August 31, 2017, Musings
Next month will mark the sixteenth anniversary of this blog, not to mention the sixteenth anniversary of America's Own Reichstag Fire[TM], September 11th (and now, as then, I still work a city block or so from the WTC complex).
Still trying to reconcile the fact that the winning combination of the minority of American voters managed to install an actual circus clown as President, at a moment when the American Empire is coming apart at the seams anyway, largely as a result of the decisions made as a result of... the aftermath of September 11th. Specifically, the endless expenditure on blood and treasure in Western and Central Asia has resulted in military adventures that literally sucked the life blood out of the American spirit (and economy). They have been also been used as pretexts to justify universal surveillance on virtually every communication on Earth that technology will permit to be monitored, torture, even more cruel and arbitrary treatment of prisoners (both military and civilian, Joe Arpaio), and evidently as cover for financial institutions to rig the financial world to explode (which it did in 2007 and 2008, and might be ready to again).
And at a moment when the leader of the nation (such as he is and it is) might consider appropriate for genuine introspection, we have, instead, a man who thinks that his own P.T. Barnum-like impression of a poor person's idea of a rich person is more important than the Presidency that he has somehow stumbled into (thanks again, Hillary), and so, instead of even asking the irritating Ed Koch-ish "how am I doing?" insists on touting his non-existent accomplishments, with "I'm doing great, right? What a turnout for me!" When, instead, he should be expressing sympathy and compassion for victims of a horror.
The disconnect between the clown show that now passes for national discourse and, ahem, reality is nothing short of exhausting.
I'd suggest that fewer and fewer of you were following along with whatever it is I'm trying to do, but even Sitemeter has gone ahead and given up! So... hopefully, I'm not just yelling into the void. In any event, GTMO is still an abomination, and Andy and Candace are on the beat; I hope to have some more interviews one of these days, and I do keep playing with a "more substantial written product" in this area... stay tuned.
A bittersweet time (aside from the shitshow of state)... August coming to an end, summer to follow shortly thereafter; the Loquacious Pup has gone off to college; Donald J. Putin is up to over 400 followers... such is life-- a cyclical thing, which we forget at our peril (even as too many of our countrymen insist on telling us that they are stupid and racist and that they resent being called stupid and racist.) Pshaw.
Alrightie. Hey, keep the faith, fight the power, etc. Never have people of goodwill been needed more; your efforts may not appear to be immediately rewarded, but... karma... just saying.
Comments
Thanks. Very well said -- except that it seems much more a bitter than a sweet time. ...and isn't winter coming?
Posted by Cherie at September 2, 2017 1:46 AM
Thank you, Cherie. The bitter does come first in bittersweet, but I think if we forget that "all is not lost..." all might be lost. Yes, the nation has quite literally elected to plunge itself into a really dark moment, but if you like, think of this as a service to the light. A third or more of our countrymen really ARE ignorant, racist pricks (btw, they're NOT the "white working class; Donald's voters are more affluent than the average Hillary voter- B"Y FAR). Think optimistically- THEY HAVE UNMASKED THEMSELVES-- we do not have to pretend otherwise, that a gloss of civility somehow means we have actual civility. A lumine- the civilized people can spot each other.
Even more optimistically, Donald fans are generally older, and like Donald himself, make horrifyingly awful eating, exercise and lifestyle choices (added the fact that they are also getting up there in years). Just saying... The fit will survive winter, which is indeed coming; fortunately, fitness and virtue are starting to be more aligned...
Posted by the talking dog at September 2, 2017 1:45 PM
You are definitely NOT yelling into the wind. Some of us around then (well, my blog is about 1 year younger than yours) are still around now, reading you and-- hang on, Loquacious Pup is in COLLEGE now? Oh my goodness...
Posted by Elayne Riggs at September 3, 2017 6:24 AM
Not yelling into the void at all. Good wishes on your anniversary Talking Dog. I always thought that W's presidency exhausted my reserve of outrage. I was wrong.
Posted by Cafesept at September 3, 2017 1:06 PM