Compromise? Or Fundamental Change?

He’ll achieve these goals the same way he always has: by bringing us together and reminding us how much we share and how alike we really are. You see, Barack doesn’t care where you’re from or what your background is or what party, if any, you belong to.

With her speech at the Democratic National Convention last year, Michelle Obama announced what the methodology of the Obama administration would be: compromise. Compromise is not inherently a bad thing, obviously. It is necessary for people to coexist with any semblance of peace.

However, the problems we face — and by this I mean economic problems, because all other problems are rooted in their economic roles — will not be solved by compromise, where those who have motivation to preserve the status quo are part of the compromise. This will simply keep things the way they are and have been for decades.

We need fundamental over-turning of how our society is fundamentally organized. Presently, the fundamental organizing factor in world society and culture is money. Money is completely abstract, 100% so. It doesn’t really exist, it has no value other than the value we all pretend it has.

For me, this is obvious, as long as I stop and think about it for a moment. But then that moment passes, and I revert back to my American reality, wageslaving, buying stuff, and paying off debt. It is more than the default mode of being; it has its own momentum. It is difficult to recognize, much less escape.

I was reading a friend’s blog and she is experiencing similar frustrations. This “bailout” package they are talking about is only an attempt to prolong the economic status-quo, and does not recognize the fundamental problem: Capitalism as a concept is flawed, is not indefinitely sustainable, and is near collapse under its own weight. Pretending otherwise is, at best, prolonging the inevitable and at worst, making the inevitable much more unpleasant than it needs to be.

Yet, capitalism is remarkably resilient, as my friend and old teacher has taught me. Injustice, oppression, and suffering are built-in to the very fabric of capitalism and are not escapable. But as capitalism grows and wealth consolidates itself, the amount of injustice and suffering systematically increases, in that more and more are affected. But enough people are left in enough comfort, that they have motivation to preserve the status quo. And sadly, most days I include myself in this group.

Yep, Linux is better….

Proof here, with commentary from Slashdot:

From install time to GUI efficiency, Ubuntu beats Windows and is often twice as fast. Where Windows 7 is competitive, the difference is something the average user would not notice. The average GNU/Linux user is now getting better absolute performance from their computer as well as better value than the average Windows user.

Where have I heard this before? I’m running Linux Mint on my laptop these days, and it’s awesome. Compiz Fusion is really cool, and doesn’t seem to cause a performance lag. I can now use Linux with work… everythign I want to use the laptop for just works.

As an experiment….

Here’s a thought experiment I’ve been bouncing around my head recently:

Every time you hear a politican or journalist utter the word “create jobs,” automatically substitute “create slavery” in your mind.

I’m convinced that the present capitalist employment structure of our society is a form of slavery. Many will be outraged by this concept, that slavery not only still exists but is the norm in America, but I am more convinced it is true. And, by “a form of slavery” I do not mean “the form of slavery that existed in the Americas until (theoretically) the end of the Civil War in 1865.”

By slavery, I mean something like “A condition of subjection or submission characterized by lack of freedom of action or of will [1913 Webster].” Note that wageslavery meets these conditions. Also note that it doesn’t say involuntary subjection or submission, which nulls the “if you don’t like your job, quit; you still have free will” argument. Even so, in the end it’s always a question of how much subjection or submission the person is willing to endure. The idea that survival without enduring some level of subjection or submission in our society is impossible is constantly reiterated everywhere you look. And, ironically, the self-made entrepreneur remains one of the fundamental archetypes of capitalist culture.

The Tenacity of Hope

Before we eat dinner together, my family does a blessing each night. Much of the time, we hold hands, center ourselves, and say what we are thankful for in that moment. Tonight, I said I was thankful for the tenacity of hope.

Over the past 2 months since my last post, I’ve vacillated back and forth between genuine optimism regarding the Obama campaign, to utter pessimism about the state of American politics in general. Both remain valid points of view in my opinion.

Clearly, yesterday’s elections were historic moments, and you can feel a palpable sense of relief and optimism, as well as a renewed sense of hope.

As I watched Obama’s speech last night at midnight, I got very emotional, with tears strolling down my face. Apparently I was in good company, but I suspect my emotions were quite different from these 2 iconoclast African-Americans.

You see, I so want to believe what Obama is saying, that he really is about change, that he wants to make this world a better place for all people. But as I’ve written here, the memory of 1992 lingers too fresh in my mind, and I just can’t quite force myself to abandon my knowledge of history and cling to a false hope.

But one thing is already different, which is surprising and pleasing. The tone of American political dialogue already has shifted from Bu$hite rhetoric of spending the “political capital” he earned from the American people after stealing his second-term election, of arrogance and aggression, of not listening to the throngs of people protesting in the streets, to one of working together for a common good. A small sampling:

In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let’s resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long…. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. To those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.
—Barack Obama

I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.
—John McCain

Last night, I had a warm conversation with President-elect Barack Obama. I congratulated him and Senator Biden on their impressive victory. I told the President-elect he can count on complete cooperation from my administration as he makes the transition to the White House…. It will be a stirring sight to watch President Obama, his wife, Michelle, and their beautiful girls step through the doors of the White House. I know millions of Americans will be overcome with pride at this inspiring moment that so many have awaited so long.
—George W Bush

This was an exercise in American democracy of which Americans across the political spectrum are justifiably proud. President-Elect Obama was inspirational and I’m certain he will continue to be. The Department of State will do everything that we can, and I personally will do everything that I can, to ensure that this is a smooth transition…. I want to close on a personal note, as an African-American, that I am especially proud.”
–Condoleezza Rice

Every American ought to celebrate tonight. It is a hopeful and optimistic thing for our country, and for the world it’s a great symbol of what America’s all about.”
—Karl Rove

This type of dialogue is to be expected at the end of an election, but the shift in tone is palpable.

Ultimately, time will tell. Hope is tenacious inside me, yet I remain cautious. I think things will change, at least a little bit. After the Democrats won the house a few years back, I remember deriding the “wave of optimism” that would no doubt sweep the country. But this feels different. Obama has charisma, there is no doubt about that.

Let’s see if he manages to do anything.

What I urge those people carried away by their optimism, hope, and relief to remember is the same thing I’ve been saying all throughout this campaign season. The sum total of American politics, for the people, does not begin and end on election day. Obama has been elected. Now the real work begins.

DNC = Does Not Compute?

“Now is not the time for small plans. Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation.”
–Barack Obama, 2008 Democratic Nomination Acceptance Speech

I’ve been following the Obama story with great interest, and saw most of the big speeches from the Democratic National Convention. This is unusual for me, because I’d stopped listening to politics for the most part. Obama definitely has charisma, and is a spectacular orator.

And the thing that is throwing me off, is that I actually agree with 8 out of 10 things he says. This is unprecedented. Even when I supported Nader in 2000, it was probably 7 out of 10.

However, past experience (namely Clinton in 1992-1997 or so) tells me that politicians like this, even one as obviously skilled as Obama, are all talk. I remember the euphoria from 1992 when Clinton was elected. I remember thinking, “we won.” And yet, by 1996 I was thinking that in his 2nd term, Clinton would actually do things to change the world in his 2nd term, when he didn’t have to worry about re-election. But by 2000, things were worse and I was really disillusioned about the American political process.

The point I have to remember is one I’ve articulated many times on this blog: Democrats and Republicans each serve the power structure in different ways. Republicans push the line as far as they can get away with, and the Democrats hold position, offering a little relief (at least in comparison), until the next Republican president takes office.

The point of American politics is not to actually solve problems, but rather to pacify the American people into idle, comfortable submission and apathy. Therefore, no politician in his right mind will say something that isn’t immediately agreeable.

So my biggest problem with all this is that it’s just a political system that I don’t trust, that I believe is broken, and that I don’t see how can be fixed. So why participate in it? On the other hand, the pragmatic argument is that suffering is likely to ease somewhat if Obama ends up president. But who knows.

So even if we assume that the system works, a point that I’m very much NOT prepared to grant, there are still many problems with all this.

  • One important issue to me is the issue of intellectual property, as readers of this blog doubtlessly know. Joe Biden is on the wrong side of intellectual property debate. This alone makes it difficult to get behind Obama/Biden.
  • I find it ironic that Obama said that Bill Clinton made “the case for change as only he can make it” during his speech, given how the issue of change was itself precisely the cornerstone of my disillusionment and disappointment during the Clinton administration.
  • Whatever happened to “war is good for the economy”?
  • It’s extremely interesting that, 8 years after the Nader run in 2000, Obama is using Nader’s argument for change. But rather than “there is no difference between Republicrats and Demicans,” he’s saying “there is no difference between the Bush administration and a possible McCain administration.” Perhaps Nader’s message has been absorbed more deeply than many realize.
  • I have a HUGE issue with the Democrat’s repeated insistence on clinging to outmoded ideals that “a job is dignity.” One’s work is one dignity, whether or not one is waged for it. The fact that people must wageslave for 40 hours per week, and still struggle to meet their economic obligations under the system of wageslavery, is criminal. For all his hope, Barack Obama still believes that making sure MORE people participate in this system is the best way to help the American economy.

All these arguments are true, and plain to my eye. However, I still must concede that the pragmatic argument above carries weight in my soul. If Obama becomes President, it is likely that suffering will be reduced compared to a Bush or McCain presidency. Therefore, vote for Obama.

It is because of this argument, and ONLY because of this argument, that as it stands now I will vote for Obama in November. But I will NOT allow my participation in American politics to end there. The system is broken, and needs a serious upgrade.

Good citizenry goes beyond voting once every leap year.

Don’t you feel safe?

For the first time in history, a country has more than 1% of its adult population in prison.

And that country, dear readers, is The United States, as reported by The Correctional News, a trade magazine for the prison industry.

Do you think maybe that there is a trade magazine for the prison industry has anything to do with this fact? Think about it: there are annual trade shows for the prison industry, where they get together to figure out how to increase profits.

No, that can’t be related.

Fuel

I took a nice ride tonight on our scooter, about 60 miles round trip, down Route 35 (mostly) from New Gloucester to Hollis. It’s still chilly in Maine, it’s been going into the low 40s at night. Tonight it was raining for the second half of the trip.

I’ve been reading several books by Emma Restall-Orr. I have 3 of her books, all of which approach various subjects from the point of view of druidry. Her newest book is about Pagan ethics, which is a subject near to my heart; there are many overlaps between this book and the book I’ve had in my head for a while. It’s philosophical, but not academic. Another of her books discusses being with your environment, tuning in to what is happening around you. So while it was cold, and wet, it was great fun just whizzing through it at 37 miles per hour.

It was good to clear my head. Since I started working from home a few months ago, I don’t get out of our place much. I’ve been spending lots of time outdoors lately, building garden beds. They’re done now, we’ll plant this weekend. I’ve been so busy with everything, I’ve not had as much time for my normal creative endeavors, mostly music and writing. My creativity has gone into the new job, and into the garden beds.

I’m not bitching, just describing. There is plenty of time for everything.

The warm weather is nearly here. Summer is coming. This is a good thing.

a numbers milestone: 100, 411, and 309.8

So what is 100 pounds? 200 rolls of toilet paper. 1 cubic foot of topsoil. 6 average car tires. 23 2-liter bottles of soda. 7 Edgars (my daughter’s poodle). 3,024 compact discs.

100 pounds is also the amount of weight I have lost from my highest known weight, about 15 years ago.

I once weighed 411 pounds. Very likely, I weighed more than that, as after seeing that unfathomable number on the scale I went for several years without weighing myself.

This morning, I got on the scale, and it read 309.8. For the first time I am below 311, which means I’ve lost more than 100 pounds.

There are many reasons for the weight loss (walking, eating vegetarian/vegan, shovelgloving, the No-S Diet, t’ai chi, yoga) but my latest round of weight loss has come from the master cleanse fast. I’m presently on day 7 of the fast.

It is possible that when I break the fast I will put some weight back on. I’m already budgeting for this mentally, but I have some ideas about how to stabilize and continue the weight loss. Overall my weight stays pretty steady; I’ve been at 325 fairly consistently for 2 years now.

Anyway, forgive this moment of exuberance and self-indulgence over personal accomplishment, but GO ME! :-D

fukk da pope!

Can you believe this nonsense? The pope and George W hanging out like old buddies, with all the pomp and ceremony around it?

And listen to what they’re saying: the pope was talking about the sexual abuse scandal among catholic priests in the US, but changed to subject to say: “”What does it mean to speak of child protection when pornography and violence can be viewed in so many homes through media widely available today?”

Yeah, widely-available pr0n is the problem. Not the destructive behavior of sexually-repressed men in positions of spiritual authority. Let’s blame the fact that kids might see sex on a screen somewhere. Not those who actually decide to attack and violate these children.

Then to show just how full of cr@p all of this is, George W piped up: “In a world where some treat life as something to be debased and discarded, we need your message that all human life is sacred.”

Sigh. Where to begin.

But don’t worry. Things will be better soon when Obillary is in the White House.

Mmm hmmm.

No, really.

Q&A

A Seeker’s Question: Why do we continue to do things to ourselves that we KNOW are not good for us, that we know will harm us and bring no enduring benefit?

A Shaman’s Answer: Because we are not yet good enough at loving ourselves.