The West is the land of the rugged individualist (read: misfit loaner who's a danger to himself and others). The West is the land of live and let live (as long as you live the way everybody else does OR keep your big trap shut about how you actually do live). The West is the land of tolerance (bullshit).
I went to work for a couple of rugged individualists in Seattle. Father and son were sole proprietors of a thriving electronics supply company which ran a string of marine electronics repair shops all around the Gulf of Alaska, from Juneau to Adak, in the Aleutian chain.
On the surface they were nice guys. But underneath... the son was the chairman of the Reagan for President committee in Washington State (did I mention, this was 1976-77?). He believed in the western ideal of rugged individualism --- he also believed that as long as you worked for him, he pretty much owned you. One day he dictated that NO EMPLOYEE could smoke... on company property or off it and anyone caught smoking would be frozen in salary and position until they quit (smoking or their job).
He also made it abundantly clear that he wanted all employees to join a gym. The one he belonged to.
It was about this time that I started noticing the abundance of bumper stickers around town, celebrating something called The John Birch Society. Something about him being the first casualty of the next World War -- or some bullshit like that.
I didn't last long in the rugged Pacific Northwest. I hated working for Fascists, so I decided to move to the most liberal city I knew, New York City.
But I never forgot that stint in Seattle. I never forgot how they mouthed a bunch of platitudes about the freedom of the individual, even as they dictated the terms of conformity. As far as I was concerned they were a bunch of hypocrites.
Now, of course, we have Arizona or, as I like to call it, Deutschland. It is my understanding that the State Police (der Staatspolizei) are being signed up for Rosetta Stone beginner's courses in German so that they can rattle off "Dürfen wir ihre papiere, bitte?" ("May we see your papers, please?") like a native. This will come in handy in the days and weeks ahead, as they round up brown people, queers, Jews, and anybody who doesn't look like either their governor (Terence Stamp in "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert") or John "I'm No Maverick" McCain.
I encourage all patriots, by which I mean anybody not from Arizona, to boycott Arizona businesses until this Fascist charade is overturned.
3 comments:
Arizona can pass race base laws, pass Birthers laws, pass no permit conceal weapons laws and the state boycotted Martin Luther King Day, well the rest of the Country can boycott the state of Arizona and spank them where it hurts them the most their pocket book. Their phony patriotism is sickening, they are just racists going by another name. We all know you are just itching to put a sheet on their head? Let’s face it the Republicans had eight years to deal with health care, immigration, climate change and financial oversight and governance and they failed. It appears that the Republican Party is only good at starting wars (two in eight years, with fat contracts to friends of Cheney/Bush) but not at winning wars as seen by the continuing line of body bags that keep coming home. The Republicans party will continue turned inward to their old fashion obstructionist party (and their Confederacy appreciation roots) because they continue to allow a small portions (but very loud portion) of their party of “birthers, baggers and blowhards” to rule their party. I will admit that this fringe is very good at playing “Follow the Leader” by listening to their dullard leaders, Beck, Hedgecock, Hannity, O’Reilly, Rush, Savage, Sarah Bailin, Orly Taitz, Victoria Jackson, Michele Bachmann and the rest of the Blowhards and acting as ill programmed robots (they have already acted against doctors that perform abortions). The Birthers and the Tea party crowd think they can scare, intimidate and force others to go along with them by comments like “This time we came unarmed”, let me tell you something not all ex-military join the fringe militia crazies who don’t pay taxes and run around with face paint in the parks playing commando, the majority are mature and understand that the world is more complicated and grey than the black and white that these simpleton make it out to be and that my friend is the point. The world is complicated and people like Hamilton, Lincoln, and Roosevelt believed that we should use government a little to increase social mobility, now it’s about dancing around the claim of government is the problem. The sainted Reagan passed the biggest tax increase in American history and as a result federal employment increased, but facts are lost when mired in mysticism and superstition. For a party that gave us Abraham Lincoln, it is tragic that the ranks are filled with too many empty suits and the crazy Birthers who have not learned that the way our courts work is that you get a competent lawyer, verifiable facts and present them to a judge, if the facts are real and not half baked internet lies, then, and only then, do you proceed to trial. The Birthers seem to be having a problem with their so called “facts”. Let’s face it no one will take the Birthers seriously until they win a case, but until then, you will continue to appear dumb, crazy or racist, or maybe all three. I heard that Orly Taitz now wants to investigate the “Republican 2009 Summer of Love” list: Assemblyman, Michael D. Duvall (CA), Senator John Ensign (NV), Senator Paul Stanley (TN), Governor Mark Stanford (SC), Board of Ed Chair, and Kristin Maguire AKA Bridget Keeney (SC), she wants to re-establish a family values party, that’s like saying that the Catholic Church cares about the welling being of children in their care, too late for that.
Ah, crap. While I think that the majority of people in Arizona have lost their collective minds, I can't go boycotting the state. My most favorite baby brother (a Chicago-style Democrat) lives there with his family. While they are contemplating moving eastward, it won't be for a few more years. :-(
Sheesh. You need to get a grip, hon. The swastika and the Nazi rhetoric are Way over the top. Arizona spends a great deal of money providing eduction and health care to illegal immigrants, Phoenix is becoming the kidnapping capital of the west and fully 70% of Arizona residents are in favor of SB 1070.
Is SB1070 misguided and mean-spirited? Almost certainly. But to call Arizonans ugly names and ignore their entirely legitimate and reasonable complaints about illegal immigration is, imho, the height of ignorance and cowardice. I expect better from you, Ron.
Post a Comment