hi livejournal
i'm still here. i've been working six days a week, as well as trying to finish some paintings for something i'm gonna apply to (and yes, images, really seriously are on the way)... anyway, i kinda wanted to return to my old posty ways with an uplifting ten good things (which will be along later in the week of course... my fun, week-long vacation has contributed nicely, etc.), but i can't get the following statistic out of my head:
according to reuters, approximately 6000 people have died in iraq in the past two months.
as usual, juan cole has a well-formulated post devoted to this miserable statistic. and yes, i understand that my country didn't literally bludgeon each and every one of those casualties to death, but it seems to me that this is all occurring on our payroll, so to speak. and the more i read, at least when reading things of this nature, the more of a political paralysis i feel-- which is different than a sense of powerlessness (which i felt in the events leading up to the invasion). i mean, it's 2006... we've invaded, the repercussions of invading are upon us, and i'm increasingly unable to even conceive of a mode of resistance in the face of this mess. the tempting idea of withdrawal from the region seems increasingly unlikely, and maybe even irresponsible (given the chaos our policies have unleashed). at the same time, i don't see our occupation doing a whole hell of a lot of good on any level. too often, on the left, i feel like i read the same talking points over and over-- no WMDs, bush is a liar, etc.-- all perfectly valid, insufferably familiar remarks put forth as if the war hasn't even started yet.
anyway, the day-in, day-out peripheral nausea that comes along with living my life in spite of this is beginning to disgust me. i'm making more of an effort to read the paper each day, if nothing else. i told myself i was gonna stop making grumpy political posts when i started on LJ, but i can't help myself today. anyway, if there are links to things you think i ought to be reading, please recommend me some (petitions too!). and just to keep this from being entirely ho-hum, here's a scott walker song from his rarely heard album till the band comes in (which, btw, is an oil-and-water mix of classic scott and crappy scott), with vaguely appropriate lyrics:
scott walker, "little things (that keep us together)"
according to reuters, approximately 6000 people have died in iraq in the past two months.
as usual, juan cole has a well-formulated post devoted to this miserable statistic. and yes, i understand that my country didn't literally bludgeon each and every one of those casualties to death, but it seems to me that this is all occurring on our payroll, so to speak. and the more i read, at least when reading things of this nature, the more of a political paralysis i feel-- which is different than a sense of powerlessness (which i felt in the events leading up to the invasion). i mean, it's 2006... we've invaded, the repercussions of invading are upon us, and i'm increasingly unable to even conceive of a mode of resistance in the face of this mess. the tempting idea of withdrawal from the region seems increasingly unlikely, and maybe even irresponsible (given the chaos our policies have unleashed). at the same time, i don't see our occupation doing a whole hell of a lot of good on any level. too often, on the left, i feel like i read the same talking points over and over-- no WMDs, bush is a liar, etc.-- all perfectly valid, insufferably familiar remarks put forth as if the war hasn't even started yet.
anyway, the day-in, day-out peripheral nausea that comes along with living my life in spite of this is beginning to disgust me. i'm making more of an effort to read the paper each day, if nothing else. i told myself i was gonna stop making grumpy political posts when i started on LJ, but i can't help myself today. anyway, if there are links to things you think i ought to be reading, please recommend me some (petitions too!). and just to keep this from being entirely ho-hum, here's a scott walker song from his rarely heard album till the band comes in (which, btw, is an oil-and-water mix of classic scott and crappy scott), with vaguely appropriate lyrics:
scott walker, "little things (that keep us together)"