Friday, April 1, 2011

Is it a rant? it may be a rant...

So, I always try and succeeded in keeping this about poetry or the process of it - I do this by writing directly about poetry/writing and indirectly, but today I break this tradition.

I've largely left my politics out of my work and certainly off this blog - I appreciate that there can be a connection and sometimes things need to be said - Like my poem 'meditations on the death of a solider' - also available in my book hands on the hips (shameful, I know.) - there are other times that it has crept into my work on a slightly less obvious scale - as in 'shortform. However, I have gone to minor pains to not allow others to learn of my political leanings for the simple reason that it has nothing to do with the appreciation of my poetry and words. While other creators have made their career about being one way or another or on a particular political topic I have never wanted this for myself, it is largely a personal decision.
There are many things I am not shy about as I see them as human issues and not political and other things I've managed to comment on without divulging my personal view - like in creating bumper stickers that say - Abortion - or - GUNS - or - Gay Agenda - - on these I have managed to keep my personal viewpoint secret (well, not the gay thing, I'm pretty open about that (also, this bumper sticker business idea - it's mine, don't steal it.)) 
Those bumper sticker will available soon, Here and anywhere else I can place a button.

This brings me to today. As I read commentary about the current debt issue and spending issues and who pays and who doesn't - I let fly my political beliefs in response. I was sickened by the way our thought process has been framed from infancy. All public and private and religious institutions play into creating this framework and breaking it is near improbable - people simply cannot see where they really stand in the eyes of the political machine and in the eyes of the elite - which are one, working together to maintain status quo where it cannot simply rule.

 - my comment is below - 

I amazes me how many people are now casting blame on Obama alone for this - or how many people cast blame on the machine of the GOP - "they" will keep winning as long as they can keep us infighting about which side is right and which is evil - neither side is right or working for the better of the taxpayer/voter/citizen/mankind - both sides are in it for themselves - their own pocketbook, their own retirement. Think about how they always vote themselves new raises - every year and for a few years now there is no COLA for SS or Disability - that Vets gets their benefits razed in order to find the political machine - none of this is for our benefit - when will the populace wake up and realize that it isn't GOP vs Dem - Not Left vs Right vs Middle - but US vs THEM. That is how they see it - if you aren't in the top 3% you never will be and they will make damn sure of that - the 97% without a real voice need to work together, because combined - we have the guns, we have the numbers, we have the ability to change everything - damn near overnight - this can be done peacefully and damn well should start now. 
In its shortness it is a call to arms that will go unanswered - tomorrow when people wake up they will still buy into the America that says you can be president some day - you can be the next Bill Gates - eh, maybe - maybe that can happen, you may be able to create something that everyone suddenly needs and you become fabulously wealthy - will you still be considered one of us? or will they bring you into the fold? Question - why is it important to have more than you need? why is it important to have more than the neighbor? why is it so important that instead of paying out 800 bucks a month for insurance for yourself - you could pay out 400 bucks a month for insurance for everyone. Why is 'mine' so damn important anyway? 
I am not thinking foolish - I would not allow a stranger to come live in my home, loan out my truck or motorcycle to someone I didn't know so well that they could also be trusted to watch my child on a friday night. I am not foolish enough to say that socialism is the way - I am also not foolish enough to say that democracy works for the majority of the people, I am not foolish enough to say that this America is righteous - there is reason beyond personal protection from armed street thugs that I want to protect our second amendment. 
The first amendment does nothing for those that do not buy ink by the barrel. The first is largely controlled by others but some of us can and have cracked that - we can cause our voices to be heard - once heard it is hard to not listen. 
You can only get so close and still be able to hate another, you can only get so close to an idea to still believe it false and dismiss it. 
This is probably enough out of me - I am going to unleash the hounds of my opinion on my art - I can no longer be happy crating pretty things without saying in the same breath that all the bastards at the top need to start feeding the tree of liberty - with their blood - to allow those of us to have what we desire most - freedom and the ability to exercise it... 
Thank you Thomas J.  for the tree of liberty thing.


EDIT: - Cathy commented (see below) and I I responded with full heart about the health care thing. I thought it was well written enough to post here. a little redacted at the end and keep in mind Cathy is Canadian so the written thoughts are with that in mind.


With health care - my deal is simple. We (US citizens) are already paying an insurance company upwards of thousands of dollars a month (some as low as 400 for individual) - it would actually be cheaper for us to have our taxes raised by several hundred a month to pay for universal - if we can spend so much damn money killing people - even our own people - why can't we be bothered to heal them? What BS - and yes yes yes - the Canadian and British Health Care Systems are victimized in our press which is controlled by the government which is controlled by insurance and other big business - so the lies and propaganda trains keep rolling.
Health Care for all works most everywhere it is done. With the unbelievable American technologies and money we ought to be able to have the greatest Health care system in the world - which we don't as is evidenced by our infant mortality rate and our average life expectancy - we are below thirty on these when our supposed perfect system should and could be pulling out a top 5 - like a whole bunch of countries with Universal HC.
I don't think that in most US cities - you could get a prescribed procedure and proceed to have said procedure in four days, normal wait time for non-emergency is a week or more - maybe four days for an emergency for a doctor without some clout. All this and - my prescriptions cost me over 1400 a month. - one thousand four hundred USD per month. Such Bullshit.
To add - and this is an ugly truth - A large portion of me believes that the only reason we don't have it isn't because of some fear of socialism, which exists, and we have anyway (police, fire, USPS, DOT, Medicare, Social Security and so many others) but that those with the ability do not care and simply don't want to help the people that are different from them - the power here is held by the white privileged christian male - if you are not of the first two - they would rather you leave or perish. I said it. If you are black, Jewish, Mexican, Asian, Indian, Gay, mixed, disadvantaged, handicap, transgendered, sick... you are fucked without paying for their help - and you better pay it all in advance otherwise they own you for the rest of your life. Debt is only another way of placing people into servitude. Most debt - real debt is created from medical expenses and lost time at work due to medical necessity.
Maybe I ought to shut it now...

5 comments:

  1. Cool Jhon. Some good points, worthy of thought. I also try to leave politics out of things, but when you feel strongly, say what you've gotta say!

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  2. brilliant.

    sharing political views is akin to thwacking a hornet's next with a shovel (been there, done that - not the hornet's next thing)but i think if we are ever to crawl out of the rubble we need to start speaking up...

    i was an utter gobshite in my youth...i seem to have lost my edge.

    there are gaping holes in your American Dream...and it's ruined more lives than it's saved.

    but that's the view of a north-of-the-border-dwelling immigrant......

    ;)

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  3. (I love the word gobshite)
    Nothing wrong with spouting off – hey, it's your blog and you can cry if you want to, right?
    Besides, you're totally right. I don't know what Americans are so afraid of. It's perfectly clear that big business has decimated the middle class but people are so afraid of the boogieman that is socialist thought that they live with it.
    Take healthcare, for example. Big business has brainwashed Americans into thinking they don't want or deserve universal healthcare. Despite the fact that a serious illness either goes untreated or puts families into terrible debt. For some reason my American friends think there are long waiting lists in Canada. There aren't. I've never had to wait long for anything. In fact, I had a doctor's appointment on Friday and, as a result of that, have a colonoscopy on Monday (blech.. but that's another story!)
    My point is, Americans are convinced that the Cdn healthcare system reeks of socialism.
    What. Ever. Fact is, we get to see a doctor when we need one and we don't have to mortgage the house to do so.
    Sorry about the ramble. I mention this only because the majority of Americans need to stand up for themselves and fight for what's right. Never mind the us versus them mentality. Work together, people.

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  4. Politics creep into my work all the time; it may be a by-product of my day job, but generally I think that writers have as much a right to dig into the mire as anyone else... maybe even an obligation.

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  5. I think, Jhon, you are only saying what others are thinking. A well-said addition/comment regarding universal healthcare.

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