The dude pictured above: in New Orleans, about twelve hours after I saw Daniel Ellsberg speak a week ago Sunday. Seems about right for July 4, 2011.
What the US (and the entire globe in general) has been getting better with over time: ending slavery, extending voting rights and civil rights in general. Works in progress: more equitable, civil and sustainable societies.
But the USA still has some intensely warped priority problems to sort out. In 1790, the entire legally defined population amounted to 3.9 million people. In 2011 in the USA, the prison and probation population exceeds 7.2 million people in an overall demographic of 312.0 million. Why is this so and how did it come to this? And who in their right mind really thinks that laying off firefighters, police, teachers and social workers will make things better in the long run?
The USA, being a form of territorial democracy, has always had its share of extremely short-sighted, deeply irrational people, well represented in government. 150 years ago, the Confederacy reared its ugly head; today we have the Tea Party Republicans. Tomorrow, God knows what else. It's a constant struggle, acknowledged or not.
The good news for anyone reading this is, many still abide and reflect, many hold forth hope and fight for a better tomorrow. And for that, among many other things, I am grateful.
Today's Rune: Protection.
5 comments:
Well, there is this slightly crabwise motion to the good in America.
...A pox on the mealy--mouthed Tea Partiers whose real agenda is not to pay taxes--on the backs of the working poor.
There is a rather vast difference between patriotism and nationalism. We have become for the most part a nation of raving lunatic nationalists no better than them of any nation who burn an American flag and blame us for their internal troubles, whether we had anything to with them or not. nationalism needs an idea to feed on that places a blame, we are eating ourselves with this nationalist bullshit.
I for one will have no part in it and will retain within my soul the freedom I have so much come to know.
A lot of the human race is short sighted. It's just the way we are. Unfortunate but short of a eugenics program I don't know what we can do.
The Dude abides!
Erik, for all of it's flaws, I am grateful to be here. I love to travel, the U.S. is my home. Happy 4th of July!
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