Political Views,

DID THE UNABOMBER TING-A-LING WHEN I WAS OUT (OF MY MIND)?
by Richard Oxman

“You must imagine for yourself what the condition of society is under these circumstances. It is nowhere; there is no society. Any appearance of social convenience that may be found is a mere temporary and temporizing expedient by which men cheat themselves to believe they are not savages.” — Frederick Law Olmsted on S. Francisco

“There’s gonna be lots of Mau Mau in the homes of American cities –violence way above and beyond what’s going on right now– and neither the police nor the military will be able to rescue the privileged. Look at members of your own family –their conflicting attitudes– if you want to be brought up to speed about the possibilities of societal Hope, avoidance of ecocide.” — A (Great Great) relative of Olmsted’s in S.F. the other day

Jump down to the (p)lucky 13th paragraph if you don’t really like to read (holding onto flowers).

The last time I wrote (“Activist To Do List”), I posted the article on my website quickly so that people I had met at a Derrick Jensen talk on the 29th of March would have something very relevant waiting for them…something to digest immediately. A number of people had come up to me following my contribution during the event’s Q&A, expressing much interest in following through with doing something new about the horror Derrick had delineated, delineates incessantly. And I had suggested they start with a review of my site.

Where are they?

Again, I’m all alone by the telephone. In a scenario that’s much worse than anything Irving Berlin could ever have imagined.

Unlike my very disappointing performance at a recent Ward Churchill Q&A in San Jose (A), I had found my way with Derrick’s audience…so that the stirrings of connection seemed viable, the beginnings of necessary bonding for bringing down/slowing down Our “Civilized” Momentum appeared…to appear. I fantasized that…finally…I might be able to muster together the beginnings of a Core Group for Causing Trouble, forcing change.

So near yet so far. So far there’s no ring, no ting-a-ling. Only ping pong, back and forth, among the Self-Conscious Socially Conscious. The Bored and Boring who claim they’re trying to bore a whole lot into Injustice Mountain. Claimants to a Peaceful World.

That without having to give up much. Without having to renounce any Ground of Being. Sans the use of any shiv to cut out the heart from so-called “privileges” of Western Civ.

It can’t be done. We’re done.

Those of you who don’t know the thrust of Lewis Mumford (B), the gist of joking, dead-serious Derrick are missing something very special. Those who do and chose to do zero about someone like me making overtures in the name of action in solidarity are not very special. In fact, the latter fall into the general category of General Liability. Typical.

And those who reject Derrick’s work outright, –say, the upcoming Endgame (C)– the plea for one and all to stop Our “Civilized” Momentum dead in its tracks/prepare for its demise…by any means necessary are much too much…common.

That’s why there’s No Hope (D).

I’ve been at this quite awhile, trying to drum up some kind of meaningful (PHYSICAL) movement in solidarity. But before push even comes to shove, my lovely co-activists/concerned citizens disappear. And one doesn’t hear even a murmur of genuine dissent, let alone resistance, from The Very Tiny Group of The Very Informed. Not unless you want to count the silly sound and fury of The Politically Correct, Safe Voices of Futility. (E)

Hi, I’m Paragraph Thirteen…and I’m here to introduce Reasons Why We Should (Whoa! There‘s the phone; you read on and I‘ll be right back, ok?)…:

1) Little humility.
2) Little knowledge.
3) Less trustworthiness.
4) Much habit. As in habitual behavior, being On Automatic.
5) Insufficient recognition, spotlight, career advancement; take your pick.
6) Insufficient funds.
7) Overly depleted; absent even if present.
8) Overextended, no follow-through.
9) Through; psychologically defeated.
10) Spiritually untreated.

I’m back. The call was from some Theodore doing a survey for some corporation.

Not being a candidate for hands-on dam detonation myself, I’m tempted to offer up a hand job to someone else…to get on with the dirty work. But the prospect of providing blowjobs for blowing up Overblown Civilization gives me Premature Aging when I gauge The Movement, and note that all the tremulous rebels are jerking off somewhere.

To paraphrase and twist Wallace Stevens, one must have a mind of frozen thoughts to contemplate “winning” in what is already worse than a Nuked Winter Society. One must be out of one’s mind. The Unabomber’s out to lunch, and he’s not coming back to work.

Contrary to what a lot of people think, socially-conscious contact these days, for the most part, transmits disease. An infection called Delusion.

Perhaps we all should reconcile the meaning of this macabre mental masturbation of The Movement with the bowels of our beings. Put our heads between our legs and kiss our collective asses goodbye, embracing the most appropriate Chakra for the moment, if we like.

There’s zero like doing what must be done…alone.