I had a long conversation with Sally Panic (Lady Libertine) yesterday. The woman is smart, knowledgeable as hell and interesting. I love a conversation that fills me with more questions, that sends me to links and google trying to understand more about any given subject. I love when my thirst for knowledge is kindled anew.
So today I am thinking more about the histories of other Nations, Nations we have fucked over in extreme ways in the past, or have abused their own equally; histories not told in America. I won’t expound until she writes what she’s going to write.
We watched 1984 with Jake last night. We had great discussions with him throughout, and thereafter.
He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.
He caught a lot of the parallels between this movie and “V” all by himself, including the irony of the star of the former being the villain of the latter. He caught the commonality of Valerie’s words with Winston’s. He’s almost done with the LOTR trilogy, and wants to read this book next.
So, I woke up and the name Upton Sinclair floated through my brain. The resistance always starts with the muckrakers. Pamphleteers. Truth tellers. Prophets.
Sally Panic and I spoke of other cultures. Again, I reiterate the absolute brilliance of “The Shock Doctrine.” In almost every case, as I taught myself more about their histories, I could see again and again that those methods were being used (perhaps have always been) to overwhelm people into compliance and apathy. They still are. Here and Now.
Teddy Partridge at FDL, and Ek Hornbeck of DD wrote of Good Germans last night. It does feel like there are far to few people in America speaking out.
Like I told Jake, what I do here, why I spend a portion of every day tied to this keyboard is that with every word I type, I help to control the present. I refuse to let them shock and rewire my brain to accept their version of reality. There may be too many stories, too many atrocities to cover on any given day. But I have to fight the lies I can fight. He gets it, my men don’t resent my time here.
I may have a job, but this is my calling, second only to teaching that 10 year old the value of why we fight.
It was a good day.
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see ya’ll on the flip side of playing waitress in an unreal world.
—-Sgt Elias( Willem Defoe) “Platoon”…..as he inhales.
“Ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive”—Bruce Springsteen “Badlands”
For whatever reason these two similar quotes came to me after reading this thoughtful essay.
…keep on fighting the good, strong fight. We need more like you!
I hate all of this. I’m always getting to be the outcast.
I sit around and cry about this, Diane.
I invited my friend into DD and WWL and you and ek hornbeck and momcat just threw us out.
My heart is broken, Diane.
I’m starting to see it now….dd people maybe are really going to let me hang around here and write about how much this pains me.
Good on them for that.
I love you, Diane. This is horrible. I cannot begin to tell you.
Miep