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Come, Let Us Celebrate The Best Of America, Living And Dead

Mon, 05/25/2009 - 23:50 — Winter

Let's all have big parades to honor our professional and patriotic mass murderers, living and dead!

Let us line the streets to watch the psychopaths and fools -- and those who support the psychopaths and fools -- march by.

You may read the whole piece here and/or comment below.

Comments

Tue, 05/26/2009 - 01:31 — McJ
McJ's picture

Well said WP!

Well said WP!

"Whatever it is, they felt some tug. They answered a call. They said 'I'll go.' That is why they are the best of America," Obama said. "That is what separates them from those who have not served in uniform, their extraordinary willingness to risk their lives for people they never met."

"Obama said he can't know what it's like to walk into battle or lose a child."

"But I do know this. I am humbled to be the commander in chief of the finest fighting force in the history of the world," he said to applause.

Rah! Rah! America!
There is just so much emotional manipulation in statements like these. People eat this stuff up. It makes them all misty eyed and proud. How perverted is it, there is nary a tear for the victims of the 'best and brightest', nor words of regret at these 'solemn' ceremonies.

New Leader, President Hopey-Changey, is certainly a master at slinging this kind of crap. Thanks for always cutting through the soppy BS for us!

Those pictures are so hard to look at. sad

"The most unpleasant truth in the long run is a far safer traveling companion than the most agreeable falsehood." Emerson

Tue, 05/26/2009 - 08:38 — ICGREEN

Perverse.

There is no argument against what WP says. What can they possibly say in return?

Nothing.

They will never meet you head-on WP.

Tue, 05/26/2009 - 11:43 — McJ
McJ's picture

Cindy Sheehan's reflections on memorial day.

From Truthout:
Cindy Sheehan's reflections on memorial day.

The Day of The Dead
http://www.truthout.org/052509A

Snip:
"I can guarantee what you won't see this holiday weekend are images of the over one million Iraqi dead."
...
"There are obscene amounts of people who have been slaughtered for the US Profit Driven Military Empire who do not count here in America on any day."
...
" A tough, but real, aspect of this all to consider is, how many of the soldiers buried in coffins in military cemeteries killed or tortured innocent people as paid goons for the Empire?"
...
"...we do not need another day here in America to glorify war that enables the Military Industrial Complex to commit its crimes under the black cloak of 'Patriotism.' "

"The most unpleasant truth in the long run is a far safer traveling companion than the most agreeable falsehood." Emerson

Tue, 05/26/2009 - 15:56 — Don Smith

Same as it ever was...

The media image of "service" to the nation is one of teary eyed worship for the heroes fallen for freedom.
As a former criminal infantryman in Viet Nam I must say that I, for one, was dumber than a sack of rocks- I knew that to refuse the draft was to go to jail, and besides, all the men in my family were vets of wars against the evils of fascism- to refuse to go was not an option.
Like I said- dumb, naive maybe.
I did not have the wit, or the nerve, to dress in drag and go down to the call up and swish- this was too sophisticated an idea for me to even concieve, and it went against my John Wayne conditioning, thoroughly absorbed by watching many glorious tales of victory and such on the screen.
There was no doubt that God was in heaven and God was an American,(really, all that stuff about God being universal in His Love was not true, we knew who God REALLY liked!).
This shallow mind set is easy to keep, low maintainance and it will pass in any bar in the country.
Conventional rewards for conventional behavior.
Screw all these lying murderous bastards and their brain dead values.

Tue, 06/02/2009 - 19:43 — tsisageya

Don,

I love you. Never fear.

Tue, 05/26/2009 - 23:51 — Debbieanne

pictures

Damn those pics are hard to look at. That what makes me misty eyed.

Wed, 05/27/2009 - 09:42 — Bob in Prague
Bob in Prague's picture

O'Bummer

What makes this so truly pernicious is that O'Bummer has such a gift of gab that he could make a cesspool sound like a delicious dessert. Quite frankly, I want duhbaya back. At least people would have eventually seen clear through him. But instead, the corporate military industrial media syndicate has a pretty face with an inspiring oratorical style to sell its toxic products. Look out, world!

Thu, 05/28/2009 - 17:56 — tsisageya

Did I mention that I'm extraordinarly

pissed?

That says nothing, but, it's true. What do I do? How do I act? Besides spontaneously combusting, I'm like, WTF?

How do I live my life? I cannot understand. I can't figure it out.

Thu, 05/28/2009 - 21:23 — ICGREEN

Pissed.

Tsisageya,

I was surprised when I read a quote from Leonard Cohen in a magazine today. He's a Buddhist and I expected something soothing but what he said wasn't comforting at first. Most would give a "life is just a play, step back" kind of answer. What I got was much better:

Q: What strikes me in your prose poem "What is a Saint?" is the sense of balance and of acceptance of the chaos. You're saying that it's arrogant to think that you can change the chaos.

A: The first reality is that there is a wound and there is suffering, a deep sense of unsatisfactoriness with life. There is no question about it. The Buddhist theology presents it as the first noble truth. We live in a world that is not perfectible, a world that always presents you with a sense of something undone, something missing, something hurting, something irritating. From that minor sense of discomfort to torture and poverty and murder, we live in that kind of universe. The wound that does not heal—this human predicament is a predicament that does not perfect itself.

But there is the consolation of no exit, the consolation that this is what you're stuck with. Rather than the consolation of healing the wound, of finding the right kind of medical attention or the right kind of religion, there is a certain wisdom of no exit: this is our human predicament and the only consolation is embracing it. It is our situation, and the only consolation is the full embrace of that reality.

Q:You're talking about acceptance.

A: I would dissolve every approach. I would just say that there is no escape. Acceptance is too good a word for this predicament. It suggests a kind of resigned, sage-like approach. You can't get off the hook by finding the right word-acceptance, resignation, embrace. All those things are lies about it.

Q:Then what about compassion?

A: You know, we come up with all kinds of things, but still the wound does not heal, still the reality is suffering. We come up with all kinds of new drugs, all kinds of new approaches. Yes, there are all kinds of human decencies to embrace, and we should really try to be nice to one another, but nothing dissolves this sense of irritation and unsatisfactoriness that we all feel. Nobody gets over that.

Tue, 06/02/2009 - 18:53 — tsisageya

ICGREEN,

Thank you so much for your words in my time of need. Leonard Cohen has been in the back of my mind for awhile now. I have a book beside me right now that I've had for many years. It's called The Wisdom Of No Escape, by Pema Chodron. I read it and re-read it. It comforts me and makes me angry, like the Bible does.

Here's the thing: Where there is suffering, I suffer. I feel the need to fix it, as if my own children are suffering. When others suffer, I suffer. When there is injustice, I suffer injustice. I can't just be a Buddhist nun, on a beautiful retreat, away from the 'world', and not suffer.

P.S. I try to follow Jesus. But I always go back to the times when he's pissed-off.

Also, I am not a martyr. I am a modern-day, pissed-off, 55 year old woman.

Did I mention I am PISSED-OFF?

Tue, 06/02/2009 - 19:19 — tsisageya

Irritation and unsatisfactoriness

does not begin to cover it.

If there is a God/dess, things do not look good for humankind.

I will now go and re-read the book of the Apocalypse. I like it.

Sat, 06/27/2009 - 23:42 — tsisageya

ICGREEN, Leonard Cohen

I 'discovered' this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meBNeNwiagw

Leonard Cohen is in my mind. Thanks.

Thu, 05/28/2009 - 22:58 — newjesustimes
newjesustimes's picture

existential

thanks ICGreen & tsisageya. I enjoyed this Q&A. struck me as existentialistical.

Thu, 05/28/2009 - 23:08 — newjesustimes
newjesustimes's picture

one of the drawbacks of the soul

doesn't come with an owner's manual. and the thing can be a real pain to get into gear.

Thu, 05/28/2009 - 23:32 — newjesustimes
newjesustimes's picture

but hey at least its free

not counting the lifetime of suffering it may come with. but look on the bright side. things could always be worse.

Thu, 05/28/2009 - 23:37 — newjesustimes
newjesustimes's picture

at least

you've got me and i've got you, existentially speaking. or is that a mirror i'm / we're looking into?
is this thing even on?

Tue, 06/02/2009 - 19:00 — tsisageya

I know, I know,

yes, NewJesus, it's on.

Laughter is the best medicine. Until you weep, that is.

Thank you.

Fri, 05/29/2009 - 09:09 — ICGREEN

at least

Not sure, NJT, but I think it's on.

But just so's I don't leave Tsisageya out there: I'm reading a few things right now. I am reading "I Am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta" and "An Introduction to Yoga" by Annie Wood Besant and "The Old Testament". Leonard Cohen's words are still vibrating away in me this morning.

"How do I live my life?", you asked. For me it's: what can I tell my children? Same question, I think. That's what I'm doing here. WP seeks political truth. I need to tell them the truth about our social environment.

I seek spiritual truth so I can help them with peace and courage.

My current recipe: Search for worldly truths and know thy spiritual self. Act accordingly.

Tue, 06/02/2009 - 19:10 — tsisageya

Peace, courage,

Joy? I know I'm supposed to know joy. It's just hard in the midst of sorrow.

I like yoga.

What can I tell my children? Mostly I keep my opinions to myself and concentrate on good things. I keep all the noise of the world to myself. I don't want them to know the evil that is in the world. I try to keep it from them and onto myself.

Our social environment? Please, the suffering---don't get me started. It's all the same.

Mon, 06/08/2009 - 09:24 — ICGREEN

Hi tsisageya

Thanks for your replies. I just read the bible quotes. That "gnashing of teeth" bit always gives me ghastly images.

I read widely but I follow Jesus, as you do. Though, when I met him, or one of his brothers, he was far from angry. Absolutely no gnashing of teeth that day, I am happy to report.

Me, I still get incensed. Seems fitting to me.

Tue, 06/09/2009 - 20:18 — tsisageya

Thank you, ICGREEN,

however, if we believe what it says---apparently there are some questions---He will come again with a shout, and a threshing. The weeds will be burned and the wheat will be spared. The goats will be gone and the sheep will be spared. There will be judgement. Those that do evil will continue to do evil. Those that are righteous will continue to be righteous. There comes a time when it is too late. Like in the days of Noah. Remember?

But perhaps you're right. Maybe He has no anger. Maybe it's just me that's angry. And sad.

Yes, anger seems fitting to me too. Don't forget the cleansing of the Temple. I think He was angry on that one. That is my model, I guess.

But no, He was not angry with me either, at the time I came to know Him. He redeemed me.

Thu, 06/04/2009 - 15:33 — tsisageya

Here is an aspect of my

spiritual self.

Left-wing style.

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