"Sitting on a cornflake, - Democratic Underground

H2O Man

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Sun Jun-12-11 05:09 PM
Original message

"Sitting on a cornflake,

… waiting for the van to come.
Corporation tee-shirt, stupid bloody Tuesday,
man, you been a naughty boy, you let your face grow long.
I am the eggman, they are the eggmen,
I am the walrus! goo goo g'joob. …

Yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye.
Crabalocker fishwife, pornographic priestess,
Boy, you been a naughty girl, you let your knickers down.
I am the eggman, they are the eggmen,
I am the walrus! Goo goo g'joob. ….

Expert textpert, choking smokers,
Don't you think the joker laughs at you?
See how they smile like pigs in a sty,
See how they snied.
I'm crying.”
John Lennon; I am the Walrus.

It's a curious time to be a member of the Democratic Left in the United States today. I am, of course, speaking only for myself in this essay. Yet, I suspect that there are others, including some members of this forum, who hold similar values and beliefs about the social-political fabric of America.

I'm interested in a number of topics: jobs and the economy; public education; the environment; ending war; and the creeping threat to the Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights. But, when I turn on the television, listen to the radio, and/or read a newspaper, I'm confronted by coverage that – no matter how one sincerely feels about Rep. Anthony Weiner – far surpassed the level of distraction. And that is not to say that I don't think that his circumstances are not an issue at all; rather, it seems the photos are being blown out of proportion.

It reminds me, in a way, of a few years back, when a sick little man was brought back to the United States, after he had confessed to the murder of a little girl. The case was high profile, in part because the victim's mother had entered her in “beauty contests,” and the parents were wealthy. I remember discussing with some forum members here a talk I had with a relative who had previously been employed in national intelligence: he said that the creep had nothing to do with the child's murder, and that it was a classic example of a group using the national media to distract the public from those issues that impacted their daily lives.

In fact, it takes heaping doses of social novocaine to keep the public numb. While novocaine is useful for dentists when extracting a tooth, there are potentially negative side-effects. These potential dangers are even greater when certain groups use the media to numb the public, in a manner that allows them to extract rights, liberties, and ways of life.

Novocaine has a curious effect on how the body sends out epinephrine. As we know, our brain sends a message to the body to release epinephrine, or adrenaline, when it senses “danger.” When that happens, our hearts speed up, and we are ready for “fight or flight.” A dentist knows to use the correct amount, so that the patient doesn't think they are having heart trouble. They know having a tooth extracted is hard enough.

A group looking to numb Americans views the racing pulses, the unnatural excitement, and the fight or flight response as desirable. One need only look to the media and internet discussion sites to find numerous examples of great emotional investments in the discussions of Mr. Weiner, or whatever has been injected into the public discussion on any given day.

These side-effects are the reason that dentists squirt out the excess fluid from the syringe before injecting it in your mouth. That's the first step that those of us currently inhabiting the margins of social-political life have to try to do: take some cotton swabs and soak up some of the excess novocaine that is being injected into the public's worldview.

In my opinion, this can only be begun to be accomplished at the grass roots level. I am fully aware of the fact that I'm only one person, in one isolated corner of the nation, but I try to remain focused upon doing my part. I've wrote about some of the things I've been up to recently: the business in Sidney, NY, where the Town Supervisor attempted to force the excavation of Islamic graves, and my role in organizing the community response; running for school board; and working to organize the local communities in the anti- hydro-fracking movement.

It is encouraging to me that not only when I speak in public (in high school or college classrooms, at town board meetings, and rallies), but when I attend a school sporting event or even go grocery shopping, a growing number of people that I know casually, at best, approach me to discuss some political or economic concern. Now, I assume that most of them are exposed to the novocaine of the corporate media – in fact, they may even discuss Weiner etc at work – but they are far more concerned with what is real, and pressing, in their daily lives.

More, I have friends and associates who, while not necessarily comfortable speaking in public, or running for office, are more than happy to attend a public meeting, such as those being held in our area's town and village halls, on fracking. Most are willing and able to call or write their elected officials. Some enjoy writing letters to the editors of local newspapers. And there are a number of area journalists who are eager to cover the town board meetings, and rallies. (One hand washes the other, when it comes to local/area/regional media and the Democratic Left. It's important to make use of this resource, considering that the larger media will never provide us with fair coverage.)

We are heading into the 2012 election season. While we are not currently in a position to think that national leaders are looking out for our well-being – and I include members of both houses of Congress – we can be certain that they are always looking out for their own comfort, accounts, and well-being. And this includes having staff in their “home” offices, keeping track of current trends.

Be awake. Be aware. And be active. Do not be fooled into believing that your contribution is insignificant. Or that your opinion doesn't matter. Or that your life is unimportant. That is the side-effects of the poisons that the machine is injecting. It's an illusion, and a lie.

Keep focused on that which is important. Keep your eyes on the prize. And keep fighting the Good Fight.

Peace,
H2O Man