Encouragement

God knows that I need encouragement right now. I've got so many things going to hell in my life that I've decided to stop numbering them. Then, just when you decide to roll up into a big, greasy ball of self-pity, you see something marvelous...


I saw this film one time almost twenty years ago and it has never left my heart or mind. The images and emotion of it would often bubble up inside of me at various times. It was (and still is) the single most moving and significant animation I'd ever seen. Today I stumbled upon a link to a stream of this magnificent piece of work and I wish to share it with you. "The Man Who Planted Trees" is a parable sorely needed in our time. It shows how man's passions can both destroy and revive a world. It shows how one person does make a difference. For those who have broadband (and perhaps those who don't), I urge you to take the 30 minutes and watch this Academy Award winning animation. Click here to view the video.

"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin."

Driven to Tears

I attended a "Defensive Driving Class" today. My employer requires it (likely because the insurance company requires it). It isn't that bad really. I'm out of the office for the day and I get a 10% discount on my insurance when it is over. Hearing the same things you've heard over and over are quite difficult. But I notice that as I get older I am able to appreciate much of what the course is trying to achieve. Over the years we've changed our perspective on driving. We've had a soaring population but don't have many more roads upon which we drive. Traffic, Road Rage and stress make driving difficult. Long commutes make it worse. There is so much one could write regarding cars, driving and the American way of life. Automobiles are likely the symbol most associated with the United States; it is obvious why there is so much resistance to scaling-down and scaling-back the icon or our freedom.

The thing that I took away that wasn't on the practical side was how rules, however odious to us all, can save lives. When the statistics were being read regarding speed limits, seat belts, child safety seats, air bags, etc., it was staggering. It isn't so much that the devices saved lives, it was that the government had to fight so many people to make these things law. It is amazing to me how to this day so many people are offended by being forced to wear a safety belt or drive the speed limit. All the numbers I see build a strong case.

I don't like being told what to do. I don't really know many normal folks who do (sure, some like to dress up like Stormtroopers and... well, you know...). But one of the drawbacks of civilized living is that we must co-operate to live. I guess this is why I am as I am politically. It isn't that I want the jackbooted thugs telling me what to do, it is just that I don't trust others to do the right thing. The lives saved by government mandates is stunning. Same for clean water (get it while you can... Bush is doing his level best to get rid of that), clean air, safe working conditions, and not having to wake up to find your neighbor has started his own hog rendering plant. God knows that I don't like Big Brother watching me. I wish the government could back off on a lot of things. Again, we have to live, learn and compromise to figure out the best balance. There is no perfect way, there is just walking the path and making adjustments as needed. I think we've swung too far to one side over the last years and need to head back. But don't worry, we'll swing back the other way before too long. Maybe the pendulum will settle one day?

Sure, it would be great if we could make all the changes to our society that are urgently needed without being compelled. It would be nice to live in a Libertarian paradise where everyone is educated, rational and willing to compromise. Alas, we're not. We see the signs of energy crisis, environmental crisis, global war, overpopulation and consumerism out of control. Yet, we do nothing. We say we want to live "free", but we don't earn the right to be free by our actions. We are children acting as grown-ups. Better yet (in keeping with my automobile theme) we are driving down the interstate at 100 MPH. In the rear view mirror we see the lights flashing. We are busted. There are laws and we decided to ignore them. We used too much oil, we consumed more than our fair share, we acted selfishly and brutishly with other nations, we stood by and did nothing when confronted with a lying government, we treated those different from us with disdain and contempt, we sold our children's future for an SUV, we imagined ourselves to be the only species who matters and we didn't think beyond the next fiscal quarter.

"License and registration please."

Hail, Sate'in

The only reason I am bothering to post is because of what today represents. I know I've already talked about the subject a few days back, but this is less practical and more of a rant.

Today is "Black Friday" in the United States. Black Friday is the day that businesses officially open the holiday shopping season (which has been going on "unofficially" since September). The "black" of "Black Friday" refers to the color of ink used in the ledgers for bookkeeping. Black ink means profit, red ink means debt. In modern accountancy, red can be as good as black. I don't pretend to understand it all. Modern finance seems to be able to put a spin on any scenario. If you make a profit it isn't enough of a profit. If your earnings are up they are not up enough to jive with projections by experts. If you lose money it is good news because it wasn't as much as your competitor. If you lose money it is alright because you've invested in infrastructure and off-shore development. All economics are voodoo to me.

But I don't want this entry to be about ink color. I want this entry to be about satisfaction. Yesterday was a feast day. Thanksgiving is notorious for its overindulgence. We eat until we are literally in pain. Rather than stop, we simply loosen the belts (unless we had the foresight to simply wear pants with an elastic waistband) and keep on eating. We will lay in moaning piles on the floor hoping that the football game or the re-broadcast of a parade will somehow take our minds off our digestive distention. Then, in a fit of festive forgetfulness, we head once more into the breach. We writhe in joyful agony, wondering when that last piece of pumpkin pie will finally end its journey so we can feel normal again.

This is a nation fueled by dissatisfaction. We never cease in our quest to find more and better ways to satisfy the cravings within. If every day is a day of seeking contentment in this nation, Thanksgiving is the first day of our Bizarro Ramadan. These two days in November are a one-two punch to the concept of moderation and satisfaction. The High Holy day is Christmas and the fast (as in "consume faster") is broken on New Year's Day.

Let me quickly state that I am not writing this as one who is immune to this disease or even mildly aware of what causes it. I know I have it in some form or another and have examined the malady for a long time.

We are a bag of flesh that seems to instinctively seek ways to consume. We make room for this consumption by various purges (biological, emotional, psychological and economical). When we are eating our breakfast, we think about what we'll have for lunch. When we are on a date with a significant other, we look to the next table and mentally undress its attractive occupant. When we are buying a new music CD, we keep a mental list of all the others we need to buy next time. We'll "get into" eastern philosophy for a while, but notice that indigenous traditions are pretty interesting.

I wish I knew why we behaved this way. I know that variety is considered beneficial in a genetic sense. Perhaps this is a part of the riddle? I am not against variety of experience in life, but this goes deeper than simple curiosity or a desire for varied experiences. There is a hunger within us so deep than we simply cannot consume enough things or experiences to quell it. We use drugs, food, television, internet, sex, toys, sports, music, and anything within reach to stop the groaning. Like most people, I just assumed that I had yet to find the right thing for my hunger, but in time I'd stumble on to it. The more I looked, the more I knew something else was up.

In my thinking, the farther along we travel in our history, the less likely we are to find something that satisfies our longing. I say that for several reasons (and I know the reasons are foolish):

1) The longer you work on a problem, the closer you are to the solution. We've been working on this one for a very long time. I don't even see small signs of hope (yes, I am taking into consideration Tony Robbins and Dr. Phil).

2) The more people you have working on a problem, the more likely you are to have it addressed by keen minds. In all our history, some pretty sharp folks have tried to tackle this one. Again, we're still waiting for the white smoke.

3) The longer it takes to find a solution, the more input and data will be available for consideration. More products, ideas, religions, and snack foods are introduced every day. Each one is a potential answer to our various hungers. But the more options we have before us, the longer it will take to explore them. The day has long since passed where one person could experience all the options available to him. We'll always be missing something. What if it is the thing we need to fill the void?

I'm not skilled enough in anthropology or sociology to know if there is a culture that is truly settled and satisfied. I don't know if there are people that wake up each day to simply experience what the day brings rather than anticipate how they'll fill the many holes in their lives. All I know is that American culture has dropped the ball and we are never going to find it by doing the same things we've done for years.

I started to think that our consumption wasn't so much to fill our void as it was to distract us from it. At least when that grumbling place had a new philosophy or salsa to evaluate it wasn't bothering us with its incessant bleating. That new relationship may be good for a few months of peace. Trying out model airplane piloting is good for a month. Yoga may get you through half the year. A new outfit is good for a week. A video game system works great for a fortnight, but you'll need to add a new game regularly for about a year.

I'm not saying there isn't an answer, but I am saying that consumption isn't the answer. I'm sure everyone has experienced buyer's remorse. We've all ordered the Linguine in Clam Sauce when we should have ordered the Asian Stir-fry. Besides, we're just hungry again in a short time. If we all know that consumption isn't the answer, why do we keep pursuing it as if it is?

The down side to this insanity is that the more we feed this beast, the hungrier it gets. When it realizes that all our previous attempts at satisfaction were failures, it panics and increases the urgency of our quest. We seem to be positively racing toward new levels of consumption every day. All we get for our trouble is more debt, more disappointment and less room in our homes. Our bank accounts are empty, our hearts are empty and the future looks empty. Meanwhile, the beast has grown to the point that we cannot hope to fight it. I feel like we are totally lost in this country. I feel as if there is no hope for us to leave this insane consumer culture behind us and embark on a journey towards compassion, contentment and sustainability.

Maybe if we can sit still long enough to actually hear what our inner longing is saying, we might be able to figure it out? But when the sound of ad jingles, snack wrappers, fragging, clinking glasses, riffs, moans and crowds get in the way, we've no chance at all.

I really don't know the answer to the question. I not even sure I know what the question might be, but at least we have an anthem. In the end, all I can do is what I think is best. Today, that is staying home and not buying anything. I wish I had something more upbeat to post, but this is what is rattling around inside. January 2nd won't come soon enough for me.

An Inconvenient Booth

So I've got an outhouse.

No, it isn't the one pictured here. It is one of those new-fangled deals made of plastic that has locks and such. You know, the sort used by folks with city ways, what with all their fancy book learnin' and shoes and the like. We've had more than our fair-share of rain this month and one particular day was bountiful in ways we've not seen in years. Not only did our cup runeth over, but our ceptic system did as well. The plumber snaked his pipe cleaner down twenty-five feet and found nothing but clean water. He wrinkled his youthful brow, scratched his head and gave me a sympathetic look as he handed me the bill. When it comes to toilet-related decisions, time is most certainly of the essence. I ordered a porta-potty for the back yard until we could figure out what our next step would be. My hope is that the water will drain out and I'll be able to deal with this in a more comprehensive way in the summer. Alas, I fear I may not have the luxury of time.

Speaking of luxury, as outhouses go, this one isn't too bad. There is this delightful blue liquid into which one does their final staging of the digestion process. Not only is it lovely to behold, but it keeps the air springtime fresh. It is not lit by anything but nature (or a flashlight) and even has a dual toilet paper roll (honestly, I'm not trying to put on airs). It isn't a long walk to access this marvel, but it is far more inconvenient than staggering half-asleep across the hall.

I guess this blog entry has some tangental relationship to Thanksgiving, but certainly not in the Hallmark Channel or Norman Rockwell sense. According to a document released at the 4th UN World Water Forum, more than 2.6 billion people do not have indoor plumbing. Sure, it is fun to roam around with a flashlight when you go camping, but it can be quite an adjustment when you must make it a part of your daily life. I guess I don't mind it so much, but it would be much easier to bear (at least my bottom would be much easier to bare) if it were May rather than November. When I make that short walk out back in the middle of a frigid and lightless evening, I remind myself of how coddled and spoiled I've been all my life. I've never been hungry or put in harms way or lacked the basic necessities of life. If this is hardship, then I think I can take more. No, I won't be a better person for this, but I will be more thankful. The word "inconvenient" stirred memories of reading casemeau's inner dialog on the subject prior to his decision to go homeless.

I wish I could use this experience to at least make myself feel I am achieving a moral victory. I wish I could say "I am saving hundreds of gallons of water per month by not flushing", but I really don't know if I am saving anything. I might even be using more resources by doing this. I've read lots of blogs from simple living communities or eco-communities that process their waste in a more earth-friendly manner. I've read about "humanure" and composting toilets. THAT is saving water. No, I can't crow about being green or earth-friendly or environmentally sensitive. All I am is desperate and compelled to use this thing. How many other people are in those sorts of situations? How many people would love to be more sensitive to the earth and leave a lighter footprint? Most people don't have the choice. Being an environmentalist or "living simply" is often a movement led by fortunate people who have so much they can afford to "lighten their load". For most of us, there isn't always room to choose whether to eat organic or free-range or locally grown. Most are just happy to eat. I'm not casting negativity towards any of those movements, ideas or people that participate in them. In fact, if you knew me in my real life, you might even laugh (I try not to take myself too seriously). But I do take seriously the often desperate situation in which many find themselves. There is no choice between organic apples and free-range eggs and their alternatives. Survival is serious business. When you don't have a pot to piss in (either literally or figuratively) you do what you can.

I like the fact that I must now be relatively mindful about my bathroom use strategy. Where I might have a cup of tea right before bed, I will likely postpone it for morning. A flashlight, shoes and appropriate outer garments must be left in an accessible location. The weather may be checked prior to turning in for the night. Toilet paper stocks must be checked frequently to prevent what would certainly be a disaster for one's self or family. On the bright side, there is now so much more about which we can speak upon returning from the loo. In the past, what would one say after the deed was done? Not much apart from, "You might want to stay out of there for a few minutes" (which I've never said but have heard on several occasions). Now I can say, "There were deer in the back yard", or "I think the turkeys are interested in our potty" or "The coyotes are on the move" or "I can see all the stars tonight" or "It is so cold... come here and warm me up".

This whole deal about being afraid of losing something by scaling back our lives... I don't know why I struggle under it. No, I really don't want to use the bathroom this way for the rest of my life, but I know there are far worse things that could befall me. Maybe this is what I need to start slowing down? A little inconvenience isn't that bad. I wish it wouldn't cost me so much money to figure these things out. I'm coming to terms with the wood stove. I'm sure I could deal with water pumped by hand or by bicycle. I probably could live with the outdoor potty thing. One by one, my imagined fears of what the simple life holds are being... flushed away. I just wish there were not so many of them and that I had more time to watch them swirl down the bowl.

Speaking of which, I hope you'll all excuse me, but I have a pressing matter to which I must attend.

The Church of Impending Doom

As some of you may already know, I've got a religious streak in me. I don't suppose I'm much different than most, but I don't really pry into people's lives, so I won't make any assumptions. I can only say that there is a place within me that wants to be "right". And by "right" I don't necessarily mean "correct", but I think I mean "in good standing." If eating something is going to do me harm, I'd like to know. If buying a product is going to harm someone, I'd like to know. If flossing my teeth is going to help me live longer and happier, I'd like to know. If I'm going to burn forever in a horrid hell, that would be good to know as well.

The passion and energy of our little community (what should we call it?) is admirable. Also, I find a great deal of tolerance and open-mindedness within this circle. Now, that isn't necessarily saying that people who are concerned about an impending crisis are all tolerant. I think it means that the ones I read are that way. It is just my way of unconsciously sorting out rigid, intolerant types.

The more I read your works, the more I feel like I'm back in church.

I love your passion. I love your enthusiasm. I love your desire for a better world. I love your humor and your candor. I don't pretend to know the sequence of DNA or the electro/chemical process of the brain that makes one "religious" or spiritual. But I do know that I get the same vibe from this community. Is it a psychological or anthropological predisposition? Do we learn this at home? Do we catch it like a disease? I dunno.

I only bring up this little point to be candid with you all. I've always wanted to be "good" (sorry for the abuse of quotes here today, but vocal inflection doesn't travel well on a blog). I don't want to do any harm. I want to be someone who builds up rather than tears down. I want to leave the place better than I found it. I am beginning to worry that my interest in our various topics may be a reflection of my deeper religious predisposition. I am not saying that this interest negates the valid arguments (or supports the invalid arguments) we bounce around. All I am trying to figure out is "what's my motivation"?

What motivated me to be a zealous Christian all those years ago? What made me so politically active at such a young age? What fueled my youthful patriotism? My wife and I have always been interested in a simpler life. We've always been part of the health-food crowd. Even when I was at my most conservative I was this way. Once I discovered my nation's sordid political dealings and general dishonesty, I felt free to question other things. When I questioned the motives of organized religion in general and my place in it specifically, I felt free to leave that as well. I touched on this in a previous post regarding the Communist Manifesto.

Once I was freed from the shackles of "must" and the pressures exerted by friends and family, I allowed myself intellectual and spiritual freedom. Please understand that I am not saying that I finally know any sort of truth. I am saying that I feel mentally and emotionally released to change my mind and listen to conflicting perspectives with true interest. If I latch on to a concept, I can let it go when I see it isn't what I thought it would be. It was hard for me to do that in the past. Since I was so burned by the right, I've really moved far left. Maybe if I'm burned there I'll fall back into the center?

As I wade through the writings of my many online compatriots, I find a broad spectrum of thoughts, but a common grounding is the idea of coming calamity. The more I read, the more I feel I'm right back in the church. You all bring such passion to the urgent questions of life. We study various scripture-like writings by holy people (Kunstler, Ruppert, Jensen, Quinn, etc.) and belong to various sects (Peak oilers, Global Warmers, Green Anarchists, Anti-civers, Anarcho-Primitivists, etc.) The ideals we espouse are often derived from a feeling that the coming crisis is due to our "sin" and "gluttony". We consume too much and waste precious resources. This is a crime against nature and humanity. We've been deceived by the evil one(s). Our sins are finding us out. Just as Christians have varying views on the end of the world, our little group does as well. Some feel the end will be swift and uncomfortable. Others feel it will be a slower and manageable. Some see war, others see a chance for Utopia. Some forums have comments decrying and accusing those who drive SUVs and have large homes. Others have compassion on the lost and pray for the eyes of their understanding to be opened.

Another commonality I observe is what I call the "gleeful anticipation of the collapse". I know that sounds worse than I intend but it is how I see it. There is an emotional undergirding that appears to want this end to come. I don't think people want anyone to suffer or be harmed, but they need to feel vindicated. The anticipation is too great for it to continue, so let's get on with it! I don't think this attitude is as deep as the apocalyptic attitude held by the religious right and their desire to usher in the "end times", but it is pronounced. Like many Christians, when the end doesn't come soon enough, faith begins to wane. People will "backslide" and return to their old ways.

It is best explained in the pithy saying, "To the man holding a hammer, everything looks like a nail." When you are a deeply religious person, everything you see, read and experience must, in some way, relate to your faith. I think for those who have a strong view of the future and how troubled it is likely to be, everything becomes tainted with those thoughts. A news story you read may not have stirred you a few years ago. If you read the same story today it is used to support your view that Peak Oil is real and is being covered up by shadowy forces in unseen places. If someone doesn't buy a hybrid vehicle, they are part of the forces driving us to annihilation. When a born again Christian reads a story about unrest in Israel, they think that these troubled times prove that Jesus is coming soon. A Peak Oiler would think that we wouldn't care at all about Israel if they were not in the Middle East where so much oil is located. The Christian may encourage political policies which actually incite conflict in order to usher in the new millennium. The Peak Oiler may encourage political policies that pull us out of the Middle East and free us from reliance on OPEC oil. Both act on their faith. Both groups pass the collection plate.

You see where I'm going.

While the religious people I use as examples may seem to be unreasonable or irrational, I am not intending that to be the case. There are plenty of folks in our little circle that may not always be citing facts to prove their points (like I am right here). I think faith is exercised here as well. We use supposition as well as facts to make our points. And besides, who the hell really knows the facts? Do you really know the numbers with Peak Oil? You are using faith. You have faith that someone has done the work, done it without prejudice, accurately evaluated the data, accurately reported the results and those results were accurately disseminated. I use the example of a package of M&Ms with peanuts. How do I know what is in these things? How do I know how many calories are here? How do I know there isn't some other cancer-causing property in there? I don't. The only way to really know is to buy the bag and perform the experiments yourself. Good luck. It is all faith. In my youth there were a large number of "experts" warning of the next global ice age. I remember a half-built bomb shelter in my basement. None of that every came to fruition (at least not yet).

What am I getting at? I have no idea. All I'm trying to do is sort out my feelings regarding what I think is the best way to live against what my religious predisposition may drive me towards. It is hard to step back to take an objective look at yourself and your motives. I think Ted is having a bad (good) influence on me. As I read through your blogs and see the different styles and outlooks, I am glad that there are people like you out there. I learn from Ted's soul-searching. I am inspired by Ran's practical and dedicated life. I enjoy Jason's scholarly examinations. I am moved by Casemeau's journey of self-discovery. I am excited by Kevin's farm life and informed by his news analysis. There are so many more of you who affect me in different ways. I am a better person for being a part of your virtual lives. Your synergy is appreciated.

The broad array of ideas and temperaments will have a modifying effect on my religious predisposition. The word "religion" comes from the Latin which is loosely translated "to be bound again". I prefer to translate it as "a return to bondage". I have no desire to be in bondage again. You guys help keep me free. Thanks.

You Say You Want A Revolution?

I know what time of year it is because I can smell Turkey. No, not the nation (that smells more like the inside of 1973 Pontiac Bonneville) but the food. When this time rolls around my brain starts to release the memory of meals past. I think my body also anticipates the mighty task of digestion, because I have less interest in food. Perhaps this was similarly felt by our ancestors when they somehow knew the hunters were returning with their bounty? Regardless, I don't do too well after Halloween through the day after New Years. This whole season has become an orgy of consumption that I cannot bear up under very well. Too much food, too many people, and too much consumption. I am deluged with advertisements against my will. I am told to buy or be unfulfilled. I am compelled by tradition to be merry. The expectation level is always so high during the holidays that one is hard-pressed to live up to it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a lucky guy. I have a good job, a loving family and have had lots of luck. I have much for which I should be (and am) thankful. But what was a time of true thankfulness has turned into a horror story. With Thanksgiving just days away, I have heard more stories about Federline than famine. The hype online is about getting that Playstation3 so you can sell it on Ebay (without getting mugged or shot). The buzz is about Wii and how it will change things. Change what? How? For what purpose? I want change too. Will the Wii bring about justice in our world? Will it feed those without food? Will it protect the weak from the predator? The Nintendo Wii was once called "Revolution". It may be a revolution for gaming, but who really cares? We need a revolution of the soul of planet earth or we will all certainly perish. No, that isn't me being maudlin, it is a stone cold factoid.

I hate this time of year because it brings out all that is wrong with us. It shows how we can pervert and manipulate a sacred time of thankfulness into an orgy of consumption (both gastronomically and economically). Thanksgiving is less about being thankful for the blessings of our needs being met than it is the start of the holiday shopping season. Thanksgiving dinner has become a pre-shopping spree carb-up.

I hate how we've become a nation of economic targets to the corporations of the world. As you read this there are people in a room somewhere trying to figure out the best way to manipulate you into buying things. They want your money and they are not allowed to hit you with a rock and take it from you. The next-best thing is trying to figure a way to make you give it to them legally. They will lie, distort, manipulate, seduce, guilt, sway, hypnotize, shame, prey and threaten to get you to part with your money (whatever is left after the government gets their cut). This is redistribution of wealth for the clueless as opposed to redistribution of wealth for the powerless as it is with our government and taxation. We are feeding this monster by playing along. It is the addiction we silently allow. We look at our checkbooks, look at our kids, shake our heads and pull out the plastic. We are enabling this nation into economic and spiritual bankruptcy.


I didn't like it when Nintendo changed the name of the "Revolution" to "Wii". Euphemisms aside, it doesn't even have a pleasant sound when it is spoken aloud. The connotation is "We", but I just hear the nasally whine. I want a revolution, not the nasally whine. I want another American revolution. The clueless herds think that because the Democrats are back in power in the Congress that we're "taking our country back". How anyone can think that putting a collaborative, spineless, cowardly and complicit party in charge is "taking our country back" is beyond me. They are all bought and paid for, in my opinion. But if you want to take your country back, I'll tell you how you can do it:

"Don't spend any money."

Make this Black Friday "black" for a different reason. No, I'm not suggesting that we never spend money again. What I am suggesting is that we put this nation's movers and shakers on notice. (Please right click one of the following links and open in a new window or tab before reading further: lowbandwidth highbandwidth) "We the people" run this show. WE are the decider's, W, not you. We can, with a simple pull of a lever or mark on a piece of paper change the course of our nation and the world. No, I'm not so gullible as to think the government is the only problem we have, but it is how we start. What would be the ramification of a Black Friday without sheep-like consumers? What would happen if the stores were empty? Can you allow your mind to envision it? What would happen if we put our leaders on notice that we are not going to play along? What would be said in the board rooms? What would be discussed in the corridors of power? How would business change? How would we want it to change? By the simple act of civil disobedience known as "closing your wallet" you can do more damage to an oppressive system than senseless violence ever dreamed. Perhaps this idea's simplicity is its downfall? It is a practical, legal and fool-proof way to get the attention of corporate America and that of our government. We will have their full attention. You don't need a special outfit to do this. You don't need training. You don't have to plan. You don't have to call anyone. You don't need to stretch or warm-up. You don't need to convert anything to metric. YOU JUST DON'T BUY ANYTHING! Can you handle that?

Of course, this is all too simple and foolish to work, right? And, there may be some negative consequences. After all, there are no negative consequences to our current model, right? Ah, you're probably correct. We have to show the terrorists that we're not afraid of them by going out and buying stuff. That is what we do. If we don't shop, the terrorists will have won. I guess the only revolution I'll be getting this year will be the one renamed "Wii". It is sad that we've gone from "We the people" to "Wii the people". Revolution takes too much effort (unless you are buying one).

Kapitalist's Kooky Kavorting Krafting Kommie Komeback?

I remember an episode of "The Simpsons" where Bart is trying to escape the homicidal intentions of Sideshow Bob while trapped on a boat. He tries fleeing to one side of the boat and finds nasty alligators in the water. He flees to the other side of the boat only to find electric eels preventing his escape. He runs back to the same side of the boat from which he originally fled, only to find the very same alligators still anxiously awaiting his arrival in the water. Bart pauses and remarks, "Oh yeah!"


That is the image which came to mind as I was thumbing through the Communist Manifesto. Don't ask... really.

Let me start off by proclaiming right off the bat that I'm no commie. I bleed red, white and blue (I'm currently taking antibiotics to help with the white part). But seriously, I'm pretty left, but I've never had any romantic notions of Communism. I was fascinated by the entire spectacle as I was growing up with the looming spectre of the former Soviet Union on one side and the champion of freedom, the United States, on the other. When the game was over, we won and it was pretty damned cool.

Of course, now that the commies were gone, the world must be in for a new golden age of freedom and liberty, right? Right?

My political awakening, with its uncovering of the truth of our involvement in issues from Iran, Guatamala, Cuba, Panama, East Timor and so on, was a crushing blow to me. I never thought that my country, which I volunteered to serve during a time of unrest, would end up being the bad guys. When I look at where we are now it is like a shameful dream. We keep taking step after step toward the type of cold, totalitarian state I was always told was un-American. All the things those commies did (meddling in internal political affairs, dragging people off to prison without a trial, starting wars, having unfair elections, lying, etc.) seem to pale in comparison to our resume. It hit home this weekend when I saw a video of a stupid college student being tazed into frenzy for not having his ID ("Yoo haff zee papers, ja?") Just like everything else (except gymnastics, chess, weightlifting and caviar), at least we do those things better than the commies. When my heart was broken by my government, it allowed me a sort of freedom to open my mind. Since I couldn't trust them to make the best decisions for me any longer, I didn't think it treason to read through this document. It was high time I started making my own decisions. I've never looked back. To many, this is a "duh" moment. But for most people in this country, we trusted those in authority. We were raised to revere our nation, its Founding Fathers (which I still capitalize), the flag, our ideals and our government. I won't go into the reasons why no one should trust the government. The reasons are so voluminous and far-reaching that it would take me the remainder of my life to itemize and discuss adequately. Besides, you all know what is going on.

Related to my interest in the scaling back of the American dream due to the convergence of many dire issues facing our planet, I found a couple quotes of interest in this dusty old document. Had I read them years ago they would have meant nothing. Reading them now reveals a freshness and renewed vigor:

"The need of a constantly expanding market for its products chases the bourgeoisie over the entire surface of the globe. It must nestle everywhere, settle everywhere, establish connections everywhere."

We have bases in something like 130 of the 190ish nations of the world. We are desperate for oil and are drilling, negotiating and threatening everywhere in order to secure it. We've hired out our labor force to third-world nations. Second only to our military expansionism and intervention around the globe is the marketing of our way of life to the world via TV, ads and films. We urge people to work like us so they can buy like us so they can live like us. Tyler Durden's words echo in my head... "we're slaves with white collars. Advertisements have us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need." We have lost our soul.

But it wasn't that much different back in the day of Marx. He saw the handwriting on the wall. Was he off the mark on this statement? Seems to me that history has validated it and then some. And what of this paragraph...

"The bourgeoisie has, through its exploitation of the world market, given a cosmopolitan character to production and consumption in every country. To the great chagrin of reactionaries, it has drawn from under the feet of industry the national ground on which it stood. All old-established national industries have been destroyed or are daily being destroyed. They are dislodged by new industries, whose introduction becomes a life and death question for all civilized nations, by industries that no longer work up indigenous raw material, but raw material drawn from the remotest zones; industries whose products are consumed, not only at home, but in every quarter of the globe. In place of the old wants, satisfied by the production of the country, we find new wants, requiring for their satisfaction the products of distant lands and climes. In place of the old local and national seclusion and self-sufficiency, we have intercourse in every direction, universal inter-dependence of nations."

There is a reason we can't keep our nose out of other nation's affairs: we are too busy exploiting them for our own gain and interests. Revered cultures and folkways are giving way to iPods, golden arches and swooshes on sneakers. The basics of life are giving way to Asics (tm) and Life (tm). There are fewer and fewer unique cultures and quaint customs. Everyone looks, speaks and dresses like Americans. Every suburb in America looks the same. We ship to and from all over the globe. No one here knows how to build or create anything any more unless it has to do with entertainment, sports or weapons. We ship ideas from one country and materials from other countries to yet another country where they are assembled partially, shipped elsewhere to be given final assembly and then shipped back to us here. We've made nations too dependent upon one another to their detriment and our benefit.

He may have been a commie bastard, but Marx seemed to hit the nail on the head. So when I see Bart Simpson seemingly forget what he saw that made him run away in the first place, I am reminded of what caused all this commie talk in the first place. I see it and I, like Bart, absently say, "Oh yeah!" Things have to change in our nation or this old theory may find new life. Our neighbors to the south seem to have no trouble whipping up the ghosts of the past. Nothing brings the commies out of the woodwork like a good, old-fashioned fascist regime. As we've created a renewed sense of Islamic pride and fundementalism in the Middle East due to our foolish policies, so, too, will we wake the dead bones of Communism in South America with our incessant sabre-rattling and rhetoric. I don't know which system I fear more.