Bitch Bitch Bitch

Periodically I ask myself why I write these essays. Perhaps it’s because by the exercise of writing I might accidently stumble across some action that could modify or even correct some wrong somewhere. Sort of like when John Kerry made that flippant off-hand remark about how the only way the U.S. wasn’t going to invade Syria was if Syria agreed to get rid of their chemical weapons. Kerry thinking, no way that would happen and we could get on with the business of war as usual, but no… Kerry had accidentally stumbled across a peaceful alternative to invasion of a sovereign nation and inadvertently talked our empire out of yet another war. I guess we could call this accidental diplomacy.

Perhaps I write to jettison, albeit temporarily, the harmful toxic data swirling around in my head ala Colonel Kurtz’s “the horror”, the data that assaults the senses and defies logic. Not to pick on John Kerry, but he uttered some baffling words on a Sunday talking head show. In reference to the Russians invading Ukraine he actually said with a serious straight face, “You just don’t in the 21st century behave in 19th century fashion by invading another country on completely trumped up pre-text”. WHAT?!! To prove that Corporate Media is the flower girl in the sick polygamous marriage of Corporate, Government, Military and Finance, not one “journalist” called Kerry on that, at best absurd, insult to the American people’s intelligence. Not even a single word of protest was spoken on this outrageously, supremely ballsy statement/lie.

Continuing this questioning of writing I could ask, “What is the point?” especially when I am witness to statements like the above and the lack of a “WTF?!” response. A dear friend at a dinner party the other night said to me, “All you do is point out the bad stuff, but you don’t offer solutions.” I said fair enough statement, but first people have to see there is a problem before they can do something about it. The individual is powerless, but the politically active en masse can exact change. One dude pointing things out ain’t gonna do it.

I suppose I write to chronicle events in my life, make a record, compare now to “then”. I am just putting entries into a diary that anyone can read. I can’t help but take personally the immoral destruction of our planet by unchecked Big Oil. I can’t help but take personally the demented capitalist ideology that money trumps humanity along with all precious life. I can’t help but take personally the theft of our great grand children’s future by those same lunatics. I am exhausted by the idiocy in Washington DC, the place where good ideas go to die, where possible solutions to critical problems are diddled with by corporate special interests until they are dead on arrival when signed into law. Aren’t most of us exhausted? So many of us are numb from working two or three jobs trying to make ends meet…trying to balance checkbooks and raise children. I am aware that there isn’t much left of us at the end of the day and the idea of tackling the “world’s problems” is just too daunting. The power elite are counting on our apathy.

I have been thinking about my friend’s comment at dinner and I do have some pro-active suggestions. Numero Uno: Stop watching corporate sponsored TV “News”. Read a few different newspapers. Read things that make you uncomfortable and don’t fit with your preconceptions. Read internet publications that are funded by readers and not Corporate. Expand your news sources beyond our borders. Al-Jazeera English and BBC might give you a broader spectrum of information from a different perspective. Truthdig and Truthout are two internet sources of “clean” untainted journalism. Bill Moyers is a trusted and venerable journalist that can be seen/read on the web. Journalists Henry Giroux and Chris Hedges are invaluable sources of the raw, painful truth. William Rivers Pitt likes to open eyes, as well. Please try to get out of your comfort zone.

Recovery starts with an admission there is a problem.