by Rod Amis
END OF DAYS - Rod Amis's fifth post begins with his on-going argument with MiniMe and proceeds to a rant and then a letter from reader "John" from "Hotlanta" Georgia.
9 August 2006: Writing from the San Francisco Bay Area, it is easier for me than most to take the position of provocateur, I have my predecessors, Twain and Bierce from whom to take encouragement as I look at the nuts and bolts of human folly.
I, admittedly, wrote the same kind of commentary from Manhattan, New Orleans and Lizard Lick, the difference now is that this kind of thought permeates the very air I breathe. I am both more conservative and more atavistic than most of the people by whom I am surrounded, if anything. I am the dinosaur in Ecotopia, the Neanderthal in Granola Land.
I take a certain comfort in not fitting my surroundings, I always have.
I type this to you, Gentle Readers, while riding Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART,) a system after This Interlocutor's own heart. Give people a good reason NOT to use their automobiles, says I. My only complaint with it is that it does not lend itself to sociability in the way of the Long Island Railroad, where regular passengers struck up card games Back in the Day. Now that was something. That was my idea of civilization.
INTERLUDE/DIGRESSION:
MiniMe: There you go again! Wax intellectual while you KNOW the only reason people read this stuff and come back for more is really me.
Me: Is that what you believe?
MiniMe: You're the one who's confused about why people believe anything. MiniMe, I believe in fembots and that hot babe at "The 9.", Maria Sansone.
Me: Will you give it a rest? She's just a clone of Amanda Congdon, formerly of Rocketboom. You are so 2004.
MiniMe: You think Joanne Colan is better?
Me: Well, Dillweed, she's not just another fembot! Seems like she has a brain and some wit to me. Something you wouldn't understand.
MiniMe: Thanks, asshole. I love you, too. You just like her because of that Brit accent is my take. Amanda was way cooler.
An-n-yways, I'm sure glad to get you off the topic of RELIGION (huge yawner) and the end of the world.
Me: Wrong again, pal. I'm just getting started. Remember: wait for that word, "Amen."
MiniMe: If you were three feet shorter -
Me: If you were 50 IQ points smarter -
MiniMe: [Unprintable]
What has prompted what I am writing about in this series is that I believe that the very belief in the "end of days" is a dangerous one that provokes people to do things which are destructive. IF one accepts the assumption, as U.S. President Reagan's Secretary of the Interior did (James Watt) that we don't have to worry about the forests because "Jesus is coming back any day now... " one necessarily runs roughshod over the treasures of this paradisiacal planet that is on loan from us by future generations.
It is that very desire for an "end of history" that makes for careless, callous decisions and when that desire and belief are held by people at the highest levels of government, we are not just on the slippery slope we are rushing down it toward a certain disaster.
The danger we are facing now is that too many people on both sides of the current conflicts, because of their mystical and eschatological leanings, have framed the current socio-political situation as a fight to the death.
This borders on madness.
What has been allowed to happen since September 11, 2001, is a framing of the political discourse that distorts the real issues at stake and pushes for Armageddon unnecessarily.
Religion has been raised to a disproportionate level of importance in our social and political lives, on both sides, and thus obscured other concerns in civil society. Not only disproportionate, but also distorted and wrong-headed. This lapse into medieval thinking, on both sides, has tipped the balance, much like the world suddenly falling away from its axis.
There is certainly a place for spirituality in the world but it is not the end-all (think about that phrase when thinking about this topic of eschatology) or be-all of human existence. IF it were, then we might as well all become monks or nuns and renounce everything except poverty and continual worship.
The very extremism of the culture of Death that we are witnessing - not only in Iran and North Korea but also in Washington and London - should drive us into action. The clock is being pushed too far toward midnight.
Those of you Gentle Readers who do have children should take that seriously.
I received this e-mail from a friend in Georgia (USA) who has considered some of my discourse here:
Rod,
Can you believe the recent recommendations from France? What? Do they think we forgot about Africa, Arabia and Southeast Asia?
"Paris - which has historic ties to Lebanon and the Arab world and could lead a proposed multinational peacekeeping force to back up a cease-fire - has sought to soothe Lebanese and Arab concerns about the draft U.N. resolution. The United States and France appear to be at odds over how to respond to Lebanese and Arab demands for changes." - www.FoxNews.com
If I am not mistaken, the French totally screwed up Africa, India, Arabia and Southeast Asia. That's why we have "The Wall" for all our fallen heroes of the Viet Nam Era. I cannot wait to see what the response is to that. I would not be a bit surprised is [sic] this statement is completely ignored. That's what I would do, just blow off the whole French thing.
The one thing we know that will not happen is the US leading anything in that area. If the Republicans have any sense at all, they will not even approach the subject. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm sure we can handle any situation there in Lebanon. But politically, it would be suicide. The same applies to England. I would almost bet that the US and England are out of the "help" mode there in Lebanon.
What should happen is a multi-national force dispatched to the region managed by a multi-national military consortium, of sorts. The last thing that should happen is the UN managing anything. There is no history of the UN ever managing anything successfully. Oh, excuse me! They did handle the "Oil-For-Food" effort. RIGHT!
Secondly, Lebanon should be forced to stand up and disarm Hezbollah and force them into disbanding. Basically, create a world law where this group cannot any longer exist. Then get buy in from all of the countries in the region, to eliminate any of Hezbollah efforts either by very persuasive order or permanent elimination.
Until Israel gets all of their demands met, I believe they should continue with their effort of disarming Hezbollah. Israel did not start this fight, but I think they are going to finish it. If bombing them into the stone age is the only solution, then so be it.
One thing I think everyone fails to see is that Hezbollah has been lobbing rockets into Israel ever since the Israeli pull out from Southern Lebanon and Gaza. Those facts never made the headlines. If you look back into the recent past you'll find that Hezbollah has been waging war to the tune of over 200 rockets each month. Israel just finally got tired of it. i wonder what we would be doing if a left-wing faction was lobbing rockets into Buffalo, NY, from Canada; or into San Diego from Mexico. I wonder what the headlines and the conversation would be about here then. Consider this example:
"CNN reported today the extreme LeftyLibbies fired off over 200 rockets again into a San Diego residential neighborhood, killing 4 adults and 3 children; a week-long siege. Several homes were completely destroyed. The Righty party condemns the actions of the Lefty group, asking for retaliation while the WestLefty party's delegation working on a peaceful settlement were assassinated and beheaded. The WestLefty President, Lib Lefty, stated that we probably deserved it and should continue with negotiations as soon as possible. More news at 11. "
later
-JohnKnowing the type and ilk (forgive the cliché) of Reader who follows my project here, I already know that you probably found some of the preceding commentary offensive. But it is also real.
One of the benefits (?) of being a writer on the 'Net for so many years is that real people share their opinions with me and I have to listen and respond.
I take these opinions seriously.
I would not advocate "bombing" anyone "into the stone age" as my correspondent does. Every time I've heard that phrase used, it was likely and usually for a losing cause.
I have to accept, of course, that people who read me are also willing to read/listen to Fox News. I take pride in the fact that this is still possible. As I mentioned, I'm a dinosaur.
Give peace to warring tribes, to administer justice where all was violence, to strike the chains off the slave, to draw the richness from the soil, to place the earliest seeds of commerce and learning, to increase in whole peoples their capacities for pleasure and diminish their chances of pain. - Winston ChurchillIt is not often that Churchill's non-warlike statements are quoted. I assume because of the "great war" and that many missed his capacity for rhetorical eloquence outside of the Battle of Britain. So much is our loss, we who don't appreciate history...
I bring this particular quote to your attention, Gentle Reader, as a counterpoint to my friend above.
There is always and still another way of defining our world. There are words we throw before us, creating reality and stepping into it, as the novelist Gardner suggested in Grendel, that lead to other outcomes. Like peace. We can "strike the chains off the slave, to draw richness from the soil... " So I believe.
Good night and good luck.
Introduction to World Without End
World Without End Two: Other Necros
World Without End Three: The Mahdi
World Without End Four: The Messiah
World Without End Six: Dance of Death
World Without End Seven: Faith & Reason
G21: The World's Magazine
Rod's First Project at the Huffington Post
Rod's Second Project at the Huffington Post
Rod's Third Project at the Huffington Post
© 2006, Rod Amis.
E-mail your comments to rod@g21.net.
