Divide and conquer

I've been giving some thought to this inability of people to get along, or at least coexist with one another. I find that generally, most human beings are not particularly friendly, or open to interaction outside of their tightly-controlled class or group--most tend to run in packs or cliques and when I show up at some gathering--like an after-hours business event, or even a gallery opening--I all-too-often end up standing in the corner, with my glass of wine or other beverage, feeling stupid and out of place. Rather than recognize that we're all in this mess together and that occasionally, meeting a new person outside of our small circle might be interesting, or at least expand our comfort level in social settings, most prefer the boring sameness of their own tribe.

Due to snowstorms, part-time jobs and the demands of writing a couple of freelance articles, I've been unable to make it to my local library. As a result, I've been desperately scouring the house for reading material of any kind. Yesterday, I grabbed Michael Moore's Stupid White Men off the shelf. I think my significant other picked this up at a used book store, but I hadn't read it. Having seen Fahrenheit 911 last June (Moore loosely based the premise for the movie on SWM), I was familiar with much of Moore's critique of the Bush administration and corporate America's gang rape of the working class, but reading through the book has me shaking my head anew and just muttering to myself--how did American's get sold this right-wing, fascist, bill of goods being shoved down our throats (or up some other bodily orifice!) by America's latest installment of the ruling class?

Speaking of class, asfo_del, over at Living on Less has some mighty good comments on class and the whole "divide and conquer" strategy that most of us are too stupid, or too self-absorbed to pay any attention to. We continually pick someone below us to step on, groping our way up the ladder of social darwinism.

In her post about perusing other blogs, she mentions becoming angered ("grouchy" she writes) at the way that comments are made, some in a rather vicious and hateful manner, towards anyone daring to break ranks, demurring from the status quo. She writes:

"Here's my theory: if you are a member of an historically oppressed group, the members of another, slightly more privileged, group are not your oppressors. The ruling class is your oppressor. Only those who have real power can control how society conducts its dirty business of dividing and conquering. Some people have been granted certain advantages by the ruling class because it's expedient: it creates divisiveness, jealousy, and resentment, which are always good to keep the people bickering among themselves, and it makes those who have been persuaded they must hold onto those perks for dear life into foot soldiers in the oppression of those less privileged. The minute it's no longer in the interests of the powerful for those privileges to exist, they're gone. Witness the current dwindling away of the middle class. With so much of the political process increasingly controlled by corporate money and fear-mongering, it's becoming no longer necessary for the ruling class to maintain a relatively content base of loyal voters.

So are there individual men and groups of men who oppress individual women and groups of women? Of course, but they're only the messengers, the patsies who have been told they will lose everything unless they dig their claws into something. Yes, sure it's worthwhile to try to slap some sense into the poor die-hard fools, but let's not lose sight of the real engine behind inequality."

Strong writing and analysis, indeed!

Kinsey

I went to see Kinsey, the movie, last night. I first read about the movie back in November. An article appeared in the Bowdoin Orient, the student newspaper of Bowdoin College. This article made me aware that Kinsey was a Bowdoin graduate, which I did not know. The writer did a good job of covering details about the movie and giving information on Kinsey, particularly the controversy that follows the deceased sexologist, years after his death.

Until Kinsey undertoook his scientific investigation into American sexuality, the culture was awash in misinformation, lies and damaging folklore about a core behavior of our species. Seeing the movie made me reflect back to the time, just after World War II, when sexuality was being practiced, but often, behind the proverbial closed doors and drawn blinds of our puritanical veneer. Kinsey literally tore the veil in two and introduced Americans to the holiest of holies concerning human sexuality.

I can only imagine the firestorm that greeted Kinsey and his reports when they were first released to the public in 1948 (Sexual Behavior in the Human Male) and 1953 (Sexual Behavior in the Human Female).

Kinsey became, and still remains, a lightning-rod for any persons or groups that seek to return American culture to the dark ages of Victorian sexual mores and the double-standard that was prevalent in society.

The release of the movie has brought renewed attacks on the man, who first and foremost was a scientist. Nearly fifty years after his death, repressed and frustrated moral arbiters are still trying to tarnish and discredit the man's reputation and lifelong work, with lies and innuendo.

I thought writer/director, Bill Condon, did an excellent job of presenting Kinsey as a human being, warts and all. I’ve read that the film is an honest attempt at trying to piece together Kinsey’s life and work, and attempts to eliminate the voyeuristic fascination that some have with perpetuating myths about him.

It’s amazing to me, that almost 60 years after his groundbreaking work appeared, we as a nation are still fixated on legislating morality, which primarily pertains to sexuality. While sexuality in any consensual arrangement can be a means for positive expression that other interactions fall short of, we are still seeking to limit sex, while rarely, if ever eliminating government-sanctioned violence and murder. If there is one constant in American life and culture, it’s the hypocrisy and outright lunacy that exists in relation to sexuality.

The Free Press

For as long as I can remember, I have been a sucker for the "free" newspaper. In almost any town or city across America, you can find them stacked in variety stores, restaurants and other public places. Some of these are weekly, others monthly and they vary in terms of content.

What I enjoy most about reading these publications is their abilitiy to consistently give the reader a sense of the local community and culture. If you want to know the pressing issues of a town or city, then pick up that community's free paper(s).

Last night, I stopped in Damariscotta to meet a good friend for dinner and happened to pick up The Free Press, published in Rockland. For those of you from "away", Rockland (as well as Damriscotta) are Maine communities that are representative of our state before the "flatlanders" came in and decided that us poor benighted Mainers needed their help in civilizing our state. When you drive south, you'll see the end result, especially the South Portland area--box stores, chain retail establishments, fast food restaurants--all built over a former marshland that's been filled in.

Back to my free newspaper premise; while reading through The Free Press, I found a letter to the editor (the true voices of the people) and one written by The Humble Farmer stood out as I read it. I thought it was so clear and concise in making his point that I'm going to republish it for the edification of others:

Support Our Blitzkrieg

Over 12 million people voted for Hitler, and 70 years later we must believe that many of them already knew what he was going to do. After 1933, at every stage of his career, Hitler had a lot of serious support from well-meaning people. Back then it would have been considered unpatriotic to question your neighbors who really believed in Hitler’s plan to bring his kind of freedom to the oppressed people in Poland, France and Holland. True, in the German academic community there was an uncomfortable scholar or two, but in 1944 a critique of the program within earshot of one’s fascist neighbors would have been unproductive. The dissenters prudently kept their opinions to themselves. About the only way one could identify them was by the lack of that little black “Support Our Blitzkrieg” swastika on the back of their cars.

ROBERT SKOGLUND
The humble Farmer
St. George

Real analysis

Now that I've had the opportunity to vent my spleen (Actions Always Trump Words), I feel better--adjusted and at one with the universe--or at least not wanting to pull a Michael Douglas ala Falling Down.

Since I'm feeling calmer after my little trek through the woods on skis (amazing how the brisk winter air and sunshine makes life a bit more tolerable), I'm going to let you read one of my favorite writers--the literate and culturally accurate James Wolcott, of Vanity Fair.

After reading Wolcott, digest this; apparently the President's briefing was part of an overarching strategy--designed to "lower expectations" and not place any definition on what success would mean.

From the NYTimes:

[The president's words were part of an aggressive White House communications strategy this week and next to frame the risky Iraqi election - a critical test of his assertion that the country is on the path to stability - in the best possible light. The goal, a Bush adviser said, was not only to lower expectations but to avoid any definition of success. ]

In light of all of this, apparently some Democrats are coming around, including Senator Kennedy.

Actions always trump words

Disclaimer: The following comments contain profanity and the sentiments expressed may piss off those who live in the world of happy talk.

Talk is cheap! Anyone can say they are for something, such as the current buzzword, "values". It's when we examine the actual actions that we get a better idea of what is behind the speaker's words and subsequent values.

President Bush talks alot about education, values, liberty/freedom and an ownership society that will benefit microbusiness and entrepreneur's, like me. When you examine his actions however, you see something totally different.

Take education for example. The President has grossly underfunded his NCLB initiative. When he talks of freedom, he forgets to mention the loss of civil liberties in our own country, not to mention the loss of freedom and culture that his "war on terror" has visited on innocent Iraqis. As far as an ownership society and a commitment to entrepreneurship, how can you run an entrepreneurial business when the fucking IRS sends you out threatening notices on a three year old tax return!!

The Democrats on Capitol Hill ought to be acting like an opposition party. Senators such as Joe Biden, Christopher Dodd and other sorry-ass white males, talk a good game during confirmation hearings, such as the recent Condi Rice dog-and-pony show. However, when it comes time to vote, Biden and Dodd, along with other SAWM's voted "yes" to confirm the lying, arrogant, bitch.

There are some of course, who back their words up with actions--Barbara Boxer comes to mind, as does Jim Jeffords, a registered Independent. There must be something in the water in Vermont to spawn Jeffords, Socialist Representative Bernie Sanders (he's registered also as an Independent, because Socialist scares the bejesus out of the American sheeple) and Howard Dean. Speaking of Vermont and Dr. Dean, I like his recent quote concerning his fellow Democrats and how they should be interacting with their Fascist brethren across the aisle. If the progressives had their way, Dean would be the new DNC chair, hands down.

"The Democratic Party will not win elections or build a lasting majority solely by changing its rhetoric, nor will we win by adopting the other side's positions. . . . 'Values' has lately become a code word for appeasement of the right-wing fringe. But when political calculations make us soften our opposition to bigotry or sign on to policies that add to the burden of ordinary Americans, we have abandoned our true values."

Of course, those worthless sacks of shit (mostly SAWM's), the members of the DLC, are doing all within their power to sabotage his bid to save the donkey.

For something more edifying, you can read about a Maine writer/journalist who personifies action and courage and his upcoming release of his first book. You'll find it over at the blog on my website, the place to find all things uplifting.