Do The Math

 

As we mourn yet more victims of violence and seek both comfort and some kind of explanation, maybe it's time to ask a couple basic questions.

If America truly abhors gun violence, why is it by a long stretch the highest in the world for per capita gun ownership? 316 million people and 298 million guns! Handguns, rifles, assault weapons, shotguns.

If America truly wants peace in the world, why is it by a substantial margin the biggest exporter of armaments to practically any country or rebel army with a check book? Weapons of every shape and size, from hand guns to missiles! (One nice thing, though. We keep the white phosphorus, depleted uranium, and cluster bombs for our own use on the battle field.)

I weep for all __ both the victims and the survivors __ because we are all victims.

We are victims of a national madness that has become the new normal. We eat, sleep, dream, breathe violence. Look at TV. Look at movies, books, games. Look at our police.

I wish it were otherwise . . . but there will be no end to the carnage.

Unless we as a people __ individually and collectively __ change.

We can say 'NO' to all this violence. You and I.

But we have to say it . . . and mean it!


[ This originated at the author's personal website . . . http://jdrachel.com ]

War Is A Lie

 

We all know what's going on in Syria. There's been a civil war for some time now.  Many citizens there are very unhappy with the Assad regime. There are elements within the country, now joined by a variety of well-armed and well-funded terrorist organizations from outside, that have taken up arms in an attempt to overthrow the government.

We also know that Washington DC __ I obviously include here Obama, Biden, Hillary Clinton before and now Kerry, but also the huge imbedded coterie of neocon imperialists who never look at a military campaign they don't get all giddy over and have grandiose visions of American hegemony over the world that goes way beyond childish fantasy into the realm of delusional psychosis __ has been licking its lips for a long time now, waiting for the right moment and the most plausible opportunity to plunge our country into another pointless military conflict in the Middle East. Iran's alleged development of a nuclear weapon just hasn't gotten traction so far with the American public __ basically because it's a fabrication. Hmm ... what else might get everyone's hackles up?

We now see the claims of "irrefutable proof" that chemical weapons were used by Assad's forces against Syria's own people. We hear the "irrefutable logic" that this gross violation of proscriptions against use of such weapons __ international law in the form of treaties and legal instruments by the United Nations __ MUST be punished.

To their credit, most Americans are not buying the thunderous but hollow beating of the war drums. Tragically the express will of the citizenry is not deterring the warmongers. These guys are relentless. They'll keep pouring it on. They'll come up with whatever "facts and figures" it takes to turn the tide of opinion and convince us to get with the program.

But the simple truth is . . . it's all a lie.

Either it's a lie via the lack of certain evidence.

Or it's a lie which springs from America's own hypocrisy.

America MUST punish such immoral transgressions?

First of all, there are mechanisms in place for addressing any such violations. America is not required to be judge, jury and executioner here or in any other instance of misbehavior by other nations.

Second, our indignation at the atrocities committed in other countries rings very hollow when you consider how America tends to cherry-pick its moral outrage. For example, we looked the other way when Saddam Hussein was gassing Iran. You remember. Saddam Hussein, that evil bad guy we had to depose. The one we called the new Adolph Hitler. The one we supported with billions of dollars of foreign aid a few years before when we liked him, the despicable evil dictator of the country where we "initiated and supported much of the financing, intelligence, and military help that built Saddam's Iraq into the power it became" and "Reagan/Bush administrations permitted — and frequently encouraged — the flow of money, agricultural credits, dual-use technology, chemicals, and weapons to Iraq."

I won't even get into the list of countries where we stood by and yawned as the slaughter of tens of thousands of innocent people occurred __ Rwanda immediately comes to mind __ our indignation on holiday. Nor will I get into the incredibly long list of countries ruled by ruthless autocrats supported by the U.S., who oppress and slaughter their own people often with the armaments we provide them.

While I'm on the subject of lies, I'm sure I don't have to remind you of all of the lies __ WMDs being first on the list __ told to the American people and the entire world which plunged us into the Iraq war, at the cost of 5,000 American lives and 190,000 Iraqis, 70% of them citizens. And how to make the medicine go down nice and smooth, we were told prior to that horrible fiasco, that we should be able to get in, get out, and wrap up the military campaign for a mere $50 or $60 billion, whereas estimates for the financial burdens just from the Iraq war are now at $2.2 trillion (yes, that's TRILLION!).

So . . .

Why all these lies?

Obviously, lies serve a specific timely function in terms of swaying public opinion. For example, whenever we're getting ready to put boots on the ground, we have to get people riled up before we send our young men and women into combat, or even waste billions more tax dollars raining down death and destruction on another country in the form of cruise missiles. Otherwise, some armchair generals might come to the conclusion that these wars are nothing more than senseless slaughter. Even if they are purely senseless slaughter, we can't have people thinking that!

But beyond the practical need that our amoral trigger-happy ends-justify-the-means political leaders perceive, I see something happening in our society. It's certainly nothing new but what is unprecedented is its scale.

I've come to believe that lying had become pandemic. Not only is it acceptable. It's become woven into the fabric of our culture, the way cancer cells weave their way into the anatomy of the human body.

Why do THEY lie and tell young girls they're not pretty enough, not thin enough, not sexy enough, and then lie to them about cosmetics, diets and weight loss pills, fashions that will turn you into objects of allure?

Why do THEY lie to young men and tell them might makes right and if you have a big gun or big muscles or a big mouth or a big dick, you now own the high moral ground and you can bully your way to the top?

Why do THEY lie to all of us regular folks and still call America the land of opportunity, where no matter how poor you are or what color your skin, you can rise to the top, when the truth is upward mobility in the U.S. is the worst in the developed world?

Why? Why? Why?

Why all the lies?

Amazingly enough, there is one simple answer. One size fits all. These mega liars kept it simple.
Money!

Behind every lie we're told is a profit motive. Every lie that succeeds takes money from you and I and puts it into the pockets of the liars.

The already appallingly wealthy just can't get enough. Already in possession of the vast majority of this country's wealth, they want more.

What's Syria about? The full explanation would take up an hour of your time. But it's about pipelines __ gas and oil pipelines. That's what Afghanistan was about. That's what Iraq was about. That's what Iran is about. That's what Syria is about. If you have the time and have a strong stomach __ it certainly made me sick __ watch here, here, here, and here to see why our soldiers are dying.

Wars are always built on lies. I am totally convinced of this now.

I want you to buy David Swanson's book (pictured above) . . . http://amzn.to/1cDHbYO

He doesn't know me and I get no commission. I have no stake in this.

But you do. If you don't read this book, you're choosing a lobotomy over understanding why we are immersed in gridlock, confusion, conundrum. Why we're perpetually at war. Why we, who have to go out and put our lives on the line for the rich and powerful, are always given this choice:

a) War
b) War
c) All of the above

Does this sound twisted or melodramatic? It's not.

When you see the reason behind all the lies, it's like when Dorothy arrived in Oz and suddenly her world went from black-and-white to dazzling, breathtaking color.

Let me say one last thing about lies and war. This applies to every waking moment of our lives, and why we must always be vigilantes for honesty.

When THEY lie to us and we believe them, we end up at war with ourselves, war with one another, war with everyone else in the world, and at war with the truth.

And if we continue to allow this to happen . . .

There will be no survivors.




[ This originated at the author's personal website . . . http://jdrachel.com ]

Author John Rachel Wakes Up Black!

 

Apparently my voter registration card has been nullified. The letter I got said that to reinstate my voting privileges, I would have to provide a birth certificate, proof of U.S. citizenship, blood and urine samples, DNA from my natural parents and at least four aunts and uncles, a copy of a recent utility bill, a notarized letter of commendation from my high school counselor, two color photos taken within the last twenty minutes, a clean bill of health from my doctor showing I'm not lactose intolerant, and a list ten references five of which must be active members of my local Kiwanis Club. I also have to pay two outstanding parking tickets for a car I never owned __ I'm disputing this by offering proof that I was in Kenya with President Obama at the time of the parking violation citations.

I guess I understand. It's important to maintain the integrity of the right to vote in a system where the voice of the people weighs in so heavily in shaping public policy.

[ This originated at the author's personal website . . . http://jdrachel.com ]

What’s in a name?

  This is my First Holy Communion picture, taken one year after I was officially adopted.

I've had three legal names in my lifetime.

That's not unusual for a female divorcee but I think it's an anomaly for most men.

I was born John Carl Shreiber but taken away at birth from my mother. We were in a mental institution at the time and she was deemed unfit.

After a year in the St. Vincent de Paul Society orphanage, two folks in their early 40s who were unable to have their own children, took me home. They were uneducated and very poor, so it took them five years to convince Judge Joseph Trombley, Probate Court judge in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, that they were worthy.

But the adoption finally went through and I became John Richard Laug. I was six and the photo here is me one year later.

My adopted parents, Richard and Florence, died when I was 14. They died three-and-a-half months apart, my father of brain cancer, my mother from the flu. But she had been sick all her life with high blood pressure and heart trouble, so the flu just did in her already weakened body.

Tough times followed. Most all of the relatives disappeared on me. My smart mouth and precocious arrogance never made me popular. I loved books. They loved sports and beer.

Anyway, Laug was always a problematic name. No one ever got it right. Laugh, lang, land, log, law, you name some mutilation of Laug and I've heard it a hundred times. It's actually a German name, pronounced (with lots of spit) L-OW-K. Like 'ow', as in you're standing on my foot, with an L on the front, and a big wet mucousy K on the end. Germany was not exactly popular after WWII, so my parents made the G silent, really complicating things.

I always hated Laug. "Hey, it's Johnny Law!" or "Hey gang! Let's beat the fuck out of Johnny Lang!"

So when I was 27 years old, I legally changed it to John D Rachel. (The D is just a D, not an initial. It stands for nothing specific, though I tell people my middle name is Dork or Demented or Divine or Disturbed, Delightful, Delicious, depending on my mood.)

When you're a male and you legally change your name, most people think you're up to no good. In fact, the court makes your declare that indeed, you are not changing it for any fraudulent purposes or to attempt to wrangle out of any legal obligations.

I wasn't. I just hated my name and changed it to something I liked.

So here I am. For most of my life, I've been John Rachel.

The irony is that I'm a writer.

Shreiber is German for ... writer.


[ This originated at the author's personal website ... http://jdrachel.com ]

Blinders Keepers

 

In this dark comedy, a young fellow who escapes his hopelessly hayseed home town in Missouri is mistakenly labeled a terrorist and must survive a fierce manhunt by government security agencies, while the President of an America in chaos and collapse takes desperate measures, attempting to reclaim control and get himself re-elected.

Blinders Keepers is social-political satire in the tradition of Jonathan Swift, Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller, but revved up and spit-shined to take on the historic new levels of absurdity and dysfunction of the 21st Century. It is one young man's struggle to survive the epic disintegration of the American Dream.

Published June 1 of this year, this semi-frivolous, quasi-serious, mini-epic in a major key is available in every popular format for literature lovers across the English-speaking world.

As a Kindle ebook from Amazon (US) . . . http://amzn.to/122cnyF
As a paperback from Amazon (US) . . . http://amzn.to/11zaEjm
As a Nook Book from Barnes & Noble . . . http://bit.ly/17MtgjE
As an iBook from the Apple Store . . . http://bit.ly/11WqJiv
As an ebook from Kobo . . . http://bit.ly/18wHki2
As an EPUB ebook from Sony . . . http://bit.ly/11GNrLz
Every popular ebook format at Smashwords . . . http://bit.ly/190zmgs
As a paperback from the printer . . . http://bit.ly/10SPPyS
Direct from the publisher . . . http://bit.ly/14j2VGy

But let's face it. There are so many books out there!

Overwhelmed? Don't feel alone. You might want to check out the first video trailer . . .

. . . or listen to what the vitamin-deficient author himself has to say in this interview. 
Okaaaaaay!

The truth is, against all odds, oohs and aahs are pouring in from all corners of the globe. Following are some carefully edited excerpts from unsolicited reader comments posted at Amazon (it is the opinion of the administrators of this website that expletives and death threats serve no constructive role vis-a-vis the literary merits of the novel):

"Blinders Keepers" is an example of how to successfully mix political observations, humor, and creativity . . . This is a great book to unwind with at the end of the day. Just sit back and let the insanity unfold. The prose is well written with a fresh voice and will have you grinning whether you like it or not. –  Nicole Disney 

"Blinders Keepers" is the latest star of my "show this to the next person who says indie novels suck" list. Here's your novel by an unknown writer, from a press so indie it amounts to "self-publishing by proxy", with an oddball, non directive title and a vague cover. What's to like? Well... THE BOOK! It's WAY cool. –  Linton Robinson

This book is interesting, fun, and witty, with a wry, sardonic sense of humor__a Vonnegut meets Christopher Moore drive-it-like-you-stole-it joyride! –  T. Rood

Blinders Keepers is a fugitive quest set in the near future in an America none of us would want. In its futurist setting, it aligns with 1984, Brave New World, and The Handmaid's Tale, all cautionary stories about how bad things might get if we don't wake up and smell the decaf. –  Gerald Everett Jones

Comparisons to Kotzwinkle, Tom Robbins and Ishmael Reed are not that far off the mark . . . Rachel is very, very good. He has a lively style and is very gifted at original, catchy similes and metaphors. His insights are interesting and he lays them in with finesse. His style and voice don't suffer from comparison to the writers mentioned above. Much more enjoyable than Palahniuk, to single out one. He's a fun writer, but also a solid, focused one who knows what he's doing. –  Linton Robinson

I AM ONLY 2% into the book and it has blown away every other good book I've read. . . . Being a fan of John Rachel I know him to give offbeat stories that are almost beyond description. – Grandma Snyder

But don't take their word for it. Make up your own mind!

As the essence of good literature is allegory and allegory is like giving LSD to a toddler raised on a porch in Appalachia, here is the second video trailer for Blinders Keepers.

Now! Time to pull out all the stops. Here's the opening sub-chapter of Blinders Keepers, based on a verifiable historical event but modified at the discretion of the author to align with the instructions given by a voice in his head __ a dreary character who without any irony claims to be the orthopedic surgeon for St. Ignatius of Loyola. It takes all kinds.

CHAPTER ONE
State of the Union

It was that time of year again. Last week of January.

The President was making his much anticipated State of the Union Address.

After the usual greetings and initial courtesies — thanking everyone for coming, acknowledging the important players in all branches of the government, and offering gracious regards for a few special invited guests — the President delivered the type of crowd-pleasing line which has been the linchpin of State of the Union addresses for as long as anyone cared to remember.

“As I stand before this great body and look out at the faces of those who have dedicated themselves to this great nation, I can say with absolute confidence that America is on strong and certain footing.”

Then abruptly his expression changed, he shook his head and stopped speaking. Hands grasping the edges of the podium, he looked down at his feet and appeared to be lost in thought.

What followed was both unexpected and certainly unprecedented. He looked back up. Gone was the confident smile, the twinkle in his eye, the arched optimistic brow. He appeared somber, a touch sad, apologetic.

“Who am I trying to fool here? You, my respected Congressmen? Some of the finest legislators to ever hold public office? The excellent justices of the Supreme Court who preside over the greatest legal institution in history? Myself? No, I’m not here to try to fool anyone. These are times unlike any this nation has ever seen. So I’ll tell you exactly what the state of our union is. It’s a fucking mess!”

A deathly silence filled the entire congressional chamber. If a pin had dropped, it would have been possible to know its exact size and just how many times it bounced. What wasn’t entirely clear was if they had somehow missed what he just said, or if they had heard it, but it hadn’t actually registered. Blank faces and unfocused eyes filled the chamber.

Then, as if being directed by some invisible conductor, or moved by an invisible resonant force field, everyone immediately stood up and began with thunderous applause, cheering, and raucous acclamation, to give him a huge standing ovation. This went on and on, for several minutes at least, never in the least waning in intensity. The President smiled and waved, basking in the adulation. Finally, he had enough and made it clear he had more that he wanted to say. Using a palm’s down gesturing with his hands, he eventually got them to sit back down.

“So here’s what we’re gonna do. I want you all to look down at the floor. Now pull your pant legs up over your calves. What do you see? For those senators and congressman from Texas, this will be easy. You won’t have to imagine. The rest of you, just look and see what I’m seeing. See those loops. Those are bootstraps. Yes, bootstraps. Okay. Now look back up at me.”

Dramatically the President held up high in front of him his two index fingers.

“See these? What we’re gonna do is take these and insert them right in those bootstraps. Then all together, we’re gonna lift. We’re gonna lift like no one has ever lifted before. And we’re gonna pick ourselves up. We’re gonna pick ourselves up and we’re gonna stay up. Do you know why? I’ll tell you why. Because this is America. This is the greatest country that ever was or ever will be. And as we have demonstrated time and time again, as we have shown the naysayers and skeptics over and over, this is one country that can do it. We will do it! Yes! By God we will do it! Ladies and gentlemen, thanks to each and every one of you for your unselfish dedication, your unwavering patriotism, your honorable service to this great country. God bless America!”

Everyone in the chamber, congressman, jurists, ushers, guards, special guests, select members of the press, again leaped to their feet. The response this time was totally over the top. It made the first ovation look like they had been standing graveside at a wake.

Suddenly and without warning, over the explosive din of the hysterical whooping and yelling, could be heard blasting from P.A. speakers hidden behind the long drapes at the rear of the gallery, the U.S. Army band playing Happy Days Are Here Again. This theatrical touch just added to the ongoing chain reaction, notching the hysteria up another two levels.

With climactic flair which rivaled the best Superbowl half-time shows, red, white and blue balloons then dropped from the ceiling. Like crazed, frenetic school children, the congressman start batting them around.

Maybe the country was going to hell in a hand basket. But darn it all, there was no reason to get all down in the mouth about it.


[ This originated at the author's personal web site . . . http://jdrachel.com ]

Online Interview: “Blinders Keepers”

 

I just completed an online interview in support of my recently published novel, "Blinders Keepers".

I have a set policy for these kinds of situations. Keeping in mind that you never have a second chance to make a first impression, I always give it my best shot and reply from purest chambers of my soul. Honesty is the best policy, even at the expense of clarity.

Understandably, this approach has caused a degree of awkwardness, sometimes outright shame __ which will undoubtedly tarnish my family name for generations. Having said that, this one particular interview I thought came off with uncharacteristic nuance and gravity, as I wrestled with matters of conscience and avoided my usual preoccupations with puerile pre-adolescent piffle. The author site is called The Thursday Interview. Here are their thought-provoking questions and my self-serving but entirely heartfelt responses:

Question #1: “Would you break the law to save a loved one? … why?”

The laws of the land in theory are a reflection of the values and the ethical priorities of a society. Therefore, when they are at odds, moral law trumps the legal system. Whether to save a “loved one” is a moral decision. Do they want to be saved? Is the person worth saving? Maybe the person __ though you love them dearly __ has a habit of kidnapping children, grinding them up and eating them. Saving them, legal or not, wouldn’t be such a good idea, eh? Perhaps the person is dying of cancer and in great pain. I can imagine violating the laws against assisted suicide to “save” such a person by helping them die. This is an instance where certain well-intended but antiquated laws do not work. A person may not wish to be kept alive just to suffer pain and humiliation, so why should the law protect them from the choice of dying? Or during the Vietnam War, when persons were violating the draft law to save themselves. They didn’t want to die in an illegal immoral war, so they saved themselves by defying the law. Morality trumps legislation. Which adds up to this: People need to choose their legislators carefully, but even more importantly be perfectly clear about their own moral beliefs.

Question #2: “What is the difference between being alive and truly living?”

Being alive we all share with bacteria and mushrooms. Truly living is riding in the rear seat on Disneyland’s Space Mountain while eating a hot fudge sundae and having a person you love beside you singing “Gangnam Style” in your ear. Do you see the difference?

Question #3: “What motivates you to write?”

I sign all of my email “Scribo ergo sum.” I know I know. It sounds pretentious. But in its own grandiose and affected way, it sums up what all actions in life are about. We each claim identity by doing. We are because we act. What we choose to do then gives shape and meaning to what would just be sacks of protoplasm moving randomly through space.

Question #4: “Why do human's want children?”

Humans are programmed by the biological necessity of propagating the species to mate and spit out likenesses of themselves. This also feeds their self-esteem, since most people fail at achieving their dreams and in fact are not good at anything. They can point at junior and say proudly, “By golly, I made that!” No rational person not in the insidious clutches of the biological imperative to reproduce would have children. As babies, children smell bad and trick you into loving them by making nonsensical but endearing sounds. Then when they turn 16, they wreck the car and send your auto insurance rates through the roof.

Question #5: “What was the biggest challenge in creating your book Blinders Keepers?”

Blinders Keepers resulted from a suggestion made by a movie exec type, who really liked my previous novels, 11-11-11 and 12-12-12. This person suggested I try to come up with a screenplay. Of course, those books are twisted and highly multilayered. The movie would have been 18 hours long and a bore. So I got to work. I combined the stories, chopped the plotline to the bare bone, and wrote a screenplay. THAT was the the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. Writing a screenplay is as different as badminton and baseball. Anyway, after I tore all of my hair out, bit my nails down to the first knuckle, and threw all of my furniture through the window of my study, I finished the script. Then I wrote the book. Foolishly, I thought converting the screenplay into a book would be a walk in the park. It was __ Jurassic Park! But I got it done and now I am seriously thinking about making a baby. They’re so cute! And I figure if my book and screenplay don’t sell, I can point at junior and say, “By golly, I made that!”

Question #6: “What's the most important thing you've learned in life so far?"

Sunblock doesn’t help when you fall into a vat of molten iron. But the most important bit of advice I’ve ever received is actually tattooed on the inside of my rib cage. I haven't a clue how it got there. I had elective arthroscopic surgery to pin stripe my pancreas a couple years ago and the surgeon told me that written on my abdominal lining is the following: “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth without headgear.” I think that’s Aristotle.

Question #7: “How did you come up with the title Blinders Keepers?”

I had quite a list of commercial titles going. Among those which I thought would really sell were The Bible, Eat Pray Love, Shades of Grey, and The Da Vinci Code. Then I found out those titles were already bestsellers and decided that people would think it was a cheap trick to use them. So one day I was playing around with words and phrases, and I recalled that singsong thing we used to say as kids when we found something, “Finders keepers, losers weepers!” It morphed into Blinders Keepers, because my book is about people going through life with blinders on and refusing to acknowledge the realities around them. One of my bylines for the book is: “Blinders Keepers, the blind leading the blind and the rest of us directing them to the nearest cliff.” The blind are, of course, the clueless political fools we currently look to for ideas and leadership.

Question #8: “How do you handle personal criticism?”

No one has ever criticized me because I’m perfect. I realize that my answer to this has to be 30 words minimum. How am I doing? Only 28? How about now?

Question #9: Why should people read your book?”

I never said people should read my book. They should BUY my book. If they then actually bother to read it and have a highly developed sense of humor (i. e. an appreciation for wit, as opposed to slapstick and fart jokes), relish sophisticated satire, are aware of the Code Blue state of America, are concerned but calm enough to lean back a little and look at the big picture, they will have an enjoyable read. It's not for everyone. Blinders Keepers is dark, tastefully demented satire, an occasionally giddy spoof on current events and the kind of people who perpetuate the ongoing comedy of errors. It's my way of entering the national dialogue and sharing what I think is a unique perspective. I believe that when life becomes unbearable, you can either laugh or cry. To appreciate what’s possible and snatch hope from the jaws of despair, I think we need to laugh. That’s all I’m offering with this novel, the chance for a good belly laugh in the midst of chaos and collapse.

Question #10: “Why is there something rather than nothing?”

Are you talking about my something ... or your something? My something is everything. Your something is nothing. But you probably think your something is everything and my something is nothing. I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree on this __ even though I’m right.


[ This originated at the author's personal web site . . . http://jdrachel.com ]


 

The ‘P’ Word

 

P ... as in popular? This is the most popular video on YouTube as of this writing, with 1,676,424,490 views. That's billion, folks!

P ... as in poetry? Hmm. You mean like Eminem? No! You know. Like poetry slams. Cage fighting culture. I slam, therefore I am. Sounds familiar. Isn't that Dr. Seuss?

P ... as in pornography? Apparently, porn __ at least porn on the web __ is becoming less pervasive. Maybe that's because there's so damn much pornography everywhere you look nowadays. Isn't drone assassination porn? How about whole communities going bankrupt from fraud by the major banks. Rape porn. Read all about it here! Or watch it on everyone's favorite porn channel, Fox News.

P ... as in polygamy? We had our chance to put a polygamist in the White House. Well, not a polygamist per se. But one belonging to a religion which institutionally peddles polygamy. It could have been an interesting chapter in the whole DOMA thing, eh?

P ... as in pedophile? Probably we have more on our hands than we realize, some in very high places. But what can we expect? We have runway models who are thirteen, beauty contests for pre-schoolers, more hypocrisy about sex and sexuality than the Catholic Church __ speaking of pedophilia! __ a population pumped up on steamy ads, hot bods, prurient celebrity gossip, and a panoply of pharmaceuticals which despite their pervasive abuse can't keep all this libidinous heavy-breathing in check. Lovely. Simply lovely.

P ... as in patriarchy? A strong contender. We men have made a complete mess of the world, not satisfied with occasional penile penetration, we have to launch our phallic analogs in every shape and size of projectile, missile, bullet and bomb into every nookie and cranny of the world __ so much soft succulent flesh, so little time __  jumping up and down with ecstatic glee at the ultimate ejaculation, the nuclear bomb. What can I say? Everyone knows this. It's an old story with the latest trimmings.

P ... as in patriotism? A noble, if much abused concept. But don't get all patriotic as in standing up for the Constitution. Edward Snowden will tell you how that works out.

P ... as in power? Hmm. We're getting close. That's one musical chair that stays in the game, especially unchecked by any moral restraint or sense of public duty. As we say: Power corrupts? Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Absolutely!

P ... as in politics? A dirty business to be sure. Not that it has to be that way. What is it? The kind of people it attracts? Or the people they become?

P ... as in politicians. Somewhere it's written that these guys are supposed to serve us, the people who elected them. But they've become a bunch of traitorous lapdogs to corporate elites who openly thumb their noses at you and I. It sucks, eh?

P ... as in plutocracy. Getting very warm. These are the scoundrels who don't even bother to give lip service anymore to the idea of egalitarianism. They view the rest of us as pigs. Nothing new. Hitler. Stalin. King Henry VIII. Blah blah blah. It's exhausting. Let's all sing Hail To The Chief. Of course, he won't have time to listen. He's poring over today's kill list.

P ... P ... P ...

I think I'm going to go with . . .

P ... as in plunder.

America is both plunderer and plundered. You would think it would be enough for the self-proclaimed entitlement class to use America's economic and military power to strip mine the rest of the world. But no. Now the ruling elite has its eyes on the ultimate prize. America itself! How much is enough? They don't even understand the question.

So we watch in wonder and awe as our resources, natural and human, are sucked dry to bolster a bottom line that is the top priority __ the only priority __ in a system that assigns no value to anything but what can be monitized, i. e. price-tagged.

Is this really the only way we can measure progress?

I think not. And probably many agree with this. But it's so hard. We don't ever see ads for sunsets or generational respect or love between parent and child. Sure, we see those thing in ads. But to sell more cars, cosmetics, wonder drugs, smart phones, digital sausage makers, stuff we don't need and soon won't be able to afford.

Ever look around the room when the TV's on? 



What do you see? People completely ignoring one another. People who will die as others regret those lost moments of sharing, companionship, communication, just basic human contact. At least they'll regret them until their favorite sitcom, reality show or the E! Channel comes on. Whew . . .

What a depressing thought.

Am I being too pessimistic? I don't think so.

Actually, I'm still optimistic.

Marginally optimistic anyway.

There are other 'P' words.

How about P ... as in people? There is the potential for greatness in everyone. There is the promise of better-than-yesterday. There are propositions we embrace: All men are created equal. Love thy neighbor. Do unto others. Principles we hold dear: Government by the people, of the people, for the people. All are equal before the law. Let no man be judged by the color of his skin.

When we are not driven by greed, frenzied by fear, blinded by hate, crippled by despair, possessed by prejudice, misled and misinformed, most people are good to one another. Humans are social animals, curious and able to adapt. When we are not artificially divided, we remain naturally united. This is almost impossible to see now, much less celebrate, in a world whose political engines are powered by disunity and discontent.

How about P ... as in praise? How about giving praise where it's due? Not Pavlovian praise. But praise based on the values we hold dearest and nearest to the center of our souls. Not iconic fan worship. Praise offered for ennobling acts of courage and generosity.

How about P ... as in pray?

I'm not a religious person. But praying in some form or another is universal. I've seen it on every continent, in countries rich and poor. What is praying but visualizing something positive for those around you and the community you live in? Or the whole planet? Or the entire family of man?

How about P ... as in participate? Even the most rugged individualists overcome pride, prejudice, and apathy to work in consort with others. Alone things can be difficult. But joined together in group action, individual but equal, the impossible becomes possible.

Finally, there's P ... as in perfection? We've sure got a ways to get there. But we reach for the stars, because even if we fall far short, we only risk ending up on the highest peaks here on Earth. Maybe we'll find room at the top for everyone this time.

I have to confess, though. There was a time when I truly believed in the perfectibility of humankind. That was when I was young and naive.
Now I believe in the improvability of humankind.

Maybe now I'm just old and naive . . . I sure hope not.

Okay . . . enough with the 'P' words.

My lips are tired from all the puckering.

And I've blown out my candle.

 

This originated at the author's personal web site . . . http://jdrachel.com

[ If you are really a masochist, be sure and stay tuned my upcoming "Dachau World" blog posting. It's certain to cause a stir. ]