Because I was reading a newspaper, and because I am lazy and don't feel like looking up the article online to link it, my word will just have to be taken on this. There was a book review in today's Seattle Times that roughly said that using fascism as an argument point in any discussion on the current state of things is a pointless end to the argument because the word fascism is not longer used in its historical context. Actually, it said something more akin to the word having been misused that it no longer carries with it anything, though I would add it still has emotional cachet. Everyone knows arguments based on emotions are rather pointless.
The book in question was something about the political right and the difference between traditional conservatives (perhaps not a bad thing) and those who would prefer to scream and shout and engage people at a visceral level for changes in the government that may not even be constitutional. Regardless, the article gave me a something to think about on the way home from Taco Time. What I wondered about, aside from how the word fascism is fanged but without fangs, was how it seems that in this country the Republicans seem to scream more when they are out of power than the Democrats. Let's just grab Rush, since he is an easy target. I don't recall hearing of him prior to the Clinton administration, but I am guessing he has been doing this since longer than '92, though at some point after the election his frothy style of talk radio just took off. Now he numbers seem to be up again, at least his press coverage is, now that the Republicans are out of office. On the Democrat's side, there really is no one that fills the same shoes, and that could be because Democrat's don't like being told what to do, but more likely because even when out of power, the Democratic party does not feel threatened. You lose, get up, brush off your knees, and start all over. Rush (or any other "name" Republican, until enmeshed in a scandal) is basically a rallying point for people who don't know how to work within the system because for too long they have been fed instructions, just like Rush is doing now. The party of small government isn't really that at all, just different government. President Bush told everyone to be scared and they were, and he said I need to violate the constitution in order to protect you, and the people let him, and now the current administration needs to clean it up, which isn't something that can be done easily, even less so when former administration muckity-mucks decide to bray.
While President Obama is doing little to discourage the stereotype that the Democrats are something other than the tax and spend politicians they have been painted as, the times are extra-ordinary, and perhaps they will manage to bring the spending back into the responsible realm shortly. Unfortunately, the situation was damned if you do, damned if you don't, but I do believe it is better to try something based on historical precedent than do nothing, which also has a precedent. Now, if we could only get everyone on board as to the necessity of action rather than knocking the action but not offering an alternative.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
from Rilke, a book bought today at Epilogue
Why I started readying "The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge" today, as opposed to some book that has been languishing on the shelves for ages is hard to say, but I did find, on page 15, this passage: "What's the use of telling anyone that I am changing? If I am changing, then surely I am no longer the person I was, and if I am something else than heretofore, then it is clear that I have no acquaintances. And to strange people, to people who do not know me, I cannot possibly write."
The reason the passage struck me is that is resembled a phone conversation with my sister regarding our relationship with various other members of the family. For both of us, our mother has sort of morphed into a person we no longer really know (and who no longer knows us), though the odd kicker is that neither of us really want to apply the effort to know this person. Certain family functions will still bring us together, but there is little really to talk about. My life experience is so far removed from theirs, I might as well speak Greek around them, and personally I have very little interest in activities at Mom's church, which is not one of the many I attended growing up. With that said, there is very little common ground, and very little to make a smooth conversation, which makes getting reacquainted rather cumbersome. The pauses in a recent phone conversation had me wonder if there was much of anything we could talk about, though she was on her cell phone and there were other things causing distraction, so maybe I am wrong. For the sake of things, I did mention I wouldn't be able to see the fireworks from my balcony, and the response was of the "well, I haven't seen your balcony" sort of comments, to which I should add, that after living here for three years, it isn't my fault you haven't chosen to visit. Family always supplies one with interesting observations on life, and if one thinks about it, observations regarding that most basic and complex of relationships.
On a different note, there have been people who I have kept in contact with, who have changed as I have changed, and who make a constant effort to relate, and to those people, I will likely never be "strange" in the sense used by Rilke, though I may be odd.
The reason the passage struck me is that is resembled a phone conversation with my sister regarding our relationship with various other members of the family. For both of us, our mother has sort of morphed into a person we no longer really know (and who no longer knows us), though the odd kicker is that neither of us really want to apply the effort to know this person. Certain family functions will still bring us together, but there is little really to talk about. My life experience is so far removed from theirs, I might as well speak Greek around them, and personally I have very little interest in activities at Mom's church, which is not one of the many I attended growing up. With that said, there is very little common ground, and very little to make a smooth conversation, which makes getting reacquainted rather cumbersome. The pauses in a recent phone conversation had me wonder if there was much of anything we could talk about, though she was on her cell phone and there were other things causing distraction, so maybe I am wrong. For the sake of things, I did mention I wouldn't be able to see the fireworks from my balcony, and the response was of the "well, I haven't seen your balcony" sort of comments, to which I should add, that after living here for three years, it isn't my fault you haven't chosen to visit. Family always supplies one with interesting observations on life, and if one thinks about it, observations regarding that most basic and complex of relationships.
On a different note, there have been people who I have kept in contact with, who have changed as I have changed, and who make a constant effort to relate, and to those people, I will likely never be "strange" in the sense used by Rilke, though I may be odd.
Lament for Ballard
The brutality of the climate is becoming apparent on the commercial streets of my neighborhood. Every week another store seems to be closing up. From consignment shops, to camera shops (likely on its last legs for a couple of years), to book stores. Abraxus and Epilogue, both used books shops (with a limited selection of new), are closing. I am told the former is moving, which is what I was told about the latter as well, but that was a false rumor, as they wanted to stay in Ballard. While I didn't ask, I can only surmise that some increase in rent must've been their death knell, as a year or two ago they were forced to shrink the size of their space. Perhaps another pet shop will open up, making three within a year to open up, though I didn't realize we had enough pets in the area to support more than a single shop (which we have had on Ballard Ave for at least 3 years), the new-comers being big and bright and chains.
More than anything, I think the lament is for the variety, as now, we will have but a single bookstore in Ballard to complement the library, and that bookstore's focus is children. I see no reason for them to expand, as they have worked ever so hard to specialize and build that audience. If there is something good to say, it is that at least at one point they took special orders.
It was a grey day today, so grim news like another book shop closing wasn't perhaps unusual. I now have another book to read, and will have to stop in again as they reduce their inventory.
More than anything, I think the lament is for the variety, as now, we will have but a single bookstore in Ballard to complement the library, and that bookstore's focus is children. I see no reason for them to expand, as they have worked ever so hard to specialize and build that audience. If there is something good to say, it is that at least at one point they took special orders.
It was a grey day today, so grim news like another book shop closing wasn't perhaps unusual. I now have another book to read, and will have to stop in again as they reduce their inventory.
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