Here are two videos that I just stumbled upon during the last few days. The first one is a Bill Maher, "New Rules" segment from early in Obama's term, during the health care bill "debate."
I don't find anything objectionable with it really. Nothing major anyway. I just think that it's wrong that people applaud his truth-telling but very few of us can articulate a way out of the mess. I'd like to hear someone attempt to defend a system that allows Halliburton to cut corners for profit even it means that "the troops" get electrocuted in the shower.
We know our society is an abomination, but we either do little or nothing about it, or we actively support it.
Here's the second video:
I listened to the guy for about two minutes and then I had to stop. Here's the thing: Even if he ends up making a lot of sense, do you know what I think?
This is a middle-aged white guy okay? And, speaking as a middle-aged white guy, I don't think we should stifle ourselves entirely just because a lot of other white guys have forced themselves upon millions of other people. But at the same time, I realize at this stage in my life, that us white guys have said quite a lot, and if we're going to MAKE people listen to us, we should have something to say.
For me, that guy represents a lot of what's wrong with the Canadian left today. He looks to me like a guy who isn't used to being listened to and so he wants to make the best of it. So he's going to talk goddammit. And that's a problem with us. We want to talk. We want to be listened to. If we were empty air-heads, we would simply lie cheat and steal to get to a place where people would listen to us and all we would have to say would be stupid banalities anyway. But, a lot of us choose not to play the game and as a result we get punished and that opens us up for all the abuses that poverty has to offer. So we're going to force each other to LISTEN while we talk goddammit!!!
As well, the guy is taking a long time to say how shitty the system is. But a long time complaint about the left that I've had is that we're great at identifying problems. What's needed now though are alternatives and some kind of blueprint for getting there.
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5 comments:
yes and yes. Blogging really feels like that most of the time as well. Words, words, words.
We need better networking, become more organized, plan actions that will force change. People can get thousands to rally to the cause of a beached whale or a dog caught in a well. Short term stuff that offers hope of a solution that won't demand a lot of commitment. Whatever actions are planned have to be constantly altered in nature to keep people interested, and there have to be measurable, short term goals.
Yep. Asking for everything, or else, ... nothing, doesn't seem to be a winning strategy.
I'm certainly not in the right head space to offer any sage advice. The outlook is piss poor. I tried to feel like change was upon us, massive realization of how we are being screwed finally understood, with the movements in the Middle East, North Africa, Southern Europe and North America. I just don't know anymore.
There are no political forces to back the will of the people. There are only those who cajole or manipulate. There are glimmers of hope here and there but overall, I am not hopeful.
Ah BY,
But I was always skeptical of what the occupations would achieve. Because I don't believe that murderous psychopathic greed-heads get all that intimidated by peaceful demonstrations.
However, just because I was skeptical, it didn't mean that I didn't wish the best for them, or that I didn't participate or help out when I could.
(I certainly didn't call the Occupiers a bunch of idiotic clowns and pretend that THAT was constructive criticism, like some people did.)
This has been our problem for a long, long time. A failure to know our enemy, an overestimation of our importance, an underestimation of the level of ignorance and apathy in society, and a fundamental ignorance of tactics.
Never forget though, that our enemies are completely discredited frauds. Ford is a lying fraud. McGuinty is a simpering hypocrite. harper is a documented democracy abuser. Flaherty is the most incompetent finance minister in our history. Obama is a murderer.
Things will inevitably get worse. And the left, for all its dormancy, has more appeal across society than has ever been the case. As things go down the shitter, we will be FORCED to learn hard lessons about tactics, and we WILL learn them.
As things go down the shitter, we will be FORCED to learn hard lessons about tactics, and we WILL learn them.
Unfortunately true. We will learn the ways of plausible deniability for most of us, while our own 1% of the 99% start dismantling the fascist state without benefit of courtesy or decorum.
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