Burn it Down

Bless them, Egyptians took the initiative and invaded the state torture factory last week. That's right, people actually did this, they took back their power and did something; they didn't wait for their leaders to act, they didn't write letters, they just did it. I didn't hear any mention of this story but it's so important. People have to do this, we don't need a commission or official inquiry. Everyone knows.

So many people have just disappeared in Egypt and of course in hundreds of other countries while others have had their fingernails pulled, electric shocks applied to their bodies and others have been hung from the ceiling by their hands and feet. All in this hideous, vile place and the other franchises of civilization around the world.

We all say united: "This place must be destroyed."

Corrupt to the Core

This is one of the better Democracy Now! shows I've seen in a long time. It touches on shale gas, hydraulic fracturing and climate change and then the use of propaganda on US citizens and senators. I really wanted to share.

Thinking of Wisconsin

Crazy Quotes Time

"Anyone who undermines the state will be punished by death." - Colonel Gaddafi

"Israel views this Iranian move [sending two warships through the Suez Canal] with utmost gravity and this step, like other steps and developments, underscores what I have reiterated in recent years – Israel's security needs will grow and the defence budget must grow accordingly."- Benjamin Netanyahu

Galactic Economy

When I was a boy I dreamed of being able to travel to the stars. I used to watch Star Trek and other science fiction stories that imagined space travel and new planets. Just think of all the amazing things to see in the universe.

As time went on this adventurous dream transformed into a practical one. Though I became more skeptical over time I still remember my friend Matt exclaiming that humans had to leave earth in order to survive. Since then this mantra has been repeated by no less than Stephen Hawking amongst others. Survive what exactly, I should have asked? We both knew that the sun has an expiry date but I think he was thinking of a more civilized demise. After all we are our own worst enemies, destroying our landbases and ensuring that our children and their children suffer to the point of extinction.

Last night as I walked to my partner's parents' house, a thought came to me. They live in a well-off neighbourhood. All the nice houses and fancy cars made me think that we have chosen to obliterate the earth as soon as possible. It will be achieved through the standard channels: extreme over-consumption, depression, climate change, the toxification of the environment. If civilized humans have their way, and we brook no challengers, we can achieve our goal in a few generations. I know this is nothing new.

My important thought revolved around that imagined colonizing of the stars. Had the global economy and the people who drive it not facilitated this instant carnage . . .

(that would make a great song wouldn't it:

Instant Carnage's gonna get you,
Gonna knock you right on the head,
You better get yourself together,
Pretty soon you're gonna be dead,
What in the world you thinking of,
Laughing in the face of love,
What on earth you tryin' to do,
It's up to you, yeah you.)

. . . and instead have dreamed bigger and slowed down 'economic development' (i.e. destruction of life) they might have come up with a plan to obliterate the whole galaxy and just maybe the whole universe. Think Avatar but don't bet on the natives. Just imagine all the other habitable planets that the galactic economy and its minions could ravage and leave barren.

But maybe we could and can never leave our one and only home. Kind of makes it worth fighting for.

Movie Never Made

(I thought of this song as I stared at a screen telling me about all the Bahrainis being shot and beaten and all I could do is write to our dismal prime minister)

on silver mount zion
all buried in ruins
we was dancing the hora
until we vomited blood
spinning like crazy
Shoshanna i was jonesing
the towers had fallen
and the wind called out my grandfather's name

let's kill first the banker
with his professional demeanor
let's televise and broadcast the raping of kings
let our crowds be fed on tear gas and plate glass
'cos the people united is a wonderful thing

I know that you're dying
and I know I'm unwell
and together we sashay
through variations of hell

and as you walk through valleys of fear
the lure of my past never near

oh, don't be afraid, for the parade
will not pass our way
it's nobler to never get paid,
than to bank on shit and dismay

pHarmony

I had a good laugh watching this video. It's obviously true. Politicians work for the wealthy and powerful. Citizens are not powerful, but corporations are. So a crafty politician will say one thing to people while facilitating the destruction of the earth hand in hand with corporations.



Many of us don't need these videos anymore. If we created maybe 10 more clever videos like this will we stop the killing of ducks in tailings ponds? Would 100 stop greenhouse gas emissions completely?

Obviously not, though using these clever tools isn't a bad idea. It challenges the almost total state (corporate/government/police) domination of thought and discourse. You may have noticed that you aren't allowed to say (and possibly think) every thing you like. But through seeing this video, one or two people might wake up. And that's a good thing. Transformations are usually incremental. So we must continue to produce these excellent productions and grow our numbers.

But that's not enough to save ducks and stop climate change. We must think about our tactics more holistically.