get good, accurate information? What do we we do with this information?
1. Who's paying the bill?
Where does the organization get its money from? Advertisers! Great, who are they? Political parties or government sponsoring what I'm looking at? Foundations or large corporations kicking in something? None of these have to be dealbreakers. The content can still be useful and valuable. Still, knowing why something was created is important.
I think the next two questions have the same answer.
2. So what can be done?
3. Where we can we get good accurate information?
Look as many places as possible and pay attention to how each source tells about the same event. What narratives / stories are they pushing and why? I think being well and truly informed takes a good deal of work. Time is a precious resource. We get into the habit of using a few go to (trusted?) sources for news and can easily end up in an information silo. Take the time to learn more. It is important.
4. What do we do with this information?
If you think it is good share it! The internet is full of half-truths, big and small lies and outright government / corporate propaganda. This is a small way to change things for the better. Too many want us to stop asking questions, trying to distract with shiny things and fake outrage.
I see mainstream media as a good starting point. I know there are biases. That's a part of it. Still don't like "mainstream" media? Well, do the homework and dig deeper. Network news to documentaries like Frontline and on to international perspectives is a path to deeper understanding. This is not full-proof but better than just a scan of headlines on your smartphone. Freedom is not free. It takes work.
Sunday, May 15, 2022
Abortion from where I sit
I'm not interested in starting arguments, debates or general internet outrage. That said, I'm willing to share my view.
First, as a dude, I have no say. It's not for me to decide. Such a decision is between a woman, her doctor and God if she so chooses. Funny, the party of "small government" wants to intrude on this space.
Passing laws and restrictions will not make abortions go away. It will only drive them underground, making them more dangerous the poorer you are. The wealthy will only have to spend more going to another state / country to have one. Has outlawing drugs worked? Did outlawing booze back in the day work? Robbery and killing are also against the law. Simply watch a little local news to see how effective laws are at stopping those. Driving abortion into the shadows only makes a difficult situation worse and will get people killed.
Abortions can be greatly reduced (almost eliminated) pretty easy. Let's have real comprehensive, fact based sex education. Let's have accessible birth control. Maybe even real support for new moms with little means. But the party of "small government" has no interest in solving problems or actual governing. But that's a rant for another time...
Saturday, May 14, 2022
Social Media
There is no going back. Social media will be with us for the foreseeable future, only a giant well-aimed meteor, nuclear war or exponential climate change will put an end to it. No, this is not a rambling bashing all the baggage social media brings. There's plenty of that already. Let's consider a few things here as of this writing in May 2022. The pace of change is astonishing. It is what we make of it. Social media is there to make money, full stop.
We have come a long way from email and the chatrooms full of surprises of the '90's. Now, it is possible to video chat with people across the world in real time. Anyone can create or comment on news (as I comment often in this space). Creators may or may not be telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It's easy to get sucked into information bubbles or silos of our own creation (with a little help from over friendly algorithms). The future only looks stranger as we will soon don goggles, headphones and who knows what (smellivision??) on our way to becoming a strange sort of pod people living in a virtual make-believe world. Who knows, in small doses, it could be fun! It could be great for education. It could even be highly spiritual. There are plenty of dark paths opening up as well. This changing technology, like any tool, is not evil in itself. It is how we use it; enslavement, enlightenment or something unknown to us now?
So what do I want from things like Facebook and LinkedIn? They are good ways to keep in touch, learn new things and places to share ideas. They can be great tools for job searching (something I'm not doing now) and more fun things like cat pictures, gardening / flowers and truck pictures it that's your thing. Hell, I don't really mind the targeted ads. Something I'm interested in, I may check it out. I don't expect social media to replace having a few beers with friends, roadtripping or simply being outside on a warm, sunny day. As of right now, I don't see plunging into the shining world of virtual reality. It creeps me out. Maybe I'll change my mind one day. Don't knock it 'till you try it? Maybe later?
But what you or I want is only a part of the picture. The people who own social media can talk all they want about bringing the world together, freedom of speech or other lofty goals but we live in a Capitalist system where only money matters. They are in it for the money. Anytime those wonderful goals go against creating profits; profits will win out every time. Freedom of speech is cool and all until the lawsuits start to add up. Some kids get bullied to the point of suicide? Just business. Creating millions of addicts? Think of the ad revenue! Skewing elections, disinformation silos and hate speech? How about unlimited growth and record profits! "Show me the motivation and I'll show you the result." When money is the motivator, bad things can happen.
"Be the change you want to see." Social media is what we make it. Post factual, positive and uplifting stuff. Leave the on line arguments behind for in person dialogue. Too many are more interested in "winning" than learning something new. Don't be afraid to use disconnect, block and unfriend features. Make your social media experience educational, informative and fun! Manage your account(s) accordingly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)