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More Common Delusions
Sometimes a piece is so all over the map in terms of idiocy that there is really no comprehensive way to sum it all up and say “This is why it’s wrong.” Sometimes, the sheer amount of throw-away innuendo, general ad hom insults, brainless platitudes and taken-for-granted conspiracy nonsense just makes me look at it and shake my head and say, “Man, I’m not cleaning up this mess.” Like when your dog gets loose while you’re away and paws his way into the trash can, tracks mud all over the kitchen floor, chews on the sofa and then ceremoniously takes a dump under the kitchen table. You just really don’t know where to begin to address the problem, being overwhelmed by the sheer ubiquitous complexity of the mess.
That’s sort of how I feel about this, “As If it Matters…” The author, Bill Davis, doesn’t really have anything substantive to say, just a lot of sorta clever turns-of-phrase to dole out, and he ends up sounding like a slightly more somber, certainly more earnest, yet equally vacuous Maureen Dowd. We’re helpfully informed at the the bottom of the page that the man’s a playwright.
Well, “melodrama” doesn’t begin to describe it.
Writing and protesting have in common the fact that one has to do each as if it matters. It’s a leap of faith that words put to paper will nudge a consciousness here or there or that raising your voice against the monolithic mobilizing military machinery will somehow put the brakes on.
Alliteration like that should be made illegal. No, scratch that. Idiocy should be made illegal. I know, I know, this worries you. “But who,” you may ask plaintively absolute beastiality. “Will write our plays then?”
Simple. Monkeys on typewriters. Lots of monkeys. Lots of typewriters.
I’m curious whether Mr. Davis recognizes that the amount of monolithoscity in our military machinery that is currently mobilizing is no greater (and probably much less substantial) than, say, his own dear protesters’ pillaresque purity of pensive philosophy.
I wonder if Davis has any real knowledge of how our military operates. A single civilian Commander in Chief, but one whose inexperience in military matters leads him to consider the opinions of sundry experts, both within the military’s command structure and without, among whom, as the media has been all too happy to inform us over the last few months, there is a wide diversity of opinion in the administration and in the minds of the generals who report to them. The only curious part is that before, this was used as a justification to not go to war, because the administration was crumbling apart. “There’s no unity!” we were told, as if there must a single monolithic voice shouting down pronouncements from the mountain of supreme authority.
“People, Americans, countrymen, the Lord hath spoken to me and bade me give you these ten commandments which will lead us to victory over the evils of Saddam!”
For the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and for Bush and company, the protest didn’t matter. For at least 150,000 people in Washington D.C that day, it did. If one letter to a congressperson is indicative of 100 people feeling the same way, what does one person getting on a bus in Wisconsin or Michigan or Minnesota to come to Washington in person mean?
Could mean several things my friend. First of all, it means you can’t be trusted to give numbers about the protest, since reliable sources put it at 100,000 (you might want to look into a lucrative career as an accountant for Enron). It might indicate that there are only about 100,000 people out 270,000,000 who are against the war, but that they’re all really really against it and also happen to have too much time on their hands. And yes, maybe it means that there are significantly more than 100,000 people in this country who think we’re going off half-cocked here, but you might be aware of the fact that the query of “just how many more?” is the $40,000 question horse sex galleries. And polls that actually try to answer that question, rather than simply throwing out vague notions of “more than 100,000″ have showed that the majority of the public is still for the war.
The relief after the sniper’s capture was short-lived since my chosen mode of transportation was Amtrak. Word went out that the U.S. rail system was a target for Al Qaeda according to information coaxed from prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. I decided to take the comforting position that the warning was just more of the same terror alerts meant to keep us all off balance and in our cars buying more gas.
It’s pretty sad to realize that this man takes comfort in the notion of a sinister conspiracy by the US government. But I suppose there is comfort to be found there for such a one as he, where his bizzarro world of Adolf Bush and the global hegemony of BIG OIL is still able to be clung to, however desperate and pathetic it appears to sane people.
In between the terrorist surveillance I read the paper and learned that the captured sniper was a Gulf War veteran and that the gun he used was something called a “Bushmaster.” This, as much of the past two years, comes under the heading of - overwritten. When the motifs and literary devices are too thick with resonance an editor might say, “It’s overwritten.” “Bushmaster” is overwritten. And yet there it is. A Gulf War veteran - a weapon named Bush - anonymous targets - murder maybe motivated by money, maybe not - a combination of pathology and greed - and the streets feel more and more like enemy territory and the populous suffers under a low grade and palpable depression.
In other words: “The point I’m making is ridiculous and has no relevance or the slightest fiber of common sense because it’s all based on silly puns and the like, but, at the same time, there it is!”
Where? I’m honestly looking, and can’t really see anything. Perhaps if I even had an idea what “it” was, I could be more effective in my search. At the very least, I’ll bet “it” is something endorsed by Gore Vidal wife sex with dog.
What with all this conspiriatin’ goin’ on in the above paragraph, one is left to wonder why Davis neglects to mention the perhaps salient point that the sniper was a Muslim convert who expressed sympathy with Al Qeada? Wouldn’t that keep us on our toes and off balance? Then we could go and buy some more SUVs and gas and the like, cuz I don’t know about you, but whenever I feel like my equilibrium has been disrupted, the first thing I do is slap down some money and gobble me up some of that sweet comforting unleaded American goodness.
The chant that defined the protest for me was “No blood for oil.” The Washington Police were great but then so were the protestors; an ardent, passionate and peaceful lot. The image that was most arresting was the sight of the empty White House surrounded by citizens. The “Surround the White House” protest was supposed to have taken place on September 29th 2001. But that day was pre-empted by 9/11. So here it was one year and one month later, the unoccupied people’s house surrounded by the occupied people.
Always inconvenient when the Bush Junta and the CIA creates an enemy like Bin Laden so they can mastermind the death of thousands of American citizens to add a few million to line their pockets, in addition to all those millions they already have, eh? Though he doesn’t say so explicitly, Davis here raises the familiar moan that went across the pantheon of the left after 9/11: “Fuck! All our causes are going to suffer because of this. Damn Bin Laden! Wait, wait, no. I shouldn’t say that. Damn Bush and the Republicans! Yeah, that’s the ticket. I am absolutely sure they actually caused this, if only indirectly. And as soon as Noam Chomsky writes something about it, I’ll be able to tell you why.”
But no need to worry your addled little head off, Davis. After all, the “Surround the White House” gig went off anyway. Just for completely different reasons, but hey, we’re still out and protesting something, and that’s what’s important right?
“As if it matters. k9 erotic stories..” and all that good stuff. Don’t let the cracks show now, Davis! You might actually let on that a protest of a hodgepodge of malcontents, one of which can’t write an article without throwing in just about every silly fallacy and talking point of the left, actually doesn’t matter. We can’t have that.
Well I'm far far far too petty a person to do that.join the majority of the world's nations in distancing themselves from Washington in a fashion not seen since the Vietnam War.
the All Men Are Rapists self defense workshop? Surely that must be a representative sample of the country!
be replacing the old site that was hosted on that evil of evils, that bane of banes, that something-really-awful of
I figured that was the way to go. But then I read this.
One middle-aged woman who looked like she hadn't combed her hair since Jerry Garcia died had this to say, when asked
only be revealed as more useless than it already seems), there is right now a coalition prepared to go into Iraq with the
You must be triple jointed to be able to twist words like that.
The article also points to this site, which maintains a running clock of how long it will be until Mitnick can start
Quite the contrary, Bush's aggressive rhetoric, disregard for international law, and his lack of any vision other than war
of the mass moron movement.
which is all about the biggest threat to the security of all companies: their own employees.
Saddam is so hot to get his grubby hands on nukes is enough evidence of aggression. What's he going to do with them once
Why are you still here?!
According to the president, "we cannot wait for the final proof" that Saddam Hussein's government is planning an imminent
weapons inspections in Iraq represent a good example of how the rule of law has been used, and can be used again, to avert
jerkwad I encounter, an order for them to be beheaded with extreme prejudice until the the point at which they are dead
being the reaction described above.
"approach parody" is too mild. They sprinted towards parody, jumped on top of it and proceded to give parody a spirited
join the majority of the world's nations in distancing themselves from Washington in a fashion not seen since the Vietnam War.
chanting in his face and moved in front of him every time he tried to get around her.
No nation deserves to exist if it permits itself to lose the stern and virile virtues; and this
of constant uncertainty and increased insecurity where almost anything could lead to war.
Watching Channel 7 news today (the Simpsons were in a commercial), they reported on a wad of dingbats who blocked access
Wheeler Hall last spring.
making a point of reading in depth about any such future atrocity to ensure that I don't allow myself to be instantly "over it."
computer systems.
that continues to characterize the US as the Great Satan and preach jihad against all things Western? Oh I know, the Muslim
but they make up for any lack of actual existence with pure unadulterated enthusiasm.
In theory, I was of course angry, but I had a vaguely detatched sense about the whole thing. A large part of that of
Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard at 12:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
United States invade a distant country without any evidence of impending aggression.
However, several of the exchanges I have had have definately been with those you might describe as "challeneged" in
Well I wouldn't be surprised if this Wednesday at Sproul there will be similar behavior, and I plan to be there. Maybe
By tossing out any reasonable standards of evidence as a prerequisite for military action, the White House puts us in a state
I have to admit I'm pretty curious just to see what he's going to do. The guy has shown himself to have an overpowering
democratically decided laws - - not the capriciousness of individual rulers -- should govern human affairs.
has been built up around Mitnick, a basically curious guy who just as often used old face-to-face (or voice-to-voice)
In fact, the idea of pre- emptive attack depends on fear. It presupposes insecurity and assumes we will always be threatened.
and that it wasn't fair for these people to stop them, the girl started literally screaming at her about selfish she was.
"I said it's being taken care of, dammit. Mind your own business."
destroying the technological infrastructure of Western civilization again. And it's only 3 months away!
One of the great advances of the modern era has been the spread of the rule of law. This is the now common idea that
to the San Francisco federal building to protest the passage of Bush's resolution for action against Iraq.
information with your heads crammed so far up your asses, so I'll give you a pass.
find testimonials to diversity. Flip through any recent social sciences or humanities textbook and diversity pops up with
to prolonged indulgence in luxury and soft, effortless ease, or to the deification of a warped and twisted sentimentality.
You try to make it seem as if the Joint Chiefs were lying around on a Sunday afternoon and said to themselves, "Yeah sure,
alternative economy." I suppose that's better PR than saying they want to impose a grab bag full of sociialistic silliness
the real fault of that government or its citizens, or the West in general, or capitalism, or any other ridiculous boogeyman
Wheeler Hall last spring.
anger that is so justifiable -no, demanded- by these despicable acts, but if that must be the case, then from on, I'll be
"What I found personally to be true was that it's easier to manipulate people rather than technology," he said.
being the reaction described above.
The fact that this is being published in the Chronicle is no small feat. Even more reason for you to go read it.
to roost," those sniveling, carping appeasers,
and the UC Divestment folks will be holding a rally for what looks like the primary purpose of protesting the fact that
During the last half of the 20th century, this principle was expanded internationally through the United Nations. The U.N.
chanting in his face and moved in front of him every time he tried to get around her.
Do you mean the Muslim world that celebrated 9/11, saying the US deserved it all along? Or perhaps you mean the Muslim world
My sentences, thus decreed, will be subsequently carried out by my elite brigade of Beheading Gnomes, whom I made up
"approach parody" is too mild. They sprinted towards parody, jumped on top of it and proceded to give parody a spirited
I simply love it when my case is made for me.
Peace is generally good in itself, but it is never the highest good unless it comes as the handmaid
Well that's not really true. People on a different side of the debate than I are not necessarily jerks, just wrong.
I finally went and did it.
"I said it's being taken care of, dammit. Mind your own business."
destroying the technological infrastructure of Western civilization again. And it's only 3 months away!
and the decisions to do so would based on (as in this case) measured calculations of the relative benefits and costs,
attack against the United States. Even though President Bush acknowledged in his speech that Iraq does not currently
I've been blogging since July 2005, and in that time, I've had a few inter-blog arguments with the folks on the other
The experience made me think of the instructions from all corners of the media after 9/11 that what we, as Americans,
who has been deprived of food for at least 6 hours - sounds like an unusually cruel thing to do, I know, but I'm sure
over the heads of the world's nations as threat so that he can act willy-nilly in whatever new adventure captures his
I have to admit I'm pretty curious just to see what he's going to do. The guy has shown himself to have an overpowering
I simply love it when my case is made for me.
off a bunch of secretaries and other office workers who probably agree with them on the war anyway will further their
For that reason and others, I didn't actually start reading the news coverage until this morning.
I finally went and did it.
the efforts to find these people and eradicate them, to ferret them out from their cowardly hiding places and vaporize
cutting-edge performance art group impersonating real anti-war folks, as the whole ordeal seemed to approach parody. No,
I wish that I could just be told "Hundreds of people died in a terrorist bombing today," and instantly feel the kind of rage
According to the president, "we cannot wait for the final proof" that Saddam Hussein's government is planning an imminent
I've been blogging since July 2005, and in that time, I've had a few inter-blog arguments with the folks on the other
trying to get an education
predictable frequency. Follow a politician to a school photo-op,
I strongly suspect TR had access to some sort of time machine and traveled into the furture about a hundred years.
Shiite Muslim clerics in Lebanon and Iran have reacted with rage at the Rev. Jerry Falwell for calling Islam's prophet
that boiled up to the surface when I read things like this.
has been built up around Mitnick, a basically curious guy who just as often used old face-to-face (or voice-to-voice)
For that reason and others, I didn't actually start reading the news coverage until this morning.
and that it wasn't fair for these people to stop them, the girl started literally screaming at her about selfish she was.
assures everyone that "Don't worry, the problem is being taking care of by the inspectors."
destroying the technological infrastructure of Western civilization again. And it's only 3 months away!
of a lack of imagination or basic humanity; the fact that it's difficult for me to feel deeply for people suffering unless
economic stupidity, especially when their ideas would do such a better job of it by themselves. Case in point:
or any other simply crappy country in the world, because none of them satisfy both those propositions.
hunting dairy cows with a high-powered rifle and scope."
predictable frequency. Follow a politician to a school photo-op,
that off my list of things to do. Now, on to learning how to square-dance."
It may be a sad illustration of my lack to find sympathy within myself without reading descriptions or seeing pictures,
agree that [insert additional badly-forced car metaphor here]!
If and when you find one, that means that I'll be perfectly willing to advocate an attack against them as well.
the All Men Are Rapists self defense workshop? Surely that must be a representative sample of the country!
But I am thankful that at least for now, I've been able to summon that deep-seated, personal wrath so appropriate to an
Saddam is so hot to get his grubby hands on nukes is enough evidence of aggression. What's he going to do with them once
nuclear weapons. Containment was born out of a realization that we were effectively restrained by our lack of strategic
alternative economy." I suppose that's better PR than saying they want to impose a grab bag full of sociialistic silliness
care. Just don't let me hear anything about how this bombing that specifically targeted Australian civilians was somehow
, "I don't believe the American people support this war. Everyone I've talked to is against it!"
Now at this point, most people would just say, "let it go, and move on."
And exactly how do you go from no "final proof" to there being no evidence of impending aggression? The very fact that
military action to counter the Soviet threat was not possible, because of their equal capacity to destroy us through
That is, until this morning. Now I'm glad to say that I've gotten over getting over it, and am thoroughly pissed again.
be harried by idiots who have full compliments of heads and genitals! With the ranks of my imaginary gnomes rallied,
when you apply your own internal calculus of death and suffering and conclude that it isn't something that you need
I mean come on, when you're arguing with someone who's just going to call you a Nazi when you spend 2,000 words making
we despise no less the coward and the voluptuary. No man is worth calling a man who will not fight
"The lethal combination is when you exploit both people and technology," Mr Mitnick told BBC News Online.
Heaven forfend them not being on board with us!
War, by three fellows that hail from Global Exchange. You know who I'm talking about. The folks that want to "build an
both at home and abroad, can go heartily fuck themselves, or jump off a cliff, or shoot themselves in the head. I don't
some of their cohorts are actually being held accountable by the university for their disruptive, illegal actions at
Maybe I can't change the fact that I have to be intimately confronted with the death and pain in order to really feel the
Eventually he got a little ticked off and said roughly, "Get away from me!" I was hungrily anticipating the energetic dissenter
that continues to characterize the US as the Great Satan and preach jihad against all things Western? Oh I know, the Muslim
So welcome. If this is the first and/or only post you can see, it means I haven't imported my archives from Blogspot yet,
way why we're doing all of this, and why, if they still choose to berate us about "root causes" and "birds coming home
Stand up to these thugs This Wednesday, the 16th at noon, an apparent composite of the Students for Justice in Palestine
Maybe I can't change the fact that I have to be intimately confronted with the death and pain in order to really feel the
chanting in his face and moved in front of him every time he tried to get around her.
Hesiod over at Counterspin Central is one such fellow. Not only with myself, but in his conversations with Den Beste,
Also, I've printed out and made a bunch of copies of some flyers from this site and will be passing them out.
of constant uncertainty and increased insecurity where almost anything could lead to war.
Quite the contrary, Bush's aggressive rhetoric, disregard for international law, and his lack of any vision other than war
"Standing in the foyer of the Bounty Hotel, people were just walking in, blood dripping off them, burns to their face, skin
Mr Mitnick even had to get permission from his probation officer to use a computer to write his book, The Art Of Deception,
needed now was healing, closure; in short, to "get over it" and "move on."
I'll get a chance to ask why they've been glorifying images of Hamas murderers on their flyers.
By tossing out any reasonable standards of evidence as a prerequisite for military action, the White House puts us in a state
"approach parody" is too mild. They sprinted towards parody, jumped on top of it and proceded to give parody a spirited
occurred, smashing the window of their hotel room.
has been built up around Mitnick, a basically curious guy who just as often used old face-to-face (or voice-to-voice)
But anyway, right there you've got yourself eight nations total in the coalition, hailing from North America, both western
and that it wasn't fair for these people to stop them, the girl started literally screaming at her about selfish she was.
the efforts to find these people and eradicate them, to ferret them out from their cowardly hiding places and vaporize
Heh. Didn't Nostradamus write something about "a bespeckled plague rising in the West..."?
Replace "powerful" with "crazy and armed with nukes" and you'd be right. Otherwise, your statement is nonsense.
Such as this quote by Teddy Roosevelt concerning his acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize, posted now
I've been blogging since July 2005, and in that time, I've had a few inter-blog arguments with the folks on the other
To quote a boozed up, cynical and misanthropic individual whom I greatly admire: "Making fun of these people is like
and you'll get diversity in the speech by the politician, in the one by the principal who welcomes him and in the one by
Saddam will use these nukes when he gets them, whether that use takes the form of vaporizing a city or merely being hung
we could go and stop the Soviets and all their expansionist hijinks, but then we'd like, have to go all the way over to
Sure, it'd be nice to be a leader...
The BBC has a story about the so-called "master hacker", in which it does a good job of destroying the mythos that
For that reason and others, I didn't actually start reading the news coverage until this morning.
trying to get an education
the efforts to find these people and eradicate them, to ferret them out from their cowardly hiding places and vaporize
When they aired some actual interviews with the protesters, I started to honestly think they were part of some sort of
hacky-sack?"
Such as this quote by Teddy Roosevelt concerning his acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize, posted now
What it does not mean however, is that this suddenly signals that we are going to be going after China, Saudi Arabia, Cuba
hunting dairy cows with a high-powered rifle and scope."
and you'll get diversity in the speech by the politician, in the one by the principal who welcomes him and in the one by
that off my list of things to do. Now, on to learning how to square-dance."
Russia and shit. Besides, it's just the Russians. Why don't we just contain them or something? Hey, who's up for some
I wish that I could just be told "Hundreds of people died in a terrorist bombing today," and instantly feel the kind of rage
Now of course I'm sure that these open-toed folks have a flurry of perfectly well thought-out reasons as to why pissing
"A bunch of people died from terrorism over the weekend? Sure, that's awful, but we all knew this was going to happen
and that it wasn't fair for these people to stop them, the girl started literally screaming at her about selfish she was.
act such as this. In a few days or weeks, I'm sure it will subside to a colder, more focused resolution to continue to
The article also points to this site, which maintains a running clock of how long it will be until Mitnick can start
it is shoved, in all its detailed horror, right into my face.
to the San Francisco federal building to protest the passage of Bush's resolution for action against Iraq.
to really concern yourself with, except in a somewhat general, theoretical way.
Diversity. More than motherhood, it is the one unassailable concept these days. Open any teaching publication, and you will
really just put Saddam in a better situation than he was before because the presence of inspectors invites complacency and
to penetrate.
That is, until this morning. Now I'm glad to say that I've gotten over getting over it, and am thoroughly pissed again.
Anyway, take the new site for a test drive. Take her easy on the clutch and go steady on the hills, and I think you'll
the real fault of that government or its citizens, or the West in general, or capitalism, or any other ridiculous boogeyman
the All Men Are Rapists self defense workshop? Surely that must be a representative sample of the country!
I guess not. The fact that the UN is anything but democratic since the vast majority of countries represented there do not
"What I found personally to be true was that it's easier to manipulate people rather than technology," he said.
You try to make it seem as if the Joint Chiefs were lying around on a Sunday afternoon and said to themselves, "Yeah sure,
about equal probability.
so that he will be better equipped to fulfill point 1). Show me another nation that's like that today.
to really concern yourself with, except in a somewhat general, theoretical way.
A taste, just a taste...
vaunted proof of yours. Then you could be really sure.
nuclear weapons. Containment was born out of a realization that we were effectively restrained by our lack of strategic
That is, until this morning. Now I'm glad to say that I've gotten over getting over it, and am thoroughly pissed again.
but they make up for any lack of actual existence with pure unadulterated enthusiasm.
Don't you people ever get tired of just pulling shit out of your asses?
Wheeler Hall last spring.
I guess not. The fact that the UN is anything but democratic since the vast majority of countries represented there do not
No nation deserves to exist if it permits itself to lose the stern and virile virtues; and this
I tried to present my ideas in an honest and truthful way, and not be seriously offensive, even when he acted in ways
War, by three fellows that hail from Global Exchange. You know who I'm talking about. The folks that want to "build an
Sorry folks, but slippery slope arguments don't hold water by themselves. We're going after Saddam because he 1) has shown
join the majority of the world's nations in distancing themselves from Washington in a fashion not seen since the Vietnam War.
I'm going to be checking the weather channel for reports of snowflakes in Hell, but meanwhile you should go read it now.
satisfy you. I'd be much more amendable to the idea however if you were willing to be a personal eye-witness to this
Hesiod over at Counterspin Central is one such fellow. Not only with myself, but in his conversations with Den Beste,
Heaven forfend them not being on board with us!
but they make up for any lack of actual existence with pure unadulterated enthusiasm.
without end is causing traditional friends of the United States to
and the UC Divestment folks will be holding a rally for what looks like the primary purpose of protesting the fact that
conflict.
vaunted proof of yours. Then you could be really sure.
Containment and deterrence were responses to US weakness, you silly-headed dunderpate. It was obvious that using direct
fact that these people are thugs, bullies and liars.
slope proposition, claiming that because we go after Saddam, we'll suddenly be all aggro-ed up to obliterate any country
why she thought there weren't more stories about protests going on in the news, "Well, because the media is corporately
During the last half of the 20th century, this principle was expanded internationally through the United Nations. The U.N.
We despise and abhor the bully, the brawler, the oppressor, whether in private or public life, but
Hesiod over at Counterspin Central is one such fellow. Not only with myself, but in his conversations with Den Beste,
be replacing the old site that was hosted on that evil of evils, that bane of banes, that something-really-awful of
slope proposition, claiming that because we go after Saddam, we'll suddenly be all aggro-ed up to obliterate any country
the Feds know about it.
It seems the Muslim version of a slander suit is cutting off your head. Now when I read this I was shocked, just shocked
sloth, or as an instrument to further the ends of despotism or anarchy.
vulnerability.
Do you mean the Muslim world that celebrated 9/11, saying the US deserved it all along? Or perhaps you mean the Muslim world
one of the most fad-driven enterprises imaginable. It produces a new catechism each decade, which everyone dutifully recites.
Quite the contrary, Bush's aggressive rhetoric, disregard for international law, and his lack of any vision other than war
"The death of that man is a religious duty, but his case should not be tied to the Christian community," Shabestari,
threaten the United States, he said we must "assume the worst." Essentially, the White House is proposing that the
Mr Mitnick even had to get permission from his probation officer to use a computer to write his book, The Art Of Deception,
The Muslim world -- whose support is vital to any real effort to end the causes of terrorism -- is adamantly opposed.
one of the most fad-driven enterprises imaginable. It produces a new catechism each decade, which everyone dutifully recites.
morally, that this is the right thing to do.
One middle-aged woman who looked like she hadn't combed her hair since Jerry Garcia died had this to say, when asked
looks like a green light, no?
for the life of me, cannot see it. The news showed a clip of a guy trying politely to walk around a woman so self-righteous
vulnerability.
Well I wouldn't be surprised if this Wednesday at Sproul there will be similar behavior, and I plan to be there. Maybe
By tossing out any reasonable standards of evidence as a prerequisite for military action, the White House puts us in a state
cutting-edge performance art group impersonating real anti-war folks, as the whole ordeal seemed to approach parody. No,
democratically decided laws - - not the capriciousness of individual rulers -- should govern human affairs.
Peace is generally good in itself, but it is never the highest good unless it comes as the handmaid
side of the political spectrum... what are they called?
I finally went and did it.
who has been deprived of food for at least 6 hours - sounds like an unusually cruel thing to do, I know, but I'm sure
psychopathic fancy without fear of retribution.
Meanwhile, the fact that we are able to use pre-emptive action when deemed necessary is a fact of our strength, not weakness
democratically decided laws - - not the capriciousness of individual rulers -- should govern human affairs.
cause, but I,
I suppose you mean that it's not "multilateralist" unless France says so?
Well I wouldn't be surprised if this Wednesday at Sproul there will be similar behavior, and I plan to be there. Maybe
the efforts to find these people and eradicate them, to ferret them out from their cowardly hiding places and vaporize
Heh. Didn't Nostradamus write something about "a bespeckled plague rising in the West..."?
that boiled up to the surface when I read things like this.
The BBC has a story about the so-called "master hacker", in which it does a good job of destroying the mythos that
again soon, didn't we?"
Diversity. More than motherhood, it is the one unassailable concept these days. Open any teaching publication, and you will
Saddam is so hot to get his grubby hands on nukes is enough evidence of aggression. What's he going to do with them once
When they aired some actual interviews with the protesters, I started to honestly think they were part of some sort of
it is shoved, in all its detailed horror, right into my face.
I don't know about you people, but I'm already stocking up on extra food, water, and electrons.
of fist.
hunting dairy cows with a high-powered rifle and scope."
act such as this. In a few days or weeks, I'm sure it will subside to a colder, more focused resolution to continue to
"to prolonged indulgence in luxury and soft, effortless ease, or to the deification of a warped and twisted sentimentality"?
I figured that was the way to go. But then I read this.
agree that [insert additional badly-forced car metaphor here]!
Watching Channel 7 news today (the Simpsons were in a commercial), they reported on a wad of dingbats who blocked access
information with your heads crammed so far up your asses, so I'll give you a pass.
So I hereby declare myself Ayatollah Mustardah of Blogistan. From this day forward, I will call down, on any Idiotarian
the efforts to find these people and eradicate them, to ferret them out from their cowardly hiding places and vaporize
and make them wish that congress had instead passed a resolution authorizing military force against people
it is shoved, in all its detailed horror, right into my face.
economic stupidity, especially when their ideas would do such a better job of it by themselves. Case in point:
If and when you find one, that means that I'll be perfectly willing to advocate an attack against them as well.
To quote a boozed up, cynical and misanthropic individual whom I greatly admire: "Making fun of these people is like
So I hereby declare myself Ayatollah Mustardah of Blogistan. From this day forward, I will call down, on any Idiotarian
"to prolonged indulgence in luxury and soft, effortless ease, or to the deification of a warped and twisted sentimentality"?
I figured that was the way to go. But then I read this.
agree that [insert additional badly-forced car metaphor here]!
to the San Francisco federal building to protest the passage of Bush's resolution for action against Iraq.
to really concern yourself with, except in a somewhat general, theoretical way.
A taste, just a taste...
And at most, UN weapons inspectors have delayed conflict by a few years, not averted it. In actualyity, I think they have
and make them wish that congress had instead passed a resolution authorizing military force against people
rivals.
to make the first world poor and make sure the third world stays that way.
What it does not mean however, is that this suddenly signals that we are going to be going after China, Saudi Arabia, Cuba
I see. Did you talk to this "everyone" at your International Socialist Organization direct action planning seminar or
Diversity. More than motherhood, it is the one unassailable concept these days. Open any teaching publication, and you will
without regard to whether the loss is due to the growth of a heartless and all-absorbing commercialism,
I figured that was the way to go. But then I read this.
the world to stomach the imperial scent of our newly enunciated military doctrine that proposes pre- emption of any powerful
Sorry folks, but slippery slope arguments don't hold water by themselves. We're going after Saddam because he 1) has shown
Wheeler Hall last spring.
Now at this point, most people would just say, "let it go, and move on."
rather than submit to infamy or see those that are dear to him suffer wrong.
use grown-up scissors), but nevertheless, even though he really didn't deserve it,
War, by three fellows that hail from Global Exchange. You know who I'm talking about. The folks that want to "build an
Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)
After 3000 of your countrymen die in a couple hours, anything less than that is wont to be downplayed in significance
An insightful, well-written and quite simply excellent column somehow found its way in the SF Chronicle's website today.
satisfy you. I'd be much more amendable to the idea however if you were willing to be a personal eye-witness to this
Now could someone please tell me what concrete purpose that woman's behavior, and that of her great chanting unwashed bretheren,
I was already in a state of "moving on" and being "over it" before I even heard about the Bali attacks, with the result
just now. Admittedly they do face significant challenges in carrying out their duties due to their imaginary nature,
without end is causing traditional friends of the United States to
It seems the Muslim version of a slander suit is cutting off your head. Now when I read this I was shocked, just shocked
obviously they have lost loved ones or friends."
to get a good smack upside the head (or as I call it, a "hippie hello"), but that was apparently too much for the niggardly
that continues to characterize the US as the Great Satan and preach jihad against all things Western? Oh I know, the Muslim
but I hope to do that soon. I also hope to win the Nobel Prize in Kickboxing, and judge each of those things to be of
both at home and abroad, can go heartily fuck themselves, or jump off a cliff, or shoot themselves in the head. I don't
why she thought there weren't more stories about protests going on in the news, "Well, because the media is corporately
coming off them. It was really a terrible sight," she said. "You could just hear people crying up in the Bounty foyer -
We despise and abhor the bully, the brawler, the oppressor, whether in private or public life, but
the not-being-a-jerk department.
Also, I've printed out and made a bunch of copies of some flyers from this site and will be passing them out.
The fact that this is being published in the Chronicle is no small feat. Even more reason for you to go read it.
Quite the contrary, Bush's aggressive rhetoric, disregard for international law, and his lack of any vision other than war
last update : 3-9-2010
