this started out a comment in reply to some of yours but it got too long so i moved it here:
i wonder what obama can show us before becoming prez. no matter what mitt romney says, or the gop will say in the general election, there is nothing that really prepares you for the job of president. no matter what you do, ceo, mayor, governor; when you become prez you are making a huge jump from the minors to the bigs. when i saw obama on 'meet the press' some years ago i said to my wife, why cant this guy be our president. he was an obviously bright man with a nuanced take on all the problems of our country. as in nuanced, not good guys wear white hats bad guys wear black hats. he actually had some thoughtful answers. thoughtful? a politician on television?
i think that the loss in new hampshire is huge. i think it will take something special to make it past the well oiled clinton machine. coming out of iowa, it looked like we were getting caught up in a wave of naive optimism (not always a bad thing) and that is good for obama. i think going into south carolina with that mojo would have meant alot more to him than anyone because we are cynical about everything these days and cynicism makes you make safe, or 'electable' choices. and it was cynicism that made me think years ago, having been so impressed with obama on 'meet the press' (and so unimpressed with bush, gore and kerry), that we could never elect a guy like that because as a country we dont want complicated answers to our complicated problems and we are still too racist to consider electing a black man president.
About Me
- -ea.
- after an inauspicious stint as an unremarkable young man, a cursory tour of four high schools in three years with an early departure, perry farrell and i started janes addiction. ______________________________________________________________ i am admittedly, under the best of circumstances, an erratic email returner but if you want to speak directly to me give it a try at: crashintothesea@gmail.com
47 comments:
This whole election deal is reminding of both how powerful and powerless I am. Of how powerful and powerless every human is.
A loud cheer to people who canvass for desired leaders. I would love to be more active in such a direct manner. However, I am cautious of groupthink and mob mentality, and that I never felt truly represented by any politician. Ever. Not enough to put their logo across my brow. Respect to those who do, for they own me in part.
I thought it was an understandable mistake, still a mistake, for the DNC in 2004 to ignore the against-Bush vote. Instead they touted that skull and boner Kerry as someone we should get behind. Good ‘ol boy Kerry was a sad clown faced joke with defeat written across his mug. The DNC mistook Bush bashing as Kerry approval. A mistake that has cost us trillions of dollars and tons of blood. Literally.
I try to remain open like in the case of Al Gore. His wife Tipper caused huge anger with my young rocker friends and me when she fought against Frank Zappa for the censorship of music. When Gore became vice president, I was wary due to the previous threat on free speech and my right to listen to and write lyrics without government censorship. Zappa, after he became ill spoke warm and highly of Tipper. They became friends. Offering insight that life is not so cut and dry like it seemed on CNN.
Now Al is the man. I high five him big time for his work on global warming. One has to wonder if Al would’ve been able to do a small fraction of the work he accomplished had he been elected president in 2000. Which reinforces the view that the politicians are a sideshow and not the main act.
I find it extremely challenging to remain informed without overactive empathy glands from wrecking my Irie. Maybe it is this grim information that in part drives the positive spirit. Like being able to appreciate joy when contrasted against pain.
Maybe this is related in a way. My wife made a little book of questions for the winter solstice. In it she asked what were the 5 top achievements of your lifetime. One of my responses was to have been both laughed with and laughed at. Can you imagine the horror of only experiencing one or the other?
Thanks for being brave and putting yourself out there Eric. Your blog has inspired quite a bit of writing and music making on this end.
Irie Heights.
With respect and kindness,
Mike
P.S. The NH polling mishap shows that maybe people are still too racist to elect a black person. When a pollster asks, people say what they think is appropriate. Then in the privacy of the voting booth, people do not have to account to anyone for their bias.
Maybe Obama did win. Here is a look at voter fraud in NH.
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5535#more-5535
R&K
Mike
"O judgement, thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason!"
-Julius Caesar
The behind the scene Oz-like mechanics of the supremely powerful is enigmatic to me...and I say this knowing full well it is quite impossible to prove or disprove a negative. Nevertheless, I believe it. When dynastys such as the Clintons or Bushs are involved, there are complicated mitigating factors that switch levers to divert the train for sure. Reason is shortchanged, so I will suspend mine for a bit too and hold out for the possibility that Gore might still run.
No one has emeerged with more real integrity and maturity in the last decade and a half than he. I think he possesses a balanced and measured worldview that this country is desperately in need of, and I think somewhere deep inside of him, he must be aware of that. As the bullshit gets thicker, I hope that he throws caution to the wind and chucks his hat. Money and resources will have been saved by this most unconventional delay and he would still be running freah while all the others will have more miles on them than the space shuttles.
I think he is our best hope to mend global fences and make intelligent and REASONED decisions for the best future of the American and global constituency.
Be well,
The dreamer
I do agree regardless of race or gender, the right man for the job is what counts!
Obama Bin Laden for President!
There're probably many Americans thinking "why would I waste my vote, if we're too racist to actually pick a black man? I'll go for Hillary...".
I wish you guys can make it. Hillary is the lesser evil... Huckabee... no comments.
JM
obama will win, i just got that feeling
okay i know i ask this alot but there is new news of the box set for janes addiction being released this year, that great ol drummer perkins has went on talking about a three tier project first it was the greatest hits then theres a box set and some other stuff i guess a dvd? Are you gonna be contributing any stuff to it u have lying around? In the book whores ur sister had some really coolpictures maybe she has more?
Cool stuff!
Help Wanted!!!!
The DNC has been pushing both Clinton & OBAMA from the beginning which should have been the first clue as to why both are wrong.
During the Debate in Nevada both bad actors made references as to how the presidency should be treated as the equivalent to a Chief Executive Officer. Unbelievable...
And because of the new packaging people seem to buy into vague calls for "change". Change how?? Change of the sex or skin tone? Is that really enough to impress the world, and make our lives better? How about their records, or actual plans. Neither are offering real Universal Health Care, or solving inadequate taxation, ending the failed drug war, or the coming fuel crisis that will certainly lead us into the next great depression. I don't just want a shiny, modern CEO acting as president, why would you? Look who backs them.
What we need is a president who admits publicly that they cannot do everything, but will act as a shop steward for the people,(not CEO!!) bargaining against the corporations who really control the government, not manage public affairs for corporations.
Follow the money. Use your head and your heart. The Democrats and Republicans of today are just two competing PR firms with different approaches for selling it to the people. When it comes to actions...they both fuck us the same with a disposable product.
If Lincoln was running today((3rd party)) just think of how unelectable his ugly awkward honest honky ass would be. People are sometimes so simplistic.
ps Eric if you have any influence with your old drummer pal, please for me request some video of John Anson Ford Theater shows, L.A. Medley, the Mount Baldy show, and hopefully some Lollapalooza shows for the J.A. box set.(preferably Saratoga, NY Aug 13th 1991) My favorite concert of all time :) Thanks...peace.
Great thoughts written down.
Best, SR
Jane's poised for a comeback?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2486JHX_d-4
jesus, can we leave eric alone about jane's comebacks? I don't think he minds too much about questions like soul kiss or songs played and not played, but can you imagine being asked to join the band he was in a million times? Can we just leave the man alone until he gives up permission to speak about Jane's?
Not that I would mind the comeback though.
We need more than two party's running for prez. Both party's are corrupt and are bought off by special interests. It just depends on what side of the fence you sit on
Hi Eric,
I was really pulling for Obama until about a month a go when I was turned on to Ron Paul. OH MY LORD, I've never heard more truth coming from a politicians mouth in my life as I did coming from Ron Paul. Never in a MILLION YEARS did I think I would be voting for a Republican! I am the most liberal green revolution minded person you will ever met. I had very much wanted to see Obama as President but Ron Paul just makes way, way too much sense. He is starting an intense grass roots revolution in this country. In the end, I would love to see Obama vs. Paul and then see Paul take the Presidency. Don't get me wrong I love Obama (and as a side note I think it's high time to have a minority take the Presidency) but damn Ron Paul has really earned my vote. Eric have you seen this video or any his youtube videos?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FG2PUZoukfA
He is the only one who would end the Iraq war immediately as well as end the US occupation of ALL foreign countries immediately. He is the only one who recognizes the IRS/ income tax as unnecessary and would put a stop to it immediately. This man is deeply informed on economic issues and foreign policy. There is also a lot of talk about how Ron Paul is the only candidate from any party who is not in the pocket of big business in one from or another
Eric, I totally respect your opinion. What are your thoughts on Paul and, political party aside, why have you chosen Obama over him?
Cheers,
Jim
I'm not an American, but ...
I thought I should take up one point you made about Obama. Yes, he's dark skinned, but I think you miss the subtleties (nuances) of racism when you say that the USA is not ready for a black President.
Racism does not work exactly like that. Black Australians I've known have had a great time in the States, and black Americans equally have great time in Australia. Both tend to suffer in their own country.
The point is, it's not just colour, it's ethnicity that triggers racism. Obama is not an inheritor of three centuries of anti-African-American baggage. Neither, for that matter, is Colin Powell. They're both the children of immigrants, and that's a world away from the five generations of slavery, followed by five generations of ghetto-based poverty paradigm that so many black Americans labour under.
America can still give itself a pat on the back if it can find the heart (and brain) to elect Obama, but it wouldn't be the major breakthrough in race relations that a lot of people suggest. And yeah, he's clearly the best choice.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=U9ukh_sDj6M
If you hate war, Obama is not your candidate. He's pandering to the leftists regarding Iraq @ the moment to get votes. However Obama's foreign policy would follow in the footsteps of Bush1, Clinton & Bush 2. Clinton dragged us into the conflict in Bosnia. The plan to invade Iraq first began in 1998 within the Clinton administration. Remember even Bush2 promised us "no nation-building & limited foreign intervention. Look what happened. He lied. Obama will do the same. Obama is already bought off. It just so happens that Zbigniew Brzezinski is backing & advising him.
Do you know anything about Zbigniew Brzezinski? If you do then you would understand why an Obama presidency would be very bad for the US. He's just a pawn for the establishment. More war, more debt, more everything bad. No change in the right direction as far as I can see if he's taking clues from guys like Zbig
Have you ever read 'The Grand Chessboard' written by Brezinski?
It totally screams American Imperialism.
Brezezinski endorses Obama
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caeP33025UY
If you want someone who is not bought & paid for by the elite establishment & who will get our country on the right track, get us out of Iraq immediately, stop threatening Iran and interfering with Pakinstan & other nations affairs, then I suggest you take a very close look at Ron Paul. RonPaul2008.com
It is healthy to see a candidate like Ron Paul making strides inside the Republican party, it's good for third party's.
However their is a fatal flaw embedded in the Libertarian stance on issues. Libertarians fail to recognize one major contradiction in their position.
Libertarians promote scaling back on government oversight into private business, yet they want a foreign policy that remains neutral from foreign entanglements.
I would assert that many foreign entanglements we are in and have previously been involved in, are rooted in the interests of private multi-national corporations that have been given safe harbor in the United States and in offshore p.o. boxes.
So how can the United States claim neutrality in foreign conflicts, when it is clear to the world that simultaneously it has been giving safe harbor and no oversight to corporations whom profit from conflicts?
I believe in a free market economy absolutely, but unfortunately large corporate entities which have no liability have been given too much freedom to screw the rest of us for to long now already. If anything yes, we need to rebuild our government to work for us against our corporate masters.
Yet giving more freedom to private entities which have no liability while scaling back our government altogether would be a horrible mistake.
Oh yeah plus they want to take away public land:(
Peace
http://www.lp.org/issues/platform_all.shtml#iv
Multi-national corporations have guided us into many detrimental foreign entanglements. Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman, Haliberton, are just a few of the private corporations pushing for them, Iraq being a recent one. War is good for business. They have all are their lobbyists, pushers, and pimps, on Congress and the Executive branch to doll out more money to them, competing over bids on weapon systems. They have made billions upon billions of dollars with Iraq. The longer the war goes on the more money they make, if the war stops they know the funding will quickly start to dry up. If the gov't avoided these foreign conflicts it would be harder for private corporations dip in the public trough. The Libertarian would not offer the same safe harbor you mention.
If you look back through U.S. history, the ones who push the hardest for government intervention are large corporate entities. You see the who has the gold makes the rules. Many times large corporate entities through lobbyists are able to ensure that laws and regulations are passed which they know they can abide by, but that the little smaller companies have no chance at abiding by b/c of the time, money, and resources needed to abide by new regulations. You in effect have government subsidized monopolies. Government passes laws that cause huge barriers to new/small companies while incurring minor costs for companies with deeper pockets.
A large corporation cannot force you or anyone else to buy their product unless they succeed in garnering a government granted monopoly. Fraud is illegal and corporate directors have gone to jail for such violations. Corporations have been sued into bankruptcy and oblivion over product liability and negligence issues.
Corporations must serve their customers, their shareholders, and their employees or they go out of business. There need to be major changes in the structure of corporations, but it's legislatively possible. Government handouts and favoritism to some corporations must cease. Many government programs are thinly veiled handouts to various industries. Each of us can vote with our dollars which corporations we choose to support. Government can impose itself in your life even when you vote against it.
Hi EA,
Positive thoughts.
Well given the candidates I would say that Obama is clearly the best of the pool. He is the least damaged and the most positive.
Ron Paul has some good things to say about getting out of Iraq and elsewhere, Though some of his other policies are way right wing, gov’t telling woman what to with their bodies, etc. Plus, these are highly partisan times and it would simply be a tragic mistake to keep the executive branch in the hands of the GOP.
Gotta love the Ron Paul supporters for chasing Sean Hannity down the street chanting Fox News Sucks! Does you remember The Night of the Long Knives? This is the night Nazi party executed a bunch of their own while rising to power. The Neocons are bummed on conservatives who support Ron Paul. This is why I like Ron Paul supporters, though would not vote for Paul myself.
Watch Hannity flee the Republican mob-
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NNZS9ZuZcrg
At this point, let’s hope Obama takes it.
Feingold 2012!
Am about 70 pages into Alex Ross’s THE REST IS NOISE. Pretty cool to learn about the heavy weight composers of the early 1900’s and how they coped with each other, themselves, and how they were influenced at a time of war and extreme anti Semitism.
Austria and Germany was no picnic for Jews at that time. Was surprised to hear a couple composers converting to non-Jewish religions.
I enjoy stories that takes near mythical figures and humanizes them by detailing struggles, failures and successes. Illuminating to read about passions, character strengths and weaknesses of the composers. Too easy for me to see someone who is standing on the mountain of success while forgetting that they actually climbed up pile of failure and rejection to get there.
Also interesting to see the advancement of the musical conversation and how it affected traditionalists.
Never heard of many of these early composers. Even the ones I am familiar with I had very little knowledge about. A real treat. I was one of the few rockers in my school that listened to a lot of classical music. Bach freaked my young mind out. Even still, I know very little about classical music.
Ross mentioned Schoenberg influence on Thelonious Monk’s playing. I’m a Monk fan (Monk is the Black Sabbath of be-bop, lots of cool riffs, often in a minor key.). So I youtubed a bunch of Schoenberg and could clearly hear colors of Monk.
Alex Ross has a way with words and with research. His passion for music transcends mediocrity. Alex’s book is a treasure trove for those who like to google, youtube, further research the people places and things in books. Alex’s website is great for song samples, and other reader support/engagement. So rad!
Thanks for the tip Eric. Please point out or discuss parts of the book you found stimulating or resonant.
I am thrilled Alex is finding success for his effort.
Please excuse the long post.
Respect and kindness,
Mike
PS Thanks to PEACE for detailing the shortcomings of the Libertarien philosophy.
Hey E-
I finished my first political/war painting. Thought I'd share.
http://ryanparr.com
I have a crazy idea. you could get dave and steve to learn help wanted songs and take them on the road. Sounds like they are looking for songs to play.:)
(the ja comments will never end)
hope you and your senorita are well
peace
ryan
oops.
That is
http://www.ryanparr.com
I have to ask this because this seems like a noble effort to help distinguish and mold the legacy of JA.
According to ELF via Perryfarrell.net, Perry has entertained the idea of reuniting the original band members for one song to contribute to the box set.
All efforts considered, the original four are inimitable and as such, would you consider contributing to the boxset in the form of a new song?
Be well,
SR
Mike,
Lhr tried to assert a contradiction within Libertarian philosophy where there is none. Lhr failes to recognize a Libertarian would not offer corporations the same safe harbor like he claims. He stated his position that large corporations often screw us over but this in no way demonstrates a contradiction of Libertarians. I suggest those interested in 3rd parties get better understanding of Libertarians than what you learn by listening to Thom Hartman. And one other thing I might add about the land issue. If Corporations want to "take away land" in order to do that they'll have to pay for it at full market price with your consent. The government can snatch it from you for next to nothing using Eminent domain.
Proud Anonymous,
The place people should go to clearly learn the facts about the Libertarian stance is on their official website.
http://www.lp.org/issues/platform_all.shtml
What I assert is that the Libertarians vision of smaller government means larger corporations with even less public oversight. And with unchecked corporate power will come the need to increase foreign and domestic military intervention.
Think of the East India Company's and their direct relationship with imperialism. The "free" market unchecked can be the force behind imperialism.
So the contradiction in policy is somewhere in between ARTICLES:
II. Trade and the Economy & IV. Foreign Affairs
It's easy to blame our government for being the source of all of our problems. But at least with our government I have a voice and voting power inherently without having to be born wealthy.
I don't make the money ((and no the government didn't take it all)) to own a majority of shares in some fly by night multi-national "entity" which will pave the roads near my apartment.
Read the Libertarian Statement of Principles its a colorful guide to achieving peace through waging a war on a public government. Finding balance through replacing government/people power with corporate power because the government is evil, with horns and sharp teeth, and the private entity and free market rule is holy and scientific simultaneously.
Other than those perhaps arguably tiny flaws, I have to agree with Libertarians in regards to the importance of ending the war on drugs, immigration, ending parasitic welfare, the right to bear arms.
As for the land issue;
lucky for me I guess that even though I work full time I can't afford to own any property... so neither the rogue government or the corporation building those gated communities can just take any land from me. They've already got it.
Peace
Everyone who cares about our election please watch this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKQEQ7qHvgM
This concerns democrats as well as republicans!
I've done my civic duty. Just got back from IL primaries. Consistently Obama.
This is a video I took of me trying to vote on Super Tuesday in California. I think it says a lot about the state of our union...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWKxwVZmomc
eric?
Eric, on another note...
R.I.P. Chief Broday aka Roy Scheider. Heaven's gonna need a bigger boat.
Best, Matt
the dreamer- i appreciate your feelings but i would caution you that i think it will always be easier to vote for someone who is not actually in the race. politics is a dirty business that soils anyone who gets close to winning anything. i think this is true of life in general, it is easy to sit out the contest and have opinioins about how its being played; then very different when you step in and begin the messier role of trying to get something practially done. the ideal vs. reality.
jm- interestingly i think this thinking was more prevalent at the beginning, including in the black community, than it is now. barack has proven he can win and that is a big part of the 'momentum' people refer to.
george d- i have never been much of a memorabilia collector so my janes library is quite bare. the only thing i have up on a wall is a small poster i framed from ashow we played at the fillmore in 1989.
but i have recently been in contact with a guy at rhino about shooting an interview for the box set.
.kelly - thanks for the concern but im happy to talk about janes. i dont think any topic is off the table here.
lhr- one of the reasons that i have always leaned toward obama is the fact that he has always been very candid about his limitations. whether you call him prez or chief executive officer.
i will add though, that i think that the relationship between corporations (their ceo's) and the share holders is a corrupt and corrupting one. there is a good doc out by a canadian (i think?) filmmaker just called "the corporation". i highly recommend.
stmonicsalum- i couldnt agree more. this is why i am always hoping that a third candidate can break through. i was intrigued by the idea that bloomberg was considering it this year. not that it would probably change my vote, but it did sound like he would make a compelling choice in the center. not just handicap one the other candidates the way it has always played out in the recent past.
jim - i have always considered viability as a prerequesite for my vote. i generally let the process choose to a point and then i more thoroughly investigate a candidate. an imperfect system, i know. but still the sam, that is how i do it.
low priest- fair enough. someone else here pointed out something similar. your point is generally interesting and i believe true. but i would only point out that racism, by its very nature, is not nuanced. ignorance is by definition ignorant of some of the subtleties you mentioned.
peace - i am in the camp that believes that king george II has created a spectacular clusterfuck that needs to be dealt with in a careful way. that does not mean that i think we should summarily pull out, nor should we stay in iraq. that is the false choice we are often given. i am in favor of a measured move toward a policy that does not include pre-emptive attacks and imperialist crusades for 'democracy'. that is what i think obama best represents.
lhr- word.
anonymouses- thanks for the clips. the thing i take from stuff like this is just how hard it is to manage and control any enormous system. it is exactly why i always begin from a position of skepticism when it comes to theories of secret governmental control, like the absurd assertion that the american gov prepetrated the 9/11 attacks.
btw, wanted to body punch the officious prick who turned off your camera.
Who asserted the gov't pulled off 9/11? I just don't believe the official story. Never said the gov't did it.
Eric, I respect your belief on this. Maybe you have seen footage of an airplane hit the pentagon? Only thing I seen was a scar left by a cruise missle.
We'll agree to disagree.
r&k
Mike
mike- i didnt mean to say that i thought you believed that the american gov did it but there are definitely those that do think that.
on the other tip, because of some aspect of the blast pattern, you think that the pentagon was attacked by a cruise missile while the other attacks were hijacked airplanes? are we (the american gov) covering this up? who launched the cruise missile? i dont understand.
First of all Eric, thanks for even having civil dialogue about this grueling subject.
There is much to consider when taking in the event of multiple attacks which created a form of shock in the analyst.
I try to boil it down to the pentagon videos. Asking about missing pentagon vids does not require someone to be an expert of controlled demolition, missing bodies, missing airplanes, scarring, etc. I am no expert in any of this. In fact, I felt bad/stupid after posting about the cruise missile scar earlier because I really try to keep the conversation focused to the missing vids. The scar comment came after seeing pics comparing pentagon scars with the missile attacks on milosevic's compound. As well as pics from other plane crashes. The following Dutch analysts attempt to prove that a 757 did indeed hit the pentagon. http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ts9lSnghLgA
There are a whole lot of cameras at the pentagon. Too many for such lack of public footage. After being sued, the pentagon released only a few frames that show no airplane.
You wrote, “are we (the american gov) covering this up? who launched the cruise missile? i dont understand.” . I ask these very same questions. I don’t understand either. Just because we ask, does not mean we are accusing anybody. We’re just asking. The 9/11 commission themselves said they were unable to collect all the information required. Said the CIA obstructed some of their work as well. Why?
For me it’s about the missing videos.
I may not understand about scarring, how steel melts, a perfectly in tact terrorist passport found amongst he smoldering WTC ruins, or why WTC 7 and the sworn testimony of the last man out William Rodriguez (check him out) were left out of the official report.
However, I do understand the power of video. Like most Americans, I have been watching video my entire life. If any footage had confirmed the official story, we would have seen it over and over by now. As for now the videos remain inaccessible to the public. WTF? What security would be compromised by releasing such footage?
In all, many yellow flags. Too many. We need a new and independent investigation. Everyone under oath. Unlike the last investigation when Bush refused to go under oath. Refused to be questioned alone. Not saying Bush knew. Just saying as a professional standard of investigative conduct that was lacking. What do we have to lose?
Even if this was pulled of by elements that included gov’t employees, It should never be referred to as the “gov’t did it”. That label cast a too wide a net including all the postal workers, your local mayor, the coroner, DWP, and zillions of other functions of the gov’t. You are correct, absurd.
Even if every perpetrator of 9/11 were a gov’t employee, this would not warrant us to say the gov’t did it. We are a gov’t of the people. That would imply we the people perpetrated the attacks of 9/11.
respect and kindness,
Mike
-ea,
I thought "the corporation" was very good. If you haven't seen "The Yes Men," you might check that out also. These two documentary's compliment each other really well I think. "The Yes Men", is too funny. And still considerably freighting as well.
lhr
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