Sidney Smith Well look so he's a deranged murderous tyrant. That, and managed to give his country by assorted mismanagements an inflation rate of 12,875%. With an increase of 50% annually...google it. Despite all that mayhem his people love him. That, and African decedents form the Diaspora over look his little eh,...errors in judgment. So what he does for or to his nation is nobodies business. Every country has the right to go to hell if that's what they want. America is doing that right now so we can't complain. Oh, and I've been Black for 67 years if you were wondering.
Sidney Smith That as you call it inability to reason is because it's primal. One can't be reasonable about harm to one's family. One will put up with much from one's own. However will not tolerate anything done or said to them from another. IF you're white, and I assume you are. You are in a fight you really shouldn't be in. I'm afraid it's no win for you carrying the sins of you culture as many see it. that you oppose tyranny is good, but in this case leave it be. Emotion trumps...excuse the expression reason. Issues of race class, and sex just does this.
Sidney Smith I see your point. Time was I'd be outraged. In fact I was at this guy for years. However he seems to be what most want. Those that don't usually disappear...he does that as we know. Large portion of Africa are still in post-colonial chaos. A chaos that has for over 50 years thrown up maniacs like this guy. he'll die soon enough, and be replaced by someone just as insane. that is till in time the chaos tappers off. around the turn of the next century. At least that's what some socio-historians think. One day it'll be in the University syllabus. Probably titled the "Post Colonial African Era 1955~2120". Africa has been fucked over for near 500 years so it many take a century or so for things to cool off. Till then we have folks like Mugabe, and company. btw in long pointless arguments with my Pan African pals. Such as they will continue to support, and love the tyrants because they are indigenous. A friend from the comfort of Columbia University said he'd prefer the worse African dictator to the most benign colonial governor. So there we are.
Sidney Smith That's why people vote against their own interests so often. One is the lingering racial noise, and other is that they actually all of us want to be rich. One is amazed to find this why poor whites vote as they do. They vote for politicians that harm them because if the dog whistle of white supremacy. They vote against their own economic interests because they believe so many of them that they or their kids will one day be wealthy. This either by their own efforts as I've read because millions of the think they're going to win the power ball, and be rich so they vote for whatever is good for that class. Insane yes, but there it is. This country would is funny if it weren't sad so desperately sad.
Sidney Smith Well there's a long history for that. A world without Kings or Bosses. In the west one could date the beginnings at the era of the Peasant's Revolts of the 14th century. There's a line from that to the enlightenment, and that movements greatest experiment the formation of the United States. An ongoing experiment with rather profoundly mixed results. Still, and again I speak only of the west. Still this nation gave rise to a rebellion against slavery. Which lead to all the movements for further enlightenment since. Woman's right labor rights public education sanitation expansion of personal freedoms for traditionally tormented communities most lately Trans-sexuals. Concurrent with that equally powerful movements of retrenchment against all this. We're in such an era now. Three steps forward two steps back. Maybe Stalin, whose quote that is didn't mean it the same way I do, but ya gets the point. If we survive a few more centuries get our heads out of our butts get serious about dealing with limiting the damage we do the very Earth, and get more with the idea that tribalism is suicide as is the nation state, and that Kings, and Central Committees are just a bunch of assholes that rob, and murder us. That as free people we can run ourselves so why don't we. There was a reason that factions of the Communist militias took time out from fighting fascists in Spain to kill Anarchist. Them sweet folks could have actually given the world it's first for real "Free" country. Something not in anyone's interest Not the fascists not the Nazis most certainly not Stalin, and his boys. ...so here we are. Much work to do.
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Sidney Smith Yes I've read Mr. Owen's reactions to his time in pre-WW2 Europe even Nazi Germany. Yes colonial, and later Federal America was somewhat unique in the form of slavery they practiced. However India in it's middle period did something similar their caste system is a hold over from a color based slavery. Still as I said this nation as an experiment has had seriously mixed results, and history. btw the experiment is far from over. Right now we're in what will be seen as a relatively short Imperial era. That is already fading. However our internal strivings for something better. To be a nation deliberately open, and free for all is still very much in progress. We are in the midst of history so it's hard to climb a mountain to see the whole picture' Where we came from, and where we may be headed...but we should try to. In my life I learned to do this...see connections How we got where we are, and where we 'could' go.
Sidney Smith War...perhaps. There's talk of that. However when I was a child there was talk of that in the late 1950's to the early 70's. We didn't. I feel we'll hold back again...I do so hope. We all of us all the people the classes races orientation that whole shebang here. We all have so much more in common than not. A friend who travels overseas often tells me that locals can always tell an American form a mile away no matter the color or class. We're just that we are a nation of nations with a world of givens in common. On the up side we know we're all getting fucked. Both Bernie's Movement, and Trumps were rebelling against the same thing. The system kept them apart by the variations in culture. Yes the Trump folks like Nascar, and the Bernie's go to crafts fairs. Both groups of white folks, and that's what they were are e same tribe. They both wanted economic justice personal freedom, and to be left the fuck alone. Blacks Natives, and Hispanics we're on the edges this time around, but we want the same stuff too.
Sidney Smith We've inherited a particular political template. No mater left right middle...it's the same game. Some one or groups of some one's tell us what to do. Part of it is how our brains are wired. We've been tribal for near a million years...that's impressive, However we're just starting to think they may be alternatives. We've been wondering about that for several thousand years, and getting serious about it for perhaps three hundred. Cutting to the chase if we survive as a species through the current ecological crunch I think we'll eventually make a break though. Like when we started rituals, and arts during the last ice age a major breakthrough there for our imaginations. A similar leap is inevitable if we don't die out in the chaos of the major earth changes that have already started by our hand...mind you we didn't know at first it was us, but we do now. We might adapt. Nature favors not the strongest as we know, but the most "ADAPTABLE". Some feel that meeting this great challenge will be one of the sparks of that great leap to rationality. I'd love to be visit say three thousand years from now to see how we did. ..Peace my friend, and all reading.
