Well, we don't rent pigs . . .

Submitted by pfiore8 on Mon, 03/28/2016 - 6:12pm

One of the main tenets … of the I Ching is that one does not fight evil, one makes energetic progress in good, to paraphrase the Ching. By fighting evil, a person is actually sending energy to the evil by concentrating on it. It seems to be better (from my limited perspective) to use my energy to foster good, and to starve the evil in the process ~ crystaljim

we're told about our options.
about the ONLY options we have.
yes. it's true. it's urgent. we mean it this time.
our only option is to """"once again""" VOTE for DEMOCRATS in November 2010.

..............because, and you saw it coming... it's the only OPTION we have.

it's sad sorry story.

well, y'all, before I go off the dKos grid, i thought I'd try once more to leave this impression: Democrats are not our only option. okay. let me say it this way: Democrats are not my only option.

perhaps what is so hard about giving up Democrats or brand politics is living with the pain of tough choices. maybe it's a little bit admitting that we can NOT go back to August 2001... that is tough. and that is NOT an option.

i don't know what will happen. i don't know if all the doom and gloom sayers are right. i just don't know.

all i know is this: you, me, WE have choices beyond the Democrats. beyond WalMart and beyond Shell and Exxon. maybe we can save the tuna and whales and bears. maybe we can manage to save ourselves.

but the real deep down life style choices and those options have consequences. tough and even unknown.

how do we want to play this game? do we keep fighting AGAINST the idiots? or do we start formulating some way to survive in this changing world... a world we've made through denial and leaving the tough choices to other, future generations.

...except I'm thinking we are that "future" generation.

the weather changes. plant life dies. oceans wither. these things are happening as we try to hold onto Democrats.

i'm thinking it may be time for some other way.

Good luck to all of you... and let me urge you to go back to the top of this diary and re-read Jim's quote. try to dig deep into it, as it may just be the mindset that gives us the options we seek.

Tags:

Lonesome Dove

Democrats

Voting

Vote

Comments

Submitted by pfiore8 on Mon, 03/28/2016 - 6:13pm

an old essay from 2010 . . . because not much has changed.

okay, it's late here. i am a night owl!

having said that, JtC... ever hear from our old friend??? and what about palantir? i loved him/her!!!!!!

—

“There are moments which are not calculable, and cannot be assessed in words; they live on in the solution of memory… ”
― Lawrence Durrell, "Justine"

Submitted by JtC on Mon, 03/28/2016 - 6:29pm

I assume, peef...

you're speaking of Night Owl? I emailed him a few months ago and didn't get a response, but I'll try again. I sure miss having him around.

Palantir, I believe is still posting at DKos, I haven't spoken with him since writing in the raw days, I'll give him a shout.

Nice essay, peef, still relevant.

Submitted by ppnortney on Mon, 03/28/2016 - 6:41pm

Loved the sign.

One of my favorite scenes from the book, I almost wet my pants laughing when I finally got to the "We Don't Rent Pigs" line.

Sorry for the OT, just felt compelled to comment on the other.

—

The smaller the mind the greater the conceit. --Aesop

Submitted by pfiore8 on Mon, 03/28/2016 - 6:44pm

one of my all time favorite reads.

and Gus, well. AuGUStus . . . sigh.

—

“There are moments which are not calculable, and cannot be assessed in words; they live on in the solution of memory… ”
― Lawrence Durrell, "Justine"

Submitted by ppnortney on Mon, 03/28/2016 - 6:51pm

My hero!

I swear if he were real... I thought Duvall did a great job with the role, and Tommy Lee Jones was great as Call. All around great, except I thought the casting of Blue Duck stank - no offense to Frederick Forrest but Wes Studi would have been a much better fit with the character. Loved Joshua Deets - "Prophet"!

Oh wait, had to edit and add Roscoe's feral pigs.

—

The smaller the mind the greater the conceit. --Aesop

Submitted by pfiore8 on Mon, 03/28/2016 - 6:55pm

the pigs on the porch right on the first page: boom

i laughed, i cried, i poured over maps . . . it was an incredible adventure. it has been years since i've been absorbed like that in a book.

and when the mini series was being made, well I was both skeptical and excited. i mean WOW! it was incredible. and i believe they all read the book and loved it. i also loved the music . . . and i still watch it from time-to-time. everybody was incredible except, as you say, blue duck. it was one small misstep.

—

“There are moments which are not calculable, and cannot be assessed in words; they live on in the solution of memory… ”
― Lawrence Durrell, "Justine"

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Mon, 03/28/2016 - 6:44pm

Holding on to things that are past their usefulness

is borderline necrophilia.

Our two modern political parties haven't been relevant for decades.

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by riverlover on Mon, 03/28/2016 - 7:00pm

Some of us awoke from sleep

or frustration or diminishing expectations. Until the ban started at TOP I did not get that the D party was the problem. So liberating to see fresh air and open seas. Feel the wind?

—

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.

Submitted by Raggedy Ann on Mon, 03/28/2016 - 7:20pm

I just wrote a comment

regarding this very issue in the Kos pours gasoline essay.
It's time for something new. The dems are a club, not a party. They serve no one but those in the club. It's time for a party of, for, and by the people.

—

"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

Submitted by telebob on Mon, 03/28/2016 - 10:19pm

This may be a crazy thought, but

what would happen if we DIDN'T form a party? What if we were just citizens with ideas, not party members. Without a power structure that could be captured or mislead, one person's influence would be proportional to the quality of their ideas and the integrity of their actions.

In my mind, as a society becomes more democratic, it approaches both the literal meaning of anarchy (without rulers) and the foundational idea of libertarianism (no coercion). While neither of these philosophies can survive in the wild, their central precepts can be approached (asymptotically, perhaps) by widespread and deep application of democratic ideals.

Political parties concentrate power, and are therefore targets for terrorists and psychopaths. They divide us into teams, which encourages competition, fear, and anger, perfect tools for the divide and conquer set who see themselves as our benevolent (or not) overlords. Without these artificial labels, perhaps we could hear each other better, find some common ground with those we've been told are our enemies. Maybe instead of 2, 3, or 8 parties, all negotiating to cut up the pie, we could just be people having conversations about what we can do to build a better society.

Maybe I'm grabbing for rainbows and unicorns, but really I like that thought.

—

If you plant ice, you're gonna harvest wind. -R. Hunter/J. Garcia

Submitted by Bisbonian on Mon, 03/28/2016 - 11:13pm

So do I.

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

Submitted by Raggedy Ann on Tue, 03/29/2016 - 9:26am

I'm down for that idea, too.

I detest herd mentality, anyway. "Belonging to something" is such a meme in our society. Can't be a cool kid unless you are part of the club! It's bull!

—

"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

Submitted by pfiore8 on Tue, 03/29/2016 - 11:11am

YES YES YES telebob

i wrote a comment to someone the other day saying exactly the same.

let's have a movement and keep it fluid. but like an orchestra. you know instead of reeds, strings, percussion et al we have #BLM, LGBT, First Nations, Occupy Wall Street, pro choice, etc etc and we all have our different sounds but when we get the right conductor (#feelthebern), we can make beautiful music together.

let's work at being good and informed citizens. the 4th branch of gov't and the real balance to the exec and legislative branches.

—

“There are moments which are not calculable, and cannot be assessed in words; they live on in the solution of memory… ”
― Lawrence Durrell, "Justine"

Submitted by Thursday Next on Mon, 03/28/2016 - 7:24pm

Energetic progress in good

Totally agree with this concept. Not willing to put my energy into the stuff I don't prefer about the world.

Let's focus on loving our planet and all the life on it and our brothers and sisters.

So many solutions are available nowadays; we don't have to wait for government to promote them to us. We can choose now.

Submitted by thanatokephaloides on Mon, 03/28/2016 - 7:52pm

wait for government?

So many solutions are available nowadays; we don't have to wait for government to promote them to us. We can choose now.

We do need the government to choose them along with us -- and then fund them, lavishly. Private bank debt and private savings, especially in our current age of minimal saving by ordinary people, can't cut it. We need the currency sovereign to exercise that sovereignty for the public good and the common good of all humanity, and of the only Planet these have. For once!

—

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Submitted by mjsmeme on Tue, 03/29/2016 - 12:07pm

Now I know I've come to the right place

I've been thinking of throwing the coins for the past few days. Thanks for the reminder. So I opened the book and saw a note I’d left in August ’07. The change was 41 (Decrease, with a moving line that indicated supreme good fortune) to 60 (Limitation = also success). Lots went on between then and now, but after 8 years Bernie and the Bird made me think it was time to pull out the I Ching and consult the oracle. I threw the pennies and the change I got was 60! to 19 (Approach). That was kinda freaky to think that after all that time had passed I just picked up where I'd left off??? Okay, so it reads: Approach has supreme success. Perseverance furthers. When the 8th month comes it brings misfortune. Not good, I think, but the commentary says: The hexagram as a whole points to a time of joyous, hopeful, progress…..Success is certain. But we must work with determination and perseverance to make full use of the propitiousness of the time ….We must take heed of this change in good time. If we meet evil before it becomes reality …we can master it. Words to the wise?