Steve’s Blog

I’ve taken quite a while off of this blog for no good reason other than a selfish desire to have some of my time not be related to politics or talking. But I’ve got the itch to kick it off again, and I hope to do so with your participation.

I’ll confess I enjoy writing…………..selfishly, it helps me spell out to myself just what that knot in my belly would sound like if it could talk. By the time I get done, as it is with songmaking, something in me has focused more wholly on the matter(s) at hand.

Blogging, as it were, is too amorphous a notion to like or dislike it. But if this be a blog, then I’ll have to say………………………there’s no point in doing it if it’s not a conversation. I get to blather on the radio for 3 hours a day, so I’m not so interested in even more wordarrhea in print, unless it commences, engages, provokes, invites……a dialog. If we, as humans in the early part of the 21st century, can’t find every way possible to connect and embrace, we will not be here much longer.

So I’m back doing the blogging, or writing, or whatever……….and would be far more motivated to spew ideas if I had a sense that there’d be some talk-back. And please…………I can appreciate and respect any point of view that is delivered with thought and respect. Viewpoints that begin with ……and go on and on with……. classic testosterone poisoned affronts and imbecilic attacks will be ridiculed mercilessly until it gets boring.

Meanwhile…………if you haven’t heard the show…………it’s 9 to noon every weekday on 1490 WKVT-AM. You have to be around here to hear it, but the long slog of getting the show back streaming on the web appears to be giving in to hope that we can arrange that sooner than later.

For those who listen a lot, or regularly, or even whenever you think of it…………..thanks, and I appreciate your finding the show worth your time. But honest……………..even I get tired of hearing me rattle on. Conversation is to piano what monologue is to tuba solo. So pick up the phone and throw your ideas out to the world. Even if they sound like someone else’s, or you haven’t entirely figured something out, or an angle that no one’s presenting……..and so on……….it’s better radio, it makes YOUR experience better, and the other listeners’, and it’s your YOP. You remember……….Dr. Suess’ Horton Hears A Who……………the lone “yop” from the little sleeping Who………just what it took to save the little dust speck with all the many lives living on it. “We Are Here! We Are Here! We Are HERE!!”

So I’ll yop if you’ll yop.

Is it me? Or doesn’t it seem like the American public has no idea that it is being played. Bamboozled. Taken for a ride.

I mean, seriously: if you’re reading this blog and/or listening to the show…………..odds are better than half that you’re pretty tuned in and can’t believe what you’ve seen take shape before your eyes in what was once your home, your nation, your higher ideal (perhaps naïve) of what could be.

You’ve seen and heard enough……………..so many stories and examples of flagrant violations of law/rules/ethics/common decency, and wanton destruction of both the physical and the spiritual………………and the outright indecent violation of Lady Constitution.

So how can there still be people who don’t get it?

How, with all the tonnage of information…………direct, indirect, and incidental……….that easily tags these last 6 and a half years as the most bizarre and most deranged times you ever knew, or ever thought you might………how can there still be loyal nationalists?

Yet some remain convinced……………….”support the troops”……….”cut and run”………”surge is working”………….and other regurgitated slogans. How can this be? Is it a function of intellect? I think not…………..some pretty capable brains can remain convinced of the rightness and righteousness of this current administration’s blunders, plunder, and murder. Granted, there may be a SERIOUSLY LARGE contingent of these folks who knew exactly what Miss Teen South Carolina was trying to convey to us, the mapless U.S. Americans. And they vote. And the Iraq.

But today I’m seeing headlines blaring “The EVIL Has Landed” to greet our new Big ‘n Bad Man (perhaps the next Bond villain?). Ladies and gentleman, meet your next contestant for the revered title of “terrorist madman who hates your freedoms and is gonna blow you up”, ya know him, ya hate him (or you should start trying) Iranian President Ahmadinejad!!! Raul Goldberg, you’re not enough boogieman to stir his vat of oil where he boils kittens and makes fun of NASCAR!

Why does this song sound more than vaguely familiar?

And today, at a major American University, known for it’s liberal, progressive side, (and the site of famed student takeovers during the previous indefensible quagmire), invites a world leader to come speak and the University President commences the little event with a fresh and dramatic excoriation of this invited guest. If he and Columbia detested this man so, why did they feel compelled to give him a stage? Is this how I should be iencouraged to treat someone that I’ve invited into my home…………..even if I detest his every trait? Simply ridicule and insult him, over a microphone, to a large crowd, and then end by telling him I speak for most of the World?

Unless the whole thing was to not only overtly insult and jab at the man………….but maybe we’re again simply being played…………..that this is our new man to hate, and our chance to get on the Hate Wagon!. Come on! Why, there’s newspaper headlines screaming that he’s the newest version of Satan-on-Earth…………and so concurred this president of Columbia. Join the Hate Parade today!

Reverse it. Picture our current pResident……….winging it over to Teheran at the invitation of some imagined University in Iran, known for it’s long tradition of intellectual discourse, etc., etc. Upon arrival, Mr. Bush is greeted by headlines saying “The EVIL has landed” (the word EVIL in red, no less). Bush is interviewed on a popular television interview/investigative show, and interrogated and challenged, rather than exploring his many sides. Next, it’s off to speak at the University, but not before the head of the school takes a few minutes to call Mr. Bush a “petty dictator” and saying he speaks for the whole of the world when he condemns all Bush is and all he’s ever done.

Oh, and by the way, for this little exercise, no matter what you think of Geroge W. Bush……….picture him headed over there as a gesture of peace and diplomacy, trying to at least appear civil (though we know that’s not always the case…………..sometimes downright lethal). But a peace gesture nonetheless (read: PR campaign). I know………….it’s hard………but stretch.

What kind of talk would we hear from the Republicans? Or the Kool-Aid drinkers? Or the newspapers? Television “news” people? What then? Outrage? Wondering how they could be so rude? Pissed off over such blatant hostilities, while even being INVITED to come there.

So………………think we’re being set up, do ya? Think there’s maybe a little “public opinion shaping” going on? Why was this man LESS evil when we went into the FIRST country looking for WMD? WHICH DIDN’T EXIST, by the by. How come Mr. “I’m A Dinner Jacket” (actual translation……………go figure) is lured over here to have him kicked and bloodied in fairly Cro-Magnon-like ways.

You can’t believe what you see taking shape in front of you. You never imagined people would just let a small cabal of sociopaths and corporations (by there very nature, sociopathic as well) walk in, steal your country, take your money, invade other countries, torture people, spy on people, among other crimes on the long list of offenses in under 7 years.

But don’t worry………..the Democrats are planning on saving the day……………..there was a meeting about it.

Actually, the whole “saving the day” thing is stuck in committee………….meanwhile, they’ve decided to invest more of your money into mass murder.

But really………totally……….no kidding…………….there gonna get even madder soon! And then watch out! There’s gonna be one hell of an election a year-plus from now!

You.

Me.

Us.

And only US.

“What are we gonna do now?” – Joe Strummer

Check out the latest This Modern World by Tom Tomorrow (http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2007/07/16/tomo/index.html):

If you’re checking out this blog from afar, curious/tittilated (?), and/or irritated by the nudity stuff here in Brattleboro……………..suffice it to say, many of us are aware that yes, indeed, there actually ARE larger issues to be concerned with. No, this is not a high priority concern for many/most of us, but the “bright, shiny object” aspect of the story is what has given it legs.

The truth is……………almost nobody has been nude in town………….and almost nobody has given a damn. But it only takes a few………a few to disrobe, a few to be aghast…….for it to become a “problem”. Now it’s on the national and international news radar, and Brattleboro is reduced to a caricature of a goofy Vermont town with no other concerns. I dare say, nothing could be further from the truth.

We can hardly afford to keep this town’s essential services running………….property taxes are higher per capita than almost anywhere in the U.S. And half of our federal tax dollars, and yours, have gone to the Department of Offense (read: the Pentagon). And we’re watching as an organized crime family has taken over the Executive Branch in Washington, and the world is spinning down the proverbial toilet (not really sure which proverb that’s from).

So yeah, isn’t it cute? Isn’t it funny? Quirky? Wacky? But it’s also a minor story with it’s clothes off, so everyone’s heads are turned. Meanwhile……………..your country has been hijacked.

Now stop peeping and get active, will ya?

But please, do come visit…….this is one of the greatest unknown communities in the country……..but try not to tell too many people………and bring either plenty of clothes or plenty of money……the Selectboard passed an “emergency ordinance” last night, and any sign of a bare butt, breasts, or naughty bits will cost ya plenty.

I’m just taking a minute here to apologize for not blogging in quite some time. I’ll confess, the duties of life are seemingly endless, and I’m contemplating giving up on this whole “sleep thing”. Still, I enjoy writing, and I like when folks have stuff to say in response, so please do check back here from time to time and see if we have a discussion going.

Next up: Goodbye to Gorty.

Ya know………..I try my best to hear all sides of every argument……..even the ones that on first blush seem preposterous. I try to use my well-refined bullshitometer to separate the diamonds from the dung. Most of the time I’m damned good at it, other times, shockingly bad.

Which leads me to this current skirmish between the Second Vermont Republic and John Odum of greenmountaindaily.com.

The short version of the short history of this ever-lengthening conundrum is this: having read John’s original post regarding SVR’s possible connection to a racist organization, it seemed reasonable to have him on the show so as to elaborate on what he knew. Rob Williams had posted a fairly vehement response to John’s post, and it seemed that a quick resolution would not be in the offing. John was on Live and Local on Valentine’s Day……..ya know, the snowy one……ya know, the one where almost nobody worked. Yeah, that one.

John seemed to answer the questions easily and with an appropriate amount of detachment, despite the inflammatory nature of the topic. He also described how he had simply hoped to get some kind of clarification to this information, and specifically stated that these were not to be construed as “charges” of any kind. He was surprised by Rob Williams’ heel-digging rebuke, and described how it seemed to raise what should have been a fairly minor issue to a larger one, particularly the “”I don’t care” aspect that Rob declared.

Now, mind you, I’ve never met Rob Williams, and couldn’t spot him in a crowd, so I, for one, have no knowledge of where he’s coming from in all this. But I do know this……….I align pretty well with the stated goals and philosophies of SVR…….at least the part about secession and an anti-Empire stance.

Enter one Professor Thomas Naylor. We invited him to call into the program to respond to the story, which by now was growing by the day in the blogosphere. Dr. Naylor is a very articulate, very intelligent man, and made a robust defense/refutation of SVR’s connection to the League of the South. That is, except for the parts he left out. And, except for his focus on attacking the messenger (Mr. Odum), and not entirely focusing on the issue at-hand.

I’ll confess……….on first listen, I thought he made some sense. Then, upon reading his recent press release……….and after reading some of the continuing posts on GMD and other sites………..some clarity began to set in.

In the opinion of this writer…………..Dr. Naylor’s press release/rant is paranoiac and mean-spirited, and does not indicate a person who is confident in his position. Someone who feels comfortable in their own skin can weather any kind of criticism, especially anything as “outlandish” or “presposterous” as the things Odum posted, and respond with a measure of cool and comparative aplomb. Now, I know that I can get pretty steamed, too, when I feel I’m being disrespected. But frankly, I don’t detect any disrespect in Odum’s words. Rather, I see someone bringing to light some information that should be pretty easily dismissed, if it has not credence.

Instead, I’m reading a vitriolic screed by a man defending his own anti-racism credentials (which have not been questioned), slamming the character of Mr. Odum (who he does not know), and implying that Mr. Odum’s employer should put a tighter leash on him.

No matter what the details of this discussion……….that’s just not cool.

Any hope of keeping the “moral high ground” that SVR and Mr. Naylor had prior to this phenomenon is gone. He has displayed some fairly childish “schoolyard bully” behaviors, and has entirely alienated at least one potential comrade to the SVR cause……….meaning me.

Even if Odum’s posting was wildly off base and without merit……………the response was, dare I say, nasty and personal, and only tangentially addressed the issue. At this point, frankly, I’m pretty tired of the whole thing already. But now, today, John Odum says that, in order to keep the peace at his workplace, he is stepping down from GMD, where he has helped to add intelligence, humor, and energy to the political dialogue in Vermont.

And that’s just not right.

And to Professor Naylor and others of like mind at SVR, I say……….right or wrong, I’ll stick by John Odum on this one. He has shown himself to be, in my experience, intellectually honest and well-intended. I cannot say the same of the responses I’ve read from SVR.

 And now I, for one, will redirect my attention to more immediate and measurable threats, while hoping that Odum reconsiders.

Is it over?

Did he finish reciting the words that a team of rabidly loyal speechwriters spent the last few weeks or months assembling bit by cynical bit?

And are the talking heads now chattering their Siskel and Ebert post-SOTU thumbs up/thumbs down thing?

And lo, across the land, did a wave of persuasion and light sweep over the Great Unwashed, and thusly did the Boy King color the last pages of his very favoritest coloring book, “Color Me President!”.

And there was much rejoicing.

Seriously…………after all that has transpired over these mind-numbingly bizarre and lethal six years……………..are there any words this man and his handlers can assemble that could possibly sway an entire nation, or the larger world, to:

A.) believe a word he says?

B.) suddenly decide that, despite the huge and growing disdain and outright fury at the missteps and calculated depravities of this cabal, maybe we were all just not as smart as the President?

C.) rest easy, knowing that this dumbest son of a wicked man is at the helm, and gonna bring this baby in for a smooth landing after all?

For godzfrickinsake! What is there even to discuss about anything this man can utter in his defense at this stage of the play?

If you listened to or watched this speech tonight, you have a stronger stomach than I, or maybe you just feel it’s a penance or duty somehow to witness the smug punkishness of a failed fratster who one day woke up from a rum ‘n coke ‘n coke hangover to find himself President of his dad’s oil serfdom, er, that is, Amurka the Byutifull.

Now……….not almost now………..right now, whatever happens from now………..will depend on the multiple actions of individual people in a collective push to not only stop this march of war, death, and profit………….but to maybe even spark the connectoids that link many of us……. who know ………….way down…………that in the end……………….

the Good Guys actually kinda hafta win.

Who are the Good Guys? And where the hell are we?

“We’ll meet again………………..
Don’t know where………………..
Don’t know when………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

There is more than one word to describe people who believe one thing, while pretty much everyone else believes another. However, “delusional” is perhaps the most common. And when a person displays a relative lack of emotion or connection to emotion, and follows with depraved, violent, or hurtful behaviors, “sociopath” is a term some attach. When someone chooses violence as a first resort for conflict-resolution, well……………you get the point.

He’s in charge of the world’s largest army. He’s chief executive officer of the U.S. He’s the face the world attaches to their thoughts of this country. He’s at the helm while the earth’s environment is crumbling. He has the power to arrest anyone he likes, imprison indefinitely, torture, open mail, wiretap……..

And he’s fucking nuts.

But at least he’s not pure darkness.

We have precious little time. This guy is sliding into his own psychiatric quagmire, and Darth Cheney is nuts in a colder, more depraved way. Can you picture it? Can you see this image in your mind?

They’re escalating a war that is all but lost, that never should have happened in the first place. Six figures of dead Iraqis, and more dead soldiers than the number killed 9/11/2001. And there’s another attack group heading for Iran. Oh, and he says he can read your mail. Must I go on?

Write, fax, email, shout, whatever it takes………..put the pressure on Congress for impeachment, and put the word out in your town that a call for impeachment in dozens of towns in Vermont can only help embolden those who say it could never happen, but wish it would.

‘Tis the season to be blogging…………….I’m way overdue for posting something, but I suspect that’s interrupted no one’s life. Still, just taking a mini-moment to wish you all good tidings and kind thoughts in this season of whatever the hell it is.

Truth told, I love this time of year………..and despite appearances, I really think I see folks being kinder and more thoughtful than in the rest of the year (except maybe around Groundhog Day, when we all let our guards down a little).

It snowed today…………blink and ya missed it……….but it’s a good sign that Vermont won’t be sprouting palm trees in the next few years. That’s at least a decade away.

So, whatever your leanings at the end of 2006, I can only wish you a Merry Whatever, and a Happy Next Year. Let’s hope it’s a good one………….

……………..and that they find 2 impeachments under the White House Xmas tree.