"We're not going to make it, are we?"
Obama is himself a commodity, the most telegenic political commodity since Kennedy. One that suits American style capitalism best this particular historical political moment. He is a useful illusion, the same as George W. Bush was a useful illusion. What is the difference between George Bush managing the country through media performances and Obama doing the same? Both are telegenic, which is everything today, but in different ways. One was stupid but radiated virility and manly appearance; the other is attractive for his intelligence and so smart he's stupid. Both lives are absorbed in "appearing to be" in the Great American Hologram of appearances. We are a nation following the appearance of national leadership.
--Joe Bageant
I think it's important to keep track of our times even if nothing changes. Someday, perhaps, something will turn. Unfortunately that turn will probably be the end, and that end will not be the long term, say, a thousand years or even a hundred years. The end will be sometime not long past the middle of the century. Politics won't change things, either. That's just the level of pessimism I feel about the middle-run. In the short run, though, politics matters, Unfortunately, even in the short run, politics has become so corrupted that we can't make it. The ongoing non-health non-care non-"debate" is the perfect signature of our time. If the political system is for Pfizer, it is against us. If the political system is for Monsanto, it is against us. If the political system is for AIG, it is against us. If the Democratic party, as a "majority" party will not pass single-payer, the party is against us, and we have no reason to support the party. It's worth revisiting Eugen Rosenstock Huessy (though I haven't replaced the longer excerpts online).
Well, I was planning to talk about the raw food gathering of last night. Once again I have no notes so there isn't much I have to say. But raw food is easy enough. There was some quinoa (soaked) with a sauce to put over it. The sauce began as a pesto but ended up with some serraño in it. That's the most I can pull from memory but that's enough.
--Joe Bageant
I think it's important to keep track of our times even if nothing changes. Someday, perhaps, something will turn. Unfortunately that turn will probably be the end, and that end will not be the long term, say, a thousand years or even a hundred years. The end will be sometime not long past the middle of the century. Politics won't change things, either. That's just the level of pessimism I feel about the middle-run. In the short run, though, politics matters, Unfortunately, even in the short run, politics has become so corrupted that we can't make it. The ongoing non-health non-care non-"debate" is the perfect signature of our time. If the political system is for Pfizer, it is against us. If the political system is for Monsanto, it is against us. If the political system is for AIG, it is against us. If the Democratic party, as a "majority" party will not pass single-payer, the party is against us, and we have no reason to support the party. It's worth revisiting Eugen Rosenstock Huessy (though I haven't replaced the longer excerpts online).
Well, I was planning to talk about the raw food gathering of last night. Once again I have no notes so there isn't much I have to say. But raw food is easy enough. There was some quinoa (soaked) with a sauce to put over it. The sauce began as a pesto but ended up with some serraño in it. That's the most I can pull from memory but that's enough.