I didn't appreciate anymore than anyone else the Venezuelan president insulting ours (and by extension, us) on our own turf.
However, the man said one or two things in his rambling speech that were right, when he mentioned our "so-called democracy," "a democracy of elites."
Nowhere is this more true than in the literary community. The lit-world is becoming a closed shop of aristocrats and their servile flunkies. It's almost completely intolerant of dissent.
After a side detour or two, I intend to return to this theme-- with more documentation.
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So you're takin the nationalist view and sayin no foreign leader can come over here and insult our president? Forget the fact that he never was elected. Never know you to be that way Karl. It's all just a script anyway. Good guys and bad guys.
I am just not going to concede this country to the Overdogs. It's my country also!
Don't you know anything about territory, my man? When I was growing up, no one from another neighborhood came into ours and insulted even the most disliked person on the block.
(I was in a big fight once when a buddy and me wandered into the wrong part of town-- we got bounced around a bit! Didn't mind it because that's life.)
Your buds, your gang, your pack, your turf. All for one and one for all. It's the ethos of the ULA, for one thing. I live by that kind of attitude.
I may have agreed with everything Chavez said-- but it wasn't his place to say it. Let him clean up his own backyard.
p.s. I'll agree with you on one thing, Mike; that this country's political media show is a scam. I think we should be careful not to fall for it by granting Bush and his cronies such things as patriotism and the flag. This is exactly what they want. That prepster has been sitting comfortably his entire life while the working people of this land built this society. My people slaved in the bowels of America; in its steel mills and auto factories-- as I did right out of high school, before such jobs disappeared. My old man worked himself into his grave. We have sweat equity in this nation; in the word "America" itself. Sorry, but I'm not about to give that up to anyone.
Who are the real patriots?
Someone even like Oliver Stone, who simply wants America to for once live up to its lofty ideals. This is what breathes all through his art; through such movies as "JFK" and "Nixon" and "Born on the Fourth of July."
The ULA is the new voice of America-- its authentic voice through and through, because it comes from the farms, the streets, the populace. We can revive literature and thereby the culture, and thereby America.
That's the plan anyway!
Well said, King.
In particular, the phrase "sweat equity" is excellent; I think I'll steal it!
Okay so George Bush represents you if this is your country too? Surely the leaders must. I mean this is a democracy right Karl. I'm not giving up anything. I'm just saying this world is all of ours, not just a country. We all need to retrain our brains to go beyond petty conditioning like nationalism. What do you think?
Who's been brainwashed?
Those working hardest for a world without borders or nations are the multi-national corporations.
Examples of moves in that direction-- NAFTA, WTO, GATT-- have been disastrous for the average person everyplace. Only the super-rich gain.
The best thing America could've done for the world is stay within its borders.
Well-meaning globalist Leftists have been Enablers for the conglomerates; missionaries paving the way for the conquistadores. It's the same thing.
We CAN'T mix with other cultures without dominating and destroying them. We're too rich and powerful. We're not the same. They have their beliefs, cultures, and traditons and we have ours. It's naivete to think we can.
But here they come, "We Are the World!"-- rich touristy Americans landing in planes in the Third World, disembarking with guitars and beads. "We're here to help!"
Coca-Cola: "I'd like to cause the world to sing in perfect harmony."
Really? (Sells more products that way.) But it's totalitarian thinking. It's "Big Brother," no one disagreeing-- the ideology of Rick Moody.
(Meanwhile right behind the guitars and beads follows the army of suits carrying briefcases.)
The Right is more greedy and corrupt, but no one will ever surpass the Left for stupidity.
In sum: We all have an identity. Part of mine is that I'm an American. What else would I be? Martian? I was born in this land. My roots are here.
That identity still has some (dwindling) value in this world. One shouldn't discard it lightly.
(p.s. Bush, Cheney, and their oil cronies think the world is all of ours also. It's why they're in Iraq!)
Sir beleave me when I say the world I envision has nothing to do with a new world order or multi-national coporations. Whatever words you wanna put in my mouth Karl you go on and do that. It's what you're good at.
I'm not putting words in your mouth. Drop your paranoia-- it gets old.
When I go after someone I name them and quote them.
I'm stating things as they are. Which is: we can't have the kind of world you envision as long as there exists such things as monstrous mega-gigantic corporations.
The Left is being given an object lesson in Iraq right now that "globalism" in fact means "imperialism." They're the same thing.
Think globally? That's all the neo-cons do!
Paranoia? pssht. Neo-cons? My man Nazi's went out of style in the thirties or fourties which is why they have had to work underground ever since. True Hitler too was trying to conquer every country around. My point is I don't think many people like them, all we have to do is tell people what they are and keep telling people what they are until they listen.
everything chavez said was dead on.
the reason he has to come here and say it (against some stupid rule of etiquette i guess), is that someone needs to show our own senators and congressmen how to speak up. democrats should have been saying that stuff for six years now.
You can't blame the senators or congresmen. They are just following the script.
Alright I wanna say Chavez was not really speaking in america he was speaking to the world leaders at the u.n. headquarters which happens to be in america. All of the focus on george bush being the devil is really silly. The main thing that he said in his speech which really needs to be addressed, it is good that someone brought it up, is that america's ego has grown way out of control. As a world leader democratically elected (Unlike bush), he has every right to say that. In fact it is his duty.
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