Smear

Friday November 4, 2005 - 12:57PM EDT

This may be an over simplification of the issue. But I read about how major violence brakes out when people disagree over things in many other countries. The last major riot in the US was the LA riot over the rodney king case. And before that were all the civil rights related rioting. But there were no riots in the disputed election. In the united states it just appears to me that we are more apt to disagree without the threat of major violence. Maybe we are used to living in a much more stable society, that not fighting has such a high priority. I don't know, that is just the feeling I have. Can't really say for sure whether it is true or not.

You see how many fighting around the world is a result of ethnic or religious differences. People want their own land for their own group. Although there is a dominant group in the US seperatism has been all but eradicated except in the most extreme fringes. Although one can say it doesn't happen on a less apparent scale. The Chinatowns, the Little Italys, the spanish neighborhoods, etc. This is the freedom of the US at it greatest. Allowing various different people to feel comfortable living under a common set of rules. Why don't the detractors of the US from the outside see that aspect. Sure colonialism divided up some countries in the "wrong" places but you can't possibly blame every problem on that. These places have been that way for a long time now. Take for instance this Basque seperatist movement in Spain. It really has some strength and has spawned terrorist groups. I really don't get it though. Their language is different although it has characteristics of spanish and french. Regional cultures are obsviously going to be different. But what else makes them want to seperate to self-govern. Can it be simple nationalistic urges. Are they persecuted? Are they fighting over a stupid symbolic gesture of political boundaries? Do they not think they can maintain they're own culture within the borders of Spain? And are they willing to kill simply for the preservation of culture. Culture that is ephemeral and always changing anyway.

You hear about kurds wanting their own country carved out of Iraq. So far it hasn't happened. And curiously enough news coverage of their consitutional progress has slowed to a trickle. Weird. I thought it was some historical vote. Then when it happened nobody covered it. Last thing I read was that there was more participation in the vote than expected. Some giant losers want to use that to obliquely give credit to the US and what they did in invading Iraq. All the credit must be given to the people of Iraq though. I lost my enthusiasm for this thought. Time to move on.

I freaking hate how nationalistic pride or urges so often take higher priority over humanistic causes. I don't like that sense of belonging to a nation more than being a human. My sense of nationalism is more practical and functional. It serves as administrative boundaries. So that hopefully what is contained in those boundaries can generally agree on how to live. Again freedoom of american comes in the play here. Generally agree with enough play in the joint to accomodate a good amount of variance. I'm an american because I live in america and grew up here. I just doesn't go much deeper than that. I want to hold on to my way of life but still search for other things. I want to continue to build a way a life. I don't want to be static.

So China wants EU to lift the ban on selling arms to China. Just on "priciple". Principle my ass. Principle needs reasoning to back it up and often you hear this trash excuse for things without the reasoning. Nothing should ever be done on priciple alone. Principle should be the entry point for analytical and logical reasoning. It is not a reason in itself. The priciple arguement often is used to cloak real reasoning. China says it has no interest in buying European weapons but wants the embargo lifted. Hence they say principle is the reason to lift the embargo. How about you look at practicality. If your not going to buy weapons why waste time with insisting the embargo is lifted. Principle my ass. Give me the reasons behind your principle and when I discover they are weak and senseless then I'll say no again. Or maybe when you give me the real reasons like wanting to buy european weapons I will still say no. Oh wait here is a good one. They said the embargo was having a negative impact on trade. You don't have to be an economist to see the hot air in that one.

Speaking of China. What is the deal with China and Taiwan. That shit don't make any sense. Economically China is not really hurt by Taiwan. In fact their seperation doesn't hurt anybody and has been that way for 50 years now. This united china stuff is ridiculous. It isn't like the annexation of Texas. All the land is developed on the planet ain't no more to be fighting over really. As the Dali Llama said there is no place to go to anymore so we better get along. Its obviously that Taiwan doesn't want to be controlled by China's communist government. And that is what China wants to do. Control. Speaking of communism. How in the hell did Marx's vision of turn into the crap that countires pawn off on people today. Some of his ideas are a part of US government today. Can't say for sure whether the ideas I'm talking about are wholly original to Marx. But his vision couldn't have been these control fiends that represent communism today. How did he attain such a bad name. He had good analysis and insight into the structure of society and the capitalist system. Then a bunch of losers came along and turned his stuff into the trash communism we see today. Now you can't even think about Marx in a good light without evoking the putrid communist practices of the Soviet Union and its cronies. Fucking losers. His writings were about social relationships and political relationships. His analysis of capitalism is almost perfect, though his solutions to its upgrade may be off. I wonder though if China can pull off his solution. They have a chance but they will probably fuck it up. I think this is the point that China should be allowing more and more freedoms at a more rapid pace. Fuck they didn't even get Marx's solution right. The gap between the rich and poor is huge in China and growing. Bunch of losers. Fucking crazy-ass Mao. How can anyone support that loser.