The War on Truth

Haven’t written much lately - it’s been a busy sort of month. Lots of thoughts brewing on this cold and windy day however.
This day, and yesterday too come to think of it, has a feel of some Russian novel. Its bitterly cold, even in the bright sun, and the wind will not stop blowing. This old house is full of smoke and ash from the amount of fires we've had to have in the fireplace and woodstove, constantly over the last 36 hours. And it’s still cold. Grey and cold. Russian novel-esque.

On other fronts the war on truth rages harder than ever, as evidenced by this short interview with Bill Moyers: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1128-08.htm
Moyers, perhaps one of the last great newsmen, left the long-running program Now, on PBS, earlier this year. In my opinion this was a blow to the quality of television journalism - although Moyers remains active in his roles behind the scenes, perhaps more so than before.
Even unfortunate than the loss of a great journalist from the regular airwaves, is the perceived victory of the conservative right wing over what they brand as "liberalism".
Sadly "liberal" is too often a catchall for truth that challenges conservative positions, or actions. Truth is the enemy of a great many people, on both sides. If you are a "liberal" (which is an odd thing these days, once a "liberal" meant more what libertarian does today, than leftist nanny-state weenie) then truths that challenge you are "right wing", if you are "conservative" truths that challenge you are "liberal" - in both cases the thing you aren’t is the enemy. Brand a truth as "enemy" and hopefully people will ignore it, because after-all if your pundits say "its the enemy" it cant be valid, right?
This is the level to which we have sunk. Truth is the enemy of the political machine in this nation - both halves of that machine. The conservative half of the machine however wields a frightening amount of power to thwart truths that don’t suit their ends. With people like Ken Tomlinson in positions of media power, and elements of the "Religious Right" having what practically amounts to an "always on" connection to conservative politicians and media outlets, while they may not monopolize media, they have the ability to and have become adept at the manipulation of it.

I am not a liberal. I am not a conservative. The major political "factions" of the nation are not the politics of the people. They are the politics of the politicians, who have their own agenda, morals (or lack there-of) and greed’s, and will try to serve themselves first - Serving the people is a thing to do just enough of to get re-elected, but no more. Those who aren’t like that are grist for the mill, and either never achieve positions of power and authority, or by the time they do are not what they once were.
I see people, know people, who believe in their party, their politicians, who think they work for them, are like them, have the best interest of the people at heart. Those who believe this, I pity. The people are pawns for the political powers, for their games, investments and greed. I don’t care what side you are on.
Truth will always be the enemy of that type of behavior. The next time your "side", your politician, goes after a journalist, a writer, a professor, or anyone - look beyond the rhetoric, ask yourself "How can this person hurt my 'side', and if they really can, why is that?"
The answers are surprising.

"I love the country but I can't stand the scene.
And I'm neither left or right
I'm just staying home tonight,
getting lost in that hopeless little screen."Democracy - Leonard Cohen

Delusion of Finality

There is a self-satisfied dogmatism with which mankind at each period of its history cherishes the delusion of the finality of existing modes of knowledge. Alfred North Whitehead

I am amazed that I've never run across this quote before - it so perfectly sums up one of my core feelings about the ills of society.

Visions of Armageddon

Driving in to town from the ranch this morning I saw a strange set of contrails in the sky.
At first it looked like two planes, and then two become four, branching off into wildly different directions at first, and then after a mid air explosion four become two, and two disappeared into nothingness.
They were not planes.
As suddenly as the previous two had disappeared through that far away place in the sky where everything turns blue and is hidden, four more appeared out of that blue nothing to the East.
The missiles chased each other, to the west and then turning back to the east, and then back west again, before finally ending it - Either dropping out of the air, or blowing up each intercept having met with its target.

Most people have never seen this.
I've seen it several times, living not far (not in air space terms) from the Stallion Gate of White Sands Missile Range.
Most people wouldnt know, for sure, what the missiles were until they hit their neighborhood. Most people of my generation anyway.
Those from the cold war - They know all too well what missiles look like in the sky, or would look like should that day ever come.

They are beautiful, really. Most of my shots were taken from a moving pickup, camera held out the window. and couldnt capture it, but missiles catch the sun and glitter like jewels against the pure blue sky.
The big ones, the Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles, would glitter like that too, streaking back into the atmosphere and arcing above the Earth, flying to their horrible, final, destination. And then, like God said, there would be light.

I am Pro-War (not any war - really not the current war - but the right war, absolutely), and Pro-Violence. When its necessary, its necessary - No two ways about it.
But I am absolutely anti-Nuclear. It is not a tool anyone needs to have. It is a tool I hope to never see used - but one that I am sure will be in my lifetime.
J. Robert Oppenheimer, scientist for the Manhattan Project, said as he witnessed the detonation of the first atomic bomb at Stallion Range, White Sands, New Mexico, "I have become death. Destroyer of worlds".