confusion

There was a chance on Monday that I would have had to go to Peru on Tuesday for work. I packed a bag Monday night just in case. I would say there was about a 10% chance I would have gone on Monday. By Tuesday afternoon that was up to about 80%—and we even reserved a ticket for me for a flight out of Reagan. But, alas, sometime between 4:00 and 4:30 most of the issues we were having with Peru were fixed so I did not get to go to Peru. Too bad too I was looking forward to it. I’ve never been to Peru. Besides I think A—– needs a Llama! ;-)

I just finished reading Noam Chomsky‘s [web.mit.edu] lectures and thoughts from the months after 9/11—Power and Terror [amazon.com]. It’s been a while sense I read any Chomsky. Every time you read him he shocks you. With the depth of his knowledge and the things he says.

I’ve heard Chomsky described as ‘un-American’ by quite a few people. Why? Because he uses the factual record—produced by our own government—to condemn American actions around the world. The atrocities committed in our name or under our patronage. I can think of little more American then voicing ones dissent from popular opinion and the government. While I don’t agree with all that Chomsky or Zinn have to say I think they are two of the most important intellectuals in the US today and that what they have to say should be read by all.

Hearing anyone described as un-American is almost enough to make me sick. Short of physical violence against the US and it’s citizens I don’t think anything can be called un-American. The basis of the whole country is dissent. It is every Americans constitutional right to say ‘I hate America.’ And that is what makes American great. A lot needs to be fixed. Many things have gotten confused over the past two hundred years, but we are in a better position to fix those things and any other country. Almost everything Tocqueville said made America great when he wrote Democracy in America [amazon.com] has been lost to special intrest, political correctness, greed and corruption. People like Zinn and Chomsky call attention to the effects. If more people listened then perhaps we could get a little back. And once again be, rightfully and correctly, called the greatest country on Earth and live up the the ideals in the Declaration of Independance [archives.gov], the Constitution [archives.gov] and in the Bill of Rights [archives.gov].

Ah-nold! So anyone who can see or hear in the US (and most of the rest of the world) knows that Arnold was elected Governor of California yesterday. I cannot help but think this is a bad move. I don’t really have a dislike of Arnold (how can I no one reallly knows his position on anything—it will all be up to the people he picks to run stuff, and I think Warren Buffet is a good choice) My first reaction to Arnold is no, but that’s just because he is republican and I am, oh so very dissolusioned by the way the republicans have been doing things lately—one of the two things I usually like about the reps is their foreign policy and Bush et. al. have just fucked that all up. (the other thing is the reps hard stance of welfare—I’m all for thrown’ the dole out the window. Period.) Anyway, well give the Governator a chance and see if it works. At least he will have a catchy re-election slogan; “I’ll be back” :)

I did indead go to Canada for one day. Flew from Dulles to Montreal on Monday and back on Tuesday—all for a two hour meeting with someone. Wow. Montreal seemed nice, but most of the time it was just dead. I guess maybe it was becaue it was Monday evening but the bars we went to (oh… too much Guinness!) where just dead. There was much bitching and moaning. But there was also much drinking and it was a good time. The three of us who when did manage to get up on Tuesday and make the meeting. But that’s all hush hush. Afterwords we went back downtown for some lunch before our flight. We ended up playing billiards for several hours. So if anyone askes me what I did on October 7th, I can just tell them—I played pool. In Canada. The other thing was that when we got back (at 9pm) another guy we where to meet was in town so we meet him and had a drink till close to midnight! Must sleep tonight.

Was logged into hell.com tonight, since I have a working internet connection from home again and I thought part of this conversation was cool:

violet : not much for patriotism, but i think I’ve been there before.
say hey : no i’m not all that for patriotism either…
say hey : new world people so often are though
say hey : sorry for assuming
beggs : the French are quite patriotic also…
violet : mostly Americans, though.
beggs : patriotism is the bane of many things in the world
say hey : true…. but most European countries don’t like to be too patriotic… they associate patriotism with fascism
violet : well… maybe not…i dunno.
violet : i can surely say that i am not sure.
beggs : the memories of world wars fought in your back yard will do that.
say hey : yep true
violet : must be a strange feeling…
say hey : what cultural event are you most excited about right now/
beggs : modern American patriotism is a opiate of fear and stupidity
beggs : the malicious leading the blind
…
say hey : kiss the past till it’s better
violet : i associate the American racist/hate/patriotism often with stupidity…there is no excuse for ignorance in this day and age.
…
beggs : possessing, like, 90% of the worlds wealth and the mightiest army in the world has given rise to a culture of lazy and ignorant people
…
beggs : people who blindly follow anyone they think will make them more money
…
violet : money is the only thing that really matters to people, when it comes down to it.
beggs : all of what Tocqueville said made American democracy great has been contorted to make the powerful more powerful..
say hey : is that true violet?… i know what you mean… but money stands for passions hopes and dreams ….
beggs : Money, power, prestige and sex
beggs : the four drives of the human species, according to my high school US history teacher…
beggs : a man uses the first three to get the last and a women the last to get the first three, pretty sexist
say hey : drives are deeper…. than that…
violet : the one thing that matters the most to me is being happy…imbalances make that rare for me.
beggs : I don’t know, you can “understand” a lot of history if you look at it through those drives. At least for the men
say hey : yeah i can relate to that Vi….
beggs : people associate these four things with happiness
beggs : people who have none of these find religion
..
violet : i could be living on the streets and still capable of an emotion.
…
say hey : yes true violet….
violet : money, power, prestige…
violet : i could be with out all those and still be able to have an emotion.
violet : …happy
…
beggs : but sex?
…
beggs : anyway. Money, Power, Prestige and Sex… it does not describe all drives—nothing can. But it fits most situations and people.
violet : true.
violet : the first three are meaningless to me. the last, is nice when it’s around.
say hey : yeah i can see how you can apply those 4 things to most modern situations and
violet : money is necessary, however.
say hey : money didn’t always exist
beggs : like Nietzsche’s view of altruism there is no way to prove it wrong.
beggs : but that does not make it right.

Coolest thing in my life right now? I am going to Montreal on Monday for a business trip. Unfortunately have to come back on Tuesday, but hey, what can you ask for. Maybe next time I will get to go to London for a business trip. Keep your fingers crossed.