Battleship Potemkin blog
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Commentary on current events, never lacking in fury and possibly even signifying something.
* * * [NOTE: Continuation of current article and previously published ones can be viewed on the Past articles page but you must click on "Details" on that page to view content.] LIFE IN THESE UNITED (?) STATES: CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSERPublished June 30, 2021
INTRODUCTION If the following observations on recent domestic developments have the feel of a screed by a devoted member of the Democratic Party, that can’t be helped. I assure you my position on US politics is “A pox on both their houses.” That said, if the proverbial ‘Man from Mars’ could be recruited to observe our politics reasonably objectively—provided Martians are capable of objectivity—he would have to conclude that only one political party has gone off the rails, having entered a downward spiral of insanity, absurdity, ugly divisiveness and a death-embrace of UNtruth. Risible though the GOP has become, it is difficult to actually laugh at their madness because tens of millions of our fellow citizens swallow every word and beg for more. “CRITICAL RACE THEORY” What is “Critical Race Theory” and why do rightwing extremists (i.e. the Modern Republican Party) have their panties all tied up in knots over it? You would think, from the absolute hysteria being whipped up, that it entails an invasion of deadly space aliens! Public meetings concerning educational curricula, including in my state, have been disrupted by loud protests against the very notion that--maybe—including CRT in curricula of public schools is being considered, vaguely pondered. There have been occasions when this was completely untrue, just a rumor, but it is all too clear that GOPers have completely divorced themselves from reality, so rumors are easily swallowed. I actually had to go to Wikipedia to try to get a handle on this apparent menace, which makes the beloved boogie man of my own youth—the dreaded “International Communist Conspiracy”—pale by comparison it seems! What I found was that CRT first appeared in academic circles as much as a half-century ago. Amazing that the republic has survived this long since its “birth,” huh?! So what does this “theory”—I haven’t a clue why this concept is labeled a “theory”—posit? What are the incredibly frightening aspects that have Republicans in an uproar? It appears that, very simply, CRT teaches that racism is systemic in our society, part of the legacy of slavery. Who can oppose such a blatantly obvious truth?? The answer, once again, is the GOP primarily. Frustrated and very angry that the nation rejected a second term for Trump, the extremists have found a new (50-year-old!) outlet for their hate. I understand that the Secretary of War (“Defense”), who happens to be an African American, grilled by Congressional Republicans recently, actually felt compelled to declare that Congress need not fear that the US Military is getting “woke” (to use another popular buzz word)! Imagine that! Ignoring or downplaying in public education the legacy of slavery, of course, has been part of the problem all along, and has contributed to ignorance and confusion about race relations. All to the benefit of the Establishment. Keep the people at one another's throats so they won't identify the real source of their misery. THE DONALD’S “REVENGE TOUR” In another precedent we really, really could have done without, Donald J. Trump is touring the country, holding rallies at which he attacks fellow Republicans who wouldn’t go along with his insanity while he was in office. He wants GOPers to turn these folks out of office at the first opportunity. The bar is being raised really high now for how insane a GOP candidate for public office needs to act to get on the ballot as its party’s standard bearer. It really matters not if the individual really believes all this nonsense in his or her private life. If elected, they will have to sign off on GOP legislation that can do our society no good. Speaking of which… THE GOP’S ALL-OUT ASSAULT ON VOTING RIGHTS The current coast to coast campaign by the GOP to legislatively, on state and local levels, quash the right to vote of people they perceive as likely to vote Democratic is also without precedent (i.e. the extent to which it is nationally coordinated by the GOP leadership). This is nothing less than an attempt to reinstitute the “Jim Crow” laws here in the third decade of the 21st Century. IF the Federal Government proves UNABLE to find a way to protect the right to vote on a national basis, if GOP parliamentary maneuvering successfully thwarts President Biden’s desired response, then what the hell is this System worth?!? In 1957, a GOP president federalized National Guardsmen in Arkansas and had them escort black children into previously segregated public schools. If that’s what it will take to ensure our right to vote in upcoming elections, then I’m in favor of it. But I’d rather see the local and state officials trying to deny the right to vote behind bars, frankly. Yes, your author despises having to choose between Tweedledee and Tweedledum candidates on Election Day, but the denial of the fundamental democratic right to vote is simply unacceptable. We may soon see how great a failure is “The Greatest Nation in the History of the World.” “LET’S DO SOMETHING ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT WE MUSTN’T EVEN MENTION CLIMATE CHANGE” Finally, with the Pacific Northwest baking in a quite unprecedented and deadly heat wave and food crops wilting in the fields and orchards, I note with the greatest scorn this phenomenon: GOP Congressional leaders agree with Biden that something needs to be done about our ailing infrastructure, but they say they can’t bring themselves to vote for any bill that openly refers to the Global Climate Disaster (my preferred description). The burden is on the GOP to explain to the citizenry how not talking about a giant existential threat, let alone taking ameliorative action, is in our best interests. END
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Previous two blog articles, available on Past articles page:
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Previous two blog articles, available on Past articles page:
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*** SPECIAL NOTICE!! ***
Courage to Resist podcast featuring little ol' me! Courage to Resist, in collaboration with the Vietnam Full Disclosure Project of Veterans For Peace, has compiled a collection of oral histories of GI resistance to the American War in Vietnam. My contribution to this was edited down to 28 minutes and, for whatever reason, the stories of my most militant acts were excised. The full story will appear in my written memoir when I'm able to publish it. For now, here is the link to the audio and a transcript via Courage to Resist:
https://couragetoresist.org/podcast-greg-laxer/
Courage to Resist podcast featuring little ol' me! Courage to Resist, in collaboration with the Vietnam Full Disclosure Project of Veterans For Peace, has compiled a collection of oral histories of GI resistance to the American War in Vietnam. My contribution to this was edited down to 28 minutes and, for whatever reason, the stories of my most militant acts were excised. The full story will appear in my written memoir when I'm able to publish it. For now, here is the link to the audio and a transcript via Courage to Resist:
https://couragetoresist.org/podcast-greg-laxer/
My current writing projects
I will be publishing the memoir of my resistance to the American War in Vietnam from within the ranks of the active-duty US military this year, if I succeed in raising funds from the public. TAKE THIS WAR AND SHOVE IT! A Most Unwilling Soldier 1967-1971 consists of 100,000+ words of text, plus several appendixes, excerpts from official government documents, and photos.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, GO TO "MEMOIR" PAGE (click HERE)
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In the meantime, I am having fun writing my first novel. It is a savage satire of the Music Industry, with which I have had some personal experience. Its title is classified (Top Secret!) for the time being.
I will be publishing the memoir of my resistance to the American War in Vietnam from within the ranks of the active-duty US military this year, if I succeed in raising funds from the public. TAKE THIS WAR AND SHOVE IT! A Most Unwilling Soldier 1967-1971 consists of 100,000+ words of text, plus several appendixes, excerpts from official government documents, and photos.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, GO TO "MEMOIR" PAGE (click HERE)
_________________________________________________________________
In the meantime, I am having fun writing my first novel. It is a savage satire of the Music Industry, with which I have had some personal experience. Its title is classified (Top Secret!) for the time being.
This blog site addresses and comments on these topics (among others!): peace, war, US politics, American politics, political analysis, climate crisis, climate change, climate change deniers, Donald J. Trump, social commentary, social criticism, social satire, current events, racism, anti-war movement, anti-racism, religion, religious extremism, religious fundamentalism, atheism, Buddhism, fascism, anti-fascism, socialism, communism, American war in Vietnam, the Vietnam War, Ken Burns, Lynn Novick, "The Vietnam War" PBS TV series, GIs, GI resistance to war, US Army, US military, militarism, anti-militarism, 'Bowe' Bergdahl, national debt, Pentagon budget, literature, books, authors, writers, cinema, music, movies, environment, ecology, anthropology, evolution, human race, humankind, misogyny, homophobia, philosophy, resistance, "Star Trek," "Star Trek: The Next Generation," United States Constitution, The Federalist Papers, James Madison, "The Simpsons," Bob Dylan, "Tombstone Blues," Commander-in-Chief, al-Baghdadi, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, endless wars, Major Danny Sjursen, Fritz Lang, Peter Bogdanovich, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, Dr. Mabuse the Gambler, M, The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse, Josef Goebbels, Hollywood, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Carl Sagan, Joe Biden, "With God on Our Side," TAKE THIS WAR AND SHOVE IT! A Most Unwilling Soldier 1967-1971
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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS NOTICE: Unless otherwise indicated, owner of this site is the sole author and owner of all material posted (with exception of public domain graphics). Permission is granted to share contents of this site elsewhere on the Internet or by other means of reproduction provided original author (Gregory Laxer) is credited. Please include a link to this website as a courtesy. If only excerpts are shared, original context must be accurately conveyed and, again, credited to original author. Please include a link to this website. EXCEPTION: Selections from my as yet unpublished memoir (see Memoir Page of this site) may not be reproduced elsewhere without express permission of the author.
DISCLAIMER: The author/owner of this website is not responsible for or necessarily in agreement with ideas expressed on other websites to which links are provided, nor does he endorse products that may be advertised on this site by the website service provider.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS NOTICE: Unless otherwise indicated, owner of this site is the sole author and owner of all material posted (with exception of public domain graphics). Permission is granted to share contents of this site elsewhere on the Internet or by other means of reproduction provided original author (Gregory Laxer) is credited. Please include a link to this website as a courtesy. If only excerpts are shared, original context must be accurately conveyed and, again, credited to original author. Please include a link to this website. EXCEPTION: Selections from my as yet unpublished memoir (see Memoir Page of this site) may not be reproduced elsewhere without express permission of the author.
DISCLAIMER: The author/owner of this website is not responsible for or necessarily in agreement with ideas expressed on other websites to which links are provided, nor does he endorse products that may be advertised on this site by the website service provider.
