Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Friday, January 02, 2009
Thoreau Down
I’ve been constantly amazed by the negativity people have expressed upon seeing that I don’t have a whole lot of “stuff” and choose to live simply!!
It’s been interesting writing letters, making phone calls, having conversations about Palestine and the Israeli-U.S. terrorism there. Interesting because I know I am communicating with people who do not see Palestinians as full human beings and they support terrorism in general (they are terrorists themselves - our elected officials).
Posted by RichG from Boston on 01/02 at 08:10 AMHave enjoyed reading the posts and comments during the holidaze.
As you can see I am no longer in San Francisco-- where to next? Not so sure, so I put “somewhere on the edge” which is on the edge of the Blue Ridge mountains for now. The stars are brighter here--
Here are two links to enjoy: http://tinyurl.com/8aymng
http://tinyurl.com/8nynyoPosted by Robert B. Livingston from somewhere on the edge on 01/02 at 11:05 AMThanks for the link, Robert...and welcome back to the East Coast:
Rich: It’s an amazing corporate propaganda victory that anyone who chooses a “green,” simple lifestyle is derisively labeled a “treehugger” as if it were a profound insult.
Posted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 01/02 at 12:59 PMre: treehuggers. I think people’s attitudes are changing slightly, with climate change being a mainstream topic these days. But they often fail to see the very nature of our society as damaging to the environment.
I’m going to a demo tomorrow about Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. I’ve been posting on messageboards and I am amazed at how many people think Israel is the victim and that they are justified in their actions. How can the state of affairs be changed if this is the case?
Posted by Paul M from on 01/02 at 03:12 PM2008 in review:
http://survivalacres.com/wordpress/?p=1624(Hi Paul)
Posted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 01/02 at 03:18 PMPowerful stuff in that link Mickey. Reminds me how fucked up things are, and just how more fucked up they could be.
I just despair when raising what I consider to be the pressing issues with people. You know - environmental catastrophe, the massive inequalities in our world, increasing militarism and creeping fascism.
All very cheery stuff I know. But we can’t just bury our heads and expect this stuff to go away. That’s what those pictures so effectively convey…
I’m also consistently astounded by the amount of people who have accepted the patently obvious bullshit that so damages them and billions of others.
We need numbers to bring an end to it. Can’t let this fact paralyse me though..
Posted by Paul M from Scotland on 01/02 at 03:38 PMHi Rich, Robert, Mickey, Paul, and all…
News is reporting that we will be sending 20,000 troops to Afghanistan - same war just a different name. So much for change.....
C-span, Book TV had a 90 minute talk by Naomi Klien and Jeremy Scahill. It was very good. Maybe it will be aired again. I saw it twice. One of the points that Jeremy made was that we have more “Private Contractors” killing in Iraq than we have troops. The State Department is more dangerous than the Dept of Offense.
Posted by RMJ from Ward Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts on 01/02 at 04:06 PMFirst of all: hi, RichG, Robert B. Livingston (#2: re stars, they are quite bright in rural Daylesford - one can even see the Milky Way and clearly if one looks up at night), Mickey, Paul M and Rosemarie - from a summerly Daylesford, where the temperature is a quite pleasant 75F today.
RichG: It’s been interesting writing letters, making phone calls, having conversations about Palestine and the Israeli-U.S. terrorism there. Interesting because I know I am communicating with people who do not see Palestinians as full human beings and they support terrorism in general.’ Same down under.
Here is some skewered reporting on the ‘conflict’ in Gaza,as it has also been called:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/03/2458427.htmHave a good weekend, anyway!
Posted by Helga Fremlin from Daylesford, Australia on 01/02 at 11:20 PMSome powerful pics on that blog, Mickey. Some interesting back articles as well.
Posted by Charles from Jersey City on 01/03 at 03:15 AMHi all
Love the post today. Reading through the comments, yeah, I get the same reactions. When it comes out with people (often ok people too) that I don’t like cars, don’t own one, don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t eat meat, don’t buy fashion or luxury goods, have anti-war views blah blah ... they immediately treat you like a dangerous extremist or wonder what’s wrong.
I think to myself, “fuck you, you are the dangerous extremists, not me”.
Here’s a story I have probably told before about bicycles.
I have a nice bike, it cost me 4000 RMB (about 450 USD). It’s between a mountain bike and a city bike with shocks and good brakes etc. It will last a long long time. In a country where bikes start at 150 RMB (20 bucks) it obviously stands out.
So, I’m outside a convenience store with it, and i’m putting some bananas into my backpack and taking out the key to my lock etc. A security guide and a guy standing in front of his SUV are having a smoke and chatting. One of them eventually shouts over, “Do you speak, Chinese?”
So, I say yeah and they then ask me how much a bike like mine costs. I tell them and they look mortified. He’s like, so expensive! How can you spend that much on a bike ... foreigners are rich! etc. So, I say ... well I don’t have a car, how much was that SUV. He suddenly looked confused then muttered it cost over 300 000 RMB with import tax.
So, I was like (the slang term for bike and car is the same Chinese word ‘che’) your car is way more expensive than mine ..what are you talking about? I rode off leaving them bewildered.
Next story.
In Shanghai there is an informal English language blogging community and lately one of the aggregator sites held a 2008 award. I wrote a post denouncing the winner as a bunch of racist trash. I got a lot of private support but I was the only one saying it in public and one commenter (a guy that I know is not such a bad person) even accused me of censorship and being for suggesting the host of the award should either take it back or make a statement condemning the offending site.
Here’s my post which has all the links: shame on us
And, talking of fascism, check out this from France! Is Tarnac a rural idyll or a terrorist hub
Posted by Andy from Shanghai on 01/03 at 04:13 AM#10 is a tough act to follow: bikes vs. SUVs and being the only one to speak up (been in that position too many times).
After struggling with it for months, I’ve gone cold turkey with white sugar again. It’s like dietary poison, and I always laugh when I see bags of organic sugar; how about organic heroin? I bid everyone good luck in sticking to their physical and intellectual diets in 2009.
Happy New Year to all the Expendables.
Posted by Zen Prole from New Brunswick on 01/03 at 09:48 AMHello Expendables. I agree with Zen: excellent stuff, Andy. And I agree with Zen: say no to white sugar. Hi to RMJ, Charles, and Helga.
The ongoing war crimes in Gaza and the concurrent corporate media worship of Israel has me consumed with rage.
Posted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 01/03 at 10:49 AMHere are some photos documenting the carnage wrought by ‘both sides’ in Palestine right now. Warning - these are grim.
An interesting tidbit I learned over at Lenin’s Tomb: the UN’s casualty figures don’t count adult male Gazans as civilians.As hollow as it might sound, happy new year to all fellow expendables.
(I’m 29 today! Incidentally, when are you supposed to feel like a grown-up?)
Posted by Mew from clophill on 01/03 at 11:35 AMHappy Birthday, Mew. I just added your link to the main page. Grim indeed...but 100% necessary.
Posted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 01/03 at 11:44 AMMan I love Thoreau. More great Thoreau, everyday.
And Walt Whitman sez: “Re-examine all you have been told… Dismiss what insults your Soul.”
Captcha sez ‘less’. Green is no longer an epithet, but a badge of consumerist sanctimony, a product to be bought, a band-aid, an affectation. The real deal has no name and no need of one.
... all good ‘09 wishes to all here ...
Posted by keir from here and there on 01/03 at 12:50 PMPS: ‘08 was a Thoreau year for me...participated in a great, big production called Walden in The Netherlands, in which I get to run around the stage playing various instruments and narrating from Walden and Thoreau’s journals. We hope to do it internationally in the next year or two.
Posted by keir from here and there on 01/03 at 01:01 PMThe UN’s casualty figures are considered a minimum. They count women and children deaths. Among the men killed, they don’t know who was a combatant and who was not, and thus don’t estimate what number among the men were civilians. But they do note that this figure is therefore extremely conservative.
Posted by Jeremy from Taipei on 01/03 at 01:34 PMIsrael has just invaded Gaza with “land forces”. They realize the world won’t lift a finger to help Palestinians - my rage, my frustration, my fury is at an all-time high - I’m so upset that there doesn’t seem to be ANYTHING I can do to stop it. My heart is heavy. ):
Happy birthday Mew, wish it were a happier day for the human race.
I grew up in Concord, MA, where Thoreau lived; Walden Pond (or Lake Walden) was my favorite place to swim!
Posted by RichG from Boston on 01/03 at 02:20 PMLots of great threads here. I just put up a new post so I hope we can pick things up on the new comment board.
Thanks, all…
Posted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 01/03 at 05:53 PMi am a troop to say, BUT i think the same way, only i wait for the change, i am not a leader, maybe you are, if that is the case then lead, i love America, not the government, and not the mtv, cnn idealisms that is what everyone sees, i love America because it could be better, and yes this is stolen land, I don’t know what we can do about that, and its happened so many times in history, we are not the first maybe close to the last? but America will only be the country we people, troops, want if we fight for it, and maybe in this day we don’t need to draw blood or loose it, but, it may not come to that, or it may be necessary, all i am saying is that not all patriots are stupid, and not all troops are anti (real)America, basically I am saying you are an American, you are doing what Americans should, fight for your rights, and you have the ideas, maybe not completely, but its there, so fight for true Americans, those that want true freedom and true peace, we live in a age were that could happen and it may not be a violent revolution, but we do as Americans need revolution, its our way, to stop inequality, and stand up for freedom and rights for all, even if we have not kept this standard, we can always recant and accomplish that goal.
By the way, I am not a writer, and I am under educated, I hope you understand my message, basically it’s a call alliance and I want everyone to know that I am a freedom loving troop.
Posted by chris brant from vb on 01/10 at 02:15 AM
Next entry: Green Scare
Previous entry: Another "New" Year
Copyright © 2005-2007 Mickey Z.
