Wow.

I woke up to one virulent nastygram this morning! That happens on occasion here, especially when I state opinions about US politics. The "love it or leave it" folks come out of the woodwork.

The writer implied (again - it's getting dull) that as a cultural dissident in this country, I have no right to complain about politics. I've made it clear in the writer's mind that I "hate" this country and everything it stands for. There was all kinds of talk about loyalty, duty, patriotism and the fact that I have forfeited my right to say a word! He ended with "try doing and saying the things you do and say in your beloved Thailand. See where it will get you."

It was a long nastygram. Several hundred words. I'll give the writer this much: he was articulate. He didn't use a bunch of filthy language. Most of the nastygrams I get are written in all caps with really stupid grammatical errors. They're full of vulgarity. Usually they are unsigned. This guy signed his name and gave me his email address. For that reason alone, I will probably reply to him.

I try to appreciate the nastygrams as much as the praise. After all, it is someone taking the time to share an opinion with me and that in itself has value.

But let me address this "I have no right..." issue. I do have a right. For several reasons.

I live on this planet. At least for now. I may be getting old but haven't gone to the Other Side yet. What the US does affects the rest of the world. Look at any country in the world and tell me it's not impacted by activities, political and geopolitical, of the US. I will never fall back on the "I was born here" argument because I think it's cheesy and has no substance. The fact is that we are all stuck on this planet together, for better and for worse.
Secondly - and perhaps most importantly - my history has included all sorts of activities which I believe will make the US a better place for everyone - in the US and without. If I didn't care about American people, there are plenty of other things I could have done with my time. I could have gone shopping more, partied more and feathered my own nest for the past 30+ years. I could have used that energy to my benefit only. That would have been praised quite highly in this culture. After all, I would have been (as my macroeconomics instructor in college said) "looking out for my own self-interest and maximizing my own potential".

Huzzah!

I've seen a lot of changes in the landscape over the past thirty years. From peaceful protests in the early 70s to protests now that are met with excessive police presence, arrests and violence. Watching the alternative press cover the protests in St Paul is very frightening. (I might add that there's been very little coverage in the mainstream press - including MS-NBC, CNN and, of course, Fox.) I've seen people bullied into sitting it out because they're afraid for their jobs, their families and their physical well-being. People are afraid of speaking their minds on email, on blogs, on talk radio shows and in the press. All of this in the name of "The Patriot Act" which, if you choose to take the time to read it, I guarantee it will scare the hell out of you.

I am not afraid to speak my mind. Maybe I just have nothing to lose and perhaps the fire in my belly is just too strong. These things matter to me. People matter to me. The idea of any nation putting dangerous policies into place and exporting them all over the world scares the hell out of me and I'm going to speak up about it. I've spoken up about Sarah Palin because I believe she would be a disaster for this country. In a higher position, she'd be a disaster for the world. Anyone who would say the war in Iraq is "God's will" and pressure a librarian in Wasalla to ban certain books, firing her when she wouldn't comply, is someone to fear. Look at the fact that she may have used her position to get her sister's ex-husband fired from his job as a state trooper. She whined during her RNC speech about having to give POWs any rights. Is that someone who deserves power? I don't think so! She's a scary lady, one who makes John McCain look like a pussycat in comparison. I will continue to speak out about her.

So if anyone wants to disagree with me, please feel free. If anyone wants to challenge my ideas, please do. If anyone has an opinion or belief system that is different than mine, I want to hear about it. But don't ever tell me I "have no right" to speak up about US politics.

You're dead wrong!

~*

Ghost in the Machine...

Ordinarily, I stay as far away from US politics as humanly possible while still residing in this country but Bush is truly dangerous!

When I saw that Thomas and Jil In Pattaya had both mentioned his revealing statement of a few days ago, I just had to pipe in:

"Friends of his from Texas were shocked recently to find him nearly wild-eyed, thumping himself on the chest three times while he repeated "I am the president!" He also made it clear he was setting Iraq up so his successor could not get out of "our country’s destiny."

Does he ever stop making an ass of himself? Why isn't someone monitoring him?

There are times when I wonder if he stands at the podium, drunk on more than just power. (Some friends of Bill W. probably understand where I'm going with this.) The most talented novelist on the planet couldn't invent this guy.

But let's give him this much: At least he is stating openly what most of the world thinks, thattes that the destiny of this country is to rule and colonize any nation it pleases. That has been a mainstay of US foreign policy for nearly as long as I can remember.

Given the strategic location of Iraq, I'm not surprised it's a target, either.

Nothing about this surprises me beyond the fact that Bush is permitted to fill the airwaves with his ranting, raving and egotistical declarations of his greatness. It reminds me of another former world leader whose name all would recognize but I am not going to state outright.

And most American people remain in Consumer Heaven, choosing between their blue shoes or red shoes while the rest of the world quakes in its boots.

Any comments?

~*

On another note: Has anyone seen the news story about The Big Donor Show? This gets my newly invented "Most Tasteless Thing I've Ever Heard" award. More on this in another post.

~*

Peace,


~Chani

Three Deaths... (on social activism)

Most people have memory of a few significant news events that changed their view of the world forever. In my own case, it was the death of John Kennedy, the death of Bobby Sands and a seemingly insignificant newscast in Los Angeles 26 years ago.

A woman by the name of Wanda (mentioned here previously) was dying from cancer. She had to get on television and beg for money to buy medication. Without the medication, she would die in excruciating pain. I can, to this day, remember her words. I can remember her clothing. I can remember the desperation in her voice. It has never left me. I still think about Wanda. She should never be forgotten. The day I forget her will be the day I've lost my humanity.

My determination to fight for freedom and human rights began with those three events. John Kennedy's death taught me about the senselessness of murder for political reasons. On a larger scale, his death taught me about the senselessness of war.

Bobby Sands is the man who, along with several other IRA members, starved himself to death in Britain's Maze Prison. He taught me about the seeming senselessness of zeal. he also taught me about courage and the courage of one's convictions. He taught me that one can die for a cause and sometimes that makes sense. His death led me to think about those causes I would die for ~ and those I would not.

Wanda is dead by now. She taught me something with the process of death rather than her death itself. She showed me first hand the cruelty at the bowels of this society. I began to see the hypocrisy at the roots of a society that claims to have the cornerstone on human rights yet would allow an old woman to die because she committed the unpardonable sin of being poor. She had to beg and plead on television for the right to die with dignity. She had to depend on the good will of others to allow her that honor.

Wanda's situation made me angry to my very instinctual core. That anger has transformed me as I've come to understand that anger only begets more anger, just as violence begets more violence. Given that understanding, my anger has taken a different form. I am still sickened at the thought of living in a society that values the Money God above all else. I am disgusted by a society that would find the invasion of other countries for financial benefit to be acceptable. I am appalled that we continue to allow an erosion of our freedoms in the name of "homeland security". It is horribly sad that we are so immune to information analysis that cultural hegemony is considered a good thing. Importing consumerist values to Asia, Southeast Asia, Russia, Eastern Europe and an assortment of countries that had based their culture on other values is euphemistically called "promoting freedom" when it is easily understood that it is a buzz-phrase for "exploitation".

I am horribly shamed by the fact that in countless ways, my small life may have contributed to this larger picture, perhaps by action or inaction, ignorance or inertia.. perhaps a combination of all.

When this country declared its freedom from the British Empire, it was supposed to free us from political and religious tyranny. Yet what have we chosen to do with that freedom and independence? Are we satisfied? Can we look at our creation, this fledgling ideology of participatory republicanism, and say it has grown into a compassionate and wise maturity? Is it truly a model for the world? These were the lofty goals of the founders.

We failed.

May we find and restore the soul of this nation ~

~Chani