h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Gore Vidal has written a thought provoking item in "The Nation" of June 2, 2003. Here is the title: "We are the Patriots." Sadly, it is not available on-line; but, your local university library may have a subscription to the magazine, perhaps? Also, Senator Byrd has provided an item for the June 9, 2003 issue that is worthy of a look and a few moments of contemplation.

Sad to note, though, that even the alternative media in America does not question the taint put on certain ideas and concepts and terms. Instead, it chooses to use those words in a context that allows the sense/meaning/interpretation foisted on such terms. Terms such as "jihad" for example have been imbued with a meaning that is the opposite of that intended in the context within which this term (and other words subjected to such treatment) were first invented and put into use or were vocal representations of.

That the alternative media would become party to such a fantasy - one initiated by those it most seeks to expose for the close minded bigotted propoganda mongers that they are - is a sad and frightening thing to confront. To say the least, it increases our need to be even more alert to the corrosive influence of such processes (for example, the process of cognitive dissonance).

Senator Byrd has a page with his speeches. He has done a lot of talking in the last few years , ignored by most of the politicians but noticed by many. The non profit groups love him ,friends working in those fields send me his speeches.
http://byrd.senate.gov/byrd_newsroom/byrd_news_feb/news_2003_february/news_2003_february_9.html

Hope the link works!

I will try to get the one mentioned "We are the Patriots" did you mean 01 0r 2002?

The articles there today, are very good ~ June 2003 edition. I left the latest link to- Lynch story part 2 by Sheer, on my Jessica thread here .

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,963380,00.html

Just read this *chill*

that's the June 2, 2003 issue for Vidal's latest item. the Guardian item is excellent, even as a quick read. suggest you may want to examine some of the stuff posted by Cockburn and collegues at

http://www.counterpunch.com

Thanks

I read the CLWatch also.
No good news.

I wonder when we will retrieve our land and what she bears and what the cost will be ...

Heart sinking, seeing what has become familar only within my head space, written by another here in black & white print.


"Certainly no other state has continued its use or allowed people to choose it. It's the one thing that stands out," Dieter said. "It's part of the history, so there's a reluctance to change." The nation's last execution by firing squad was in 1996.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/05/22/firing.squad.executions.ap/index.html

"It's a part of history ,so there's reluctance to change."
Used rather convieniently in THIS case What about the CR & CL that were suppose to be an even longer tradition, something we are to get better at?

http://www.lchr.org/us_law/loss/imbalance/imbalance.htm

I have not been to this page before! More hopefull possibly this article is about the imbalance of powers-rights. It was a US link from the Human Rights Watch page.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4661683,00.html
by Oliver Burkeman in Washington
He has a few good articles to look at.

Hello, been hither and tither lately...

Hi.
I Hope something good came from it.
If not, at least something interesting.

Abbi, the absolutely astonishing con job being done on this nation and the lack of any concentrated and popular response to such is very very disheartening to say the absolute least about it. The attack is being engaged on all fronts but it seems the zombie like populace will not even pry its eyes away from the free porn on the Internet or the shopping channel on cable TV or the unending gnawing on incessant hunger or the perverse pleasure of yet another glass of the Dom....

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2003/060103a.html

This is the "American Matrix" .
It has links for all the comments. The public being sold on the hype the media is liberal is still the most baffling. With that done the rest seems to fall in line.

I am feeling lonely in all this. I am always relieved at first to hear you say what I'm thinking. Few are wanting to pay attention to the press that IS out there.

I could not agree more about "zombie like populace will not even pry its eyes away from the free porn on the Internet or the shopping channel on cable TV or the unending gnawing on incessant hunger or the perverse pleasure of yet another glass of the Dom...."

Article's a good read.

Personally, I prefered Matrix to Matrix Reloaded in terms of its being thought provoking. The second in the series is a head rush of high tech effects, in effect the show has become what it purports to critique. And, it wants to hook us into viewing #3 with a slick and cynical little titilation at the very end, there's even a loud, clangy ditty to the dream-maker brothers(!) ... so, it is so very easy to be co-opted, no?

Speaking of fun movie, catch "Bend It Like Beckham" if you can at all; even the "In Laws" is funny.

The other day, a good friend and I were talking about our disquiet and he made a provocative statement as he is often wont to do which was stated, more or less, as follows: "I think it takes less energy to watch TV than it does to dream..." Just think of the possibilities!

Thanks for themovie recomendations. It's that time!

Nice friend to have around,a provocative one

Be sure to see the short (72 mins) movie on Noam Chomsky's thoughts about US-us since 9-11. He speaks sincerely, simply and understandably. It really is worth the time and money. Remember what H. L. Mencken said, "... The truly civilized man is always skeptical and tolerant, .... His culture is based on "I am not too sure.""

H. L. Mencken
" The truly civilized man is always skeptical and tolerant. His culture is based on *I am not too sure*""

I like that, it is a comfortThank you.

Here's a url for that movie:

http://www.firstrunfeatures.com/th/Noam%20Chomsky/thmain.html

"I rarely find an intellectual who's not either angry, pedantic or wishes he didn't know so much..."

Quote from the message board I read on the site.
"Rebel without a pause" that's a good one for him
I cannot wait to see that movie.