Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Freedom fries...and fries and fries
Morning all!
Sorry to hear about your mom, Mickey.
Reading your article on freedom reminded me of Murray Bookchin’s “Ecology of Freedom”, and that most people don’t give much of a thought to what freedom means. Freedom from having to worry about whether you can cover medical bills, or get help if you get sick. Freedom from having to worry about becoming homeless someday. Freedom from exploitation. There are so many aspects to what I consider freedom. Somehow I never would have thought to include a warplane.
I think this AK press book will be coming in my “friends” box this month: http://tinyurl.com/2h4xe3
“New social movements have emerged in Bolivia over the “price of fire"—access to basic elements of survival like water, gas, land, coca, employment, and other resources.”
Seems to tie in as well. I liked the Malcolm (and Malcom) quotes everyone provided yesterday. I really need to read up on him. Any recommendations on where to start?
Posted by Deb on from NoVa 02/22 at 08:04 AMhis autobiography.
about your post Mickey, Oscar Wilde said something like when you find yourself criticised, it means you are in accord with yourself.
Posted by owen on from tutufas, gracia 02/22 at 08:37 AMGood morning owen and Deb.
I am really sad to hear that Mom is not getting better, Mickey. I hope that you will get some good news soon even if that seems unlikely now.
Why are there no fund raisers, no parades, no rallies of support, no showing of compassion for the Iraqi victims of our aggression???? I know the answer to that question. The reason is that whenever someone shows support for the victims they are arrested, prosecuted, imprisoned, and fined. Think of Burt Sacks as just one of many. It is a policy of the usa to use the deaths of civilians as a strategy of war. Anyone in the usa who does not get that is deluding himself. 650,000+ bodies proves the point. From last night’s Mickey #8 link---”...Why do we care more about US soldiers than their victims, the roughly 700, 000 Iraqi civilians and resistance fighters killed (and millions maimed and tortured) in what Justice Jackson at the Nuremberg Trials called a war of aggression, “the supreme international crime, differing from other war crimes only in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole”?
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 02/22 at 08:54 AMsorry to hear abotu your mother mickey.
on the topic...none of us are free to not be bombarded by advertising everyhwere we go either. and if we try to avoid it they come up with newer more innovative ways to ram it down our throat.
this has a higher psychological cost than i think any of us even realise
bastards
Posted by michael on from scotland 02/22 at 09:10 AMMy most hated American ‘freedom’ saying:
“Freedom isn’t free.”
I think that’s Mal-com’s corporate logo, Deb.
My thoughts are with you and your family, Mick.
Morning michael, RMJ and Owen.
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 02/22 at 09:28 AMGreetings, all. Mickey, I love the part where the woman describes the roar of the F-14 as the “sound of freedom.” Freedom from what, or for what does a multimillion-dollar flying death machine bring? I’m sure the F-14 has liberated many a brown person from his/her life, but…
But seriously: I don’t believe most of the people who say things like that ever imagine that the imperial arsenal of which they are so fond will ever be turned against them. As Malcolm X might say, though, the chickens will eventually come home to roost.Posted by Church Secretary on from Chicago, Illinois, U.S. 02/22 at 10:59 AMHello Expendables. Thanks for the great comments and warm wishes.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 02/22 at 11:37 AMHi everyone. Mickey, let me add my best wishes to your family.
Less bad is still not good. The “it could be worse” argument is probably the most distasteful of them all. At least ideologues who really believe in American supremacy (for example) aren’t lazy.
I liked the indymedia article Mickey linked to yesterday with the line “support the victims of the troops”. Forces dimwits to realize for a sec that such people as victims of the troops exist.
I saw the Rocky movie a few weeks ago. I was impressed at the anti-climax and the anti-Hollywood pacing.
On advertising, for Michael: http://tinyurl.com/2er3us
Posted by Keir on from the hague 02/22 at 01:09 PMHi michael, JOS, Keir, Church Secretary and all others who are here.
Mickey got me thinking about freedoms in the usa. Here we have the freedom to be homeless, to have the most expensive and worse medical delivery system of any industrialized nation, the freedom to have the food supply controlled by and contaminated by corporations, the freedom to have no access to the legal system unless you have a lot of money, the freedom to live in a country where the Supreme Court has just ruled that many should not have justice because of where they are being imprisoned by the usa, the freedom to live in a country that keeps the most important information hidden from the citizens through “Black Budgets” and “Black Prison Systems”, the freedom to live in a country that has such tight control of the media that information is hard for many to access, the freedom to live in a country that has no opposition political party,...........
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 02/22 at 01:34 PMJust one more, the freedom to live in a country where 53.92% of those taking part in the poll right now at the Court TV web site believe that the Guantanamo prisoners should NOT have the right to justice in the courts. Predatory ignorance is this country’s biggest problem.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 02/22 at 01:51 PM“Freedom isn’t free.”
I upchucked during Team America at the song of that name. The names on the wall in DC died for freedom apparently (or were they being clever? Or were they being dumb? Or were they being clever...)
Still, that phrase is so easily subverted into - “No, you get all the freedom you can pay for.” Glibness Alert 10!Posted by mew on from london 02/22 at 02:02 PMMZ, sorry to hear about your mom, and to go through that in Texas no less. Slings and arrows and then some. I can only wish all involved peace.
Re: “that’s the sound of freedom”: it applies to just about any authoritarian assault on the ears, from low-flying wealth-redistribution tools to fellow human beings shouting out their PT pace in the midday Florida sun. But I find it too limiting. How about the clacking of a keyboard that enters some lobbyists’ handiwork into law? “All rise” when some middle class servant of hierarchy walks into the room? The thump of a 350 year old tree falling to earth?
Remember,the difference between sour grapes and expensive whine is your zip code.
Posted by Zen Prole on from Urth 02/22 at 02:31 PMCaptcha did a TinyURL on my first lines:
Sorry about your mom, MZ. And going through that in Texas, no less. Slings and arrows and then some.Captcha now sez “added.” I’ll take that as an apology.
Posted by Zen Prole on from Urth 02/22 at 02:35 PMAnd now they’re back. Hmmm. Good day, Expendables.
Posted by Zen Prole on from Urth 02/22 at 02:36 PMNominee for line of the day:
“Remember,the difference between sour grapes and expensive whine is your zip code.”
Posted by Keir on from the hague 02/22 at 03:49 PMI’ll second that, Keir...although each of you have delivered more than enough options.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 02/22 at 04:24 PMthis is just absolutely absurd.
prince harry is joining the front lines in iraq…
http://tinyurl.com/2x5wp8BBC TV news opening line (2 minutes ago) ...
“Prince Harry is a brave young man and he wants to do his job properly”
ok, so he wants to join in an illegal war on the front lines
whoopee-fucking-do.
Posted by michael on from scotland 02/22 at 05:07 PMKeep writing please, Mickey! Nothing but praise from this woman, that’s for sure.
‘Hi’ from down under to Deb, Owen, Rosemarie, Michael, JOS, Church Secretary, Keir, Mew and Zen Prole. So much to read, not only by the cool observer, but by all his expendables - and so little time. I am always humbled by all those comments, links, etc.
Take good care of yourselves please.
Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 02/22 at 06:29 PMMicky, Sorry about your Mom. I will pray for peace in your family.
I have come to view patriotism as a disease. we’re infected with it early in life and very few people are ever cured of it. To think that “our” country is always right and everyone else is always wrong is absurd. Patriotism keeps you bound in the land of delusions while real Freedom comes when you rid yourself from the shackles of Patriotism.
I have put learning more about Malcom X on my list of things that I must get done.
Peace!
Posted by David on from Louisville KY 02/22 at 07:52 PMYou know what’s pretty scary?
The freeze frame photo of Rocky’s swollen eyes on this post…
Good night everyone…
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 02/22 at 08:02 PMMicheal mentioned Prince Harry going to Iraq. Former British Boxer Chris Eubank was just arrested for protesting that:
From the BBC: “Former world champion boxer Chris Eubank has been arrested for an alleged breach of the peace while demonstrating in his truck in Whitehall.
He had been driving a vehicle bearing a political banner, according to BBC journalists who witnessed the incident.
The banner, on the back of the truck, stated: “Blair, don’t send our young prince to your catastrophic illegal war to make it look plausible”.
Mr Eubank was taken to Charing Cross Police Station for questioning.
The BBC’s Dominic Casciani, who witnessed the incident, said: “Chris Eubank was driving his truck up and down Whitehall blowing his horn when he was stopped by police officers.”
This is the same prince, though, who attended a ‘colonials and natives’ party dressed as an SS officer. No doubt if he goes he’ll come back with stories about how hard it is for the boys etc.
Anyway, respect to Eubank for that one.
Posted by Andy on from Shanghai 02/22 at 11:33 PM
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