Favorite fog-noun-phrase: the (self-appointed) Masters of the Universe. You know the ones, who without irony or remorse use phrases like “acceptable losses” and “narrative management” to describe atrocities and their coverups.
Would it comfort you at all to recognize that as horrific as the incidents you recount (and many more besides) are, the USA’s track record is actually below average in evil-per-capita by historical standards? History’s catalog of horror fills libraries to bursting. Its study scars the heart with a thousand little cuts.
Could we do better? Perhaps. Should we strive for better? Absolutely. But should we pick the dark grains of sand off of the beach of our history, and pour the bucket of those and only those out on the lectern, claiming that a beach full of light and color is black as the darkest night and deserves destruction?
I argue that we should not. That’s the path Chomsky, Zinn, and Hannah-Jones want us to take, with their one-sided retellings; to hate ourselves so much for our crimes that in collective shame and nausea we tear our nation down, or in paralyzed apathy allow it to be torn down around us.
You gave the fog-noun, a good one . “Acceptable losses” is a price somebody set. “Narrative management” is a story installed where an audit should be.
On the average, I’ll concede it entirely. The US isn’t uniquely evil, history’s catalogue is bottomless, and I don’t claim otherwise. But notice where the concession leaves us: below-average-evil-per-capita has no address. You can’t subpoena a historical mean. It’s my own fog, one level up, arguing for the defense. Leopold’s Congo doesn’t discount Purdue’s invoice.
And I didn’t pick the dark grains. They were entered into evidence by the people who made them: declassified, pleaded to, settled, filed.
Where we agree: I don’t want this torn down either. The ending of that piece is that undirected rage runs downhill onto whoever is nearest and least defended, changes nothing, and leaves you angry, right, and miserable. That’s the paralysis you’re warning about, and I named it as the failure mode. Subpoena, statute, clawback, roll-call vote — those are maintenance operations.
So: the Masters of the Universe. Give me one. A name, a date, a desk. I’ll bring the docket.
Would that it were so easy. The list is long. But the function of a privileged class is to insulate itself from consequences. More than anything else, the rich intend to remain rich, and the powerful to remain in power, while impeding too much entry of new players that would dilute their wealth and power.
Some of us pray for justice in the next world, because there is so little of it here.
I suppose that with the limited power of outsiders the best we can do is to steal a page from Alinsky’s book: pick a target, paralyze it, polarize it. But of the many rogues available, which is most worthy? The Bushies who invented WMDs as an excuse for war? The Obamaites who let Wall Street walk away from subprime in exchange for funding all their NGOs and causes? The coterie of grifters within and around the Trump circle? Or the intelligence community that lied and worse to try to be rid of him?
Diogenes is still carrying his lamp, looking for an honest man…
I feel so sorry for you! There is joy and beauty all around you, but you can’t be blind to it. There are good people in our towns and cities, our churches. Find some good ones, make friends, go to church, talk to God. Look at he beauty around you, the sky, the trees, the flowers, the bees, animals, pets. Take a drive to a park, a river. Visit your loved ones. Yes, humanity has an evil side, thanks to Satan….kick him out of your life! Invite Jesus in. You are free to fight against the evil you see, be part of the solution.
Thanks for your treatise and for acknowledging the uselessness of othering! They, them, wall street, etc gets us know where. The post of who did what with a name and an address, AND what can each of US (WE) do... is the next step. We got here, because a whole lot of "us" just stayed asleep or oblivious, or saying some such, "that's too bad for "them"... and here we are now, each of us is "them." Beware. Much appreciation! And to take action... do ______.
I hate the simple minded people who say we should suffer the injustices of this world silently and earn a reward in the “next” world. Yeah, right. Some existential sleight of hand going on there.
Before I could walk I listened to my mother and aunts discussing the appallingly rude behaviour of american soldiers in our Australian cities; except for the influence of the noble ‘american dissidents’ of my teenage, that disgust remains with me into my eighties.
So to me ‘yanks’ is a suitable label for them that I constantly use because it is a very ugly word still applicable despite a few sympathetic yankee friends over the years who I do admire.
At present that awful present president nicely reinforces my age-old conviction.
I am ashamed of the yankeeness of present Australia and encourage all my compatriots recognise the obvious fact that money is a lousy yardstick for value.
With salutations and best wishes for an enlightening day.
Shiit. Me too. ☝️
Favorite fog-noun-phrase: the (self-appointed) Masters of the Universe. You know the ones, who without irony or remorse use phrases like “acceptable losses” and “narrative management” to describe atrocities and their coverups.
Would it comfort you at all to recognize that as horrific as the incidents you recount (and many more besides) are, the USA’s track record is actually below average in evil-per-capita by historical standards? History’s catalog of horror fills libraries to bursting. Its study scars the heart with a thousand little cuts.
Could we do better? Perhaps. Should we strive for better? Absolutely. But should we pick the dark grains of sand off of the beach of our history, and pour the bucket of those and only those out on the lectern, claiming that a beach full of light and color is black as the darkest night and deserves destruction?
I argue that we should not. That’s the path Chomsky, Zinn, and Hannah-Jones want us to take, with their one-sided retellings; to hate ourselves so much for our crimes that in collective shame and nausea we tear our nation down, or in paralyzed apathy allow it to be torn down around us.
You gave the fog-noun, a good one . “Acceptable losses” is a price somebody set. “Narrative management” is a story installed where an audit should be.
On the average, I’ll concede it entirely. The US isn’t uniquely evil, history’s catalogue is bottomless, and I don’t claim otherwise. But notice where the concession leaves us: below-average-evil-per-capita has no address. You can’t subpoena a historical mean. It’s my own fog, one level up, arguing for the defense. Leopold’s Congo doesn’t discount Purdue’s invoice.
And I didn’t pick the dark grains. They were entered into evidence by the people who made them: declassified, pleaded to, settled, filed.
Where we agree: I don’t want this torn down either. The ending of that piece is that undirected rage runs downhill onto whoever is nearest and least defended, changes nothing, and leaves you angry, right, and miserable. That’s the paralysis you’re warning about, and I named it as the failure mode. Subpoena, statute, clawback, roll-call vote — those are maintenance operations.
So: the Masters of the Universe. Give me one. A name, a date, a desk. I’ll bring the docket.
Would that it were so easy. The list is long. But the function of a privileged class is to insulate itself from consequences. More than anything else, the rich intend to remain rich, and the powerful to remain in power, while impeding too much entry of new players that would dilute their wealth and power.
Some of us pray for justice in the next world, because there is so little of it here.
I suppose that with the limited power of outsiders the best we can do is to steal a page from Alinsky’s book: pick a target, paralyze it, polarize it. But of the many rogues available, which is most worthy? The Bushies who invented WMDs as an excuse for war? The Obamaites who let Wall Street walk away from subprime in exchange for funding all their NGOs and causes? The coterie of grifters within and around the Trump circle? Or the intelligence community that lied and worse to try to be rid of him?
Diogenes is still carrying his lamp, looking for an honest man…
Me too.
I hate the institutionalized racism.
I hate the culture of greed and normalized corruption.
The willful ignorance that permeates every facet of the is god forsaken place.
The nationalistic tribalism diguised as patriotism.
But alas I’m too poor to go anywhere else. 😪
I feel so sorry for you! There is joy and beauty all around you, but you can’t be blind to it. There are good people in our towns and cities, our churches. Find some good ones, make friends, go to church, talk to God. Look at he beauty around you, the sky, the trees, the flowers, the bees, animals, pets. Take a drive to a park, a river. Visit your loved ones. Yes, humanity has an evil side, thanks to Satan….kick him out of your life! Invite Jesus in. You are free to fight against the evil you see, be part of the solution.
136231
Thanks for your treatise and for acknowledging the uselessness of othering! They, them, wall street, etc gets us know where. The post of who did what with a name and an address, AND what can each of US (WE) do... is the next step. We got here, because a whole lot of "us" just stayed asleep or oblivious, or saying some such, "that's too bad for "them"... and here we are now, each of us is "them." Beware. Much appreciation! And to take action... do ______.
Finally someone hates this country and the cunts who run it just as much as I do. Great read
And I HATE you TITLE of this writing…I won’t even READ it☝🏽
It's a play on words. He doesn't say he hates the country.
So what if he does hate this country. I think (as a black man) that that hate is justified. 🤞🏾
I shouldn't have said incorrect. I should have said it doesn't seem to be a productive way to interpret it. I didn't mean to insult your intuition.
That is entirely your choice and we should respect that. I just wanted to clarify that interpreting the piece this way is incorrect..
What?? You’ve got to be joking, right
I wish I didn’t feel the same. My family has been here for 400 years and I hate the government they fought for.
I hate the simple minded people who say we should suffer the injustices of this world silently and earn a reward in the “next” world. Yeah, right. Some existential sleight of hand going on there.
Before I could walk I listened to my mother and aunts discussing the appallingly rude behaviour of american soldiers in our Australian cities; except for the influence of the noble ‘american dissidents’ of my teenage, that disgust remains with me into my eighties.
So to me ‘yanks’ is a suitable label for them that I constantly use because it is a very ugly word still applicable despite a few sympathetic yankee friends over the years who I do admire.
At present that awful present president nicely reinforces my age-old conviction.
I am ashamed of the yankeeness of present Australia and encourage all my compatriots recognise the obvious fact that money is a lousy yardstick for value.
With salutations and best wishes for an enlightening day.