Weblog Archive, Nov-Dec 2003

Weblog (Really a combination diary and commentary) July-Oct 2003 Archive

* Begins with the newest post first and works its way back in time. Done manually, so don't get too excited if it doesn't look like the usual formats you may have seen on weblog sites. At some point, I'll probably add real blog software. December 19, 2003- Humans will be human, and that’s what really hurts I’m convinced if we could transport someone from the time of the American Revolution to the present, they would be incredulous at our canonization of Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, et al. Someone close to the action then would easily recall these individuals as the humans they actually were and wonder what happened to awareness of their "warts" and other, perhaps deeper, flaws. True, historians have uncovered some of these shortcomings, but as a society we are not taught or otherwise cautioned about the whole story of our leaders. Today, certain segments can’t wait for such canonization. Can’t even wait for their hero to die before revising history with commemorative ideals for which there is no truthful basis. Of course, I’m referring to Reagan, the man credited with making the world safe for Corporate Hegemony. Yes, the wall came down, the Soviet Union flew apart into its constituent pieces and we turned chunks of that heinous concrete into a marketing bonanza. But is your world safer? Certainly not; in fact, the opposite. Making matters worse, the same leadership that existed during those fateful 14 years of Republican regime is still at the controls. Not enough time passed to allow another generation to come on line. But would that have mattered? My premise appears to be that it wouldn’t because people are people and it doesn’t really matter what label they wear. If that’s the case, why waste time discussing what can’t be changed? Because there are some elements within our control if we are willing to fight hard enough to take back what has been stolen from us. Who stole what? If you’ve ever wondered how our country began to be run for the ultimate benefit of those already in power, you’ve been asleep through the first three paragraphs, and most likely for much longer than that. Rather, I’d like to discuss how that power is retained. Another president, Eisenhower, proclaimed his concern about the "military-industrial complex" and its growing influence on our government and policies. I once read Eisenhower would have included "political" as part of that unholy alliance, but remember the times. The world had just finished one war and was facing another bogeyman, Red Scare. It wouldn’t be helpful to those in power for citizens to look up the unemotional, objective definition of the word "fascism" and quickly recognize Eisenhower’s words for what they really meant. Team up the unbridled self-interest of the "military-industrial-political complex" and you have three well-funded parties trading best practices on how to get and keep power. Taking back enough of that power to do the right thing for those not fortunate to be among the elite means you have to become engaged. Not demonstrate in the street, necessarily, but at least open a critical eye to what is fed you as news, necessity or justified sacrifice. If a legitimate news organization requires at least two, possibly more, independent verifications of fact, so should you. Don’t take any political statement at face value, that’s not how the game is played. Don’t take any corporate marketing benefit statement as truthful, truth is the last thing the marketer has in mind. Don’t sacrifice any part of yourself for someone else’s cause, you’re the only one who will be making a sacrifice. In other words, become informed and make it your cause to subject those in power to critical thinking and if they fail, take action to remove them from that power. (Letting them know how you feel and that you vote is a start.) That’s what our country’s founding fathers did, warts and all, proving it can be done. Our failure has been to rely on their sanitized legends to protect us from those who followed. December 13, 2003- Thirteen months and whaddaya get… This entry takes a more personal tone. The world has its problems, but they’ll wait — and continue to grow — for now. A couple days ago I attended a meeting and in the post-meeting banter one of the comments was to the effect that life must be different than when I was working for my last employer. They certainly are, and despite the uncertainties and concerns one has to face with such a radical redirection, I still have to say I’m better off now than before. True, I’ve begun the path toward starving artist. Yet I hope to pass through that stage quickly. Even if I don’t pull that off, the past 13 months have been a needed change, a chance to indulge desires I kept dormant as a 60-hour-a-week, reluctant and resentful, albeit well-paid, drone. (There is no doubt having respect for, and being respected by, your employer is essential. In the end, neither existed.) I happened to remember the anniversary of my freedom a day or two after the event. I forget where I was or with whom I was talking, but I paused for a moment, bemused, to wonder how I could overlook such a significant milestone. That first night of freedom I lay in bed unable to go to sleep. Instead of the usual "Oh my god, what am I going to do, how will I find a job, this is horrible" thoughts, I was smiling, knowing I had won my freedom to pursue whatever dream I wanted. Now that I’m 13 months into this journey, what do I know? I know I’m still the same impatient person I have always been, wanting quick success. (Comes from a life of quick success in almost anything I have really wanted to do.) I know so many of our problems around the world are self-inflicted, and that it takes a full-time conscious effort to minimize those injuries. (And if you think your government is looking out for you, you’ve already lost that battle.) I know it can be easy to retreat into a figurative cave to avoid facing your fears and insecurities. (Even those disposed to solitude need outside input to remain engaged and creative.) I know, barring accident or illness, the journey has barely begun and many options have yet to appear. (May I remain open to those opportunities and allow the journey to progress.) The holiday season is well-known for its emotional impact. Many find it painful to realize another year has gone without realizing their dreams. I’ll admit I have yet to realize all of my dreams. But at least I’m able to pursue them on my terms, and that means more than one might think. November 10, 2003- Dude, where’s your ability to think ahead regarding eroding rights? John Mark Eberhart, book editor for The Kansas City Star, wrote a review of Michael Moore’s newest book, Dude, Where’s My Country? I was little concerned about the review (I’ve not read Moore’s books or seen his documentaries), but one of Eberhart’s seemingly offhand remarks greatly disturbed me. Thus began an e-mail exchange about civil liberty. First, an except from Eberhart’s review: "Moore also blasts the Patriot Act, saying that in its effort to prevent terror, it imperils U.S. citizens' rights: '"Here's what this law does. Your government may now ‘trap and trace' all those countless e-mails you thought were private. If this continues, you might as well delete the word ‘CONFIDENTIAL' from your spell checker. Also up for inspection: banking records, school records, the list of library books you or your 9-year-old checked out this year (or even how often you have logged onto the Internet at the library), and your consumer purchases."' "Personally, I'm not much in favor of curtailing freedoms, either. Yet I cannot pronounce myself in lockstep agreement with Moore on this issue, for one simple reason: If you don't start making pipe bombs in your garage, or bother reading books that tell you how to do so, you're probably not going to draw any sharply dressed government agents to your front door in the dead of night. I think that if you behave and obey the law, no one's going to care about your library books – but hey, that's just me." By the way, you might still be able to read Eberhart’s review, "Moore or Less" at http://www.kansascity.com. (Registration is required, how’s that for creating paranoia about one’s reading habits.) My response was delivered within hours of reading the review: Mr. Eberhart, Hey, I know you preceded your comment in the Michael Moore review with a qualifier, but "I think that if you behave and obey the law, no one's going to care about your library books — but hey, that's just me." is disconcerting. Someone as well-read as you must have encountered countless examples of why that attitude leads to even greater erosion of civil liberties. Similar heads in the sand allowed fascism to arise in Europe in the first third of the last century. People then, like you now, often justified their lack of involvement to stop its pernicious spread with "if they have nothing to hide, they have nothing to worry about." How many people died during WW2 overcoming this ennui? One doesn't have to rely on such monstrous events for examples of why your attitude is a cop out, even as a "lowly" book editor with no real journalistic clout. I don't mean that as a slam, but wonder what your real motivation would be to cultivate and maintain such a dismissive attitude toward basic rights. Sure, much of your reading is public record, and you are paid for your efforts. But what happens when you get called in to explain why you're not reading and reviewing books on someone's "acceptable" list instead of pursuing ideas that might, just might, fall outside the currently-dictated propaganda "message." Laugh if you'd like, but think for a moment about the times your decisions have been based on external input, some of which you didn't appreciate. That was another click-clack of falling dominoes you heard. Time to wake up, Eberhart, or you'll find yourself transported back in time when a whole world was in conflict to stop the spread of fascism. In that case you'll hope people address you as Herr Eberhart, instead of requiring a colored patch to be sewn on your clothing to identify you as an undesirable. PS: Fascism is now a very loaded word. I urge you to look up its definition to understand what it truly means, and the sense in which I used it. His first terse reply: After considering what I wrote on Sunday, and your very thoughtful response to it, I believe you are right and I was wrong. jme "When the wine is bitter, become the wine." -- Rilke And a later, more considered response: You know, I was looking back over your e-mail, which I realize I responded to once, and the second time around, I have to tell you that the "Herr Eberhart" smackdown really grated on me. My father had to put up with being called a Nazi during WWII, when he was just a boy. I never really thought my Germanic surname would provoke someone into the kind of statement you made, but I guess one of the attractive things about living life is that the surprises just keep on coming. At any rate: Once again, to address the substantive portion of your email, I have reconsidered what I wrote on Sunday, in addition to pondering a few emails like yours that have come in on Sunday night and Monday morning. And now I have decided I was full of "schite." What's a little low German among friends? jme "When the wine is bitter, become the wine." -- Rilke To close this entry, my reply: Ah, well, I guess we both have Germanic surnames to "live down." Mine is Alsace-Lorraine, the part of Europe that's been conquered back and forth so often it doesn't know if it's German or French. I looked it up once to discover it means "pious," which would explain my sometimes pontifical nature. We learn, again and again, that e-mail cannot communicate intent, only the actual words. I'm sorry mine provoked bad memories of what happens when people are manipulated by government for its own purposes. What better example, despite the pain, of my concern for where we are headed today. I hope you understand I wasn't focused on your heritage when making my point. I would have closed with the same call to action whether your name was "Smith" or "Rodriguez." Imagine my bemusement when I surfed onto CSPAN later Sunday after sending you my thoughts and found Al Gore making the same point about the erosion of civil liberties under the current regime. And I voted for Nader. Damn, what a mistake that turned out to be. (Well, not really, I don't vote in Florida.) gnf The wine will be sweet once our rights are reclaimed.

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