Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Can you say "microcosm"?
Good morning Mickey and all...sorry to be off topic but I will be using this information as one of the focal points of today’s interview. Instead of calling for the troops in Iraq to come home, it would be better to call for all troops in other countries to come home, turn the bases over to the people in the country, and close Guantanamo and turn it over to the Cuban people. Of course everyone here at Mickey’s already knows that. Now it is time to educate the Press.
http://hnn.us/articles/3097.html
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 12/13 at 08:28 AM“The bottom line of my argument is that the best and perhaps only way to prevent 9-1-1-style attacks on the U.S. is for American citizens to compel their government to comply with the rule of law. The lesson of Nuremberg is that this is not only our right, but our obligation. To the extent we shirk this responsibility, we, like the “Good Germans” of the 1930s and ‘40s, are complicit in its actions and have no legitimate basis for complaint when we suffer the consequences. This, of course, includes me, personally, as well as my family, no less than anyone else.” Ward Churchill
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 12/13 at 08:52 AMGood morning, Expendables. It’s yet another mild mid-December day here in NYC.
RMJ: That WC quote really sums it up succinctly. I will be using it soon. Also, feel free to go “off-topic” anytime. I like your message for today and would add that bringing all the troops home should naturally lead to a major downsizing of the military and an even great reduction in military spending/corporate welfare. One million U.S. taxpayer dollars are spent per minute on war. Keeping that fact in mind and adding in Ward’s words, it’s clear that there are no innoncent bystanders in America.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/13 at 08:59 AMHello Mickey, RMJ and all the Expendables!
Rather than being able to catch what I missed here the last couple of weeks, I’m just getting farther behind. Still, not permanent, just not as short a time period of ‘busy-ness’ as I’d thought.
WARM here today too - factoid for the day: a 0.5 degree celcius rise in temperature will change the sex of a clutch of Crocodile eggs to be majority female. Climatologists predict a 3-5 degree C increase over the next 50-100 years. The same change will result in Sea Turtle clutches being mainly male.
Not a good scenario - add to that our poaching, habitat destruction, et al and those critters have a bleak future after having survived through millenia of NATURAL climate changes.On that note - I’m off to lurk as much as I’m able!
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 12/13 at 10:51 AMHello, hello, hello Empress. You have been missed.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/13 at 11:17 AMThanks MZ, I’ve definitely been missing all of you here as well.
Have there been any drop-ins from other wayward “southern” (Mudge) or western (Joe)Expendables?Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 12/13 at 11:21 AMSadly, Empress, I believe Mudge has gone the way of Joe from Oregon...an Expendable-at-Large. Happily, we have a new Expendable named Zenprole. If you stick around, I’m sure you meet him.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/13 at 11:39 AMHey RMJ, are you aware of this site?
http://wardchurchill.netPosted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/13 at 01:04 PMGreetings to MZ, RMJ, and Amelopsis.
Aye, it’s another warm December day in the Northeast. The major question is: Can we sample Bing Crosby and turn it into “White First Of February”? (...Jack Frost down in Tampa in the off season...)
Though I will always be suspicious of Chalmers Johnson (how does someone serve 30 years in the G, then decide it’s all a mistake?), he does have a grip on imperial details. The first chapter of “Blowback,” about Okinawa, tears the veil off American empire, for anyone with sense enough to read it.
This coming Storytelling Saturday is Bill Hicks’ birthday. He would have been 45, in the prime of his comedic career...and still working the Comedy Pouch in Possum Ridge, Arkansas.
Captcha sez “money.” Bill sez “Suckin’ Satan’s Pecker...”
Posted by Zenprole on from Urth 12/13 at 02:06 PMThanks for the head’s up on Hicks, Zenprole. I’ll be sure to post something here on Saturday.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/13 at 02:52 PMAction alert:
http://tinyurl.com/yjswjlPosted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/13 at 04:19 PMI can so relate to today’s post, Mickey! It is always the most inconsiderate and rude people who expect others to be considerate towards them - that seems to be a worldwide phenomenon.
Here’s what is happening on the fire front in my State of Victoria:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/firefighters-brace-for-onslaught/2006/12/14/1165685784446.htmlAnd our PM who until very recently did not even believe in global warming, now is a convert - he also seems to call for more troops in Iraq, along with our Foreign Minister who is visiting
DC even while we speak. Ah well - a majority of Australians have voted for this government.‘Instead of calling for the troops in Iraq to come home, it would be better to call for all troops in other countries to come home, turn the bases over to the people in the country, and close Guantanamo and turn it over to the Cuban people.’ Exactly, Rosemarie.
‘Hi’ to Zenprole and Amelopsis (I have missed you, too!) as well. Have a good day/afternoon/night ..
Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 12/13 at 04:46 PMAnd the WC quote really does sum it succinctly! That’s why I mentioned the fact that a majority of Australians put our current federal government in power in 2004. This same government also keeps talking about ‘values’ - some values ..
Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 12/13 at 04:50 PMThis one is for you, Rosemarie - re the very real failure of capitalism you mentioned in the preceding post: here is what the recently elected leader of our Australian Labor Party chose to say yesterday:
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/12/13/1165685753120.html
So socialism is an ‘arcane, 196h century doctrine’?Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 12/13 at 05:04 PMThanks for the great links, Helga.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/13 at 06:27 PMThanks for the link, Helga. Very interesting…
Zenprole #9...It seems to me that it is not all that uncommon for someone to change course. I think of Bill Blum, John Perkins, Howard Zinn (the bombardier), etc. Me, the reformed super patriot. I used to have a big usa flag in the corner of my living room. Now I have a collection of anti-war and anti-usa-foreign policy signs there.
Amelopsis...How’s it going?????
Mickey, that is a good photo of WC on your link.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 12/13 at 06:39 PMGood point, RMJ. Another who turned themselves completely around is Howard Lyman:
http://www.madcowboy.com/Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/13 at 07:14 PMRMJ, my objection to Johnson is based on class and humanity. It doesn’t mean that one must be poor to be genuinely disgusted with empire, only that I have yet to hear him examine his path to this point in political awareness.
Zinn, Lyman, and Blum never had or embraced privilege (that I am aware of), so they are more grounded, which I prefer. Perkins shares qualities with Johnson, but is bracingly clear on his origins, behavior, and changes in his belief system (again, up front and clear). To me, Johnson is similar in form to Arianna Huffington or David Korten. Sure, it can be good to have them along, but I harbor no illusions.
And not to point the cannon at Johnson alone, I keep a healthy suspicion of unreformed Cold Warriors on both sides. The “it’s now safe to be in favor of democracy” line chafes at my common sense.
All this said, I have both Blowback and Sorrows of Empire on my bookshelf. But I keep them away from the George Carlin and Gore Vidal.
News Desk: I’ll post reason #32087 of Why We’re Losing in the next few days. Gotta do some other stuff tonight.
Posted by Zenprole on from Urth 12/13 at 08:34 PMre: Class and humanity- Good point Zenprole. If one rejects the values that go along with one’s class they better be damn clear why they are doing so. Also, in addition to your list I would add Antonio Gramsci as being well grounded. I don’t think this guy gets enough credit for his work.
Posted by Fiona on from San Diego 12/13 at 09:10 PMFiona: I hope I can always believe in Gramsci’s idea of “ap essimism of the intellect but an optimism of the will.”
Like Mumia, Peltier, Alexander Berkman, and others, Gramsci wrote while in prison.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/13 at 09:17 PMHi again,
Zenprole it’s very nice that you’re here as a regular - I’ve been almost entirely absent from the CO for a while now; but lurking as I’m able and enjoy what you bring to the conversations (it’s something about the crowd Mickey attracts)RMJ - It’s ‘going good’, thanks - just a few notches busier than my standard operating level. I hope all’s well (or at least calm?) with you too (legal, electricity, et al)
Helga - keep cool! I hope Daylesford’s not in the middle of the fires and all’s well with you after your trip to NZ.
Last but not least, have I mentioned lately how comforting it is that you keep this place going, Mickey? Even when I’m not contributing, it’s such a tonic to know that I’ll find some insightful, educational and interesting topics and opinions to read here. Thank you
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 12/13 at 11:01 PMCrap!!
Fiona I’m glad you brought up Antonio Gramsci and that Mickey followed up with a quote - I’m not familiar with him, and he’s one of the items I had in mind in my above reference to ‘educational’, there’s always room for more knowledge!
Posted by Amelopsis on from CAnada 12/13 at 11:04 PM
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