Low-minded run-on

Dear diary,

Again, I wanna give my two cents on recent events — world events, political events — but I don’t wanna write an accurately researched essay. Why can’t I record my thots just for the sake of recording my thots? You look out into the world and see everyone else shouting incorrect opinions; Why shouldn’t I shout my own wrong opinions? Answer: Because the world has enough loudmouths, it doesn’t need yet another. OK, well some people see the cup as half full; others see it as half empty; but I believe in pouring in so much lava that the cup overflows. I believe in “too much”. So all you believers in “enough” (all you proper, measured, intelligent thinkers out there), sit down and shut up while I yell at you for a while.

Here we have Trump. (Donald Trump, U.S. Prez.) The year is 2018 for roughly ten more days; after that, it’ll be 2019, and we’ll still have Trump. Past 2020, Trump will be with us; and even 2023 and beyond, Trump will always be our Prez. (Cuz term limits will be removed, and after the man himself leaves this dimension, the Trump kids will serve as our Prezzes, one after another...) They say the nation is divided over Trump. By “the nation” they mean the U.S.A. (There are no other nations.) Now everyone sees Trump from a different perspective; everyone has her own life to live, and her own friends and co-workers and family who react to Trump differently. Most people love Trump. (I don’t know anyone who hates Trump.)

I don’t wanna talk about Trump – that’s the only reason I wrote that last (parenthetical) jokey sentence above, and the jokey sentence before it: cuz it’s hard for me to find, from my perspective, anyone who can even tolerate Trump, let alone love him, besides my mom and her friends at church. But if you wanna talk about world events in 2018, you gotta talk about Trump — at least a little: you can’t avoid admitting that he exists. And I wanna jot my thots down here about the recent war pullouts.

To pull the U.S. out of war: I call that a “war pullout”. Now I need to admit, before beginning to preach, that the world is moving so fast nowadays — things are so chaotic and prone to change from one second to the next — that probably what I say will be outdated by the time that my words reach the printing press; but all I can do is tell you the contents of my mind: and news reporters don’t offer me very much trustworthy info nowadays, at least not where I live; what they DO tell me is frequently inaccurate — almost always inaccurate. (How do I know this? I trust my gut. For God winks and nods and nudges me quite often.) But if what I knew were right, I’d have the best opinion about it; so just bear in mind that it’s not I, the solipsist, who’s wrong: what’s wrong is your interpretation of my intention: that’s what needs mending. In other words: If my facts don’t match reality, and my ideas are all stupid, then you’ve neglected to properly consider my true intention, which is, as usual, to be correct about reality and opine brilliantly; therefore you need an attitude adjustment.

So, as I write this, the News says that Trump is officially determined to pull the U.S. out of the Syrian War. The News says that Trump’ll do this within the next fortnight or seventy-two.

Now our first thot, as news-watchers, should be: I’ll believe it when I see it. And our next billion thots should blast out omnidirectionally:

First, how do you pull out of a WAR? — how is this even an option? If you get into a fight at a bar, you can’t just “pull out” of it. Cuz the guy who’s pummeling you with his fists will chase you around the tables, if you try to pull away from him. (Believe me, I have real-life experience in attempting to avoid this type of conflict.) But, I guess, what the U.S. is doing in Syria is not exactly like a bar-room brawl. Apparently the conflict in Syria is something you can join or leave at your leisure, like a cult or a coffee shop.

Now I’m all FOR the U.S. pulling out of ALL wars. So this news about pulling out of Syria is GOOD in general, no matter what. So, in at least some sense, Trump did a GOOD thing here, according to TRUTH (that is, according to ME). (And only IF this pullout actually happens, of course.) Tho I always assume that there’s a secret EVIL REASON behind any seemingly GOOD DEED that Trump enacts. (Do not read Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil, I beg you.) So, in this instance, I’m cautiously optimistic. (For all future instances, yes, I will continue to act ONLY in accordance with reckless pessimism.)

Also it’s odd how even a pacifist like myself can find some reason to have mixed feelings about a nation withdrawing from warfare. The problem is that, no matter how ugly my nation’s behavior is, in any given battle-torn region, there’s always some small group of fine beings who benefit from the United States’ role in the chaos; aside from the question of U.S. aims.

I keep harping on my recent obsession with David Graeber — every day, I’m blissfully overdosing on his lectures and books — and more than once, during speeches and interviews, I’ve heard Graeber mention his visit to Rojava, which is in Syria. You can easily search out and find and listen to Graeber’s words for yourself; so here in my diary I’ll just paraphrase what I remember from his addresses. Thus, take my misunderstanding with a grain of salt:

This place Rojava appeals to me; as it is right now, in its infancy; for its people seem to have built up a true, direct democracy, which looks alluringly matriarchal compared to our old patriarchy. I could go on & on giving details to support my love for Rojava, but I’d rather jump to hairier ideas — so just trust my view: it’s correct.

So Rojava is like a seedling for a potential paradise; and from what I understand, the U.S. presence was sorta shielding Rojava from the nation of Turkey, which apparently wants to destroy the people of Rojava. So this is where the complications arise, when you talk about how an essentially good thing like pulling out of war can actually have a calamitous silver lining. I still say it’s the best idea to pull out of all wars. But if, by the U.S. leaving Syria, the fine souls of Rojava face increased abuse by Turkey, then what should we say? Dear U.S.A. please remain in the conflict for the sake of Rojava?

But if we do send our leaders a letter asking them to remain at war so as to support a true democracy, and they agree to thwart Trump’s will and keep the U.S. in the conflict; then what’s the best-case scenario for an outcome?

Say that Rojava is saved; Rojava flourishes. Let’s say Turkey even loses interest and falls asleep on the couch watching Cable TV News, so that we have nothing to worry about from that nation any longer: they’re at peace with themselves and with all others. Now what? — Now, won’t the U.S. itself become the biggest threat to Rojava? For any true democracy that exists anywhere on earth is a threat to capitalism; and the U.S. is addicted to capitalism.

So Rojava can exist at present only because it is inchoate. If it ever grows up and matures and becomes significant, it’ll be considered a threat to commerce.

Commerce’s viewpoint is: We can’t have direct democracies popping up all over the world and expecting to live in peace and freedom; because direct democracies tend to make decisions in favor of their own people, which is to say: true democracies tend to be BAD FOR BIG BUSINESS.

OK so Trump has his wrong reasons for doing the right thing. So he says he’ll get out of Syria, and I’m happy about this; even tho I understand the harm it’ll do. (By the way, it REALLY matters what I think, because I have zero power, and people with zero power are extremely important to world progress, because we field and answer prayers for God.)

I wish that the U.S. would actually aid Rojava while pulling out of the war; but, like I said, that’s crazy talk to anyone who understands the motives of capital.

And furthermore, rumor has it that Trump wants to pull out of Afghanistan. Let us now fight the tendency to be overjoyed at this combined possible news (about Afghanistan & Syria). I repeat: it’s always good to stop warfare. But I’m suspicious that Trump’s thots on leaving these two wars is that they are wastes of time, and that the U.S. should sic its war machine instead on a more profitable place (say, Iran) with laser-concentrated focus & ten times the force.

Do you see what I mean? I fear that we peaceniks will celebrate Trump’s pulling the U.S. out of two awful conflicts, only to have our sadness redouble when we see him starting a new chaos that’s worse than all the former hells combined. I hope I’m wrong about this: I hope that Trump plainly & simply retreats from all wars: period; full stop. – I’ll happily admit, on that day, that I was wrong about Trump and that’s he’s not 100% atrocious.

But what do I know?—no Official Sources from the Pentagon tell me anything, anyway; so my opinion is based necessarily on shards of rumors.

That’s why I hate privatization. If our government isn’t transparent and amenable — if We the People are not allowed to see what our government is actually doing and then change what we dislike about it — then all electoral politics is a guaranteed loss:

As long as we do not elect or control our Intelligence Agencies, they can just do what they want & lie to us. We can elect representatives that vow to make changes for the better, but then the un-elected portions of government can just twist the arm of our would-be saviors, behind closed doors, and lie to us. And start wars that we don’t want, and lie to us.

What good would it do for Trump to end all seventy-seven wars that the U.S. is currently fighting, if tomorrow the same unelected private branch of government (which got us into those wars in the first place) can initiate seven times seventy-seven brand-spanking-new wars!?

Forget right-wing versus left-wing politics: Nothing good will ever happen until we ALL — right left up or down — understand that the private, secret, non-democratic aspects of government are incompatible with The People.

What I’m saying is that FIRST, before all else, we must achieve transparency and democracy: We the People have got to be able to SEE what happens in government AND be able to CHANGE IT. Once we’ve achieved a system that’s transparent and democratic, THEN & ONLY THEN can we begin to engage in all the enlightening arguments on the topics of taxing the poor, illegalizing abortion, and displaying the LORD God’s idols inside all courtrooms.

Perhaps it is important to recognize that the U.S. has never allowed itself to enjoy transparency and democracy. It has only dared to employ secret, private, semi-democratic misrepresentation. (Semi-democratic, at best.)

I suspect we’ve been a Plutocracy from the get-go: for our leaders have ruled against the will of every group of people who’ve ever been here; but they’ve never done one thing that displeased Pluto.

& so much hinges on diplomacy versus violence. Humans have sided with violence since time immemorial. I wish we’d give diplomacy a shot. But every emissary for mind-over-matter ends up like Jesus. It’s almost a prerequisite to being on the right side of history: martyrdom. If you wonder whether you’re doing the right thing in life, here’s how you can know: If you’re still alive, you’re part of the evil. If you were truly & effectively good, you’d be dead by now.

But there are at least two things wrong with what I just said:

1. Not every adherent of righteousness goes about improving the world in a way that angers the ruling class: one can foster good subtly and even more faithfully than the overt saviors that get themselves slain, without compromising at all.
2. There is no evil: everything that we call evil eventually morphs into good; or at least it receives the label of good, once it’s had a brief spell to cool off.

So these clandestine bureaucrats who control everything in existence are not bad people. They deserve love, like any enemy. But it’s still a good idea to eliminate the possibility of their power positions; because I’d like eventually to relax and write a blog about fun stuff, and not always to be forced to sermonize against bloody mayhem.

But it always funnels down to this one single realization: Who cares!

Yes, after writing too many boring words about faraway places that I can never know, I realize that my anti-war stance stems from the fact that I’ve never known conflict. If I had been thrown into the middle of the chaos of battle, I’d probably feel more alive: I’d swear off writing and art immediately: I’d say “Never again will you catch me with a pen in my hand writing words down on paper, or drawing pictures in a sketchbook, no: for now that I know the bliss of physical combat, I am for War Eternal.” And I’d become like a deity on the battlefield. I’d mount my horse; and his nostrils would snort and smoke, and we’d charge headlong into the fray. I’d swing my sword right and left, without even caring whether its recipient is foe or ally.

And keep me away from the stockpile of nuclear arsenal, cuz I’d never be able to eat just one. I have an addictive personality. By which I do not mean that my personality causes others to become addicted to it — on the contrary, I’m rather unlikable — I mean that I myself am prone to form habits and dependencies: You gimme some liquor, I’m drinking that liquor; and my next words will be “Gimme more liquor NOW,” as I lift up my sword.

So if you allow me near the control panel for the nuclear bombs — you know how they say that we possess so many nuclear weapons that we could blow up the world nine hundred and ninety-nine times? — well the moment that one of my generals (I’m the U.S. president now) tells me “Look here at this control panel: see all these little red buttons? each one controls a separate nuclear bomb; all you have to do is press a button and a bomb will shoot into sky air and...” before this general can even finish his sentence, I’m lunging upon the control panel and pressing every single button, and you can hear the sound of air whooshing when each bomb speeds out of from its underground cannon, and then there are deafening explosions for hours on end, as the planet reawakens.

Actually, let me edit that last scene: We won’t hear any explosions: it’ll just be pure silence, while visions of glowing extensive crimson mushroom-clouds inundate spacetime. Then there’ll be hellfire everywhere: molten-rock jellyfish.

*

And it’s my sister’s birthday today, so I’ll be seeing her later in the afternoon. She said she’s planning on dining with her boyfriend at 8, but she has some time before that; so I will go visit her. I’ll have to think of some interesting questions to ask her, cuz I like talking.

It’s 6:18 a.m. right now, so I’ll meet with my boss in about an hour. We should be done working around 3:30 p.m. (I like my boss as a person, but I don’t like his fondness for computers. He’s a computer programmer.)

And three days from now it’ll be Christmas. The day that Jesus started his mission. The day he fell to earth. Who’d have guessed that Jesus’ teachings would eventually give us Donald Trump!

And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to Jesus, and asked him, “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.”

And Trump said, “But you ARE God; therefore, I repeat my question, Good Master, Lord Christ: What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life!?!?”

& Jesus said unto him, “You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy parents.”

And Donald Trump answered and said unto Jesus, “Master, all these have I observed from my youth until this very moment.”

Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, “Only one thing thou lackest, Mr. Trump: Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven.”

But Trump was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

Then Jesus looked round about, and said unto the capitalists among his followers: “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!”

And the capitalists were astonished at his words. But Jesus stressed his point, and reiterated: “Brethren, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

And the capitalists were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves: Who then can be saved!?

And Jesus looking upon them saith, “With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. Therefore even you capitalists will be able to enter into God’s kingdom. What’s more, he will appoint Trump to be your leader. Now stop gawking at me like twelve deer that just saw a headlight — go! shoo: giddy-up to the market and do your Christmas shopping.” (Mark 10:17-27)

But that’s the boring Bible-meaning of Christmas. Sorry to depress you. Here, I’ll end on a positive note; for Christmas is supposed to be jolly and merry, which is why Jesus is known for saying, “Merry Christmas!” Below is a quote from Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology by David Graeber. It’s coming to a town near you.

Residents of a squatter community in Denmark have a Christmastide ritual where they dress in Santa suits, take toys from department stores and distribute them to children on the street, partly just so everyone can relish the images of the cops beating down Santa and snatching the toys back from crying children.