Author: Ruby Sinreich

Wake me up, Aunty Em!

I just know (OK, I hope) that any minute now, Aunty Em will start shaking me and telling me to wake up, it’s all been a terrible dream. Where but from my scarred psyche could ideas this twisted and absurd arise? It wasn’t enough that the September 11th tragedy played right into every draconian whim the Bush administration ever imagined and distracted us from the antics of Enron and friends which resulted in the current economic morass, which is somehow blamed on whatever sitting-on-a-bunch-of crude-oil, not-God-fearing heathen we have handy. It was too evil to be true that we should lose Paul Wellstone at the moment we needed him the most, and then across the nation democrats similarly went down flames in the midterm elections. No, all of that (and more) was not enough to wake us Americans from our sleepy haze of fear and loathing.

What single figure from 20th century politics stands for International obfuscation of truth and justice more than noted war criminal Dr. Henry Kissinger? It’s hard to imagine what tactic the White House is employing by choosing the least credible person imaginable to investigate what they did wrong before and during September 11th. It’s easy to see why they would want such a person – on their side, and skilled at denying and covering up – but why they would think this would look reasonable or fair is beyond me.

Stranger still (yes, it keeps getting stranger), the media is eating it up, and Americans can’t give a crap – they’re too worried about their unstable employment and shrinking pensions. (Repeat after me: it’s Osama’s fault I lost my job and Saddam stole my retirement fund. They probably want to sleep with your wife, too.) They have us right where they want us, too tired to notice and too scared to complain.

If you’re not completely demoralized yet, check out these articles on Kissinger and Pinochet in Chile, Kissinger in East Timor, Kissinger and Pol Pot. That’s right, when democracy takes a vacation and murderous dictatorship comes to visit, Henry Kissinger is there! In fact, a Google search turned up this directory as the first hit Society > Issues > … > Free Speech > Subverted. Here’s some more about his corporate ties. And finally, here’s everything else I want to say, but much better put.

Happy BUY NOTHING DAY

This Friday marks the 11th Buy Nothing Day! It’s an opportunity to resist the
carnival of rabid consumerism and spiritual materialism for at least one day
as we carve out a space for enjoying each other, sharing our talents, and
building community.

Internationalist Books and Community Center will hold it’s fourth annual
celebration of Buy Nothing Day from noon to 6 pm on Friday, November 29. In
addition to workshops and activities throughout the day, there will be a
Swap Meet, so bring anything that’s cluttering your life and take something
home that you can use. Some food and drinks will be provided, but feel free
to bring anything you’d like to share.

  all day: SWAP MEET, eat and drink, hang out

  12p SOUTHERN VEGETARIAN COOKING with Ann Jackson
      sample her world-famous "fried chicken" tofu

  1p  BOOK MAKING with Kelly Wooten
      it's fun, cheap, and easy!

  2p  JOURNALING with Ruby Sinreich
      free your mind and express yourself

  3p  STORYTELLER Rebecca Ashburn
      relax and enjoy tales for young and old

  4p  SO YOU WANNA BE A DJ with Stanley Richards
      try your hand on the wheels of steel

  5p  FIX YER BIKE with Rob Noti
      learn tips from a bicycle pro

  6p  go home and enjoy your friends and family

Don’t be late or you’ll miss the finger-licking-good “Fried Chicken” Tofu!
Call 942-1740 for e-mail ibooks@internationalistbooks.org for more
information.

Internationalist Books and Community Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit,
volunteer-run, community-led bookstore and resource center serving the
Triangle and beyond.

If it ain’t abstinence, it ain’t good science
Looks like Team Bush has been discreetly removing useful information about reproductive health from public web sites. According to the New York Times, “Over the last year, the department [of Health and Human Services] has quietly expunged information on how using condoms protects against AIDS, how abortion does not increase the risk of breast cancer and how to run programs proven to reduce teenage sexual activity.”

Patriotism
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of
the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are
being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and
exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.”
–Hermann Goering, Hitler’s #2 man, before being sentenced to death at
the Nuremberg trials.

Suddenly Susan
UNC General Counsel Susan Ehringhaus (one of the scariest administrators from my student days (and I’m not counting scary-looking*)) will be paid annually more than most tenured professors to leave her position at UNC. One can only imagine the politics behind this decision.

Now someone ‘splain me: why can’t the housekeepers at UNC get paid a living wage again?

*Check out her new glasses. They’re half the size of the ones she had 10 years ago. She’s like Phylis Schlafly’s Nightmare Career Barbie.

Now that’s religion

The New York Times reports that

A broad coalition of religious groups is preparing a grass-roots campaign linking fuel efficiency to morality, with some ads going so far as to ask: “What Would Jesus Drive?”

You’re not paranoid
‘Cause they sure as hell are out to get you. Not convinced? Ask journalist Declan McCullough. Some recent news from his site, Politech:
• TSA (Transportation Security Administration) confirms they have a list of about 1,000 people who are considered “threats to aviation” and are not allowed to fly, and another list of suspicious activists (like Green Party organizers) who can be hassled at will but who may get to fly, sometimes. [If only the Greens posed that much of a threat.];
• Life in prison for hackers in the new Homeland “Security” Bill; and
• Federal agents will now randomly stop drivers at will in Detroit, MI since they’re not supposed to be profiling.

Personally, I don’t subscribe to Declan’s mailing list because I’m pessimistic enough already thanks very much. But some of you apparently still need some convincing.

This gives new meaning to the term “Asian Tiger”
Reuters reports that the 7th Asian Congress of Sexology wants folks to do it for the economy! Who needs a reason? And while I’m on the subject, this is the best ad for soy sauce (or whatever the hell it is) that I’ve ever seen. Get me some freaky shoyu!

Ug.
It’s been hard to find the will to post lately. Everything is so surreal, straight out of 1984, and then it gets worse. It’s hard to know where to even start.

On a Lighter Note
It’s fun to be a geisha!