Trouble at Home, Throwing in the Towel

I apologize for not having written in awhile, but I've been out of the country for a job interview and orientation in Bangkok, plus I have to get all the shit in my house ready to move out. ABWF asked me to write something about the experience so here it goes. They say that spending time in far off lands gets you some perspective on your home country, and that was certainly evident in my recent escapades. I'm going to work for an NGO that promotes economic development in rural areas in Thailand and Cambodia later this year. They took me to some villages in the Isan (Northeastern) area of Thailand, which is characterized as the most economically depressed and depending mostly on agriculture. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't similar to wandering into a bamboo hut village in the middle of the jungle like in old Vietnam movies and it was anything but pathetic.

Everywhere you look people were loading up trucks full of rice bound for the markets in the city. Children were busying themselves going to and from schools on scooters. And, vendors were attempting to sell us coconuts with the tops chopped off for 10-20 baht a piece. In short, these people were working diligently to improve their situation and not waiting on the revolving door government in Bangkok to come give them a handout.

If you compare this reality with what's happening in America, it's downright frightening to experience how quickly our own country is declining due to our lack of gumption. The massive government giveaway program was passed by the President while I was away and our deficit is expected to approach WWII-era levels, which is no small chunk of change. It comes as no surprise that the stock market continues to tank as there is little hope for prosperity in the future under such a crushing amount of debt as politicians continue to buy voting blocs off with tax dollars. Instead of pulling ourselves up by the proverbial bootstraps, most Americans just seem to be looking for more handouts to continue funding living beyond our own means. The well-deserved rant of CNBC's Santelli against using taxpayer dollars to pay for people's irresponsible investment in the real estate market was met with scorn by the White House Press Secretary. I didn't know that it was the White House's job to attack critical media, but I guess Gibbs is taking notes from the Hugo Chavez playbook. These rubes received extensive tax breaks to build their little shrines to their own egos out in the burbs, and now we have to bail out these assholes? Fuck that. And look how these sheisters are repaying us using the Puget Sound area as an example.

The traffic from Seattle to suburban Bellevue is a complete clusterfuck and in serious need of better mass transit options to alleviate congestion and uphold Washington state's green image. But skeezy homeowners are already mounting opposition. From the Seattle Times:

But that convenience would unleash construction, congestion and noise upon the area, and some neighborhood residents are determined to keep light rail away from their streets.

"I believe when we bought into this neighborhood we bought into the single-family lifestyle," said Renay Bennett, president of the Bellecrest Neighborhood Association. "We like the 'burbs."

What the hell. It's like people want to live in their own little enclaves with all the benefits of civilizations minus all the inconveniences. Hemingway was certainly correct when he opined years ago on the suburbs as having "Wide Lawns and Narrow Minds". Because of attitudes like this, I have great pessimism about the future of America. This, of course, kills me to say, because I want America to be the best and brightest and spent 6.5 years in her service. But, looking at modern trends and our sad attempt to live in a Ponzi economy, it just seems like we are going to wither away. Our best bet is going to be to make sauces and trinkets for Asian tourists who come visit our country to see what a fallen giant looks like. They say that the children are our future, but looking at how they are perceiving our current fundamentals, they aren't inspiring confidence either.

(pic from Moonbattery)

Why the DNC Makes Me Hate America

...my head really hurts...

It's often been remarked by my cohorts and I that we should just get out of this damn country and open a go-go bar with babes on roller skates in Thailand or something. You know, just sort of give up on life. At no time has that feeling been more sharp than tonight's viewing of the MSNBC coverage on the Democratic convention. The weeping delegates, the chortling MSNBC commenters practically in a fit of lust over their messiah, the stupid fucking signs, the dorky white people dances to crummy songs you hear on your local "soft rock" radio station, and the grandiose setup in a secured building that is presumably supposed to be speaking to the "common man".

The festivities started off with Ted Kennedy looking all schmoozy and smug on his yacht followed by a wretched speech about how he was the savior of America by directing taxpayer dollars from one group of Americans to another under the guise of healthcare. Shoveling money from point A to point B with a monstrous buraeucracy in between somehow makes one a benefactor and a hero in this day and age, I suppose. I would've thought it was, you know, the people like doctors and nurses that actually patch you up when you get ill or injured, but in this fucked up world, it's the guy cramming the gun of the state down your throat demanding money from you that supposedly goes to "help people out". They never talk about the money that gets lost in corruption or the cash that goes to some asshole trial lawyer so he can put another diamond ring on his fat finger. But money is overrated and you can get by in America with just a little and still "take a lot of pride in what I am" as Merle Haggard once said, what really is disturbing is the fact that these politicians create a narrative that we truly need them. That we are hopelessly irresponsible and incapable of existing without the state involved in every little affair of our personal lives. We allow government to exist, and the shit the government should be doing like infrastructure development, killing the enemy (this decade it has been Islamic extremists), and policing our streets has become woefully inadequate.

Instead these politicians that places like the DNC breed say we don't need to build up oil infrastructure, because we can just ship money overseas and get it somewhere else. Who wants a big ugly oil refinery in view of their place of recreation because it might interrupt their golf swing. They call us bad enivronmental stewards because we want to build it in America, where it could have proper emission controls, but they want it somewhere else, where the environmental regulations are more stodgy. They said we're torturing people in Gitmo and fighting and unjust war in Iraq. Well, why did you send us into Iraq in the first place, you motherfuckers? We're doing the best we can, and all you can people can do is knife us in the back, holding our pay hostage, in order to score a few political points with malcontents. A least people fighting the wars believe in a cause, while politicians seem more interested in hypnotizing voters that if they don't vote for their special interest groups you are some kind of degenerate. The moral superiority was rife at the DNC. Look at Michelle Obama. I'm a Horatio Alger story, but you people are all disgraces who would be drooling all over yourselves if it wasn't for the compassion of people like me and my husband. C'mon. And what was that bullshit about the military family who has an empty seat because the spouse is in Iraq? Does that imply that every military member is a victim because they got swindled into Bush's propaganda scheme. At least they believe in a cause greater than themselves, instead of trying to vote themselves largess and free government giveaways at the election.

There have been so many sychopants ranting on and on about the hope and change of what the Obama ticket is going to bring, that they have cast all self-criticism aside in favor of blindly following their leader to utopia. But there is no Wizard of Oz at the end of this suckass quest. Just a forced servitude to the government so that we are perpetually in debt and perpetually afraid to cast doubt as the world crumbles around us. My ancestors crossed the Atlantic for this bullshit? A better plan would be to set concrete goals asking Americans to make specific sacrifices. Afghanistan is in trouble, let's increase the size of our military with more recruits. Our electrical infrastructure is horrendous, more people should study engineering in college. Culture is degraded, turn off the reality TV and go see a local play. The industrial base is collapsing, more people should start businesses and learn a trade. But that's never going to happen in this day of "what has the world done for me lately?", because Americans only want to vote to indulge themselves in self-gratification. And when politicians make people feel like they are completely helpless, and that voting will make all the difference, it's such an easy sell.

(Note: If you read all this stupid, incomprehensible bullshit, you probably share the sentiment of this guy.)

Destiny

Mankind is unique due to the capability of abstract thought, which has allowed us to progress from mere anomalies of the animal kingdom to our current modern civilization. As tribes of people began to congregate and unite under various banners throughout time, disputes have arisen. Various tribes were beholden to different ideologies and some were ruled by oppressors seeking to impose their harsh rule over their subjects. While leaders of these people often bickered with one another, a failure of diplomacy often led to hostile conflict. War could best be described as a crass, barbaric act, pitting man versus man in a struggle for survival. To the victor go the spoils. As people became more educated and allowed more freedom to express their opinion, many of these influential thinkers exposed the horrendous consequences of tyranny and its absolute power. The strength of a nation lied within the ideas and innovation inherent in all of its citizens, not one corrupted ideal of an all-powerful overseer.

A nation emerged, which was unique at the time, focusing on the rule of law and natural rights granted to all individuals. A courageous war against a terribly powerful foe was fought to ensure that the abstract concept of liberty could be enforced under a nation-state without the corruption imposed by a meddling outside authority. However, the implementation of equality and liberty did not come immediately to fruition, internal strife and hatred remained a norm in some aspects of society. Over time, these irreconcilable beliefs were exposed for the atrocities they were, and when things could not be resolved politically, war was imminent.

The last two centuries have been unique in that the extensive modernization and industrialization of our civilization have brought about the capability to shorten distance and communication between foreign nation-states. It has also allowed tyrants hell-bent on conquering land and resources the ability to conduct large-scale campaigns of genocide to purge society of elements they see as undesirable. This is a philosophically untenable solution as it is barbaric in its implementation, violating the very concept of natural rights to life and liberty which we collective arose from the ashes to secure. These horrific lunatics must be stopped in a modern society, as the collapse of even a small sector of our fragile civilization can have profound implications for our future existence.

Ironically, war has been a collective action necessary over time to prevent the destruction of the threads which binds our civilization together. The individual people who have so bravely sacrificed have not been a distinctive warrior class, but rather average citizens of our Republic who have performed extraordinary acts of courage. We choose to honor these men and women once a day on Memorial day, but we must carry in our hearts the high cost of their selfless sacrifice to orevent the destruction of our modern society as we progress on. Their death shall never be in vain, but rather is the highest cost to which we owe our modern existence.

Recommended Reads for Memorial Day:

• Merlin's Story on AP (R.I.P.)
• Flanders Fields Poem on Wired
• Reflection from Hot Air
• Photos from Miserable Donuts (in Iraq)
• Thanks from Jawa Report
• Sacrifice from Sandgram
• Awareness from Abu Muqawama
• Missive from The Sniper
• Remembrance from Angry American
• Rolling Thunder from This Ain't Hell

The Problem With Civilian Control of Policy

I already know that people are going to take this post the wrong way and think that I want some Musharraf-style "President for Life" military dude with a sash and a bunch of made up medals running the show in America. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is merely a rant designed to rail against the current people in charge of influencing policy decisions.

City Journal recently had an article (h/t Reason) about a bunch of iconoclasts reminiscing on their radical days from the most important time on earth since Jesus was resurrected: the 1960s. Honestly, I don't think we are ever going to not hear about 60s nostalgia from these aging boomers, even after they have long since retired to old folks homes that offer yoga and an organic garden. The people featured in this article are now quite influential in their own right, and speak with much self-appraisal about the heady days of their youth. While a lot of them talk about the horrors of the Vietnam war, I was surprised that no one mentioned in the article actually served in Vietnam. Perhaps that's why we have to listen to this treasonous douche talk about hanging out with the enemy:

The Americans who showed up in Bratislava were a motley combination of long-haired hippie types from the counterculture and the emerging underground press, earnest community and antiwar organizers, and a handful of New Left journalists and academics. Most were in their mid- to late twenties. Our Vietnamese counterparts were older, hardened revolutionaries, dressed in almost identical black pants and jackets, and they seemed to be under strict Communist Party discipline.

Holy shit! And they let these "Americans" back into the country, who were hanging out with and even idolizing the enemy. I suppose we have our useful idiots in America snapping smileytime photos with Hugo Chavez, but at least Venezuela isn't a government actively at war with the United States. The author goes on about SDS guy, Tom Hayden, who was married to traitor Jane Fonda shown below:








But from day one, it was clear that Hayden and some of his acolytes were trying to move our group toward a more “advanced” position than the one still maintained by the mainstream U.S. peace movement. Hayden wasn’t interested in ending the war so much as making an alliance with the other side. At one of the final plenary sessions, he gave a long speech summarizing the conference’s accomplishments and emphasizing our need to work together for the common objective: a Vietnam liberated and unified—by the Communists.

I'm not going to opine on the justification of the Vietnam war, but if a country goes to war with other nation, and you support the other side, you should probably renounce your citizenship. Instead Tom Hayden is living the dream in America, now focusing on the Iraq war or the "dirty war" as he calls it. His influence on foreign policy is still inherent as he is featured at The Huffington Post on a regular basis, despite the fact that he supported a regime that was killing Americans who got drafted (unlike him).

There seems to be a theme of a relentless quest for power running through these people's diatribes, and if American troops are willing to die at the hands of a "morally superior" enemy in their mind, then clearly the end state will always justify the means in their schemes for the world. That's why I am skeptical when prominent leftists publications, like the NY Times, run articles about the veterans of our generation. This series of articles a few months ago portrayed vets as homicidal maniacs. The end result of this is to marginalize veterans from the current mainstream society as a nuisance and the purpose is clearly overt. The seemingly compassionate pieces about veterans issues such as PTSD, GI suicide, are often merely disguised as such to discredit the current administration's strategy in Iraq and a ploy to further ostracize the veteran community from society. Sure they raise awareness about mental health issues for veterans, but what is really the intent? Most likely to use the politically correct "support the troops" tagline as a political cover. In all fairness, on the other side of the political sphere, you've got guys like Cheney with multiple deferments from the draft, who are now beating the drums for war with Iran. A conflict that could probably be resolved through diplomatic engagement (or at least should be attempted).

So we have people in power seeking to make us look pathetic, while at the same time making horrendous policy decisions (the right got us into the Iraq war, and the left wants to pull us out precipitously, and in Hillary's case, she is of both schools of thought). I'm not saying I have the answers to all of our problems, but the machine is already in motion to make us look like pathetic imbeciles. I give props to civilians who want to see us get good benefits and be taken care of, but you have to question the motivation of those in power. A clever ruse indeed, they almost tricked me. Best to fight it appropriately.

Your future in their eyes?

The Collapse

More dumb Sunday ramblings...

As Americans, we long ago established a constitution and fought a war against our imperial masters that would enable prosperity by ensuring the average citizen had the right to life and liberty. No longer would we be virtual slaves to some nobleman or monarch, and we were free to pursue an existence that we saw fit, provided it fell within the rule of law. This framework is necessary for the collective undertaking of building a nation and culture, as a variety of different individuals and their expertise are necessary to a productive society. No one person can have all the know-how for the ever evolving complexity of our modern world. Over time, our freedom to prosper became synonymous with a freedom to vegetate and languish, and a freedom from the burden of life.



Politicians responded to this plea from our citizenry by making promises that they could never keep and our nation could never afford. A laundry list of programs provided by the "benevolent" state ensured that we would be beholden to our masters in suits and ties speaking from the pulpit. Taxes were increased in this vicious cycle of dependence and their corporate partners would ensure they could sell people things they could never afford by allowing government protection to charge such usury on debts. This cycle of being cared for like children, while having a mechanized construct to throw our money away on products we didn't really need, ensured cradle-to-grave debt where we could never speak out against our masters for fear of retribution. The concept of debt to the state which wields overwhelming power would ensure that we would be shackled and allowed to play with our shiny new toys.

How long can we carry on as a nation that equates prosperity with material wealth, when we have only limited resources, and how long will this cycle perpetuate. Our society is so compartmentalized that it would be incredibly difficult to function without one another, and the politicians that sought to control us like sheep, do not have the skills necessary to produce the necessities for human existence. Meanwhile, we avoid technical knowledge that is key to our prosperity and outsource it to countries whose names we cannot pronounce. In a period of uncertainty about the future of our habitat and possible collapse of our society which binds us together, the quest for true intellect and technical knowledge becomes all the more imperative.

Who pulls the strings that keeps our flimsy nation together. Speculation could only conclude that it is the same people who wish to see us weak and stupid. This ensures that we have utter obedience to our masters for fear of the unknown. That way we can play in the sun, as long as we are all good little boys and girls, who don't step out of line.

At times, we resemble the Eloi (h/t HG Wells): playing, fucking, and ignorant to the world around us. Only to have a morlock come around and eat us for dinner.

Generation Y-We Suck

Burt Prelutsky writes an excellent article for Pajamas Media characterizing the 1960s long-hair, draft-dodgin', leftistas as a mere self-indulgent movement that stood on the good side of the civil rights movement, but was wrong about everything else. I sent the article to Generation X scholar, Wek of Latchkey Man, for his further analysis, since there has always been some underlying generational tension with that demographic of the population. Not without justification either, as Gen Xers will most likely have to foot most of the bill as the boomers retire off to their expensive yoga retreats to become one with the cosmos...at a very heavy cost to the taxpayer. Being born in 1980, I kind of hoped I was part of the angst-ridden generation that had good taste in movies like "Slacker" and viewed the world with a cynical eye. But, alas, I think I was born several years too late, as I am part of, arguably, the worst generation in the history of America!

At Least the Baby Boomers Knew How to Have Good Times

If you were lucky enough to avoid service in Vietnam, it seems to me like the 60s might have been a blast! Lots of sex, drugs, partying, which was followed by the economic boom in the 80s to ensure you had that nest egg set up so that you could golf on the weekends, but still have those Hendrix LPs on standby lest anyone call you a "sellout". At least these people stood for something, Gen Y doesn't stand for shit! The only common trait I have found among people my age is there undeniable love for themselves that cannot be penetrated with any sort of constructive criticism. This is the result of a terrible array of mainstream culture that focuses on the melodrama and importance of incredibly vapid personalities which can be found on MTV reality type shows. MTV used to have classics like "Headbanger's Ball" and "Beavis and Butthead" that highlighted angst and frustration in a chaotic and imperfect world. Now all I hear about are these princess types celebrating their own existence with bullshit like "Sweet 16" (what the fuck has anyone at 16 done with their life to deserve these luxuries?). No doubt, these gals are sought after by gel-haired douchebags decked out in the latest hipster fashion in a major bid for attention. People of my generation are so caught up with going to the gym, staying healthy, and not learning anything along the way, that this phenomenon will certainly propel legions of ignorant pleasure-seekers well into their old age.

Dude...seriously, just stab yourself

What the hell are we doing?!? Gen Y has nothing to show as far as cultural or intellectual achievements because of this self-absorbed paradigm that will certainly beget the downfall of civilization. As far as I am concerned, the greatest calling for our generation to actually achieve something was defeating terrorism after 9/11. I'm not saying that everyone should gear up and join the military, but recruiters can't even get the bare minimum of interested applicants according to this Navy Times article (thanks Wek!). Is this due to the national malaise that the Iraq war has caused, or is it due to this viral infection of self-absorption that has swept my generation like a modern-day bubonic plague. The fact that people aren't even interested in what's going on with foreign policy and events suggests that it's probably due to the apathy, sadly. This NY Times article frankly discusses how even thinking about Iraq has been completely pushed out of the public mind to avoid any "unpleasant" thoughts. Well, that's not very reassuring as we are probably going to be here for years, and Afghanistan even longer.

Some Gave All...

To make such broad sweeping generalizations is unfair, which I understand. And I also think it's silly to think everyone should sign up with Uncle Sam. But can Gen Y people even work a regular 9-5 job? With an attitude that they are the little darlings of planet Earth, I don't see how. Work requires an individual to shut the hell up and do what the bossman or bosswoman tells you to. I have worked a lot of different jobs, and it seems to be a common theme (that's why they call it "work"). It's not supposed to be fun, it's not supposed to be "enhancing", and it's supposed to be totally lousy (that's why you get paid). Instead, I see people moaning and groaning about how their boss is mean and doesn't recognize their full potential. Shut the hell up and get back in your damn cubicle! Is it any wonder that people are borrowing more and more money off their parents to live their high-falutin' lifestyles of partying all weekend, while text-messaging their buddies during work hours? Is it up for debate that Gen Y people want a government that will provide them with all they need to sustain their completely unsustainable lifestyles? I suggest we step out of our solipsist role where our consumer-culture makes us function like sheep and start brainstorming. But what the fuck do I know, I'm just some asshole! If you know something Gen Y has accomplished, please rebuke my vile discontent in the comments thread. Excuse me while I update my Facebook page to let everyone know how awesome and important I am. Blegh!

...and many gave none

Deep-Seated Hatred of Yuppies

One bit of hatred I have fostered and have not been able to shake since adolescence is my scorn for yuppies. You know the type. The people founnd in urban and suburban dwellings with a foreign-made SUV sporting a camper attached to the roof, which is replete with bumper stickers about saving the environment and impeaching the president. Their endless quest to enhance their career, their wine and cheese parties, and their worship of their pets who get spa treatments all make me ill to my stomach. It's not so much an envy complex for what I don't possess, but rather a disgust for the entire culture. The fact that they attempt to "educate the public" for their paltry causes gives them moral justification to indulge themselves on an unsustainable lifestyle.

One thing I have found incredibly disturbing is their position on politics. I don't accuse them of apathy, but they tend to seek a political agenda which infringes on the life of everyone that doesn't subscribe to their creed. Yeah, they want public transportation, but for all the other people, jerks like you and me. They also seem to have some infatuation with bike lanes. What is this, the dark ages? Their desire to understand other cultures is not of a sense of respect or interest in history, but rather to exploit it for their own needs for the sake of authenticity. Because they don't want to admit that they are fake people, governed by their greed for endless consumption.
Their obsession with health and spending time at the gym is merely a distraction to avoid any discussion of their vapid souls while in a social setting. Because, it is only through struggle and hardship that we can gain experience and wisdom. The endless quest for hedonism and this "Garden of Eden" mentality that pervades our very shops and cafes in our city streets is untenable in a society of multiple individuals and it must be accepted that not everyone is going to be the same. This "Self-Confidence" and "Self-Esteem" that hack television hosts have been peddling for years fails to address the concept of humility. Only when you realize that you are not God's gift to humanity can you listen to others and gain knowledge from their insight. I've never thought that I had all the right answers, but I have been able to learn quite a bit from a variety of individuals from various backgrounds due to paying attention and not trying to come off like I am better than them. Perhaps, this is why I harbor so much hatred. It may be due to the fact that I deplore when people think they are somehow better than everyone else. Because this would imply that their is an "ideal" human being, when our modern world clearly indicates that ideals are subjected to a lot of discourse and debate.

Some may construe my hatred to me being part of the cult of victimization, where I see other people's actions as belittling and demeaning to my own. This is far from the truth, as the quickest way to enlightenment is through disavowing mere material luxuries. Only then can the truth be known. I have a lot to stay about willfully stupid people, but I'll save that for another day.

Iraq in the Talking Points (More Bizarre Sunday Rambling)

There is an article today about a well-to-do New Yorker who decided to shun the life of glamour and join the Army. If you thought the military was mostly brain-dead hicks, you would be incredibly wrong. The military is the one of the few professions where it doesn’t really matter your socio-economic background before joining. Once you get to Boot Camp/OCS you are all equally worthless as the Full Metal Jacket line goes. Of course, you learn things, sometimes the hard way, and become more and more respected. This type of submission of will to a collective entity seems like it could conflict with our generation’s mantra of self-importance, but you would be surprised at how much you can live once you realize that your existence isn’t the most important thing in the universe. This paradigm is seemingly incompatible with understanding an issue like Iraq, where most Americans self-style themselves with having little invested. Therefore, something as monolithic as war has slipped into something as trite as stating “What’s in it for me?”

War is an ugly, nasty business and I would be hard-pressed to find anyone who thought otherwise. But one thing I have been fascinated with is how war is incorporated into the political spectrum and into the media. Immediate access to the gruesome reality of war is, literally, one-click away. Jihadi videos beheading hostages can be viewed on Live Leak, the media can have a reporter who snaps a photo of a car bomb that has just detonated in a Baghdad marketplace and have it on the internet in minutes, and soldiers can tell their tales of the horror and triumph with one trip to the blogosphere. While there is certainly nothing that can compare with the first-hand experience, all of this information has the ability to bring the passive observer closer to the reality of war. Yet, there seems to be a growing disconnect by the American citizenry and the long lasting conflict in Iraq. People talk of Iraq as if it is a simple issue with two political parties vying for power in an election year. The Iraq war is just a bumper sticker that conveniently ignores the amount of life lost and is a mere five-second soundbite on the evening news.

This disaffiliation is a natural outcome of largesse unfortunately. The reason it is dangerous is due to the fact that people either willfully want to rush off onto another ill-prepared endeavor into a foreign country or they choose to ignore the consequences of abandoning Iraq at the present time. Counter-points to these arguments are, in general, equally as frivolous: “cut-and-run”, “no blood for oil”, “defeatocrats”, “warmongers”, etc. While Iraq can be discussed rationally for endless hours, the complexities of the biggest conflict of the decade usually degrade into a few quick tidbits of information. This gross misconception of the war can permit people to act in a simple-minded fashion and resort to attacks on the opposition with tenuously held beliefs. Democracy is the least worst form of government, but can we allow political swindlers vying for power to take advantage of an electorate that has so little understanding. I do not advocate an emperor to rule over us subjects, but I advocate encouraging folks to comprehend the complex dynamic of what is happening in this beleaguered country. That’s all I can hope for. My own existence is unimportant, but a few decent ideas from a large group of individuals can contribute to a better society. That's all I can hope for at this point.