February 25, 2009

In Praise of Ignorance!...and, Sudsy's Big Adventure




“I have never regarded politics as the arena of morals. It is the arena of interests.”
-- Aneurin Bevan

“The most successful politician is he who says what everybody is thinking most often and in the loudest voice.”
-- Theodore Roosevelt (for Barack Obama)

“Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even when there’s no river.”
-- Nikita Khrushchev (for Sarah Palin)

If you haven’t watched “Sudzdog Gazillionaire” AKA “Zinda Dil,” (it is of course on Youtube) you ain’t lived.



Let’s send a big shout out to Grandpa Billy De Broux.

Remember how happy Gary Condit was when 9/11 made Chandra Levy’s name disappear from the electronic reality trough? And we thought he was guilty. Imagine that, a politician actually not being guilty of what he was accused of. Well he has to be even happier now that they’ve found the actual killer. Perhaps Gary should phone O. J., maybe he could cheer him up about them catching the real murderer.

What I’m doing here is free- associating.

How about Obama’s speech last night? Pretty rousing, wasn’t it. One thing that never changes in contemporary American political regime change: the gullibility of a culturally ignorant, and morally clueless, American public. The way Obama was bad mouthing video games and too-much-TV (see Berenstain Bears text), I thought I was listening to An American Family Values spokesman, rather than an agent of change. My heart fluttered when he said, “we are not quitters.” You know, because winners never quit, and quitters never win. I mean that’s the American way. Militarily, we simply hit the objective with a bigger hammer and we can’t lose. Economically, all it takes is some hard work and a good pull on the bootstraps. Jolly good, I say. Yes, if there’s one thing we can count on, it’s this: America loves a winner. As much as some of you might disagree, if we’re talking about an early speech in the infancy of a presidency, it doesn’t matter who’s standing up there, it could be Bush or Obama, Nixon or Kennedy, the public will love them. And so they do. All across America the masses have embraced Obama. But this doesn’t change the fact that this American electorate is the same one that kept Bush in office for eight years. Based on that track record, we should be very skeptical about putting any special value on the public’s embrace of Obama. The element missing from our long antiquated two party system is informed DISSENT. The reason the French, and their western European ilk, take to the streets and actively protest at a local level is exactly about the multi-party system, and its insurance that the idea of thinking globally BUT acting locally, is more than a bumper sticker. What I guess I’m saying here is that the majority of American’s are PROUD OF THEIR IGNORANCE!

Here’s an excerpt from Mark Slouka’s Notebook piece, “A Quibble” (Harpers 3/09).

“What we need to talk about, what someone needs to talk about, is our ever-deepening ignorance (of politics, of foreign languages, of history, of science, of current affairs, of pretty much everything) and not just our ignorance but our complacency in the face of it, our growing fondness for it….Today, across swaths of the republic, it amuses and comforts us. We’re deeply loyal to it. Ignorance gives us a sense of community; it confers citizenship; our representatives either share it or bow down to it or risk our wrath….It can appear quaint, part of our foolish-but-authentic, naïve-yet-sincere, rough-hewn spirit. Up close and personal, unromanticized and unfiltered, it’s another thing entirely. In the flesh, barking from the electronic pulpit or braying back from the audience, our ignorance can be sobering. We don’t know. Or much care. Or care to know.”

Best – Randy Tessier

5 comments:

Rickahyatt said...

personally witnessed the Condit's "Disposal for Hire" service in 1977 while in enlisted US Army MI and was sworn to secrecy about it, since the CIA figured he'd try to infiltrate Congress with it's subsequent blackmailing abilities (Tell you something?) They sometime operate independently & I have the feeling that's what's behind Gary's current "Not a suspect," but AN arrest is "Imminent." I really hope for a subpoena soon. Or, if they frame the Salvadorian (His specialty-in-advance ability to research government data bases, as he plans his hit, etc.) then it's going to be a "Tidy-up" like the Anthrax thing. Is the new evidence the new DNA with Jonbenet? http://www.rickhyatt.freeservers.com

Skip said...

Randy, call Jack at LBJ about McGee Fest 09, he is also will to kick in some $$$$$$$$$$$. Skip

Anonymous said...

Dear friends(sounds like Firesign Theater), I researched the idea of creating a charitable organization [501(c)3] for McGee Fest 09,using two sources; my CPA and a friend who has a 501(c)3. We can do it but not this year because the application process takes two to three YEARS. Our only option is to locate someone who has a charitable (my friends' is not setup to do it) that will sponsor the event, then we donate to the sponsor(our donations would then be tax deductible) and then the sponsor turns around and gives the donations to Tim. Or we can just gather at the Bay, have ourselves a grand old time, and leave Uncle Sam off the guest list. P.S. Thanks for the kudoos on the birth of my Granddaughter Madeline. Late,Bill.

RJ said...

That is not dead which can eternal lie.
And with strange aeons even death may die.


Ph'nglui mglw'nafh C'thulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!!!

Andy Boller said...

Interesting thoughts Mr Tessier---

guess i am less worried about lack of info than the overflow of it-- too much talk and not enough actual feet on the ground-- and my feet are tired-- i am joyous when there's enough to take care of my financial obligations, that i have health insurance, and that i am alive in such an amazing time--- that said, DO I KNOW MR MCGEE? Also, all the best to you and incidentally, my biggest quibbles at the moment of BO are TOTALLY SIMPLE--- Afghanistan and "drug wars" -- we should stay the hell out of Afghanistan, and start buying all the Poppy product-- did i mention legalizing ALL "plant" substances--- whatever--- and i will sign this as myself-- YIKES-- now Gary Condit will be after me!