"The road to a lawless society is currently being paved by the congressional sequester. Budget cuts will just make it more difficult for the feds to capture terrorists and child molesters. What they're going to do is amputate the long arm of the law. We're not going to sit back and go gentle into the sequester. The consequences are dire. It's unfortunate we have to reach this point."
Monday, February 25, 2013
WE NEED CHAOS
MIKLOS
They will tell you that democracy is working just fine. That democracy is suffering the usual growing pains in a fast-changing world filled with new technologies and new possibilities for communication. They will tell you to wait and see what happens. Don't jump to conclusions. Don't take unnecessary risks before we've had time to seriously analyze the problem. And besides, we have to be aware of the dangers of fascism and totalitarianism that are waiting for us if we act too quickly. We may only bring down the walls of Jericho and create chaos before we have anything ready to replace the existing order. And when that order falls, we won't be able to fix it. This is the standard argument you will hear against revolution in the rich and successful countries. These arguments will come from the liberals and the conservatives. They will come from the young and the old. These are the standard arguments of people who are afraid. It's not that I don't understand their fear. I just wish they could understand that the time for change is now. The world is drifting toward chaos one way or the other. Chaos is the only thing that can bring real change. I say that the first step in any revolution has to be letting go of the past. Letting go of the things that tell you revolution is bad. Open your minds and press the chaos button because we desperately NEED CHAOS.
They will tell you that democracy is working just fine. That democracy is suffering the usual growing pains in a fast-changing world filled with new technologies and new possibilities for communication. They will tell you to wait and see what happens. Don't jump to conclusions. Don't take unnecessary risks before we've had time to seriously analyze the problem. And besides, we have to be aware of the dangers of fascism and totalitarianism that are waiting for us if we act too quickly. We may only bring down the walls of Jericho and create chaos before we have anything ready to replace the existing order. And when that order falls, we won't be able to fix it. This is the standard argument you will hear against revolution in the rich and successful countries. These arguments will come from the liberals and the conservatives. They will come from the young and the old. These are the standard arguments of people who are afraid. It's not that I don't understand their fear. I just wish they could understand that the time for change is now. The world is drifting toward chaos one way or the other. Chaos is the only thing that can bring real change. I say that the first step in any revolution has to be letting go of the past. Letting go of the things that tell you revolution is bad. Open your minds and press the chaos button because we desperately NEED CHAOS.
FLASHLIGHT IN THE DARKNESS
MIKLOS
You can't expect me to provide solutions to the problems of the world. My job is to help you see the problems clearly. My job is to shine a light into all your hiding places so you don't think you're solving problems when you're actually just hiding. My job is to be sure that you are aware of all the tricks the capitalists will play to convince you that things are changing and getting better. You have to stop being naive. You have to be willing to see what is happening. And you also have to be willing to take action. I can't be the guide for this action. I am only the guy with the flashlight in the darkness.
You can't expect me to provide solutions to the problems of the world. My job is to help you see the problems clearly. My job is to shine a light into all your hiding places so you don't think you're solving problems when you're actually just hiding. My job is to be sure that you are aware of all the tricks the capitalists will play to convince you that things are changing and getting better. You have to stop being naive. You have to be willing to see what is happening. And you also have to be willing to take action. I can't be the guide for this action. I am only the guy with the flashlight in the darkness.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
THE LINE BETWEEN REALISM AND PARANOIA
TOM
Where is the line? Where does realism become excess and even paranoia? It's not an easy question. If somebody doesn't pull back at some point, then conflict becomes inevitable. And history has shown over and over that signs of weakness in a government can be interpreted as an invitation to attack or invade. At the same time, World War I was an amazing example of misunderstandings and incorrect assumptions, strange treaties of mutual protection and paraniod fantasies leading to absolute chaos. Most analysts believe that WWI was avoidable. Of course, historical speculation is not perfect. It's just as easy to argue that all the paranoia was the result of foolish and shortsighted colonialism that was bound to lead to war sooner or later. Historical inevitability is hard to establish but the possibility that things could have been different is almost equally hard to prove. Some measure of caution and preparedness for war clearly prevents war. But too much indulgence in arms buildup and military posturing also invites war or creates the conditions for war. Where is the line? Back to the beginning. It's not so easy to be comfortable trying to establish such a line but what else is the job of the policy-maker? How much military force do we need? What do we need to do to convince our enemies that we are serious about using military force? We have to provide practical answers to these questions and we have to hope that we're pretty much right. In that case, history and psychology are pretty much all we've got.
Where is the line? Where does realism become excess and even paranoia? It's not an easy question. If somebody doesn't pull back at some point, then conflict becomes inevitable. And history has shown over and over that signs of weakness in a government can be interpreted as an invitation to attack or invade. At the same time, World War I was an amazing example of misunderstandings and incorrect assumptions, strange treaties of mutual protection and paraniod fantasies leading to absolute chaos. Most analysts believe that WWI was avoidable. Of course, historical speculation is not perfect. It's just as easy to argue that all the paranoia was the result of foolish and shortsighted colonialism that was bound to lead to war sooner or later. Historical inevitability is hard to establish but the possibility that things could have been different is almost equally hard to prove. Some measure of caution and preparedness for war clearly prevents war. But too much indulgence in arms buildup and military posturing also invites war or creates the conditions for war. Where is the line? Back to the beginning. It's not so easy to be comfortable trying to establish such a line but what else is the job of the policy-maker? How much military force do we need? What do we need to do to convince our enemies that we are serious about using military force? We have to provide practical answers to these questions and we have to hope that we're pretty much right. In that case, history and psychology are pretty much all we've got.
FORCE THE RICH
MIKLOS
Force the rich to explain why they should have more - allow them no excuses. No way out. Show them that they are outnumbered and they can no longer be allowed to do whatever they want. To starve people, to hoard and waste resources, to rape the environment, use people as labor and as consumers. We have to do whatever it takes to rip control out of their hands and keep it out of their hands. Take back the government, the planet, your dignity and your future.
Force the rich to explain why they should have more - allow them no excuses. No way out. Show them that they are outnumbered and they can no longer be allowed to do whatever they want. To starve people, to hoard and waste resources, to rape the environment, use people as labor and as consumers. We have to do whatever it takes to rip control out of their hands and keep it out of their hands. Take back the government, the planet, your dignity and your future.
Friday, September 7, 2012
RANDOM DIALOGUE
TOM
You
can’t get caught up in this stuff. Politics comes and goes. Things change. The
names change. The situations change. Even democracy changes, but you can’t just
lose your cool about everything and start ranting and inciting violence.
MIKLOS
Capitalism
is a bitter comedy – a sick farce where the punchline is usually exploitation
and murder. Look at the recent killings of striking miners. Over 30 people dead
in a pointless bloodbath. And the government charges the miners with murder
because they say that the miners provoked the police. Can you imagine? Miners
who might have been throwing bottles or rocks shot dead by heavily armed police
and then the miners, THE MINERS, are charged with murder. But now the
punchline.
The
government says they’ll drop the charges and set the miners free and then
everyone should just forget about the whole thing. That’s capitalism. I’ll
murder you and then charge you with murder and then drop the charges in the
spirit of good fellowship.
MIKLOS
Henry
Ford got his big idea for revolutionizing the assembly line from a visit to a
slaughterhouse. Who could possibly be surprised by this?
TOM
TRYING
to improve human beings is an inherently fascist project. All you can do is
educate people and teach them to reason and create some kind of moral center.
Everything beyond that is fascism.
TOM
The
beauty in the way a dancer holds her body. With such pride and power. The
beauty of an elegant and sophisticated French woman. Beauty that comes from
some inside knowledge and some kind of relationship with the culture. This
movement toward chaos is not going to help anyone. It’s not going to be good
for anyone.
I’m
against welfare and in favor of harsh immigration policies. I hope that
Republicans win your election and follow through on everything they say they
want to do. Because maybe then, with a large number of disaffected people who
can finally see the hatred and contempt of so many Americans standing naked in
the sunlight with no more pretense and no more cosmetic surgery to make it look
like a democracy, maybe you will finally do something. Maybe you will finally
stand up.
You
want democracy to look pretty and so democracy has had her nose done and put
collagen in her lips and possibly has anal bleaching, but these things do not
change the reality of the situation.
This,
this is the anal bleaching of America. A purely cosmetic procedure
that only appeals to a few people who get to see it anyway. In essence, the
changes remain hidden and their ultimate value is dubious.
Your
democracy has been cut up and pieced together more times than the Frankenstein
monster and like that creature made from corpses, your democracy is actually
dead and has only the external image of life.
No one
has any rights to profits that imperil the financial health of an entire
country. No one has any right to profits that lead to the murder of striking
workers.These are absolutes. There can be no compromise.
If you
don't learn to be more sophisticated. If you don't learn to use reason and to
develop your intellect. If you don't learn to make distinctions and to be able
to see the difference in things, who will?
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