by Don Hynes
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| Vantage Point | Culture and Politics by Don Hynes |
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"No man is prejudiced in favor of a thing, knowing it to be wrong.
He is attached to it on the belief of its being right; and when he sees it is not so,
the prejudice will be gone." - Tom Paine
January 02, 2006 2005 was quite a turnaround year. The imperial U.S. presidency has been exposed in its gross distortion of truth, its flagrant disregard of human rights and its utter incompetence. The nation and the developed world have been confronted with global warming and peak oil through unprecedented natural disasters, which beyond survivalism may promote a renewal in planetary awareness. The wars of fundamentalism and global resource (which are closely linked) in Iraq, Israel / Palestine, India / Pakistan, the narco wars of South America, have found their way to the streets of France and the beaches of Australia, but along with the frightening escalation has grown international awareness of how these wars are manipulated by governments, corporations and terrorist groups for economic and political advantage. The absurd cowboy good guy bad guy mentality fostered by the current U.S. president has grown as tired as the passion for vengeance that marked the first years of the 21st century. Causality is beginning to find its way into the national discourse, particularly through such films as Syriana. The hollow disregard for human life that marks any government devoted to militarism was displayed clearly before the people of the United States in the complete failure of the federal response to hurricane Katrina and to the world in the death sentence on the earthquake refugees of Kashmir who sit huddled under plastic tarps at mountainous elevations while the U.S. and its few allies spend $177M per day on the tragedy of military occupation in Iraq. There’s a national cynicism about what can be done about the downward spiral of our national direction but I believe that negativity is grounded in depression, seeded in the madness of being subject to a collective disorder much akin to children in alcoholic families who spend their days and nights compensating for the witless destructiveness of their parents. I feel strongly positive as this New Year beckons us forward. The revelations of wickedness in high places have only begun. Evil’s destruction is contained within its own seeds, and that unraveling gained tremendous public momentum in 2005 and will surely continue in 2006. Most importantly, the inherent demand of evil, that we focus upon it, spending our life energy either supporting or opposing it, is itself a lie. Awareness is of vital importance, not so much in opposition to what is being done in the political capitals of this world but in promotion of what our collective body will be like again when we’ve removed the tumor of ignorance whose malignancy is sapping our collective energy and will. We can foster creativity unleashed from the marketplace justification that seems to be its only popular support at this time. Artists and writers, particularly on the internet, are exposing the charlatans behind the curtain and are leading us out into a newer world where what is of real value and lasting virtue can occupy our national attention. Humor is one of our greatest assets as Muhammed Ali portrayed in his recent reception of the Medal of Freedom and the lasting memory that Brownie did do a heck of a job displaying the callousness of our folksy shirt sleeved emperor and the gut level common sense of this great country. Here’s wonderful poem about the spirit that is rising in these times and won’t be defeated, from Sacred Lifeboats: We are the New Civilization We are here. We are waking up now, out of the past, to dream a bigger dream. We are friends and equals, we are diverse and unique, and we're united for something bigger than our differences. We believe in freedom and cooperation, abundance and harmony. We are a culture emerging, a renaissance of the essence of humanity. We find our own guidance, and we discern our own truth. We go in many directions, and yet we refuse to disperse. We have many names, we speak many languages. We are local, we are global. We are in all regions of the world, we're everywhere in the air. We are universe being aware of itself, we are the wave of evolution. We are in every child's eyes, we face the unknown with wonder and excitement. We are messengers from the future, living in the present. We come from silence, and we speak our truth. We cannot be quieted, because our voice is within everyone. We have no enemies, no boundaries can hold us. We respect the cycles and expressions of nature, because we are nature. We don't play to win, we play to live and learn. We act out of inspiration, love and integrity. We explore, we discover, we feel, and we laugh. We are building a world that works for everyone. We endeavor to live our lives to their fullest potential. We are independent, self-sufficient and responsible. We relate to each other in peace, with compassion and respect, we unite in community. We celebrate the wholeness within and around us all. We dance to the rhythm of creation. We weave the threads of the new times. We are the new civilization. Recent Articles of Note Global University of Michigan suspends Coke contract over business practices http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/4856.html US to Defend Nigeria Against "Terrorists" http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/12/23/101032/24 Politics or Not, Bronx Warmly Receives Venezuelan Heating Oil http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/07/AR2005120702245.html Media Alert: Brilliant Fools How character assassination substitutes for argument in the globalized media arena. http://www.medialens.org/alerts/index.php "The Crimes of the United States Have Been Systematic, Constant" by Harold Pinter http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,389251,00.html Choking on Chemicals in China http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/spiegel/0,1518,387392,00.html Persian Fire by Chris Floyd - Israel's plan to attack Iran http://context.themoscowtimes.com/story/158356/ Violent video games alter brain's response to violence http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8449&feedId=online-news_rss091 UN inquiry into Hariri slaying faces questions Funny how “it’s all about Syria” and “the coming mushroom cloud” disinformation gets page 1 in accusation but little or no press when debunked. http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/07/news/syria.php The End of the World, Part III: First the tsunami, then Katrina. Now in the Kashmiri mountains, nature conspires with war and poverty to create the ultimate disaster http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/_/id/8829219?pageid=rs.Politics&pageregion=single4&rnd=1133918189109&has-player=false Iraq Minister steps aside amid Iraq oil crisis - Chalabi Takes Over Iraq Oil Ministry http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200512/s1539978.htm Statement of the Council of Nineveh Province Notables, Sheikhs and Uleima http://www.brusselstribunal.org/Wamidh_Fallujah.htm#Mosul Once Home, Troops Face New Battle http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-guard27dec27,1,167810.story?coll=la-headlines-california Wounded Warriors: Four local heroes help put a face on the 14,902 troops who have been injured to date in Operation Iraqi Freedom http://www.cleveland.com/sundaymag/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sunday_mag/1129368768179170.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 The ultimate quagmire by Pepe Escobar http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GL23Ak01.html Tomgram: Dahr Jamail on the Missing Air War in Iraq http://www.tomdispatch.com/index.mhtml?emx=x&pid=42286 Iraqi Shiites, Sunnis Issue Declaration for US Pullout http://www.zaman.com/?bl=international&alt=&trh=20051210&hn=27356 Heads roll at Veterans Administration - Mushrooming depleted uranium (DU) scandal blamed. Compassionate conservatism at its best. http://www.sfbayview.com/012605/headsroll012605.shtml Costly Withdrawal Is the Price To Be Paid for a Foolish War by Martin van Creveld http://www.forward.com/articles/6936 Senator Harry Reid Demands an Investigation into Administration deception concerning Iraq War http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/11/1/144647/999 Can You Spell Withdrawal without O-I-L? By James Howard Kunstler http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/28630/ Iraq's Death Squads http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/03/AR2005120300881.html Bush Administration Bush on the Constitution: 'It's just a goddamned piece of paper' http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_7779.shtml Who Are the War Criminals? Naming Names by Justin Raimondo http://antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=8241 The End of the Party by Matt Taibbi http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/_/id/8898189?rnd=1134101773140&has-player=false and a few laughs: Will Farrell as George Bush discusses global warming http://onegoodmove.org/1gm/1gmarchive/002648.html With his approval ratings slipping to all time lows the president may have fallen off the sobriety wagon. http://www.compfused.com/directlink/1109/ Poker With Dick Cheney http://www.thepoorman.net/archives/002789.html Washington Scandals The Diebold scandal could invalidate recent Federal elections and a political bombshell that the mainstream media is ignoring. Thanks to Bradblog, Leftcoaster and RawStory this story will not disappear. Diebold CEO Walden O'Dell Resigns! http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002149.htm Potential Securities Fraud Class Action Lawsuit Against Diebold in Progress! http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002126.htm Diebold insider alleges company plagued by technical woes http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Diebold_insider__alleges_company_plagued_1206.html Anybody wondering why the Plame outing, the Niger Yellowcake forgeries and the AIPAC spy scandal involve the same players? Treasongate: The Niger Forgeries v. the CIA Intel Reports http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/005952.php FBI probes DOD office (Rhodes, Feth, etc.) http://www.washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040824-102938-1916r.htm Scooter's Motive by Justin Raimondo This article gets to close to the heart of the Plame scandal and the Cheney led war cabal. http://antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=8164 New Orleans New Orleans was my home town for four years and truly a great city of culture and imagination. Hard times doesn’t touch what’s going on there now, the combination of corrupt New Orleans politics and a land grab that is disenfranchising the poor, working and middle classes. When the banks and mortgage companies take over the 90% of New Orleans now in ruin the money for Category 5 levees will suddenly appear. Major insurance companies will not support / insure the current plan for Category 3 levees and the average citizen is going bankrupt waiting for an insurable protocol in which to rebuild. But my buddy Ed’s Mardi Gras crew is marching this year despite the strange darkness that marks the emptiness beyond Claiborne Avenue with a characteristically upbeat N’Awlins motto “C’est La Vie.” Go crew! Christmas in New Orleans By Fatima Shaik http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2446/ Drowned city cuts its poor adrift - New Orleans http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1664630,00.html Tinsel time in trailer town http://www.nola.com/living/t-p/index.ssf?/base/living-5/113428630776920.xml *** |
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