Open Thread - Rants, Muses, Books & Music (and Some Cooking Too).
It's good to see you. Come on in, leave your shoes in the hallway, we've got fire on the stove preparing lunch for later. In the meantime, browse the bookshelves and plunk down on the sofa with one, or pick out some tunes from the music library or come in to the kitchen to help with the cooking. Our special blend of tea is steeping and will be right up.
Make yourself at home...
Allow me to start with a little context, by way of mentioning that for the past twelve and half years Tuesdays have been my sleep late and chill-out day. That's because I've had the good fortune of being in the house band at a music venue in NYC every Monday night during that time. Problem is I don't get offstage until at least 1am. By the time greetings are exchanged afterward, maybe a small bite to eat is had and a little reading has been gotten in, it's usually pretty late when I'm tucked in and finally dozing. As many of you know this past year I've been transitioning as a middle-aged, stay-at-home Dad for the first time. So when I agreed to take this open thread it was with a bit of hesitation, not being much of a morning person as it is. But I'm more buoyed by the sense of camaraderie and fondness I feel for this most excellent community, and that'll get me going. I'll be on little sleep. But I'll do my best, for as long as I can.
On with the show.
Last weekend my little family went to visit the Interference Archive in Brooklyn. It's a wonderful edifying place formed by a group of Occupy activists and others with the intention of preserving our radical history and educating the public to the power of mass movements around the world. Visitors were treated to print exhibits, political button-making tables, a silk screen press making radical prints for t-shirts, posters, etc, a research/reference library and small book sales shelf. Everybody took home a combination of buttons, stickers, posters or screen prints on their t-shirts. There were modest donation canisters in the two rooms.
The current exhibit is called "Finally Got the News," which featured pamphlets, posters and flyers of an era (1970-79) in which, according to their website, "young people radicalized by the anti-war movement became anti-imperialists, veterans of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements increasingly identified with communism and Pan-Africanism, and women were organizing for autonomy and liberation." And a reminder that, "While these movements may have different roots, there was also an incredible overlapping and intermingling of activists and ideologies."
Was a surprise to hear from the activist friend who volunteers there that a reporter from CNN came for the occasion, and actually filed a decent short video segment on their website:
The visit to Interference Archive reminded me of one of the central themes of the film "Sir! No Sir!", that during the Vietnam War there was a huge proliferation of underground and military anti-war protest. Coffeehouses and radical newspapers sprung up together all over the country, which provided much-needed havens for dissent. Faced with similar pressing issues today community centers and gathering spaces will become more and more imperative as people look for answers and invariably will seek more meaningful relationships than social media offers.
I think in this epoch of Neoliberalism/fascism it will be even more crucial that we create, find, support, participate with and volunteer at these community centers seeking to build movements. Here are a couple more: MayDay Space is an outgrowth of the Occupy movement. The Base is an anarchist political center/bookstore/community center. Both are also based in Brooklyn.
If you find yourself in NYC anytime soon please consider for a nice day out looking up Interference Archive. From wherever you are you can can support them here: Interference Archive member/donate page.
So, what's going on with you?
Back in the kitchen we're listening to:
Stacked on the living room table are:
"Death of the Liberal Class" (Chris Hedges)
"Shakey: Neil Young's Biography" (Jimmy McDonough)
"The American Language" (H.L. Mencken)
"A Nation In Torment: The Great American Depression 1929-1939" (EdwardRobbEllis)
"Arguably: Essays" (Christopher Hitchens)
"Petty: The Biography" (Warren Zanes)
Puttanesca for the People
5 cans of Scalfani crushed tomatoes
head of garlic
large Spanish onion
fresh anchovy fillets
black and green Greek olives
capers
*smoked paprika (if you want to really kick it up)
thyme
Lemongrass Chai Blend
heaping scoop of dried Thai lemongrass
shards of cinnamon bark
a few cardamom pods
a few black peppercorns
fresh chopped ginger
Comments
Good morning, MfQ and everyone!
Nice OT this morning. The Interference Archive sounds like a worthwhile stop. Haven't been to NY in five years, so this goes on my list for next time I'm there. Raggedy Andy is so distressed over Herr Drumpf that I'm not sure he can step foot in NYC, but I'll talk him down and get him there one of these days.
Sitting here with my morning cup of tea, waking up, preparing for my workday, your Chai sounds yummy! I love Puttanesca, but never made it myself, only poured out what Trader Joe's sells me in a jar, which is tasty. I love making my own sauces, though, so thanks for the recipe!
I loved the reminders of days of planning protests and participating in underground coffeehouses of the '60's and '70's. I had a few of those experiences and read your descriptions with a bit of longing in my soul. I see the rise of dissent peaking over the horizon and I welcome it, for it is what we have, at our fingertips, to combat what might come to our doorsteps. We must all be prepared to resist.
Get some rest Mark!
Have a beautiful day, everyone!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Hey RA, nice to see you. Saw a sign Saturday afternoon
at the massive protest march (which I didn't want to go to but a few Occupy friends were so it was a day out/reunion) that made me laugh and captured how the vast majority here feel about that schmuck Drumpf. Said something like: "New York: Hating Trump Since the 1970's." It was a reminder that most denizens loathe the guy deeply. I can assure you and Andy of that. He's just another brash, loudmouth Daddy's Boy, born with a silver spoon in his mouth and its attendant protection, and without it is the kind of guy who would have gotten his ass kicked repeatedly on any playground by kids who can smell bullshit. Was just telling a friend that I literally can not listen to his annoying, full of crap, con man voice for even a second. Gonna be a long, arduous term...
Oh, I forgot the secret ingredient for the sauce (will update now)! The puttanesca takes on a whole other dimension (if you can believe it) with smoked paprika. Try cooking it yourself. Carmelize the onions first, then add the other stuff.
"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"
- Kurt Vonnegut
Hello MarkfromQueens - thanks for the OT. I wish
you much success with it.
I was not aware of the Interference Archive and was very pleased to learn about it - thanks.
There's been a lot of good music posted at c99 but little by my favorite musical people and groups so I wonder if anyone else likes (not including my jazz favorites): Buddy Holly(esp. his music that did not get on the radio); The Kinks; The Mekons; The Fall; The Pogues; Captain Beefheart; Robyn Hitchcock. Buffy Sainte-Marie
My reading tends toward Gogol, Joyce, Beckett, Gaddis and Kerouac, Corso & McClure plus the usual people who hare written,and are writing, on the political economy.
Has anyone else noticed that a couple of Trump's nominations, like his pick for Treasury Sec'y, are contradicting already? The Treasury pick flatly disagreed with Trump's plan for a weaker dollar, something Big Finance doesn't want. So, Who's in control?
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Thanks duckpin. Good to see you.
A little foggy-headed this morning with little sleep as usual, weather here the perfect compliment. Cold, raw, lashing wind and rain last night, seems to have stayed on today. Won't know til I have to go out soon to move the car for alternate side parking rules for "street sweeping."
Thanks for the music/book recommendations. Have been really intrigued with Captain Beefheart; as a Zappa fan he's been on the periphery for too many years. Picked up a used vinyl copy of a weird 2-album set of Trout Mask Replica and something else (everything, including the turntable which isn't even plugged in at the moment, is all over the place with the baby dominating - can't find it at the moment). So unique. Yeah man, the Kinks. As we've talked about, just incredible; the all-time working man's band. What a seriously amazing canon of work.
"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"
- Kurt Vonnegut
Captain Beefheart
Capt Beefheart - Don Van Vliet - and The Magic Band did something unique: He took the oldest blues, the form with no chord changes, and melded it with free jazz. His lyrics were among the best ever being close to the finest beat poetry. On top of this, his voice was one of the greatest in rock history.
There's never been another person or group to come up with something as unique as Trout Mask Replica. It has influenced other groups to the extent that it showed how the song form could be stretched but no one sounds like TMR or Lick My Decals Off, Baby.
The Fall took the one chord concept and Mark E. Smith, a truly gifted lyricist(but without much of a singing voice) carved out a unique spot in rock for themselves. 30+ studio albums and many live albums.
John Peel counted Capt Beefheart as his favorite musician & The Fall #2.
What else can you say about the Kinks? Wonderful song writing; a kickass band; great live shows; and never strayed from the working class roots.
When not listening to bebop, I listen to these people.
Hope your musical engagements are meeting with acceptance from the audience.
Cheers.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
I got my 23andme ancestry report. Cheaper version.
I have more markers of Neanderthal DNA input than 66% in others' DNA! Plus Scandinavian input that I am sure is Viking. Otherwise, English, Irish, French, a touch of Italian, already knew that. White, white. No NA input.
The winter storm was more of a rain event here. Snowing now, guessing 2-3" so far. Good, that white stuff will be heavy, still 33.8F now. Slight snowballs on dog's feet. Winter wonderland of ice in the trees, but no chance of sun today. For fellow SAD sufferers, more than 2 min of daylight more each day, that means in a week more than 15 minutes added.
I am feeling somewhat better, fasting yesterday except for pills. Hydrating with tea and saline water (yuck!)Still taking oxy- or hydro-codone. Gall bladder upset headache is still with me. As is gall bladder pain. I fear eating and setting things off again. Perhaps later. Today.
Have a great Tuesday! I will attempt to do so.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Forgot to add an interesting slightly outdated book
Evicted. A good description of the housing instability of the poor and its harmful effects on families. Suggestions of "fixes" at the end. Some seem worthwhile, but with current meanness, will not happen.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Hi riverlover.
Hope the winter wonderland is an artistic salve to your running ailments.
Thanks for the book suggestion. "Evicted" made me think of a Great Depression book I have that reprinted some of the reports out of newspapers at the time that are the saddest, most heartbreaking stories of folks too poor but too proud to accept help and almost dying from exposure, tied to eviction/cost of living.
"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"
- Kurt Vonnegut
Great OT today
Occupy is not dead. It never died, but was forced underground by a Democratic administration with help from Democratic governors and local officials. Another
stainpox upon the formerly so called party of the people.I love this archive and the way the people are keeping the power to the people movement alive. We shall prevail. Thank you for introducing this archive to the rest of us.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Thanks GG. Nice to see you
Interference Archive grew out of the Occuprint folks who, among other things, were the ones making all these wonderful posters for the massive May Day march 2012. The MSM press chose to ignore about 30k people marching down Broadway. Was a triumphant moment for Occupy and labor, which I wrote about for TOP. But like with any truly progressive action (see Bernie's whole 2016 campaign) there was a complete and utter blackout in the media at large. Here's some more of their great posters. If you really want to see the sheer breadth and imagination of the art associated with this movement, check this out! It's pretty stunning and will lift your spirits, guaranteed.
Lifting spirits. That was Occupy. A universal recognition that We Are The 99%, Another World Is Possible, You Are Not A Loan. This still gives me a lump in the throat:
Occupy TVNY is a YouTube channel where this video resides and to which you can subscribe.
"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"
- Kurt Vonnegut
Good morning Mark and 99ers...
Nice OT. Thank you so much for taking this on. Don't worry if you aren't here to host as much as you would like, we totally get it.
I'm just rolling out of bed and having my morning cup of coffee. Plan to start sorting out papers and getting ready to do my taxes. Since I retired in mid-year, I have no idea if my withholding is equal to or less than what I owe. I simply do TurboTax and hope I answer everything right.
My middle grandson was at work delivering pizzas, and his car was stolen. Thanks god for OnStar. They waited for the cops to catch up, slowed it down, and finally stopped it so the cops could apprehend the guy. Turns out it was an unstable fellow who took a family toddler and fled and stole my grandson's car. The child was returned to mom, and my grandson's car was captured safe and sound. It spent the weekend in a tow lot, evidence, and my daughter and SIL got stuck with a bill for one day. Cops forgot to release it, so of course, my SIL was responsible for their mistake.
I love the platform this group developed. Thought I would share. You do not need to register or donate to read the platform, but I did register. They plan to primary the hell out of every corporate Democrat they can find. They want your nominations for office if you have any.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
Thanks dkmich. Crazy story about your grandson's car.
Mental illness, in my view, is not taken seriously in this country and it makes for such an unjust, dehumanizing and, sadly too often, deadly society that doesn't care of its afflicted people.
I'm down with Cenk and the crew there, and sort of forgive him for his Dem party support in the presidential election. They had Jill Stein on and always spoke very incisively and truthfully about how bad Hillary was, corrupt the whole system is and staunchly defended progressive values and philosophy.
Will check it out, thanks.
Man, how about Jimmy Dore? He's just lighting it up. A very good friend of mine is a fellow comedian who has worked with him over the years. Thinking of writing him a personal note to tell him about C99 and how many fans he has here.
"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"
- Kurt Vonnegut
Good to know about the Justice Democrats, dk.
I'm royally pissed at my dem senator, Heinrich, who voted against the medications from Canada bill. I'd like to see him primaried!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Good Morning, MfQ, I would feel so much at home
in yours in my imagination. Right now I am far from having my corner to myself. I dig through tons of "memorabilia" in my former parents', then brothers' and then sisters' house. Families die out, disintegrate, fall apart, develop mental instabilities. I end up facing many truths that I hadn't seen so clearly in the past. I discover books, discover old letters and I know I would have a two year project on my hand to just put them in some kind of order to even start to recapitulate all of it and tie the knots. I am just staring a bit stunned at what is so difficult to understand. I found letters from my mother to her parents. I try to read between the lines. It's not easy, you can just adumbrate(?) or guess what she meant saying.
I wish you many private happy hours with your teas, your books, your music and your little one in your kitchen, which I "see" somehow. Feels good, like the right thing.
My books arrive here in two weeks. I won't unpack them, I will just pull one and read one and go to the next. I have discovered lots of books in German from American authors in my sisters bookshelves.
I have Hedges' books and will pull them out first and couple Don MidWest recommended once upon the times. I want my own little kitchen back. So far my son has located a shack with an outside toilet and an outside shower. I can't wait to see it. Will be gone to Hawaii in four to six weeks. Going back to basics.
Greetings dear mimi, and a warm hug from the kitchen.
The human experience is mystifying. I feel the heaviness of you being overwhelmed with the scene that is sitting in your lap right now. Trying to make sense of family, relationships, and the breakdown or loss of them is something I'm finding has been permeating my dream state a lot lately, which is where I go to work things out, it seems.
I think about my parents getting older and all that that means, and how little any of us seem prepared for it. Having to negotiate very painful decisions as we watch them deteriorate while also having to consider their affairs, possessions, etc. We don't talk about these things, though they happen to everybody. And especially here, in America, where everything is so disposable and corporate cold, with so many conditioned to be self-aware and pandering in the worst way.
What really bugs me is the treatment of the elderly and infirm. There's such a lack of dignity and reverence for old people here (Japanese culture seems to be our polar opposite), like it's best to keep them out of sight and then treated like children. What a shame. It's angering, really. Especially for politically/socially aware/active folks like us here, who are trying to expose and fight a government which designates such enormous funds from the tax dollars we give up to building more military weapons of destruction and allowing very wealthy CEO's, bankers and corporations to not pay their fair share which further cements their dominion over us, instead of evolving as a society take make sure every living person is assured the most basic dignity with respect to being born, healthcare, retirement, dying and the basics of food, shelter and clothing.
It's absolutely flabbergasting that we have all the resources to completely transform life as we know it, but the refrain from the lemmings is, "it'll never happen." "Why? Who doesn't have to face these realities?"
"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"
- Kurt Vonnegut
Death does not exist.
The article by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross is why I kept this copy after the momz died, now even Stewart Brand has jumped the shark I guess.
link has some gawdawful embedded crap, sorry about that.
http://www.wholeearth.com/issue-electronic-edition.php?iss=2014
still fantasize creating worlds most loving cooperative
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/6555797-181/for-sale-again-in-cloverdale
Edit: first to remove the useless apostrophe, and then J Long Rant left the building. I unsubscribed completely from the purple people-eaters digest that keeps triggering it. Peace
Well, no surprise, but . . .
https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-01-24/trump-said-to-pla...
Are those veterans up for another trek to stand in the way of this? It would make a good wall at the Interference Archive, if nothing else.
This is good, if you have not seen it
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Netherlands second LMAO
thanks that was funny America First, Netherlands Second. They are number two already on the inequality-adjusted HDI. Try to beat that Trump. hah
wtf? Imagine that. I think the whole page is worth reading:
https://www.government.nl/topics/climate-change/contents/national-measures
Thanks
The interference archive looks great!
Based on your recommendation I found and watched Sir No Sir as a 50 min documentary from 2005 broadcast by BBC but archived at youtube -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nPJgeg6hpA
Netflix offers a longer version on disc.
I take Jim Hightower's newsletter "The Lowdown" Here's his digital page https://hightowerlowdown.org/
The last print issue was about farm workers, and he equated The Grapes Of Wrath, the song Deportee, and Murrow's Harvest of Shame - the last of which I re-watched on youtube. Amazing how things haven't changed much.
Watch the entire original broadcast of one of the most celebrated documentaries of all time, 1960's "Harvest of Shame," in which Edward R. Murrow exposed the plight of America's farm workers. (52 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJTVF_dya7E
In my aging crowd it is nice for us musicians that they're winding down earlier and earlier. We used to play till 2 or 3 AM...now it is often over at 10 or 11 pm. Hope you get some good rest today. Thanks for the OT, and all the best!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Thanks lookout. Saw one of Murrow's "Harvest of Shame." Potent.
I think it was about migrant workers who are forced to live in such deplorable temporary housing conditions that come with those fleeting seasonal jobs. Very sobering.
There's no doubt when an investigative journalist - and he was one of the best - does a sobering report of which is aired by a mass reach media outlet, revealing just how government vacillation on economic remedies is literally destroying the lives of everyday people, that the audience watching develops a strong empathy for the suffering of those disenfranchised and voiceless people. Which is probably why we see so little of it today (Frontline does some good work).
I think people may have a tougher time connecting with empathy today because they're so de-senstized by constant overstimulation. We're literally bombarded with thousands and thousands of images every day. Marketing and advertising has gotten more sneaky and deceptive. Now we don't really read news anymore, as much as we scan headlines. And then there's the cutbacks to and corporatization of journalism not exactly digging into issues in any sustained way.
To that end my biggest wish is that people would turn off all corporate media entirely, but most importantly and first, the television. It's Exhibit A of how otherwise good people are manipulated and brainwashed into unwittingly becoming blind, heartless consumers and political partisan dupes deeply invested in identity politics, turned into self-centered, resentment voters.
"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"
- Kurt Vonnegut
Thanks for the secret ingredient!
I'll try making it in a couple of weeks. I'm going to be out of town this weekend - celebrating my honey's birthday with some friends!
I can't stand his voice, either. I cannot watch him, but RAndy is so obsessed that he listens and then seethes! Seems defeatist, to me, LOL!
edited for infernal something or other!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
I'm currently suffering from
post-march depression. Attended here in Denver with my wife, and felt very uplifted and empowered. Met *many* people, made some good connections, had a lot of great conversation, and got quite jazzed with what we saw. Thought it might lead to something.
I now see that I must have been mistaken: it has now been leftsplained to me that it was all just a tantrum of unhappy corporate democrats, and was therefore too impure to lead to anything lasting since it wasn't sufficiently explicitly anti-establishment. Could have knocked me over with a feather. I thought that it was plenty anti-establishment, myself, but whadda I know? I would have thought that a few million people in the street was a good thing. How could I have been so upgefuckt?
I have seen the error of my ways. I'll go back to quietly waiting on the sidelines, and keep my ear to the ground for Someone Important to start a movement sufficiently pure to be deemed worthy. Meanwhile, I will also attempt to understand exactly why it is that so many folks on the left seem to be so determined to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. No smiley: I sure as hell am not smiling.
Thanks for the OT. End of rant.
I didn't march.
The rest of my family did as my granddaughter has decided women should revolt and I agree. She is not a Democrat and supported Jill Stein from the very start. My granddaughter carried a sign the read 'Make America Kinder' An impressive amount of people globally got in the street, which is a great thing.
As far as being the enemy of the good goes I just can't bring myself to find any good in the Democratic party and their elitist concept of feminism. The reason I did not march was that the whole premise of women against sexist pigs like The Hairball and Pence was tied to Hillary and the Democratic party. Socailly liberal my ass.
How does this make me a purist? I do not intend to go back to the sidelines and wait but I'll be damned if I'm going to listen to the likes of Madonna or Alica Keyes or Debbie 'what kill list' Schultz telling me that The Hairball and the deplorable Republicans are the problem. I will be attending any demonstration rally or march that isn't the fake left that the Democratic party has neutered and is working hard to get rid of. Sorry to leftsplain in your direction.
I also think a few million in the streets is a good thing.It just might lead to something happening but not under the banner the Democratic party and their sick version of feminism, progressive or the lame claim of the Dems.being left. I feel it's just the beginning of the resistance to the established neoliberal NWO. I'm glad you went and made connections and if it helps and inspires people to organize in solidarity to fight the duopoly that's a good thing.
I really don't like the Orwellian meme of the perfect being the enemy of the good. I also do not think 'the left'is at all pure. I don't think there is a left, left in our society.which is another reason I did not attend. It was great to watch this many ordinary people get out in the street. Maybe I have been bait and switched,sheepdogged and veal penned one two many times by the Demorat's in the last 17 years. They in no way work or support any agenda or policy that helps women, children, people of color or anyone who is a deplorable loser in their sick inevitable neoliberal/neocon NWO. I guess there is a special place in hell for purist far lefty women like me.
You did bring this up and I felt compelled to reply as I think calling those of us who have had it with both parties and this madness purist's only serves to keep the Us vs.Them culture wars going.I intend to march and be active against all of the bogus Blue vs.Red system that brought us the likes of Trump. To me Trump is a symptom of our sick political system and there is no way the Demorat's are the remedy or cure. If this march leads anyone to start thinking outside of the lines drawn by the owners of the place that's a good start.
Yep. Childish Pink pussy hats turned me off.
What a stupid uniformity, clearly designed by the failed Clinton
campaign. See, same! I also did not march. I will march in anger when more violence hits the camps, and it will. Being set up NOW.
A new Civil War, against Native Americans, in the 21st century. This could devolve quickly.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Pussy Riot is a feminist protest
thanks for writing the best words ;-D. I thought the Ds coulda hada two-fer with this meme but I guess not. Don't say the V word in polite company. Say dick all day but don't say vagina. The awesome power to produce another life is a very gender thing, so far.
I like Pussy Riot
I have nothing against vagina's. Why would the V word scare anyone? Like Susan Sarandon I just don't vote with mine. I'm an old school grassroot type feminist. I never did like Gloria Steinhem and was not surprised when I learned later she was like Kos in cahoots with the CIA. Now Pussy Riot is definately not hooked to the KGB.
I also have nothing against pink in hats or any attire. I paint with pink it's a fine color with many variations. Code Pink was another feminist group I liked. Hillary not so much as she is nothing any feminist should emulate, admire or identify with. So what if that makes me an enemy of the current Democratic good that I define as fascistic, being as I am an unabashed member of the purist far left.I am definitely pro-women and anti-fascistic.
I do not like the CIA or any spook agency anywhere. I find them as odious as the Gestapo, the Stasi, or the KGB. Secret 'police' are nothing but facist. About der Homeland Security? Speaking of sexist pigs what about Big Dog and his 26 rides on the Lolita Express? Just cause Putin's a nasty ass pol and so is Trump does not mean that I should join the righteously outraged women who are barking up the wrong tree and looking for women's equality/justice/rights in all the wrong places.
Here's Gloria..
.
Well written, and deserving of a response.
There is a tacit assumption here: that being that these protests were at the behest of, and intended for the support of, the democratic party. I've seen this expressed often in many forums over the past few days, and with varying degrees of emphasis. To many, it seems that This Was All About The Dems.
Here's my problem: the dems were *not* what this was about for many, many of the people who hit the streets. In fact, we ran into a significant number of people who hadn't voted at all, had belatedly realized what that meant, and were looking to become involved at this late date. The point is that there was nothing in my involvement, or that of the vast majority of the people that we met, that was inclined towards the democratic party. If you've read my writings, you know that I #demexited after my county convention (Sanders delegate) after seeing the royal screwing that the Colorado democratic party delivered to Sanders, and voted Stein. Please believe me that I harbor at least as much loathing towards the party as anyone else.
No, this was about women's rights, with a particular focus on reproductive rights and the support of same, sexual assault, and the oncoming train that is the normalization of hate in the form of the war against women being ramped up by the current administration and currently being completely unopposed by our wonderful and gutless dems. *That* is why my wife and I were there, and why I believe the great majority of the marchers were there. All you had to do to see that was to attend, talk, and listen, at least here in Colorado.
We are anti-fascist and pro-women's-rights. We didn't go to mourn HRC, or to show support for the dems. We went to say "her body, her decision" in the clearest possible way. I honestly cannot understand how so many people can look at that, claim "oh, but it was not sufficiently opposed to the corporate dems", and therefore find it lacking. If the protests had to be prefaced with "We hate the dems and HRC first and foremost, and then oh by the way please don't ban abortion!" to be deemed acceptable, the point was missed in its entirety- and that makes me very sad indeed.
It is possible to be anti-fascist and pro-women's-rights *without* being pro-dem; thus my comment on purity.
My depression stems from the observation that lot of people who didn't participate seem to feel emboldened to tell those of us who did what we were actually supporting, and to find fault with us for it. Sorry, but no. I and the people I went with and love know exactly why we were there, and "supporting the dems" was not it. But your mileage may vary.
would this march have happened if Clinton had won?
No, it would not. And that's the sticking point for me. That and all those "Stronger Together" signs, continuing Clinton's campaign.
People of color have suffered under the Democratic Obama administration in many ways, and the economic "recovery" never reached many poor and working-class communities, but most of the people at the women's march had done NOTHING about any of that for the last 8 years.
Most have never attended a Black Lives Matter march, or a NoDAPL action, or expressed resistance to Obama's drone wars and his expansion of the surveillance state. They have been silent and complicit because a Democrat was president, and they would have been silent and complicit if Clinton had won.
If even half (hell, even 10%) of the people who marched on Saturday go home to their communities and DO something, then I will retract my objections, but I do not expect that to happen.
Most of them think they did something by marching, but the lack of violent reaction by the cops (the high-fives, the selfies) prove that even these large numbers were not a threat to the oligarchical system.
Look at the difference in police response from Friday's demonstrations to Saturday's. As one great Tweet said, "If the cops are not objecting to your being in the streets, then you're not at a protest, but at a state=sanctioned parade."
I'm glad it made people feel good. But now what?
There is no justice in America, but it is the fight for justice that sustains you.
--Amiri Baraka
Thanks for the reply
I guess? Did I not say that the rest of my family went. None of them are Democratic partisan's. They went because of the same reasons you stated that you and yours went.I'm going to a #noDAPL march this Saturday here in Portland.I participated in in OWS. The same cops who donned pink pussy hats and flowere for this Democratic, government/corporate, Saros sanctioned protest, wore Robocop military outfits and violently dismantled our OWS downtown site at the behest of the banks, the Democratic mayors and with the help the DHS.I did not go all far lefty purist at the wmen and men here who went to the Womans march. Like you said if get on the street and march for Womens rights that's a good start.
On the other hand if some women me included think that this was a put up partisan anti-Trump/Republican move that does not make us purist's or the enemy of the good. I resent identity politics that are framed in useless partisan divides. Why didn't these same women hit the street when SoS Clinton started bombing and killing women globally. Why were women who thought Hillary was a mockery of women's rights anywhere get such grief? Why was the Labor protest held on the same day in Portlabnd not allowed to speak or participate in the Women's rally? They met in a separate park and afterwards were allowed to join the actual march. Why didn't the Democrat's we elected starting in 2006 fight the Republicans for woman's rights or human rights?
Look I'm not bad mouthing you or your wife, my grandaughter or daughter in-law so why start throwing the purity, far lefty meme around. I checked out who organized this march and it grossed me out. Finally what is this march goint to accomplish. Getting rid of Trump would get us Pence who is an even worse pig. Ask me all of these people who are so keen on women's rights should have hit the street at the revolting Democratic convention.
Maybe you should redirct your ire at the complicit corporate Democratic party and the vile Clinton's who got Trump elected in the first place. I hope you and yours will join other marches that are going to be coming soon. Any march for women that features Debbie, Madonna, Gloria and all the powerful rich women who endorsed and kissed the Clinton's ring is nothing I'll ever march in. Trump is a crazy bigoted sexist pig but the Democratic party has a lot of nerve considering their human rights record and economic stances.
Outraged we should all be but the New Democratic party should get their fair share of blame for this farce of an election featuring The Mad Bomber,the bad ass wanna be first woman president. At this point in time corporate safe identity politics and symbolic support for anyone's rights might make people feel better but it won't do a damn thing to change the political reality of the corporate duopolies coup.