Is there such a thing as political nostalgia? Looking back over the century so far, I wonder about how much we have been forced to hold the line against the war, stupidity, and simplistic evil of the Bush/Cheney regime and the moronic culture and thought patterns it has engendered and nurtured in its fetid hothouse of torture and greed. Few speak any longer of utopian ideals and the revolutionary movement that might need to be created to achieve them. And then I happened across this comment on HuffPo and it started me thinking.
"Frank Little, member of the Executive Council of the IWW (formed 12 years before the Russian revolution) was lynched by Pinkertons both for union organizing and his stance against worker participation in WWI. I suggested the anti-war strike in memory of Mr. Little and I'm neither a democrat nor a red, as if I needed to apologize for either. This country needs a general strike because the class running the show presently is driving all of us to ruin. Fact is, the sub-prime scandal (according to Paul Volcker) has resulted in the biggest crisis for capitalism in the history of this country. We have a war-drunk and corrupt administration which, in concert with an under-regulated, over-leveraged and senile finance capitalism, is quickly driving this country headlong into bankruptcy."
And then, by what can only be total synchronicity I came across this article from the New Statesman about revolutionary youth movements in Eastern Europe. But why not in the West? I mean, goddamn it, we have so much more communication technology than we he had 30-40 years ago. The idea of creating instant flash mobs, for instance, has only been used for undergraduate pranks, and never employed by (say) the anti-war movement. Like good little lemmings we have been working within the system, and, I for one feel that my old time principles have have been compromised and betrayed in the process. Okay so we work for a Democratic win in 2008, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need to start now to create mechanisms with which to hold Hillary’s (or whomever’s) feet frirmly to the fire of actual change.
This is the Jefferson Airplane and I will shoot the first one who sniggers. Because here’s a snatch of lyric.
We are all outlaws in the eyes of America
In order to survive we steal, cheat, lie, forge, fuck, hide. and deal
We are obscene, lawless, hideous, dangerous, dirty, violent, and young*
But we should be together
Come on all you people standing around
Our life’s too fine to let it die and
We can be together
All your private property is
Target for your enemy
And your enemy is
We
We are forces of chaos and anarchy
Everything they say we are we are
And we are very
Proud of ourselves
Up against the wall
Up against the wall motherfucker
Tear down the walls
* Or am I just getting old?
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5 comments:
No sniggering here, dude. I long for those days. Everything, all our dreams seemed possible. That aura, that ambiance of thought needs to be created again somehow. Indeed, our principles have been betrayed and brushed aside by the systematic detuning of the minds of the populace. A way must be found to inspire emulation of the Eastern Europeans in our youth... judging from the youth I've engaged, it can be done, somehow, I am sure of it.
I am of the opinion, though, that we need a lot more than a change of ruling Party, as the other side is unfortunately just that, the obverse of the same coin, and not much will come of it. It was said a hundred years ago to "throw the bastards out," well true enough, but we need to throw _all_ the bastards out, not just the "elected" officials.
This is such a crucial time... we are careening headlong down a bad path... a really bad path, and somehow we must stop it. Again, I feel it can be done, as there is in youth, the ones I've spoken with anyway, the seed of revolution that we share, we just must find the elusive trigger. The technology is there... as you note... and all of it needs to be used. Let work towards that goal begin!
Dear Mick,
I strongly suggest you see a documentary called The Century of the Self:
http://www.moviesfoundonline.com/century_of_the_self.php
4 hours of straightforward facts that will surely give answers to all your questions.
MH
Mick, Iggy,
I just spent 2 months in Eastern Europe, as I have for the last 7 summers - tho perhaps not as far east as referred to in the New Statesman article - but what's clear to me is that the context in which the youth in those countries rebelled (the article references the late 90's early 00's) is completely different than here. The background was the emergence of those countries from years of communist oppression. Freedom was fresh, a new thing they'd just tasted and were not about to let go of or compromise.
Contrast that to the background of complacency here, where freedom has so been taken for granted the last few decades that in spite of relentless signs of its current demise, the possibility of its loss is only just now occurring to most americans. We were hungry in the 60's. How do you get the youth hungry now for something they've been sated with, even if that something turns out to have been crap?
Mark,
Thanks for the documantary link. I watched all 4 hrs. Fascinating and frightening, the extent to which consumers have been manipulated, first to buy, then - using the identical psychology - to vote, as prescribed.
The killer, to me, was that when it was discovered people no longer wanted to be seen as merely conforming consumers but as individuals, the manipulators seamlessly changed gears and using the same principles roped them in just as easily. Stew Alpert nailed it exactly in the 3rd segment, observing that so-called individuals were free now to buy an identity instead of create one.
My criticisms are that it was a bit naive in some areas. I can't buy it's excuse for Clinton's health program collapsing, for example, or the use of Jerry Rubin as proof that the Yippies ended up selling out when they could've used Abbie to say just the opposite (i.e. they over-simplified). And of course, what does it matter now how voters are manipulated when elections are stolen? But it sure went a long way toward explaining the inane preoccupations of many americans that Mick has pointed out. The view on why Blair won, then bombed, was interesting too. Again, thanks.
you nailed it, kass.
and why the fuck haven't we heard of this Edward Burneys character before?
The Grandfather of our modern consummer era.
MH
The wizard likes to stay behind the curtain.
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