Mr.Tank Man, Sing Me a Song

How quickly people forget. Either that or they just miss the point. Whatever they do, this guy was OK. The symbol of his act goes beyond China. It is universal. The state vs the individual. Over and over again people try to justify the state as the highest value, as God. It never seems to bring peace or cultural sanity. Many intelligent people still try. Often those who are very impressed with their own IQ and mastery of esoteric, irrelevant trivia which seems to substitute for moral justice in their push for involuntary collectivism. I don't get it, but the majority seem to.





I put this on facebook too so if you saw that, don't hate me.

Part of it is actually a very subtle response to all the Pete Seeger worship and eulogy.  Whereas I think he was right to refuse to answer the Congressional committees back in the fifties, I am no fan of the unions or the communist philosophy he embraced.



Typical of today's democrats and others who either cannot think, or merely hate it when others do, it is assumed that if you don't worship the Pete Seeger - Woodie Guthrie outlook, then you must be a police state type of person.  That is ironic because I see their way as a path to that very thing.



The best of all Pete's views and philosophy was that defiance of an intrusive government, behaving much like the NSA and Homeland Security advocates of present day (under BOTH Bush and Obama).



That's the whole scheme here; two roads which lead to the same place.  We hear both parties thanking military people "for their service" over and over.  An untouchable sentiment, yet both parties abuse and misuse the military force of this country in ways so far beyond criminal that few care to admit it.



Not only is the military not used for defense, its proper role, but increasingly it is gearing up for domestic action against citizens.  Joint exercises between military and local law enforcement have become somewhat commonplace.   For that service, I cannot honestly thank anyone.  I admire the skill, discipline, training and intelligence that many military functions require.  I do not admire how they are being used, and where they are deployed in most cases.  Do I thank them for their service when I think they are used for bad purpose?   For doing their job?  For obeying idiots or thinly veiled corporate crony fascists like the Clintons, Bushes and Obamas?



I guess they mean well.  But I have trouble with this, just as I have trouble supporting police who hide in the bushes, entrap people in "sting" operations, set up roadblocks because someone may be committing a crime, bully people in any number of ways merely to show power, or for fun.  Usually we see the military as a cut above the bully cop, but if the cops cop out by claiming they are "just doing their job", and the military is teaming up with them for "national security" and they too are just doing their job, doesn't that put the soldier over the line to the point where they too become enemies of their own people?



Police have treated the public as enemy for quite some time.  You don't hide out and ambush friends "for their own safety", or conduct random stops and searches without cause if you don't view those people as enemies.  Bring in the army and it becomes clear that citizens are viewed as subjects and enemies by the state.

How many people are abused by police over non-violent, non-property related offenses?  Most cases are unrelated to people endangering others or violating rights of others.  I don't consider tazing prostitutes for being defiant, or motorists over alleged traffic violations as a service deserving of thanks.

I'm not a fan of drugs, but consider the laws and agencies related to them an absurd blight on our society.  Anyone who thinks armed bullies of the state are more to be trusted with drugs and weapons than non-violent neighbors has a naive outlook.  One day he will be under the random search and harassment, and may find it less gentle than he likes.  Abuse and use of authority is far more arbitrary and ugly than most people care to believe or admit.  People just like you are ruined or harassed or killed by the police and governments of this nation every day.  This is wrong.

So be careful how blind your allegiance is, and how blindly you support your local police or our troops.  It can seem a good and holy thing, but it can be a deadly trap.

They say it is becoming easier to start a business, particularly manufacturing, in China than in the USA.  That is crazy.  I guess many in both places want the state to be the religion of the people. Government as God is the new religion, complete with human sacrifice and ritual torture.

I'm one of the growing number of infidels in this context, and proud of it.  I do not think the state or the collective is more holy and valid than the individual.

Neither the state nor any group or person has the right to force sacrifices of an individual's natural rights.  Rights of people are equal and the only limit is that the exercise of rights can't abridge the rights of others.  Rights are not material entitlements, and to believe they are necessitates the violation of the rights of another, or the theft of his time, labor or property.

Democrats do not see this.  Republicans do not see this. Nazis and other socialists do not see this.  No use turning to the bloods, the crips, the communists, Castro or most of Hollywood's finest.

They don't get it either.  Few people in this 'hood or others around the world understand rights, equal rights, or the value in respecting the sanctity of the individual in this regard.

Even here, they love entitlement, royalty and other such nonsense.   Ever notice how the celebrity press and others love to put the Sir in front of Paul McCartney and other knighted entertainers.  We don't do titles of nobility for a reason,  but they are too dumb to get it.  They love royalty, the entitled elite.

A title bestowed by another entitled person whose position and authority come not from merit or public vote, but by caste of birth.  I refuse to call anyone "Sir" whatever.  Perhaps if I ever meet Paul that will be a point of contention, or maybe he'll get it.

Surprisingly, many Christians and others who would love a religious state, including nutcase Muslims, are actually very useful idiots in the quest of the statists to establish the collective as the holiest of values and the governing class as infallible priests of the faith.  They think they can use the state to enforce their own view of holy.  Still, it ultimately empowers the state and implies that the state is the ultimate authority and holiest of holies.

Why do I bother?   I don't know.  It just comes out and is the easiest stuff to write.  I'm not all worked up or obsessed.  I think about life and love and sex and all that is, more than I do about public affairs.  But those things are personal, confusing, different, none of anyone's business, or just harder to discuss.

I've rarely found quitting a bad habit or life threatening addiction as uncomfortable as not smoking is this time.  But I will not be a smoker.  Not today.  It won't fix anything.  For it to be this uncomfortable, I must have really needed to quit.  The worst problems and habits are the ones that call for the biggest changes of attitude, outlook, and behavior to cure them.

Wild and crazy, but that is good.  Makes me feel like I'm making progress again, and I need that.