The contrasts between people here vs. the suffering peoples in the Middle East are eloquent, George. I think about these contrasts when I’m outdoors looking at spring delights and want to cry. One man and his cronies are wrecking our world.
I try to do all that I can to counter our freefall into a dystopian nightmare (and I know you do, and our readers -because we are readers). I find myself thinking -it would be nice to getaway for a weekend, or a rising interest in a new film or series to stream. And I recognize that even among activist peers, we have the privilege of abstraction -and our system is wired (more so now) to distract us from the reality of the suffering around us. And when the suffering is inflicted by us -through criminally corrupt leadership, elevated through the result of voter suppression, gerrymandering, the Electoral College, and Roberts bent SCOTUS, it provoked my memory of the http://adbusters.org powerful image on context that was and is worth far more than my words can convey.
That image is hard to forget, and we know that hundreds of photos this day could be taken in Ukraine, Iran, Gaza, Palestine contrasted to blind Americans having a normal life. The baseball photos and the money involved in the US are perfect. Have a good week, George.
This is so painful. I grew up in Germany after the war. We kids were told to stay away from the rubble of destroyed houses on every block, and to not play with bombs should we find one. The insulation of the U.S. was always obvious to me, and shocking. Last Saturday The Guardian reported that "5m tonnes of CO2 emitted in just 14 days of US war on Iran, analysis finds... draining the global carbon budget faster than 84 countries combined" -- batshit crazy. I visited Beirut in 1969, a beautiful city, called "the Paris of the Mediterranean" I think, and now the Israeli government is again trying to destroy it, like Gaza. You could pay me NOT to go to Saturday's NO KING 3, a whole lot, and I'd say "F..k you." But I'm almost 80 and I'm glad that I won't be around for that much longer. My daughter, the generations after -- well, it's sad.
Thank you Jessica. Advancing in age I am haunted by the words of Clarence Clemons -knowing I have more yesterdays than tomorrows. It drives me with a sense of urgency in my writing, speaking, and civ.works projects in the public interest.
I agree with you 1000% Jessica. We are in a privileged bubble and I cry everyday for the suffering I see. As Americans we don’t travel the world and see the destruction and hear the anger and disappointment from other countries about our governments lack of conscience or mercy. We used to be admired and now we are pitied.
George, your words really touched me. I feel the same way when I happen to watch the news on tv(not often) and I see Gaza and the horrible suffering or see the starvation in Africa and know what we took away in USAID. It makes me want to scream when many people can’t even acknowledge the damage we are doing to our brothers and sisters of the world.
Thank you for your voice and acknowledging what I also feel.
The contrasts between people here vs. the suffering peoples in the Middle East are eloquent, George. I think about these contrasts when I’m outdoors looking at spring delights and want to cry. One man and his cronies are wrecking our world.
I try to do all that I can to counter our freefall into a dystopian nightmare (and I know you do, and our readers -because we are readers). I find myself thinking -it would be nice to getaway for a weekend, or a rising interest in a new film or series to stream. And I recognize that even among activist peers, we have the privilege of abstraction -and our system is wired (more so now) to distract us from the reality of the suffering around us. And when the suffering is inflicted by us -through criminally corrupt leadership, elevated through the result of voter suppression, gerrymandering, the Electoral College, and Roberts bent SCOTUS, it provoked my memory of the http://adbusters.org powerful image on context that was and is worth far more than my words can convey.
That image is hard to forget, and we know that hundreds of photos this day could be taken in Ukraine, Iran, Gaza, Palestine contrasted to blind Americans having a normal life. The baseball photos and the money involved in the US are perfect. Have a good week, George.
This is so painful. I grew up in Germany after the war. We kids were told to stay away from the rubble of destroyed houses on every block, and to not play with bombs should we find one. The insulation of the U.S. was always obvious to me, and shocking. Last Saturday The Guardian reported that "5m tonnes of CO2 emitted in just 14 days of US war on Iran, analysis finds... draining the global carbon budget faster than 84 countries combined" -- batshit crazy. I visited Beirut in 1969, a beautiful city, called "the Paris of the Mediterranean" I think, and now the Israeli government is again trying to destroy it, like Gaza. You could pay me NOT to go to Saturday's NO KING 3, a whole lot, and I'd say "F..k you." But I'm almost 80 and I'm glad that I won't be around for that much longer. My daughter, the generations after -- well, it's sad.
Thank you Jessica. Advancing in age I am haunted by the words of Clarence Clemons -knowing I have more yesterdays than tomorrows. It drives me with a sense of urgency in my writing, speaking, and civ.works projects in the public interest.
I agree with you 1000% Jessica. We are in a privileged bubble and I cry everyday for the suffering I see. As Americans we don’t travel the world and see the destruction and hear the anger and disappointment from other countries about our governments lack of conscience or mercy. We used to be admired and now we are pitied.
Aaaaagh!!!!!
George, your words really touched me. I feel the same way when I happen to watch the news on tv(not often) and I see Gaza and the horrible suffering or see the starvation in Africa and know what we took away in USAID. It makes me want to scream when many people can’t even acknowledge the damage we are doing to our brothers and sisters of the world.
Thank you for your voice and acknowledging what I also feel.
Thank you Rachel. I keep thinking of the world this could be -of peaceful collaboration versus what we’ve become.