"Everything's changed" . . . or has it?

This phrase seems to be entering colloquial usage and the general psyche in much the same way as such politically charged phrases as "soft on crime", "communist sympathizer", "stay the course" and the like.

"Everything's changed!" squeals the President, or the AG, Perle, Wolfowitz, Rice, and not a few others, dems included. It becomes meta-language, a surrogate for explaining oneself, a code word for numerous sub-discussions and arguments that remain inchoate. Most perniciously, of course, as with much political meta-language, there are a raft of emotions that are stoked, not just thoughts and ideas, when uttered. Pretty soon, neighbor says it to neighbor.

This political season has either become or become recognized as the fruition of George Orwell's nightmare, when media of all sorts virtually becomes propaganda, and everyone seems to understand the allusion to newspeak and doublethink, though few have probably read "1984", or "Animal Farm". Of course, most like to apply this reasoning to the ideas, organizations and people they disagree with.

The consolidation of the media,from hometown newpapers -- where few get their news anyway -- to tv and radio stations limits diversity of view. The proliferation of other media, cable channels for instance, would seem to provide for proliferation of views but, in reality, make it possible for us to select a narrow segment of opinion that corresponds to our own. Hence, we again limit our exposure to diversity. I have recently been hearing and reading more about the defacto clustering of like-minded people into like-minded areas, communities and even states; sort of voluntary segregation. Whether this either describes a phenomena empirically observed or an actual intentional process, I would guess the concept will lead more and more to the actuality.

In this brave new world of unapologetic manipulation, the idea that everything has changed fits right in, particularly as regards the struggle for meaning of 911, and the war we are said to be in with islamofascists, terrorism, or is it an ideology? I sense a divide between those who are willing to accept some variation of this notion wholesale and those who want a bit more understanding about what lies behind the shibboleth (a fine old word). But. . . "Everything's changed" . . . And those who would seek discussion and debate are cast into the outer darkness of unpatriotic, un-American wimps.

I wish some high profile types would take the time and energy to do something other than the bobble head routine and inject a bit of intelligence into the mix rather than accepting the simple route of mass hypnosis that, in the end, means nothing. Orwell would be grateful.

Humpback calf breaching on Bay of Fundy

Here or there . . .

Returned last week from Nova Scotia -- and never did get to post a followup while we were there. The computer connections in the public internet access after the first we used were much, much slower. That's no excuse, but it does increase the frustration level in doing anything online of course. And when you're on vacation its easy to blow stuff off.

Anyway, the rest of our trip continued to be great, despite not a whole lot of continuous sunny weather. Nova Scotia is a province of fairly low density, which makes for a low keyed vacation almost by default. We did some "eco tourism" kinds of things (I guess that's what you'd have to call it) including hiking an isolated peninsula two hours to an isolated headland overlooking the Bay of Fundy and nesting gull colonies; taking a boat trip to offshore islands to see nesting seabirds (puffins the main feature, with seals an attraction, and feeding the bald eagles on the way in . . . very rough sea); and taking a whale watching trip, which started out in the inevitable fog, but had great pathces of sun. We were fortunate to see a mother humpback with her perhaps eight month old calf. The calf frolicked and "breached" numerous times making for great photos (I'll post one if I can figure out how).

All these activities took place from northern Cape Breton to south of Digby neck on the Bay of fundy. Towns we frequented and stayed include Wolfville, Pictou, Lunenburg, as well as small towns in Cape Breton and south on the neck. Its all accessible. Folks are saying the tourism is down and , curiously, a universally cited factor is the presidential election in this country. We can't understand this and disputed it, but virtually everyone says it happens every four years. Other factors suggested were the increased price of gas (it was about 90 cents Canadian per liter) and the fact that later in August is an Acadian festival (memorializing 400 years since the Acadians were forced out of Nova Scotia) and the possibility that folks would save their travel until then.

The last night we spent walking around Halifax before our early a.m. departure. It rained. We found refuge in the wharfside shopping pavillion and ultimately had a light dinner in a busy pub with excellent microbrew.

This was our second relatively recent trip to N.S. and we went to Montreal and Quebec spring of '03. We like to travel. Recently our travel bug has been merged with a growing sense that the perennial wish to escape the increased opression in the US under the post 911 regime has led to more serious consideration of moving abroad . . . with all of the untold complexities that may entail. Since my 93 year old father is in a local health care facility, suffering from dementia, its unlikely we can move while he's alive. Our own retirements from our jobs loom ahead as well. But its a thought, and one which raises a myriad of questions from the practical to the existential. I wont go into all the factors here -- and we probably haven't thought of them all -- but it is incredibly sad to have become so discouraged with what life in the US has become that leaving is more than a whim or idle "threat".

Fortunately the idea of living abroad is not one that turns on the political climate. It is an attractive idea on its own, in the best of times. The political situation just gives it an added dimension. And its not a question I will answer tonight!

Cape Breton -- haven't met a shrubite yet!

Blogging here from Nova Scotia -- Cape Breton to be precise. Been here 4 days on holiday, finally hit some sunny weather. Been "out of touch" from net until this morning when we stopped at a fine fast connection at a local library. Freindly, wonderful folks. Took a rough sail yesterday to he Bird Islands; saw the puffins etc. Hope to do some whale watching in the next few days.

Last night at out B & B a rather congenial and talkative group gelled: us (Edie and I), two 35-4ish women from Maine, and a 50is couple from Toronto. Got into politics and observations of the scene almost immediate.

The Mainers, and in fact all of the Yanks we've encountered thusfar are all 1) disgusted with Bush and 2) activist-minded. One of the women was truly traumatized and fearful should the election go to the Shrub.

The Canadians, intelligent professionals, and loving to talk politics, still seemed to miss the nuances of the American scene -- not surprising that they would miss the nuances of politics in general -- but they seemed not to appreciate the depth of fear and dissatisfaction present among us, the loyal opposition. For instance, they seemed shocked that all four of us Americans were seriously contemplating a move to Canada should things continue to spiral downward.

There was so much to talk about, and the conversation barreled onward that it was impossible to focus on detail, but it was reassuring to sense the commonality of mind and need for return to sanity. I realized how relatively well in touch I have been through the network of blogs I touch base with and how crucial this tool is and is evolving into for raising political consciousness, as we used to say.

Generally, we've seen and heard, tourism is down around here -- no one know quite why, thouugh gas prices may be a factor.

Will try to check in from the south coast next time -- after stuffing ourselves with more wonderful seafood and hopefully basking in the sun.

Fighting fire with fire

It has been asserted by numerous right wingers that we are in a war. That war is variously described as against the “islamofascists”, against the gays and lesbians, against the “liberals”, against the atheistic and godless, against those who desecrate “American values”, against those who want to destroy the “American way of life”. The cultural wars, devised and stoked by the likes of Newt Gingrich (hypocrite cum laude), Bill Bennett (hypocrite emeritus), Dick Cheney (hypocrite de jour), Ralph Reed, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson (and other religious hypocrites), Rush Limbaugh (hypocrite ne plus ultra) etc., etc. Examples are not hard to find.

All along the rap against liberals (whatever that means) has painted them as some radical bunch of cheese eaters who have no clue about the cruel new world. And, with a bit of navel gazing, self-identified liberals have been willing to admit that a fault they possess is to be open-minded, at least in the sense of admitting they don’t have all the answers for everything, and to be willing to listen and even debate the “other side”. Whereas, conservatives, bold, forthcoming, self-assured, and ruthless, protest they do possess all the answers and needn’t hear any countervailing arguments. Further, in this post 911 world, anyone who says otherwise is (fill in the blank) some variation of weak, stupid, naïve, un-American, unpatriotic, suspect. Case closed.

Well, maybe not so fast. If we are indeed in a war, which I do not much question, in terms of the emergence of a neoconservative movement bent on capturing and defining the domestic and foreign agenda of this nation for the foreseeable future, winning tactics must be employed.

It is amusing to hear the neocons and their ilk scream bloody murder when someone like a Michael Moore creates a message that fights back against the tide. Suddenly its unfair, and underhanded, and scurrilous, as well as all the other depredations hurled against “liberals”. Suddenly, well its time to play nice, to bring out all the decent checks and balances that (hitherto?) were supposed to characterize the American way.

We are in a war I fear. A war for the soul of the American experiment that has been allowed to become fat and lazy by decades of inattention and assumption that nothing like the excess of the Bush administration would ever really emerge or take hold. I’m not much of a warrior myself; I prefer to see things in relative terms, being hopefully aware of my own fallibility and inconsistency. And so I get a little uncomfortable with those who are out front, for a lot of reasons.

Having said that, I’m glad Moore’s film may prove to be an effective weapon to alert this sleeping country that the foxes are indeed in the henhouse and its time to clean house.

I'm basically apolitical in the sense that I don't a have a lot of respect for politicians of any stripe. Somehow the threat that the neocons have brought transcends ordinary political disagreements and even polarities. Appealing to that which is worst in all of us, and finding a resonance in a large number of people (are we all not capable of having our dark side pandered to?), the danger they present seems unique and powerful in my lifetime.

Inaugural post

This is my initial post, adapated from a comment on Gilliard's blog, maybe to be followed by others as I am moved to create a more or less public record of my thoughts:

America's record on "no strings" foreign aid is indeed abominable. As a per capita figure it is way down the list. I think its Norway that's on top by a wide margin. Of course this doesn't prove much, except, Americans are fond of seeing themselves as a hugely generous people who bail out the rest of the world. No indeedy. With the exception of Israel, and Egypt, no one gets a whole lot of US bucks. And, dare we say, many millions of US citizens think that's just fine -- foreign aid is always a hard sell in Congress.

As far as our vaunted political system, I'm one of those who says its broke. Look at the mess we are in; socially, heath care and health insurance wise, militarily, economic fairness and distribution, economic debt; you name it. If our system was so damn fine, this should not tbe the case.

And while Kerry may get elected, and maybe even a shift in balance in Congress, this will not solve fundamental problems as both parties, internet fundraising notwithwtanding, are beholden to a failing system owned by corporate interests. Sure, its a polarized system right now, reflecting a multi-polarized society, but as this polarity is played out through the two parties, it comes out "shit" for government. And to complete my rhetorical circle, is it even a system so much as a mirage managed by propaganda, enabled by insipid news media, and abetted by a recumbant body politic?

As George Wallace had it right when he ran for President "there's not a dimes worth of difference between the two parties". Still true today? George Bush may be an aberration -- I liked to think of the framing of the 2000 election as the last gasp of reactionary 20th century politics . . . until they won. And the best the Dems can counter Bush with is to lay low and basically "me too" the America uber alles approach. Call it tactical, but its sickening.

So to come around to a point in reflecting on the idea of America as the "leader" of the world (if perception is reality, shall we instead say "bully".) I've been overseas a few times in the past few years. There is still a great reservoir of good will towards (the memory of?) what America used to represent. I wouldn't be surprised if that good will is being stretched mighty thin these days and the sins of the father (Dear Leader and cohorts) may indeed be visited on the son.

Agreed: Bush and handlers have totally betrayed their trust. And,if this is such a great system, how did we let this happen? Or rather, how did things get out of hand so fast?