The downside of living over 70 years in America. I remember how much I detested my own government and its propagandized minions (fellow citizens?) during Vietnam, during Iraq, Afghanistan, during Occupy, during persecution of Assange and journalism -- with, respectively, images of its most accomplished liars clouding my inner vision: Robert McNamara, Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Antony Blinken, Joe Biden. And my head, my visual cortex pounds with the pain that screams: "How can any organization, collective, or political entity continue on a course that is anything but catastrophic to humanity to the biosphere, when it blatantly features liar after liar after liar, most of them managing to smile as they articulate flimsy excuses for the death of millions, for diverse genocides. And I conclude that the world ultimately and stringently requires the disappearance of such organizations. Perhaps this is the deeper reason why empires die. USA must go away. Israel must go with it. Easy for me: I'll be dead soon; good luck to the rest of you.
“A wolf, meeting with a Lamb astray from the fold, resolved not to lay violent hands on him, but to find some plea to justify to the Lamb the Wolf’s right to eat him. He thus addressed him: “Sirrah, last year you grossly insulted me.”
“Indeed,” bleated the Lamb in a mournful tone of voice, “I was not then born.”
Then said the Wolf, “You feed in my pasture.”
“No, good sir,” replied the Lamb, “I have not yet tasted grass.”
Again said the Wolf, “You drink of my well.”
“No,” exclaimed the Lamb, “I never yet drank water, for as yet my mother’s milk is both food and drink to me.”
Upon which the Wolf seized him and ate him up, saying, “Well! I won’t remain supperless, even though you refute every one of my imputations.”
Moral: The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny.”
**************************
For a few more years, the US will have absolute power over other people and we will use that power in an absolutely corrupt way at the behest of our overlords in Riyadh and Jerusalem. When retribution finally comes our way, no one will shed a tear for us.
What you said is possible but not probable in my view. There are more of us than them. Humans have AN inborn, genetic NEED TO BE FREE. To be able to act in their own behalf, and to also do so with others. Also you discount collective consciousness and spiritual motivation and spiritual actors, God if you will. How do you think all the decimated others by the West survived? By loving one another and spirituality. Im not saying it will not happen after a crash and collapse and a lot if discomfort even suffering, which will be of our own making, but Mercy is real, even for those that don't “deserve“ it. Thats the nature of Mercy, its unearned. My 2 cents.
The other downside is being a kid growing up as Reagan is elected, and knowing FULL WELL that he stole the election, screwed Carter, and that it's all been a lie - AND being one of the few people you know who are actually seeing it... and being ridiculed for speaking about it....
Eventually, I just bugged out. I couldn't take it anymore.
I hear you, Vin, loud and clear having made the same journey. I’m 79 now and feel the same about the future but I think I’ll hang around and make as much noise as I can based on my (our) experiences of the Empire these last 63 years, starting with HUAC when I was 16. Peace to you and thank you for the well written jeremiad.
The ‘50’s definitely spawned the ‘60’s, with the 50’s growth of the ‘burbs and the mindless middle class, the corporate climb to middle management, the fetishization of middle of the road politics. I was born in ‘44 so some of it didn’t affect me but my sisters were 10 years older and boy howdy, what an oatmeal existence they surrendered to. Thank god I had Rock and Roll with real Black People on TV!!!
The downside of living over 70 years in America. I remember how much I detested my own government and its propagandized minions (fellow citizens?) during Vietnam, during Iraq, Afghanistan, during Occupy, during persecution of Assange and journalism -- with, respectively, images of its most accomplished liars clouding my inner vision: Robert McNamara, Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Antony Blinken, Joe Biden. And my head, my visual cortex pounds with the pain that screams: "How can any organization, collective, or political entity continue on a course that is anything but catastrophic to humanity to the biosphere, when it blatantly features liar after liar after liar, most of them managing to smile as they articulate flimsy excuses for the death of millions, for diverse genocides. And I conclude that the world ultimately and stringently requires the disappearance of such organizations. Perhaps this is the deeper reason why empires die. USA must go away. Israel must go with it. Easy for me: I'll be dead soon; good luck to the rest of you.
“A wolf, meeting with a Lamb astray from the fold, resolved not to lay violent hands on him, but to find some plea to justify to the Lamb the Wolf’s right to eat him. He thus addressed him: “Sirrah, last year you grossly insulted me.”
“Indeed,” bleated the Lamb in a mournful tone of voice, “I was not then born.”
Then said the Wolf, “You feed in my pasture.”
“No, good sir,” replied the Lamb, “I have not yet tasted grass.”
Again said the Wolf, “You drink of my well.”
“No,” exclaimed the Lamb, “I never yet drank water, for as yet my mother’s milk is both food and drink to me.”
Upon which the Wolf seized him and ate him up, saying, “Well! I won’t remain supperless, even though you refute every one of my imputations.”
Moral: The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny.”
**************************
For a few more years, the US will have absolute power over other people and we will use that power in an absolutely corrupt way at the behest of our overlords in Riyadh and Jerusalem. When retribution finally comes our way, no one will shed a tear for us.
Nor should they, for we do evil.
Hopefully that "few more years" will somehow dissipate more quickly than the quantum flash of an electron jumping orbitals. No tears should be shed.
GREAT post, Feral.
That’s not the future I percieve.
Explain, please.
What you said is possible but not probable in my view. There are more of us than them. Humans have AN inborn, genetic NEED TO BE FREE. To be able to act in their own behalf, and to also do so with others. Also you discount collective consciousness and spiritual motivation and spiritual actors, God if you will. How do you think all the decimated others by the West survived? By loving one another and spirituality. Im not saying it will not happen after a crash and collapse and a lot if discomfort even suffering, which will be of our own making, but Mercy is real, even for those that don't “deserve“ it. Thats the nature of Mercy, its unearned. My 2 cents.
I would say that, looking at history for humans, freedom is the exception and not the rule.
In fact, my post was just a 19th century translation of one of Aesop's fables.
Thats too much for me to engage. Aesop? not a fan.
The other downside is being a kid growing up as Reagan is elected, and knowing FULL WELL that he stole the election, screwed Carter, and that it's all been a lie - AND being one of the few people you know who are actually seeing it... and being ridiculed for speaking about it....
Eventually, I just bugged out. I couldn't take it anymore.
Reagan stole it by convincing Tehran to not release the hostages until after the election, yes? Or was there something else?
That’s about the size of it. The hostages got to stay in prison an extra 18 months for that piece of vile skullduggery.
I hear you, Vin, loud and clear having made the same journey. I’m 79 now and feel the same about the future but I think I’ll hang around and make as much noise as I can based on my (our) experiences of the Empire these last 63 years, starting with HUAC when I was 16. Peace to you and thank you for the well written jeremiad.
The 1950’s darkest period in American history!
All kinds of secret shit was going on, experiments, brainwashing
Lobotomies, bio weapons all the Nazi scientists brought here operation paperclip etc!
Tv in everyone’s livingroom
I am fascinated by the 1950s!
I am a 50’s baby too! I spin vinyl and trust no man, no man is righteous not one!
Since this Gaza stuff can erupt at any time it wants!
I being a cynic question the timing of it all!
They always have the ball moving in the direction of destroying the west!
The ‘50’s definitely spawned the ‘60’s, with the 50’s growth of the ‘burbs and the mindless middle class, the corporate climb to middle management, the fetishization of middle of the road politics. I was born in ‘44 so some of it didn’t affect me but my sisters were 10 years older and boy howdy, what an oatmeal existence they surrendered to. Thank god I had Rock and Roll with real Black People on TV!!!
1944 real war baby, you have seen it all come about!
Respect for still having your mind!
Not easy tunning out all the noise!
Good luck.