Poetry & Politics Roundtable

Posted by: Uncle $cam | Jun 23 2011 17:58 utc | 3

All of our public works projects are aimed at boosting either our national security apparatus or our medical-industrial complex or our too-big-to-fail banking system. But neither our armed forces nor our medical professionals nor our casino banksters can do anything to boost production in our economy. Our addiction to war, pills, and easy money is what’s driving us to do this. And this will ultimately lead to our demise.
Speaking of public works projects, I strongly recommend watching the 1960 film “Wild River”. This film, which centers around the making of the TVA, reminds us that our federal government, despite its reputation for being one big bureaucratic black hole, is no slouch when it comes to getting the production side of our economy back on its feet again. It also reminds us that most the top-rated American films today, both in terms of acting and film-making skills, including overall creativity, are second-rate compared to most of the top-rated ones from the 40′s and the 50′s, up into, at most, the early 60′s. So if today’s American films are any reflection of our nation’s economic health, we, as an economy, are laid up in bed sick with little to no chance for recovery.

Posted by: Cynthia | Jun 23 2011 19:55 utc | 5

Teaching music and yoga to a group of kids in a peace-focused day-camp. Playing and singing music with dear friends. Sorting and purging piles of energy-sucking paper. Getting to know neighbors in my apartment complex as we work on gardens, build a community worm bin, watch our feline furkids get acquainted, drink beer and throw potlucks. Checking in at the Moon and Feral Scholar. Mourning the stupid wars and larcenous money systems. Breathing….in, out…repeat as needed.
And right now, sitting in a lovely beer garden on a mild summer afternoon, drinking a fine northwest microbrew. Ah…..

Posted by: catlady | Jun 23 2011 21:33 utc | 7

I’ve been reading reviews, published in 1802, of Friedrich Gentz’s thoughts on Napoleon and the dangers of one state trying to rule the world.
” It is a characteristic property of all great disorders in the political system, that they do as much injury to the states apparently benefited by the destruction of the balance, as to the immediate losers, by the disproportion introduced. It is the true and permanent interest of every nation, without exception, to preserve a due proportion between its own strength and that of its neighbours; and to maintain a just distribution of power among all the members of the federative system. The advantages of a dangerous ascendancy are always deceitful; for the public welfare of a nation cannot be secure without the satisfaction of its neighbours, and the confidence of the world. An enlightened policy requires a due attention to these important requisites of peace, on the part of the greatest, as well as the smallest states. Were France to distinguish her true interests, were the voice of reason to prevail above the dictates of ambition and avarice, her statesmen would easily be convinced that what now is called, by a shameful abuse of words, the federative system of Europe, is nothing but a compound of inordinate power on the one hand, and impotence on the other; in which no real independence, no stability or security, and no permanent peace can exist; and which is consequently incompatible with the general welfare.”—
Of the nature of alliances with France, Mr. Gentz speaks in the following explicit manner, p. 273.—“The author of the Etat de la France, has dignified the alliances of the French republic with Spain, Holland, and Genoa, by calling them the first foundation of a future federal edifice. He quotes them as honourable and irresistible proofs of the generosity and disinterestedness of the republic, as assurances of the uprightness of her principles, and as the productions of an almost wonderful political wisdom, &c. Such were the alliances (though the terms were certainly move favourable), of Sicily, Greece, Asia Minor, Egypt, &c. with the Romans! If the future alliances of France are to be formed on these models; if the present condition of Switzerland and Holland, Italy and Spain, awaits all those to be hereafter leagued with the French government, it may well be asked, whether the friendship and protection of that power are less fatal than her declared enmity. If these relations, formed and maintained by force of arms, are to be the basis of a new federal system, and a future law of nations, Europe must ardently wish that the superstructure, to be “raised upon such a foundation”, may never be completed, &c. Thus have her alliances been hitherto formed; and thus will it be with all succeeding ones. Such must, and will continue to be the system of politics, when the ascendancy of one nation has destroyed the security of all; when, deprived of every federative safeguard, the weak are reduced to utter helplessness, and the law of nations is supplanted by the law of force.”
plus ca change

Posted by: bevin | Jun 23 2011 23:48 utc | 9

Teaching youth how to be bicycle mechanics and providing affordable bikes to natives and
visitors of San Francisco. Mention MoA and give the secret handshake [invent one] and get a free day’s rental.

Posted by: Biklett | Jun 24 2011 5:32 utc | 11

During a short dry spell during the rainy season, busy with nursing that small patch of land where I grow vegetables and herbs (bugs galore; organic ? hmm – car pollution, and what more). I’m worried about the weather patterns in NW quarter of the Pacific Ocean (who ever though that expanse of water was ‘pacific’ ? Anything but…). Yet another typhoon (No5) is coming close to Japan, quite exceptional for those animals to come that often so far north early in the season. This one will probably stay close to the Chinese coast, though. It is worrying, as the forecast has it that it will blow apart the seasonal rain front, and allow the Pacific high pressure zone to move in. That would mean a loooong hot summer 🙁 Not good, given the power shortages and other issues in the blessed lands of Amaterasu.

Posted by: philippe | Jun 24 2011 7:02 utc | 13

On the Libya front, doubts: Amnesty questions claim that Gaddafi ordered rape as weapon of war in the Independent – Patrick Cockburn.

Posted by: philippe | Jun 24 2011 9:42 utc | 15

@ bevin, Thinking about the Euro recalls the Latin monetary Union, which included F, CH, It, Belgium, Greece, Bulgaria, with many others using the same coins (Spain, Venezuela, etc.)
brief and not excellent..
http://goldcoin.org/gold-coins/the-latin-monetary-union-1865/691/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_Monetary_Union
It failed in mid 1920s. As children, we used to pick out the silver coins (CH continued production to the late 60s) but storing them for greater gain proved difficult. I still have a little piggy bank with mysterious coins in it.

Posted by: Noirette | Jun 25 2011 16:52 utc | 17

This link to Craig Murray’s site seems to be a prediction of (bad) things to come. The allegations seem plausible.

Posted by: Hannah K. O’Luthon | Jun 26 2011 14:04 utc | 19

just finished 3 grueling weeks of work in seattle that was supposed to be just one. i thought i was never going to be able to come home.
my mom unilaterally decided to move back home from her retirement community so this is requiring some extra energy. we moved her this weekend. not sure how this will work out but i know it will require lots of time.
i’m on a west coast flotilla media alert group so i’m inundated w/flotilla info.
my friend and i moved up the waiting list and acquired a plot in a local community garden space. our lettuce is spectacular!
stuff like that.

Posted by: annie | Jun 27 2011 3:41 utc | 21

Flood berm bursts at Nebraska nuclear plant
re: Independence day
It’s about as empty a celebration as any other nationalistic holiday. You know, truth is I’d love to be proud of my counties Independence but Independence, from what? Independence from British rule to Bankers rule? Corporate rule? Great nation? I morn for one. Imagine the great things we COULD do as a nation –as opposed to what we say we do–, if we reversed course and spent all the time, money and energy on the opposite of war. No nation can become great while asleep.
As Twain said, “Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it.” The real “truth” is, it has NEVER deserved it.

Posted by: Uncle $cam | Jun 27 2011 17:54 utc | 23

We’re going to see some interesting stuff while we’re up here (first is a Rush concert tonight, where hopefully they will play the whole ‘Moving Pictures’ LP live!!!).
A Rush concert. Damn, I’d love to be there …
Altamont Pass – have been there around 2000. Pretty shabby turbines then – half of them stopped, definitely not state of the art. The U.S. has really missed the trend on wind energy and the involved technology.

Posted by: b | Jun 27 2011 18:47 utc | 25

@ catlady re Independence Day:
Well here in VT our local town of Bristol, Gateway to the Green Mountains, the 4th of July has been usurped. They hold a parade every 4th (which is considered the best in state) and we have a ringside view from the second house from the beginning of the parade route. Every year we join our friends who own the house and all of their other friends about 2 hours before the parade starts and enjoy each other’s company with a banquet spread of pancakes, fresh fruit, whipped cream, yogurt etc, and of course the pure Vermont Maple Syrup flows abundantly. My wife holds a special position as she is the only pancake flipper besides the hostess. When the parade starts we sit on the front lawn and porch and hoot and holler as the floats we agree with pass by and are politely silent as the rethugs and the other overly “*patriotic” (*non-) pass. Actually some of them turn out to be my personal friends and acquaintances so I greet them when I see them. We’re mostly an accommodating lot here in VT. One of our favorite floats over the past three years has been the Zeno group, a bunch of special needs people from all over the country that come and spend the summer at the Zeno camp up in the Green Mountains. It is so heartwarming to see downs syndrom people, and others dancing, singing and thoroughly enjoying a special time in their lives. What a way to transform the 4th of July. After the parade in the town green there are local booths of everything you could imagine and a band stand with music. Before he died Big Joe Burrell was the featured performer every year. Now he’s gone he’s still here because Bristol has his statue behind the band stand where he used to play.
Uncle $,
You might appreciate the “Updated pictures from Ft. Calhoun” I linked to at http://www.moonofalabama.org/2011/06/fukushima-update-june-18.html#c6a00d8341c640e53ef014e8968d592970d

Posted by: juannie | Jun 28 2011 0:19 utc | 27

A personal note you might appreciate catlady,
My daughter, who just finished up her third year at COA with straight A’s decided to do her internship early so this summer connected with a local Occupational Therapist. For the next two weeks she is living at and working one on one with one of the summer residents at Zeno. I expect I will see her in the parade and miss her on the lawn eating pancakes. Wish you could be here to see her again.
Warm regards,
John

Posted by: juannie | Jun 28 2011 1:44 utc | 29

hannah, the latest is a video of the sabotaged boat here.
mostly i’m reading email feeds from people in greece, but others too. here’s an interesting update from one of the flotilla members (i can’t post identity):

Israel is running around like a chicken with its head and legs cut off and everything it tries makes things worse. Ironically, the more they delay us, the more boats may join us. One is almost ready to go now with an additional 140 passengers and is not in Greece. Israel is so busy outsourcing the illegal blockade to Greece, it’s forgetting that there are other countries and other boats out there. They have lost no matter what. If we never set sail from Greece, we have already won

Posted by: annie | Jun 28 2011 19:16 utc | 31

On the hot July 4 weekend I intend to be making a few $ house-painting in St. Louis, agonizing over the fires in New Mexico that are moving thru pueblo lands and forests, receiving reports from friends there, and toasting the determined rebels, protesters, and organizers who carry on carrying on.

Posted by: D.L. Finn | Jul 1 2011 1:20 utc | 33

hahahaha…..

Posted by: Uncle $cam | Jul 3 2011 14:02 utc | 35

Our patriots for Independence Day 2011

Posted by: Uncle $cam | Jul 3 2011 14:59 utc | 37

Uncle,
That NYT story by A. E. Hochner about Hemingway’s feeling of persecution, under real FBI surveillance, during his last days, was sad indeed.

This man, who had stood his ground against charging water buffaloes, who had flown missions over Germany, who had refused to accept the prevailing style of writing but, enduring rejection and poverty, had insisted on writing in his own unique way, this man, my deepest friend, was afraid — afraid that the F.B.I. was after him, that his body was disintegrating, that his friends had turned on him, that living was no longer an option.
Decades later, in response to a Freedom of Information petition, the F.B.I. released its Hemingway file. It revealed that beginning in the 1940s J. Edgar Hoover had placed Ernest under surveillance because he was suspicious of Ernest’s activities in Cuba. Over the following years, agents filed reports on him and tapped his phones. The surveillance continued all through his confinement at St. Mary’s Hospital. It is likely that the phone outside his room was tapped after all.

Posted by: Copeland | Jul 4 2011 5:14 utc | 39