Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Some global perspective, a benefit book sale...and the one year since the RNC
Mickey, thank you for this today. The photo that you post of the river reminds me of photos that I have seen of the Tigris. How many in the U.S. will make the mental connection, and realize that what we see in OUR GULF, we have done to the people of the OTHER GULF? Where is the compassion for them? Compassion should not be limited by nationality. A truly compassionate nation would not allow wars of choice to enrich corporations.
Posted by rosemarie jackowski on from crossing the line 09/03 at 07:24 AMIf this disaster was caused by the failure of the levee system, And if the system failed because the money for maintenance was diverted to fight the War in Iraq, Then it follows that all of the Deaths in our Gulf are really CASUALTIES OF THE WAR.
http://www.thetyee.ca/Views/2005/09/02/LeveeBroke/Posted by rosemarie jackowski on from crossing the line 09/03 at 08:09 AMI may re-run this post next week, Rosemarie. With the holiday weekend upon us, it may get lost in the shuffle.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/03 at 02:57 PMYes Mickey. Good idea. Where is everyone today??? I just got home from the Peace Vigil. A Marine came up to me to question me. At first, he was not too pleased with us. Said he had just gotten home from Iraq. By the time that we were finished talking he was agreeing with us.
Posted by rosemarie jackowski on from crossing the line 09/03 at 03:30 PMMickey, a fine piece at Mr. Beller’s; you’ve made an important point. During the 60’s and early 70’s, I was certain that the whole world had become radicalized, and that civilization itself was now marching to a different drummer. I was certain that the main battles had been won, and that only some “mop up,” remained to be completed. Then, of course, things got worse, instead of better. And then, worse still. Then, Ronald Reagan resoundingly defeated the smarmy peanut farmer, and I realized that the 60’s never even moved us beyond one of the outer rings of Hell, and that, now, we were rushing back toward the dark epicenter.
Reagan’s “triumph” was accomplished with the assistance of many conservatives who, just ten years earlier, had been passionate hippies, yippees and freaks. Since then, the gradual descent into the neo-conservative pit - one of Hell’s deepest and darkest sub basements - has been a project of my own baby-boom, “Peace & Love” generation.
Clearly, many of those 60’s radicals really were in it for the long-haul, the marathon, but they were running toward self-aggrandizement, toward wealth and power and property.
Your article hits the nail on the head, and drives it right into the viscera.You and Rosemarie have made another great point: What about all those innocents all round the world, in US created disaster areas? I have to admit, my heart has been stirred, a bit more, by the agony of “our” people than by the nightmares in Iraq and elsewhere. I did not realize that I still had these currents of diseased concepts coursing through my veins. I thought I’d been cured of “us” versus “them.”
Apparently not.I’d like to blame these lapses in sanity on concepts such as nationalism and patriotism. And, yes, they are virulent ideas. They are ideas which brilliantly serve the Elites: Take the population of the earth - ONE, huge group of people, all of whom share essentially the same hopes, aspirations, fears, needs, and obstacles; take this vast group of ordinary people and create within them great numbers of divisions and disagreements. Place a flag or some stupid, childish symbol at the center of each group and rally the people around this new idol-toy. When the group has rallied, draw a line in the dirt, around them, and call the people us, and the land ours, and place everyone else - out there. Call everyone else “them” and make sure “we” realize that we must fear “them,” for they want to hurt “us” and take away what’s rightfully “ours.”
Then, infuse the new idol-toy and the new “us” and “ours” with meaning. The best way to do this is by going to war to protect us and ours from the hostile and murderous they. Smear the toy idol with blood and make speeches about the glory of defending us and ours. Soon, there are hundreds of such groups covering the whole world, and the reality of ONE people becomes a terrible, diseased concept of many peoples, all simultaneously engaged in a struggle to the death with each other - forever. Soon the reality is nothing more than an absurd, ridiculous mythology, espoused only by fools and infantile idealists. Nationalism is the true reality, and Patriotism is the only intelligent world view…
Anyway, I’d like to blame my infirmities on this stuff, but I think I need to look even closer to home: It’s right here, in my head. It’s “me,” and “mine.” I like you. I respect you. I want only the best for you and yours but, well, ultimately, I’ve got to look out for me and mine. We can be close, of course. Heck, let’s be buddies! But, if it comes down to you and yours against me and mine, I’ll have to be “realistic.” You and yours don’t make the cut… Unless, of course, you and yours stand with me.
Stand with me,
against
Them…Thanks, you guyz… ( Hope this isn’t too much - I figured it was quiet, today. )
Posted by joe on from MY place 09/03 at 03:34 PMLet’s see if it picks up here later. It often does.
Btw, is there anything else we can here for you, Rosemarie? What exactly will happen on Sept. 8?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/03 at 03:35 PMLet me clarify: Comment #6 was typed before I realized Joe had joined in. It was directed to Rosemarie.
Good to hear your voice, Joe...even if what you’re saying is frightening and frighteningly true.
Here’s an interesting take on poverty.
First, what it means to be “poor” in the U.S.:
http://www.scalzi.com/whatever/003704.html
Nick Mamatas expanded it a bit for global perspective:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/nihilistic_kid/645843.htmlPosted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/03 at 03:43 PMI really enjoyed reading your article Mickey. It’s seems almost trendy to do the odd bit of activism here and there when one is a twenty something year old, in addition to smoking weed, drinking etc. Then when it comes time to “grow up” these same people flock to the corporations waving around their college degrees thinking about how righteous they are. Almost overnight they have convinced themselves that the global configuration of power relations came about fortuitously. When will these people grow up?
Posted by Fiona on from San Diego 09/03 at 04:15 PMThanks, Fiona. I’d like to state for the record that I know many twenty-something activists who are amazing...and I was not generalizing.
It’s just depressingly predictable how often activism is just a phase on one’s way to “normal.”
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/03 at 04:29 PMHi Mickey & Rosemarie & Fiona -
I wanted to add ( verbose bastard that I am ), that I thought Rosemarie’s comment - that the deaths in the South are also casualties of war - was amazingly insightful!Mickey, I’ve been coming across some odd reports about people being forcibly kept within the city, as they attempt to leave New Orleans, and of people being, essentially, “locked in” to the various shelters in the area.
Also, after 9-11, firefighters and a variety of groups from all over the country went to NYC to aid in the searches and clean up and to help the general population. Apparently, the Feds would rather not accept similar offers in this case. They’ve rejected offers from a variety of groups and local governments. They even said no to that Great Chicago Gangster, Mayor Daley, and they say that Hisonner is pissed…The whole area has become a vast Twilight Zone, and it sounds more and more frightening and bizarre as time passes. Wouldn’t “one” expect the converse, in a relatively sane country?
And, BTW, those last links were amazing, Mickey.
The first one was brutal, but the second one was, undoubtedly related, in one way or another, to US Foreign Policy. Of course, the Blessings of Globalization will eventually place all of us in just that later condition. And, in NOLA, they’ve already arrived, it seems…Posted by joe on from Oregon 09/03 at 05:49 PMIt’s a good thing you’re doing, with the book sales, Mickey.
Also, another amazingly insightful comment - about activism being just a phase within one’s way toward ‘normal.’ UGH!
Couple more useful links:
http://neworleans.indymedia.org/
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/index.htmlPosted by joe on from Oregon 09/03 at 06:50 PMHi Joe, Mickey, and Fiona....I just read the links on poverty. They are excellent. Have any of you ever seen the TV movie, I think it was called. “A Home of Our Own”. Kathy Bates was in it. That is the best movie that I have ever seen about poverty. My daughter cried so hard when we watched it, that she refuses to ever see it again. It was a TV movie. I have not seen it on for a few years. The casting was perfect. The children who did the acting in it were amazing. After seeing that movie, my daughter said many times...being poor means that everything that you see, is something that you can’t have. http://deseretnews.com/movies/view/1,1257,803,00.html
Posted by rosemarie jackowski on from crossing the line 09/03 at 06:53 PMMickey, do you have a link for a transcrpt of Mayor Nagin’s speech/interview whatever? (Can’t do MP3!)
The world needs interviews - and lots of ‘em - with victims on the ground (dare I say “in the shit"). Could Michelle tee up a story or two through your friend? Need to paint reality here to counter the “Escape From New York” bullshit.
Posted by Jim on from 09/03 at 06:53 PMSpeaking of poverty....there is an article on Lew Rockwell’s site today by Brad Edmonds....here is a quote from him.”...Without government handouts, fewer people would have children they can’t afford to rear responsibly. Fewer women would risk getting pregnant outside marriage, which would force many men to relearn the notion of responsibility for themselves and their dependents....”
Part of my response follows…
Dear Brad, Your statement shows a complete misunderstanding of the facts and a deep rooted prejudice against the poor. Yes, the fact is that the greatest risk factor for poverty is being a woman and having a baby but it does not matter much if the baby is born within a marriage or not. Unfortunately, it is a myth that marriage protects children. The facts do not support your assertion.In 1970 I founded an organization named Justice for Children because so many children were living in poverty...... 37 million children living in poverty. I have advocated for families living in poverty… Things have not improved...I would not want to live in a world where only the wealthy could have children.
Posted by rosemarie jackowski on from crossing the line 09/03 at 07:35 PMGreat idea, Jim. I’ll see what I can do, re: interviews. Also, I’ll look around for that transcript.
Hi Joe and Rosemarie…
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/03 at 07:39 PMNagin transcript:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/02/nagin.transcript(I’ve also added it to the original post.)
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/03 at 08:29 PMU.S. government hiding the fact that Cuba offers aid. Does this mean that propping up Capitalism is more important than saving the lives of the victims?
This is from an AP report...."We are offering life, to save 10, 100, 1,000,” said Castro.
The Cuban leader said his government was hoping for a rapid response, “hopefully immediately so as not to lose another minute.”
Castro said a diplomatic note containing the offer was sent late Friday afternoon to the U.S. Interests Section, the American mission here, and was the second such offer of its kind made this week.
Castro said the first offer of Cuban doctors for hurricane relief efforts was made during a meeting with Cuban foreign ministry and U.S. officials in Havana on Tuesday, days before the extent of the hurricane’s catastrophic damage was known.
At the time, American officials had asked Cuban authorities not to publicize their offer of aid, said Castro...”
Posted by rosemarie jackowski on from crossing the line 09/03 at 08:58 PMI think, Rosemarie, that “they” are not simply saying that the poor shouldn’t have children. I believe that they are saying, clearly, about most of the poor - that they should not exist, at all.
It’s likely we’re seeing some of that philosophy reflected in the recent events in the South.
We’ve already seen it in Korea and Viet Nam and Cambodia and El Salvadore and Guatemala and Nicaragua and Bolivia and Chile and Argentina and, well, to halt this almost endless list -
Iraq.Posted by joe on from Oregon 09/03 at 09:02 PMI can’tt always keep up with all the comment here so let me quickly respond to Rosemarie that no, I have seen “A Home of Our Own” but maybe now we’ll rent it.
Joe: I had not heard those reports about residents being locked in the city but I did see a refugee interviewed on CNN who said the entire evacuation is unorganized and has left her stuck in one section of the airport, separated from her family.
Inept, indifferent, and inexcusable. We should take up Castro and Chavez on their offers to help.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/03 at 09:09 PMYes, Joe, mostly I think that they don’t want to admit the reasons for poverty. If they did that they would have to give up their superior, elitist status. Everybody likes to beat up on the poor.It is great American pastime.... Mickey, having Fidel as our President sure would be an improvement. I always did think that he was quite a guy!
Posted by rosemarie jackowski on from crossing the line 09/03 at 09:22 PMI think Fidel is clearly one of the smartest, toughest men who ever lived: He’s, what, 50 miles from our border and we’ve been desperate to destroy him for almost 50 years. Yet, he’s still there, toying with us, taunting us, holding a mirror before the Glorious Face of the US, and allowing us to see ourselves as we really are.
Yep, he’s a good choice for 08…I’ve read much, over the past several years, about how deeply distressed the Ultimate Elite Bodies ( Bilderbergers, CFR’s, Trilaterals ) seem to be, about the world’s “unmanagable and ever-growing” population. According to many “conspiracy-oriented” web-sites, the Elites are seeking ways to reduce the numbers dramatically. I see no reasonable argument against believing that they are right.
Posted by joe on from Oregon 09/03 at 10:04 PMThere is much to admire about what Castro has done: health care, education, surviving, etc. However, there is much to abhor. I just wish we could have seen what Cuba would have been like had the U.S. supported the 1959 revolution instead of forcing Castro into the arms of the USSR.
Btw, the U.S. accepted Chavez’ offer of help:
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1745Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/04 at 06:44 AMU.S. poverty:
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=72&ItemID=8657Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/04 at 07:04 AMHi Mickey -
Yes, Castro was pretty vicious and brutal at times, it seems. I, also, wish he could have remained completely independant of the Soviets…I’m not sure, however, that he had any alternative. He could ally himself with the only other bully in town, and savage far too many people at home -
or, I guess, raise the white flag and watch as the US government and organized crime marched back in.
A very grim choice to have to make. And, as usual, we “forced” him into the position of having to make those choices, then hammered at him for making them…I didn’t know about the Chavez decision. I’m going to read the links right now.
Thanks, Mickey.Posted by joe on from Oregon 09/04 at 01:30 PMTo all: Have been helping with relief efforts here in Houston. Evacuees are staying at the Reliant Ctr (Astrodome), and other locations throughout the city. But they are not letting volunteers bring in food and supplies into the dome --- they take that at a designated collection facility. What’s really lacking though is matresses, etc. for people to sleep on.
But it’s almost like a minimum security prison over there, and people are rightfully pissed-off and uneasy about, well, practically everything… I mean, most of these folks had little to begin with, and what little they did have is forever gone. Many are black, many are children, single mothers, the elderly, the disabled, veterans, and other victims of capitalist empire. That is, they were already victims before this tragedy happened. And to think it could’ve been prevented. The Bush administration cut off much needed $20-40 million for levee reconstruction in N.O., and spent instead on the illegal and immoral war in Iraq. Not to mention his goal to privatize disaster relief services (see http://halliburtonwatch.org/news/hurricane_katrina.html)
and disbling FEMA. For elites that run the country, they see that prevention just isn’t as profitable as repair: that’s what it boils down to…Anyway, dead and missing family members and friends are on these people’s minds. And their stories are astonishing as they are heartbreaking. But looters? Refugees? What the ####? These are simply human beings trying to survive, and cope with a really terrible situation.
On the positive, there is a great show of solidarity and support from many of my fellow Houstonians.
Tonight I will be helping out again. This time going downtown at the George Brown Convention Ctr., as there are another 2,500 staying there, and more expected in the near future. Volunteers are needed there the most. I’ll keep you posted. Until then…
Posted by RT on from Houston 09/04 at 03:56 PMThanks for this update, RT...and for what you’re doing. I’m trying to get in touch with a woman I know who is housing evacuees in Baton Rouge. Maybe I can get details from her, you, and others and put together an article to get some alternative info out there. Some on the ground stuff.
Let us know if there’s anything we can do here to help your efforts.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/04 at 05:18 PMJust wonderful! I will buy a book next payday. We at a small organization have been helping evaucuees sent to a flea bag motel on a bus, to Stockton, while the dogs who got an airplane went to Marin (aka Moron) county in California. Needless to say, one of the richest counties in the nation.
Posted by Della on from san francisco, ca 09/17 at 12:42 PM
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