Day: June 15, 2015

By JC

First off, I’d like to thank Skink (aka lizard) for offering me a place to vent a little, and maybe write something of interest. He and I had a good conversation this morning, and will be developing some ideas on where to go from here.

I’d love to continue to share a blog space with him, as when I first met his writings, and later his meat space personage, I recognized someone who was passionate about his writing and desire to get to the thick of things, and not let the political party fishbowl get in his way. Of course, when you chuck bricks at the fishbowl, sometimes the blowback is harsh, if not predictable. Liz has never been shy about rocking the boat, even when it might threaten his livelihood.

My inclination is always to do whatever I can to support the efforts of people to speak truth to power, empower the rebels. Occasionally that may not dovetail with my opinions or understanding of the facts, or world view, but I am willing to defer to the passion of young people motivated by necessity or virtue. I honor those who are willing to go the extra mile to get to the root of the matter, and learn from their efforts and mistakes. I have seen in lizard a willingness to slice through the bullshit and get to the core of the issue — whether it be geopolitics, the national political-corporate syndicate, state and local politics, or community issues… and then to take the time to be a family man and pursue his own personal creative efforts. He is the true “energizer bunny”.

So I am honored to be able to continue our collaboration! We may decide to expand our blogging or change venues and invite some other folks in and try to provide a unique view of politics and policy, the environment, social issues, and culture from the local to the global that no one else in Montana is doing. So stay tuned as we move on from here. Continue reading “Ahhh, the Good Life: Time to Retire to the Rocking Chair… NOT!”

by William Skink

It’s good to see jhwygirl with a new post up at 4&20 Blackbirds. I hope she can adhere to Jay’s vision, because she cited feelings of anger being one of many reasons she has been a virtually non-existent presence there for 3 years, leaving the heavy lifting of producing nearly daily content to myself:

There were less than a dozen reasons why I sort of dropped off regular blogging about three years ago. It coincided with a period in my life where I think I decided I didn’t want to be angry all the time.

That’s understandable, and I hope commenters lay off for a bit (I’m looking at you Mark) because there are real-world consequences for those of us who still need to work day jobs to pay the bills, yet feel compelled to write about things we see happening that needs attention. jhwygirl’s perspective is one I have missed, so hopefully the grind and the continued hostility doesn’t outweigh the desire to write.

I certainly don’t enjoy hostility, but I’m even more annoyed at passive-aggressiveness. Jay’s smear of writers like me who kept the lights on at his place is typical of the criticism I received from day one of blogging there. It comprises tired conspiracy ridicule and the implication that our anger is irrational. From Jaybird’s post:

There’s still a need for a good progressive voice, though. Now, instead of having to cut through the bloc of mainstream media, it needs to rise above the cacophony of angry, irrational voices.

I’ve been away for awhile. I stopped writing for the Montana blogosphere in 2012. Recently, I’ve had my attention somewhat forcibly drawn back to this site. Imagine my surprise when I saw the discussion here — fantastic plots equating Bernie Sanders with Hilary Clinton’s conspiracy to….what? Well, it’s hard to say. Only that the international Jewish conspiracy is involved somehow. And Vladimir Putin is a hero.

Jay is referencing this post I wrote a few days ago featuring a Counterpunch article exploring why the DNC is sending out email blasts supporting Bernie Sanders. What follows is only fantastic if one’s imagination has been retarded by incuriously consuming mainstream news. Wondering what implications may lurk behind the DNC’s support is just too much for some, I get it. It’s much easier to ridicule and attack straw-men than to challenge one’s core assumptions about a preferred candidate.

Declining readership is one reason Jay wants to reboot the site. I will take full credit for that. But as he plans his reboot, I can already see a challenge in his intended focus:

We’ll try to recruit new writers, and we’ll keep some of the old ones. But we’ll redirect the site to opinions and news that people need and like. Maybe there’ll be a redesign. Maybe not!

The problem? There is a BIG difference between news people need and news people like.

This may be subjective, but I believe people need to know the truth behind American foreign policy. People don’t like hearing that truth, though, because it runs counter to the myths and fables we are fed about American exceptionalism and our dangerous perception that America is destined to play the role of global enforcer wherever its alleged interests are perceived to be threatened.

Those interests align with US elites, the 1%. They DO NOT align with the interests of the American People. That should be obvious by now. But for some reason too many “progressives” continue to believe in fairytales, like “humanitarian interventions” in places like Libya. That Hillary Clinton is even being considered to run the Executive branch of government after what her State Department did to Libya shows just how deep our sickness goes.

I don’t claim to have a cure, but a good start to addressing this sickness is to take the goddamn blinders off and start looking at America’s role in the world for what it truly is: hegemonic madness.