America Needs A Shrink

Conservatism is dead. At least, it should be. The strongest fiber running through conservative ideology, the core if you will, was the notion of government NOT interfering in business. It was, above all else, orthodox capitalism.

Oh well, we can throw that out the window.

Now the truth of conservatism is revealed for what it really is: A group of people who agree to agree, no matter what. Facts, history, science and consequences are all irrelevant. Common sense be damned, all that matters is solidarity with one another. It is truly a confederacy of dunces.

This cancer has metastasized in the breast of the American spirit. It is hardened, lethal, and spreads if unchecked.

In fact, you could argue that because of the constant obstructions of conservatives the progress of the world and even all of humanity have been held back.

Since facts, history, science and consequences are all irrelevant to the conservatives what then is the point of arguing with them?

That's why we always lose.

They will never reform, there won't be any awakening. They will simply cling to one another until the Armageddon they so fervently pray for happens.

Again, I cannot emphasize enough, their only strength is solidarity. From the lowly talk show caller to the president and all through the ranks their only refuge is in each other.

Why?

In my opinion, almost all of their reactionary tendencies are rooted in fear. They are simply afraid. They are not necessarily cowards, but deep, deep down, they are all afraid. There is some scientific evidence backing up this theory. The study quoted below measured the body's involuntary fear response to certain stimuli. The results were statistically significant and very intriguing. Consider this:

"In the study, the scientists recruited 46 volunteers living in Lincoln, Nebraska, all of whom had strong political beliefs. They were asked for their opinions on a wide variety of controversial issues. All the questions concerned social or international issues, rather than economic matters.

The participants were then given two laboratory tests, to establish their physiological responses to frightening or unexpected stimuli. In the first test, they viewed 33 images, three of which were distressing or threatening: a large spider on the face of a frightened person; a dazed person with a bloody face; and maggots in an open wound. The scientists measured the electrical conductance of the skin, a standard measure of distress and arousal.

In the second test, the volunteers were subjected to a loud, unexpected noise, with scientists measuring the involuntary blinking that followed. A strong startle response is indicative of heightened fear and arousal. The results, which are published in the journal Science, revealed significant differences in both responses, which corresponded with people’s political views. Those with “markedly lower physical sensitivity to sudden noises and threatening visual images” tended to support liberal positions, while those with strong responses tended to be more conservative.

This would fit with the hypothesis that people who have more fearful responses to perceived threats are more likely to be conservative, while those who have weaker responses develop more liberal views."

What Are They Really So Afraid Of?

I don't know, the mind of the conservative has always been opaque to me. For the life of me I could never understand what makes these people tick.

But from this reservoir of collective fear many hateful, backwards, reckless, and incompetent actions have sprung which have harmed many people.


What Can Be Done About It?

I don't know, these people need more than just a hug.

Iraq War veterans with Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder are often treated by gradually exposing themselves to the things that trigger a fight/flight response and (it is hoped) by immersion and therapy any disproportionate or irrational reactions are watered down to the point that they are manageable.

Perhaps conservatives should be outfitted with virtual reality goggles and sent to do a little window shopping in the West Village.

"Oh my god it's a gay couple... RUN!!!"

In all seriousness, I think the three pronged, 24hr. cable news assault is the perfect fuel for the subconscious conservative fire.

Since shutting them down is unrealistic I think the only way to coax conservatives out of their bomb shelters is through some kind of foreign exchange program in their formative years. If all Americans were immersed in and forced to adapt to a different culture for a fixed period of time I believe it would burst the bubble enough for a little light to shine through.

I am not the first person to suggest this, I am merely walking you through my thought process. It just seems to me that we keep investing all of our energy into fighting them on the political front and we keep losing. While we must maintain that front we should open up another flank. We will never convince them and they will never change their mind. We must find a way to facilitate experiences for them that will open their hearts and minds because of their own discovery. Only then will the pathways of critical thinking and empathy appear to them as alternatives to the head-in-the-sand, lifeboat mentality.

I Think We're Dead

How did I miss this?

President/Hockey Mom

Does anyone else worry about a self-described "hockey-mom" having the gravitas to be commander-in-chief?

Ex: "Settle down right now or I'm stopping the car! Then I'l nuke ya' like some leftover moose!"

Can you picture Sarah "Bush Doctrine?" Palin negotiating with foreign leaders? I can't.

Watch her not know what the Bush Doctrine is below. Even I know what it is and I don't run a goddamn thing. But I occassionaly read things besides the Bible and abstinence literature.

Sons Of Liberty

The true objective of protest is not to manifest change, but to be heard. The success of one group always comes at the expense of another. At least it is so perceived. The only way to break the energetic log-jam of disenfranchisement is to hurl terrible anathemas against the status quo. If the vanguard attack is met with some support then the manipulators can set up shop and the cycle continues.

Our political evolution is not marked by increased civility but rather by more antiseptic versions of the Molotov cocktail, the tar-and-feathers, and the Boston tea party.

Unfortunately, the more desperately people want to be heard the less willing they are to listen. They only become more craven in their attempts to hijack the pulpit. The more raucous the clamor for change the more daring its aspiring agents become, like seagulls stealing half eaten sandwiches from your beach blanket.

While these opportunists are easily scared off, they embolden the mob and soon enough the whole place is robbed blind and covered in shit.

An intelligent person (an oxymoron if there ever was one) might logically conclude that the whole fucking thing is pointless and throw their hands up. Escape is an attractive illusion. The thing is, like everything else, it gets old, and becomes just another backwater.

So then what? Intervention, rehab, rejuvenation? Just another platform for people who want to be heard rather than listen. Only this time it's you being bombarded by Molotov cocktails, tarred and feathered, and thrown overboard. The cycle continues.

The Buddha said,

"As a bee gathers honey from the flower, without harming its color or fragrance, even so a sage moves about the village."

- endquote.

What then?

The garden of life is full of weeds, parasites, and flowers. It is planted, grows, and dies. In between it may bear fruit or die from disease and neglect.

Anarchy and disorder can only till and fertilize the soil, while obsession may whittle away and neuter its harvest.

Expect to be stung. Mankind's thirst for truth is matched only by his contempt for it.

Practically speaking, what the fuck can you do?

Sing your song, as well as you can, be good and take care, as it stands in stark contrast to a world of mediocracy and endless repetition.

As Woody Guthrie once penned in a letter to Pete Seeger:

"Dear Pete,

Go fuck yourself.

-Woody."

Get Some...

In the spirit of equal time, here is a clip is from the RNC in Minneapolis/St. Paul. By the way, can they just pick one or the other for Christ's sake. Why do we always have to say both? Anyway, watch the protesters "get some."

Personally, I think this stuff is more interesting than Sarah Palin's daughter's baby daddy. The cops live for these conventions, they finally get to use all of their anti-terrorist training (against lawful American protesters).

Back It Up Bitch

This clip is from the Democratic National Convention. Watch freedom of speech in action. As well as its equal and opposite reaction, the freedom of the cops to kick your ass. Okay, that's not really in the constitution it's just the way things have always been and continue to be. Only now the pigs are smarter. Damn. This being America, the filmmaker here has naturally decided to try to capitalize on his 15 minutes of police brutality internet fame and market t-shirts commemorating the events shown in this video. GBA!