Diaries

It's Over Gandalf. We Need to Unite Behind Saruman To Save Middle Earth From Sauron!

I’ve been on Team Gandalf ever since he first visited the Shire. It was so nice to see a wizard who was truly a wizard of the people. The kind of wizard who wouldn’t even throw you in a dungeon for smoking a little Longbottom Leaf or Old Toby. Here was a wizard who didn’t have a big fancy tower. His staff and cloak were rather plain and grey. And he had quite a dream, didn’t he?

Hellraisers Journal: John Sloan & Charles Erskine Scott Wood on "Patriotism" from The Masses


Let those who own the country, who are howling for and profiting
by preparedness, fight to defend their property.
-Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday December 18, 1916
From The Masses: "Do You Believe in Patriotism?" Part II

In the March issue of The Masses, various Socialist writers responded to the question, "Do you believe in Patriotism?" Yesterday Hellraisers featured the answers to that question from two prominent Socialists women, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and Sara Bard Field. Today's edition features the responses of John Sloan and Charles Erskine Scott Wood:

From John Sloan

the masses cover june 1914 ludlow (2).jpg

If I had to love a country I could love no country but this, nor could I find a fitter one to hate.

I put Patriotism with the other isms,-Militarism, Anarchism, Capitalism, Individualism, Socialism, Dogmatism, Catholicism, Protestantism and Rheumatism (I had almost written Catechism), but I am answering your question. I hope that social progress will eliminate all isms-though in the case of Futurism we have a hard one to catch.

Patriotism licks the boot of capitalism and until the earth-worms get the latter's carcass, he will need patriots. As the wage system will never enable the people of any country to consume all their products with a profit to the owning class, foreign markets are a necessity to be fought for. Patriotism is a potent means of providing the fighters. Conscription is another powerful persuader and Our Country has both (see Dick military law passed by congress in 1903 and 1908).

Today's WTF

Just experimenting with the "open thread" concept.

This one is meant to post the odd thing... it can be fun, insane, puzzling. It can be "what the fuck" that's fabulous! or terrible enough to make you cry. or funny even though we shouldn't be laughing. it can be anything that's . . . just a bit off.

Like this wonderful WTF, a story of a 5-year-old girl and her duck. Enjoy:

Finally, MSM Gets the Underlying Issue of the Clinton Email Scandal

It's been a long time coming. Since the Clinton email scandal broke almost a year ago, most of the discussion has been sunk in the weeds of "others did it!" "nothingburger!" "Benghazi political bonus point!" "over-classification!" "she said she was sorry!" "beat dead horses much?" etc.

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