A Fantastic Experience

First off, yes, I'm up early, not late....

So, I heard our fum-fuddled President say something a minute ago that pretty much sums up my problems with him. When asked if he had any tips for Obama he said, "you're in for a fantastic experience... the staff there and the people there will really make your time comfortable."

Obviously that isn't a tip, but to be fair, as far as non-sequitors go, Obama could give Bush a run for his money. But that's a different story. Also, I'm not sure if there is some political gamesmanship involved in this remark; if you can think of something, by all means, share bc I don't quite see it.

And on to my point... What the fuck does he think it means to be president? Does he think he won a pageant or something? I understand that elections are in some ways "contests" but really only a a cynical level. To see an election as a contest is to consider the public mindless automatons.... They are mindles automatons? Ok, can't really argue, except to say that welfare state works in mysterious ways. Anyway, the point is that an election is a selection not a contest: NO ONE "WINS" ELECTIONS. Alas, am I reactionary or retarded?

So, Bush has been amazed at the spoils of two electoral "victories". Did he deserve it? Certainly not, but that's irrelevant. So, maybe he thinks he needs to give something back? Maybe that's how he sees nationalizing the foundations of our economy --basically being the president who introduced socialism to the U.S. more than any president in history-- perhaps giving stuff to people is what you do when you feel like you don't deserve something...

And now we have Obama. How long do you think he can believe in his own phony "mandate"? Can he really be worse than Bush when it comes to proving his own importance to himself? I have a feeling Bush's "fantastic experience" will pale in comparison to the epic fabulousness Obama will be more than willing to share with us in four years.

The Anaesthetic From Which None Come Round

If you read Stefan Beck's entry to the New Criterion's blog the other day titled "Don't fear the reaper" (This is sad that I have to give instructions because I don't know how to link, does this hurt BPB's credibility?) you would have come across part of the Phillip Larkin poem below.

Is life meaningless without death? Beck doesn’t think so, and to a certain extent of course he’s right. Is life less meaningless without death might be the better question. Then Beck slaps us in the face with the reality of the discussion.

“…“Unresting death, a whole day nearer now”: A friend of mine joked recently that they should slap that line on birthday cards. But where jokes are little help, arguments are none at all.”

So I’ll just shut up and admire how Larkin can put his thoughts down in sums of words to make sense in perfect rhythm and form to be beautiful like flower…Damn it!

Aubade

I work all day, and get half drunk at night.

Waking at four to soundless dark, I stare.

In time the curtain edges will grow light.

Till then I see what's really always there:

Unresting death, a whole day nearer now,

Making all thought impossible but how

And where and when I shall myself die.

Arid interrogation: yet the dread

Of dying, and being dead,

Flashes afresh to hold and horrify.

The mind blanks at the glare. Not in remorse

– The good not used, the love not given, time

Torn off unused – nor wretchedly because

An only life can take so long to climb

Clear of its wrong beginnings, and may never:

But at the total emptiness forever,

The sure extinction that we travel to

And shall be lost in always. Not to be here,

Not to be anywhere,

And soon; nothing more terrible, nothing more true.

This is a special way of being afraid

No trick dispels. Religion used to try,

That vast moth-eaten musical brocade

Created to pretend we never die,

And specious stuff that says no rational being

Can fear a thing it cannot feel, not seeing

That this is what we fear – no sight, no sound,

No touch or taste or smell, nothing to think with,

Nothing to love or link with,

The anaesthetic from which none come round.

And so it stays just on the edge of vision,

A small unfocused blur, a standing chill

That slows each impulse down to indecision.

Most things may never happen: this one will,

And realisation of it rages out

In furnace fear when we are caught without

People or drink. Courage is no good:

It means not scaring others. Being brave

Lets no-one off the grave.

Death is no different whined at than withstood.

Slowly light strengthens, and the room takes shape.

It stands plain as a wardrobe, what we know,

Have always known, know that we can't escape

Yet can't accept. One side will have to go.

Meanwhile telephones crouch, getting ready to ring

In locked-up offices, and all the uncaring

Intricate rented world begins to rouse.

The sky is white as clay, with no sun.

Work has to be done.

Postmen like doctors go from house to house.

PHILIP LARKIN (1985)

Seasonal Pot and Kettle Meetup In Olympia

"May reason prevail" and may tolerence, class, and history be damned.

It seems as though these groups crusading against Christmas often define themselves as humanists. Now, I am natually inclined to make the argument that calling other humans who believe differently from you hard hearted mind enslavened superstionists, is hardly being a humanist. (whatever that means) Then I got to thinking, this sign represents an additude all too human. Who doesn't snark at people who are so obviously (say awwwviously) less intelligent than they are. (see the view from Lake Wobegonee which is simply mawwwvelous dawwwling) How could anyone compare Christ's views of "love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you" to following the existential humanist track of "struggling to make freely willed humane choices in the absence of clear, unambiguous moral guidance"?

Oh that's right I forget, Christianity is just a ruse, using James Bowman's mocking reference to a humanistic view of literature, " [to] reinforce the patriarchal, imperialist, racist, and homophobic foundation on which traditional societies have been built."

This feels to me like more of the same progressive hogwash, that anything new is better precisely because of the reason mentioned above. Jesus Christ did exist, it's a fact of history just as much as King Solomon existed. This is just another sign of History's dissapearance. Anymore history is seen as nothing but an imperfect version of the present. Lest we forget though, as I think it was Gombrich that said, anytime there is a gain in one direction there is a loss in another.

Do I really care if these people want to put up this sign, no. That's everyone's right. Do I shudder at the prospects of a "Humanist" future? Youbetcha!