Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Monday, February 26, 2007
Top Ten Reasons Why Activists Shouldn't Be "Too Radical"
Morning all! I continue to be amused at the reactions to your posts, mickey. It is either laugh or cry, right?
I was reminded of something Josh Harper (one of the shac7) said in late January: “There have been a good number of direct actions worldwide in recent months that have brought a smile to my face. I’d specify which ones, but then I might end up in prison for conspiring to make them occur by voicing support for them after the fact. Oh, wait… I’m already in prison for that. God bless the U.S.A. and all of our wonderful freedoms!”
Posted by Deb on from NoVa 02/26 at 08:01 AMGood morning, Deb
Great front page today !!!
From last night’s Mickey #17...The covert actions of the usa should be the subject of protests. Instead of just protesting one war, we should be challenging the roots of the problem - Capitalism is at the top of that list. The secret missions of the CIA and others that are financed by the Black Budget are the real problem. NO ELECTION SINCE 1947 HAS BEEN LEGAL BECAUSE NO INFORMED VOTE HAS BEEN CAST IN THE USA SINCE THEN. Until the people are informed, and until the government operates in the open nothing else matters very much. The Secret Government should be overthrown by any means necessary so that a legitimate and open government can hopefully start a trend toward a democratic system.Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 02/26 at 08:52 AMYay! I love them lists! The reactions on those other sites were pretty interesting too.
Many people (not all!) seem to be afflicted with Big Pharma Syndrome: if we just do this one (relatively inoffensive) thing and rest up, keep that heartbeat lowered, everything’s gonna get better. No sense actually discovering the cause of the problem-too frightening!Posted by 'soup on from li'l beruit 02/26 at 10:35 AMHello Expendables...from a slushy, messy NYC.
Deb and RMJ: How much snow did you guys get?
As for the comments on my articles, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that I often get long, civil, rational e-mails from folks who agree or disagree with what I say. It’s just that recently, I’ve been particularly curious to monitor some of the sites that post my work and share what I find here.
I can certainly understand someone wishing I’d join in but my writing is all over the Web and it’s unrealistic for anyone to expect me to engage in dozens of long back-and-forth exchanges...especially when many of the comments deal with whether or not my name appears before the article title and/or how many words my lists are. Folks are very easily offended, it seems.
Maybe I should swear off reading comments anywhere but here for a while. I’m got more than enough to deal with as it is. Those people with hurt feelings from me not joining the bitchfests, well, maybe they can find someone to give them a nice, long hug.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 02/26 at 10:44 AMSorry, ‘soup...we were simultyping.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 02/26 at 10:45 AM‘s cool. Thanks for NOT engaging in those tedious self-important comment wars-people get soooo tied up in them. It’s sorta fun to watch when they go nuclear like what happened at booman recently.
I’m lurkin’ when I should be workin’ so I’d better get gone for now.
blessingsPosted by 'soup on from li'l beruit 02/26 at 11:21 AMMick...completely correct move to not engage. They can come here and engage...they know where you are.
Great quote, Deb.
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 02/26 at 11:26 AMIf you consider #10, then why be afraid of offending the AvAms? They are dead already. As soon as the economy has the grace to fall over, they will rebuild or die in disgrace, so what does it matter how they feel about anything? The AvAm is a Vidiot, a self-deluded fool, and comfortably so.
Americanism and Capitalism are reactionary ways to deal with problems (The System wants money, so I have to work to get it), while activism (If I stop working for the System, the system won’t have money) is proactive and thoughtful.
If we don’t stop and look to the future, and try to find a Net Creative usefulness for the human species, then Nature will reduce us to match the available resources. If we spend our time burning up resources to try and create something other than natural cooperation, then there will be fewer resources, and we will be further reduced.
The Jews who fought in the Ghetto were more likely to survive the Holocaust.
Just because the AvAm is comfortable with creating their own Holocaust, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t aggravate them.
In the eyes of the Universe, a species that destroys it’s own environment is the terrorist organization. ‘The friend of my children’s future destroyer is my enemy.’It IS our place to judge! That’s why we have a brain. If you aren’t judging, you are simply food for the predators who judge by whatever rules will feed their offspring.
It is our responsibility to find better rules, and to moderate ourselves at the same time.Posted by auntiegrav on from WI, USA 02/26 at 11:29 AMWe should just eat worms. You got that list from the DNC, didn’t you?
Posted by Thomas McCullock on from Colorado Springs 02/26 at 11:38 AMHello auntiegrav. Just in case you’re not clear about this, the list is sarcastic.
Thanks, JOS. Besides, I just took a peek at those comment boards and noticed a little Daily JOS action going on.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 02/26 at 11:39 AMWe were simultyping, Thomas. Yep, I have deep connections inside the radical wing of the Democratic Party.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 02/26 at 11:41 AMI used to frequent discussion forums quite a bit. It was good for developing debating skills. And you can learn a lot from people at times. It’s always interesting for a while, but there seems to be a limit on how much you can get out of it (both educational and entertainment), and I always begin to find myself thinking I’m more wasting my time than doing anything fun or constructive.
Posted by Jeremy on from Taipei, Taiwan 02/26 at 12:04 PMYeah...I got one response at GNN, Mick. Perfect example of the problems on the left. I answered civilly because I was there at one time myself. Shit, I just started thinking this way recently after working it out in discussions here, reading your stuff and then Endgame.
I used to go to protests and bitch and then go home. RMJ, you are one of the exceptions to this “put down” of protests. I think you actually do accomplish things...talk to people, change minds. No offense to you...and I know none is taken.
Anyway...it is a lot easier for a guy like me to think and talk and act on these premises. I am recently single, no kids...and perhaps a little bit crazy.
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 02/26 at 12:20 PMI’ve never seen that quote from Roy. It applies within the US, too. There isn’t much to add about the list, MZ. AvAm represents evolution: Germans in the 1930’s were probably easier to reach.
Regarding effete, toothless politics, I watched some of the Oscars last night (emphasis on ‘some’). “Al Gore Campaign Video” won for documentary, which was sad. Watching people who possess some sort of creativity fawn over a fraud and fool, is disheartening. The small compensation was that “Jesus Camp” got nominated. I haven’t seen it, but hear it is powerful - about tykes getting Jebus.
Satisfactions: 1. “Little Miss Sunshine” won for Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor. I missed Alan Arkin’s minute, though. 2. Melissa Etheridge’s acceptance for Best Song. She started by kissing her wife, then thanking her and their four kids *first*. I could hear fundie heads exploding across America. 3. Seeing Clint Eastwood half in the bag, then claiming to translate for Ennio Morricone.
The really big news at the Corporate Theatre was that Citgo ran a sizeable commercial about their heating oil aid to the poor in the US. It included testimonials, statistics, and the fact that Citgo = Venezuela. Latin American upstarts running adverts here? “Dutch” Casey is doing backflips in his grave. The end of the American empire is definitely in the oven. Unfortunately, so is the planet.
Last Bit: Expendables, I recommend “Children of Men.” Clive Owen, Michael Caine, and Julianne Moore are outstanding, and it is visually stunning - a taste of “Endgame” on the big screen, except for the optimistic ending. I must read the P.D. James novel.
Posted by Zen Prole on from Urth 02/26 at 12:55 PMI saw the Last King of Scotland right before watching Forest Whitaker win for portraying Idi Amin...an amazing performance...amazing movie.
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 02/26 at 01:25 PMHi Expendables. MZ I think there is some merit to what you’re doing with these other sites. A little research into what the left/liberal-left actually thinks, how tolerant it is, etc, doesn’t hurt. Maybe this experiment is worth more than another set of articles right now. If your not commenting at the other sites is really an issue, maybe some of those articles/lists should include a more clear invitation here (...if that’s something you want).
Other news: as of last Friday the Dutch immigration service missed its own deadline and has not made a decision on my case (the equivalent of a green card application) . . . so I don’t have any documentation of my legal status. I won’t get into the details of the time, effort, and money I have poured into this application, but I will say that borders are closing left and right in the so-called first world. Just because it’s not in the news this week (as far as I know) doesn’t mean the xenophobia isn’t stifling.
Posted by Keir on from the hague 02/26 at 01:26 PMMickey #4...I got about 2 feet during the Valentine’s Day storm. The problem is that it thaws and freezes so has turned into ice. I have a 200 foot drainage ditch that has to be kept clear so I have been having quite a workout, everyday, still more to go.
JOS #13...I agree with you. I no longer delude myself. Protesting does not change anything. I do it to make myself feel better. Sometimes it makes me feel better, usually it doesn’t. I don’t think that anything that anyone does will make a difference. Even if we could pass a law that made war illegal, it would not help. The Black Budget is illegal, a violation of the Constitution. It doesn’t matter. Those in power know that they have complete control. They have the money and the guns. What do we have?
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 02/26 at 02:00 PMWell...we have people like you, RMJ, don’t we? That counts for something pretty significant. I have recently been convinced that small groups of brave, intelligent and skilled people can do major damage to the powers that be. I am done trying to “change people’s minds, one at a time.” Which was my philosophy for so long…
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 02/26 at 02:26 PMJeremy: I agree. It’s all a matter of priorities and one thing I’ve learned on comment boards (outside of this one) is that 99.9% of those involved are only interested in being right.
JOS: Interesting point. I wonder what I might be doing differently if I were single and my parents weren’t still around. Maybe nothing...maybe lots.
Zen: Your posts often remind me of mini-monologues...in the Bill Hicks vein. I love reading them and then thinking about them.
Keir: Good luck with the bureaucracy mess. As for my “experiment,” I post a link to this blog on everything I write and some folks do stop by. Mostly, I think, they’d rather stay on with home field advantage. As for me posting more articles, I’m guessing I will slow down for a while. Too much going on in my life.
RMJ: We have moe than we think. American citizens have guns like no other country...and money? Imagine if an informed populace threatened to pull all their money out of banks and stop spending. We have tools galore to get the attention of the warmongers and Robber Barons but they have conditioned us so well, we don’t even recognize our power...or the need to exercise it.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 02/26 at 02:32 PMSorry JOS, lots of simultyping today.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 02/26 at 02:32 PM“Well...we have people like you, RMJ, don’t we? That counts for something pretty significant.”
Right on, JOS. Let’s opt for realistic optimism here, as opposed to seeing the glass as half empty. To surrender to the idea that there’s nothing we can do to affect change is the surest way to ensure that we don’t affect change.
Posted by Jeremy on from Taipei, Taiwan 02/26 at 11:17 PMThanks for another great post, Mickey - and thanks for the Aussie translation (I haven’t clicked on any link yet will do so once I have finished typing this comment). And I heart Arundhati as much as you!
Good morning/night to Deb, Rosemarie, ‘soup, JOS, auntiegrav (welcome!), Thomas McCullock (another new name),Jeremy, Zen Prole and Keir. Have I forgotten anybody? If so, I apologise.
Now it’s on to the links. Thanks for all you do, Mickey - and thanks for all those brilliant comments and links, expendables.
Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 02/27 at 12:47 AM
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