Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category

Why I Love Saul Williams

Thursday, March 5th, 2009

He took one of my favorite protest songs and made it relevant again:

For those of you who don’t know who Saul Williams is, he’s the dude in the movie K-PAX. Before his movie career he was better known for his spoken word hip-hop. Motherfucker is good. Listen intently to the lyrics from Penny For A Thought, Nigga’s Way Back, or Tao Of The Now. My friend John Noto knew I was into political music and, despite being primarily into Punk and Metal, was also into Hip-Hop and Rap (hell the third album I ever owned as a kid was RUN D.M.C.’s “Raising Hell”). He put on Penny For A Thought for me and I was instantly hooked. He’s been around for quite some time now and his music spans many different styles and genres. I just found this cover song’s video (Niggy Tardust, the album the video is from, is a collaboration with NIN’s Tent Reznor). and thought I’d pass along info about a great artist in case some people didn’t know about the man.

-=Grim=-

America: Home of the Impotent

Friday, June 15th, 2007

I found an article that says something I’ve been ranting about since the early ’90s, only the author is much more articulate and less prone to vulgar language than I could ever be. Sorry, cuss words aren’t taboo to me (they really aren’t). Seriously, quit being a whiny, partisan asshole and just read the article, then tell me what you think. Keep in mind that only the weak-minded or ignorant believe all revolutions to be bloody wartime affairs. Ever heard the term “bloodless coup”?

How bad does it have to get before you people do something about it? How long until you decide that enough is enough and stand up for yourselves? “United we stand. Divided we fall.” Mean anything to you? The whole “Red state v. Blue state” thing is a very clever way to keep the People united and non-partisan, and thus we fall further and further away from what we should be (and could be) and more into a stratified, impotent society. Yay for us.

I hate pointing fingers at specific groups, but the Evangelicals are a serious setback to the country. With 1/4 of the voting power in America, they’ve done a lovely job of helping to sell us out to Big Money, people who claim to be Christian traditionalists, but then reject everything Biblical except in name. Good job. It’s nice to know that some Bronze Age religion calls the shots in a country that is supposed to be progressive. And by “progressive” I don’t mean Liberal. Don’t get me started on Liberals or Conservatives either. They’re the other assholes screwing this country left and right (ooooh pun!) with their partisan politics. A country runs on compromise. Polarization and the inability to compromise is a great way to stagnate the political machine.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not naive enough to think that America *was* something more than it is now. No, it’s always been a walking mess. We’re only 200 and change years old; we’re infants compared to the rest of the world. I’m bitching about what we could be.

Tsk. Whatever. I’m done ranting. Keep watching American Idol people. Keep arguing over useless divisions of paradigms. I hate to sound like a Pinko Commie (I like saying those two words for some reason), but it always has been and always will be about the Haves versus the Have-Nots, and unless you’re hitting up the Bohemian Club you’re a Have-Not, trust me. Hrmm, maybe I should check the news to see what Rights got signed away today?

-=Grim=-

YA RLY.

Thursday, June 14th, 2007

Jon Stewart said what I’ve been thinking. This arming of insurgents is rediculous. Aw, did we make them say they were sorry before handing them a crate of AK-47? Those weapons *will* be turned against us. They are not our friends and most certainly not our allies. Oooooh, they reject the Al Qaeda. Gee, thanks. Have some hand grenades, but promise you won’t use them against us. Notice in the article they drop a nice veiled threat too. “America, this alliance lasts as long as it takes to oust the Al Qaeda – then you better be gone!” Fuck that. We just armed the same chumps who were blowing us up last year.

This whole things reeks of the administration having no fucking idea how to fix the problem they got us in to. “So uh… we’ll arm these, uh, insurgents and they’ll fight with us… and stuff. Right? We’ll retinal scan them and… um… hey we can keep them under our thumb, right?”

Christ. We just ousted a tyrant that got his start the same way. The supposed mastermind behind 9/11 was trained by the CIA. These Muslim “enemies of our enemies” make *great* allies. Yea.

-=Grim=-

The Whole Clash of Civs Thing.

Friday, May 25th, 2007

I saw this on MySpace today:

I think I’m all about it. My only beef is that I check the “About us” section on their website and it said this: “Avaaz.org was co-founded by Res Publica, a global civic advocacy group, and MoveOn.org, an online community that has pioneered internet advocacy in the United States.” Were you sitting next to me at the time you might have heard the sound of screeching tires emanating from my ears. I have mixed feelings about MoveOn.org. When they first started I was very much behind them. They talked a good line and seemed to actually practice what they preached. I’ve noticed that a lot of ultra-Liberals (I see that movement as nasty and ignorant as the ultra-Conservatives and every other hate group out there) I’ve met tend to be… well… really immature when it comes to politics. Whenever I’ve seen them in action they reminded me more of a twelve year old child throwing a shit fit than any sort of political reckoning. MoveOn.org started pulling the same crap. Yes, you *do* have to play dirty in politics, but when you’re playing dirty against those who control all media you *will* be painted as a bad guy, and thus your whole movement will have ended before it began. They seem to forget that many Americans believe what they see on television and react based on what they’re told on the news. MoveOn leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But that’s for a whole other post; I’m posting this about Avaaz.org.

I signed the petition since I believe in this ideal. It’s optimistic, but I’ve always believed that if people are going to fight it should be personal, not because someone told them it’s personal. I have no beef with the Middle East or pretty much anyone else that I’ve never met. I have beef with certain radical ideologies, but these ideologies thrive on hate and ignorance, so I doubt anyone would miss them. I mean seriously, how many Christians do you know that think Falwell and Robertson speak for them? How many Muslims do you know that think bin Laden speaks for them? As an atheist I can assure you that the more vile “atheists” don’t speak for me.

So yes, I signed the petition. I still have beef with MoveOn.org. But I’m tired of people that don’t represent anything the People stand for calling the shots. I’m reminded of a quote:

Princess Leia: “The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers…”

Werd.

-=Grim=-

Anyone Else Worried?

Saturday, April 21st, 2007

Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?

Now, private military contractors aren’t anything unknown to people that pay attention to civil liberties and potential abuses, but do I need to spell out how bad things can get with shit like this and JCS Conplan 37-J in effect? They’re above our laws and lawmen. And they answer to the real puppeteers.

Meh, sometimes I think the Liberals are right. More later.

-=Grim=-

Iranians Whine Over “300″.

Thursday, March 15th, 2007

Source Article

I can see being pissed off that you wasted $9.50 on a ticket if you didn’t like it. I can see being pissed off that the popcorn in the theater was too expensive. But this… THIS… this is fucking retarded. I’d like to propose a letter, an open letter, to these protesting Iranians:

“Dear Iranians with nothing better to do,

300 was a work of friggin’ fiction. It isn’t historical. Persia didn’t have monsters, just in case you mistook the film to be historical. Perhaps Iran should start focusing on teaching history in schools as opposed to supporting sociopaths like your “presidente”. Fiction. It’s a work of fiction, you bumbling idiots.

And since when are you immune to criticisms anyway? Since when is Persia off-limits to parody? Fuck, since when is ISLAM off-limits? need I remind you of the bench-flipping riots your homeboys started over the CARTOONS a few years ago. You are not immune to criticism or parody, just like everyone else. The fact that you’re prone to crying over cartoons and fictional sword and sorcery movies is fucking lame.

“Wah.”

Maybe you should start focusing all that enery towards world hunger, poverty, corruption or suffering? No? Maybe? Or will you store it up to protest (read: riot) is various cities because none of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in their upcoming movie were Muslim, and therefore it’s Western propaganda?

With love,
Grim

P.S.: I think your “prophet” was full of shit and “allah” is a myth. Are ya gonna cry now? Riot again? Write letters? What?”

Now how can I get this put on pamphlets and dropped all over Iran? Maybe I should start with all those Iranian-American (hah, I bet they don’t even see themselves as American) bloggers’ sites!