7 replies to this topic

[Sci-Fi Girl]

Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favorite authors.   With good reason.  

Now she has written this essay on how to be American in this post election era.  It is inspiring and meaningful, with specific details about what we all must do going forward.  

There is only one sentence here that I partly disagree with.  She says: "I’m mostly addressing my generation, the baby boomers."  Obviously that is her perspective, and who she intended to speak to.  But I am not in that generation and I found it plenty moving.  I think her words are very meaningful and will speak to any age.  

I strongly suggest that you read the whole thing, though once you start reading, you probably won't want to stop.  

Trump changed everything. Now everything counts

I will only quote one little snippet, because I think this should be read straight through.  This is only a taste, please do read the rest:  

Quote

So many of us have stood up for the marginalized, but never expected to be here ourselves. It happened to us overnight, not for anything we did wrong but for what we know is right. Our first task is to stop shaming ourselves and claim our agenda. It may feel rude, unprofessional and risky to break the habit of respecting our government; we never wanted to be enemies of the state. But when that animosity mounts against us, everything we do becomes political: speaking up or not speaking up. Either one will have difficult consequences. That’s the choice we get.

I may also use this thread to post other meaningful things I find from artists etc.  

SFG

Edited by Sci-Fi Girl, 05 December 2016 - 12:25 AM.

[yadda yadda]

Nice post, SFG. And a timely call to action by Ms. Kingsolver. I believe the reason she may have focused her message on the Baby Boomer generation (of which I have boomed) is because we are of an age advanced enough to be somewhat complacent and attached to the comfort level of what is, is. Selfishly I'll admit the first worries I had personally about the election of the CheetoKing were to how it might affect my life and financial security, via Social Security and Medicare...the first of which I'm a recipient and the latter a couple years shy.

There's a temptation for some to rationalize that ok, this guy and his handlers are some truly scary POS's, but maybe I can muddle through the next four years without too much lifestyle damage and hope for a return to electoral sanity. I've had to shake and pinch myself to avoid falling into a "normalizing" tendency akin to crawling under the blankets, a hope that the foundations of our government and political system will protect us. This president-elect is not the least bit normal. He is a dangerous ignoramus, beset and consumed by narcissism. The political terrorists and opportunists he's assembling for his Cabinet and his predatory allies in Congress are aligned and planning assault on our civil liberties and social service and public health safety net foundations. This is not normal, not something to be ridden out with heads in the sand. This is a time for resistance, for vigilance and solidarity. For protest and exercising of public political will and determination.

Ms. Kingsolver is right. We all must remain aware, alert, and do whatever we can to preserve and protect our democratic principles and those under threat from this electoral aberration. May God help us all.

Edited by yadda yadda, 05 December 2016 - 04:24 PM.

[gsmonks]

She must've been a stoner back in the 60's, or asleep, because if she had been paying attention at the time, she would have learned that the forces at work are neither new nor a surprise. All she's done is re-identify a century-old trend in US politics and business.

People tend to forget North America's close political and corporate ties to Fascism, and at the time, Naziism.

Above all- keep foremost in mind that none of these creeps were brought to justice. They're still at it today, yet people like Kingsolver are acting like they've just stepped on a snake that never existed before. Please!

http://rationalrevol...f_the_europ.htm

[yadda yadda]

gsmonks, on 06 December 2016 - 01:01 AM, said:

She must've been a stoner back in the 60's, or asleep, because if she had been paying attention at the time, she would have learned that the forces at work are neither new nor a surprise. All she's done is re-identify a century-old trend in US politics and business.

People tend to forget North America's close political and corporate ties to Fascism, and at the time, Naziism.

Above all- keep foremost in mind that none of these creeps were brought to justice. They're still at it today, yet people like Kingsolver are acting like they've just stepped on a snake that never existed before. Please!

http://rationalrevol...f_the_europ.htm

The fact that the roots of Fascism and Nazi enablers run deep in our country do not diminish the importance and immediacy of Ms . Kingsolver's message. People do tend to forget the political and corporate ties to this evil, or more likely, people have never heard of these associations at all since familiarity with history requires study and exposure to it. To that end your link is very educational and sobering. But again, the existence of that alarming history does not in any way dim the light that Kingsolver, and SFG through her is trying to shine on the reality of the insidious danger we face today. People need to heed the clarion call to action and awareness NOW of what is happening around them, lest we fall victim to repetition of the consequences of unlearned or ignored past lessons. And the current situation is dire since these clowns are in charge now, not just pulling strings like in the past.

[gsmonks]

Van Jones of CNN has spoken of this very subject during interviews, and obviously would like to bring the subject up on mainstream news, but is never given the opportunity.

One could argue that he is being deliberately hamstrung, but one could also argue that the station can spend its money as it pleases. The latter doesn't bode well for informative, conscientious journalism.

The ignorance of the public is what I find truly appalling. Back in the 50's and 60's it was common knowledge that Joe Kennedy was a Fascist, as were Lindberg and the corporate interests mentioned.

What Van Jones and others have repeatedly pointed out is that it is up to the public to bloody-well keep itself informed and do its due diligence. This is hardly a new observation. In fact, it was one of the arguments put forth by George Orwell in 1984. He said, "Hope lies with the proletariat."

Unfortunately, this statement is an oxymoron because the proletariat only gives a rat's arse about anything if it's inconvenienced in some way. Otherwise it's a self-involved, selfish, insensate lump.

Herman Hesse referred to this as "bourgeois complacency". Unfortunately, the Hippie Generation only read Steppenwolf as entertainment, on a par with dropping acid and being fascinated by their opposable thumb for a hour or so, instead of applying the message and adapting it to their ongoing social scrutiny.

There is nothing more wasteful than intellectualism as entertainment, nothing more shameful than taking knowledge for granted when it entails responsibility.

[Sci-Fi Girl]

yadda yadda, on 05 December 2016 - 04:08 PM, said:

Nice post, SFG. And a timely call to action by Ms. Kingsolver. I believe the reason she may have focused her message on the Baby Boomer generation (of which I have boomed) is because we are of an age advanced enough to be somewhat complacent and attached to the comfort level of what is, is. Selfishly I'll admit the first worries I had personally about the election of the CheetoKing were to how it might affect my life and financial security, via Social Security and Medicare...the first of which I'm a recipient and the latter a couple years shy.

There's a temptation for some to rationalize that ok, this guy and his handlers are some truly scary POS's, but maybe I can muddle through the next four years without too much lifestyle damage and hope for a return to electoral sanity. I've had to shake and pinch myself to avoid falling into a "normalizing" tendency akin to crawling under the blankets, a hope that the foundations of our government and political system will protect us. This president-elect is not the least bit normal. He is a dangerous ignoramus, beset and consumed by narcissism. The political terrorists and opportunists he's assembling for his Cabinet and his predatory allies in Congress are aligned and planning assault on our civil liberties and social service and public health safety net foundations. This is not normal, not something to be ridden out with heads in the sand. This is a time for resistance, for vigilance and solidarity. For protest and exercising of public political will and determination.

Ms. Kingsolver is right. We all must remain aware, alert, and do whatever we can to preserve and protect our democratic principles and those under threat from this electoral aberration. May God help us all.

Yadda, thank you for your thoughts and perspective.  

SFG

[gsmonks]

The main thing to watch out for is the dismantling of the fail-safes built in to the country's legal machinery where civil liberties, the Constitution, the limitations of discretionary power, and the Rule of Law are concerned. Having control of the House, the Senate, and the White House simultaneously, as well as the Supreme Court, entails a perfect storm similar to conditions that allowed the dismantling of the former Soviet Union.

In 1991 Gorbachev resigned as leader of the Soviet Union, handing over power to Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Something similar could happen in the US, as Trump and his cronies think that the two-party system has become obsolete.

It is probable that something on this order will happen, as Trump and his cabal will seek the means to prevent any kind of political and social backlash resulting from their abuses. The only way to ensure impunity is to dismantle the system.

[yadda yadda]

Sci-Fi Girl, on 10 December 2016 - 02:50 PM, said:

yadda yadda, on 05 December 2016 - 04:08 PM, said:

Nice post, SFG. And a timely call to action by Ms. Kingsolver. I believe the reason she may have focused her message on the Baby Boomer generation (of which I have boomed) is because we are of an age advanced enough to be somewhat complacent and attached to the comfort level of what is, is. Selfishly I'll admit the first worries I had personally about the election of the CheetoKing were to how it might affect my life and financial security, via Social Security and Medicare...the first of which I'm a recipient and the latter a couple years shy.

There's a temptation for some to rationalize that ok, this guy and his handlers are some truly scary POS's, but maybe I can muddle through the next four years without too much lifestyle damage and hope for a return to electoral sanity. I've had to shake and pinch myself to avoid falling into a "normalizing" tendency akin to crawling under the blankets, a hope that the foundations of our government and political system will protect us. This president-elect is not the least bit normal. He is a dangerous ignoramus, beset and consumed by narcissism. The political terrorists and opportunists he's assembling for his Cabinet and his predatory allies in Congress are aligned and planning assault on our civil liberties and social service and public health safety net foundations. This is not normal, not something to be ridden out with heads in the sand. This is a time for resistance, for vigilance and solidarity. For protest and exercising of public political will and determination.

Ms. Kingsolver is right. We all must remain aware, alert, and do whatever we can to preserve and protect our democratic principles and those under threat from this electoral aberration. May God help us all.

Yadda, thank you for your thoughts and perspective.  

SFG

My pleasure, SFG.