Where DOES the time go? Today
marks the 10th anniversary of Morialekafa (a native New Guinea word
meaning “insignificant little bug with no other name”). When I first began
writing this blog I scarcely knew what a blog was but I thought it might be
interesting to start one. It has been interesting. I have had readers from virtually
every place on the globe, not because they look up Morialekafa itself, but
because they are searching for some topic about which I happen to have written
at some time, topics like sardines, pickled pigs feet, being an only child,
deodorant, stuff like that.
Morialekafa was not intended
to be particularly political although nothing was precluded. Because of the
excesses of the Bush/Cheney years (the nightmare years) my blog became increasingly political. Looking back on it I
can scarcely believe all the things I wrote about, some of which I only vaguely
remember and some that I don’t remember at all. I believe I have been
reasonably consistent in my beliefs and values and I hope I have never been
hypocritical (which seems to have become the most distinguishing feature of
American politics).
I have no doubt that by far
the best of Morialekafa was written in the first five years. If you look up
“Five Years” in the archives (July 25, 2009), you will find an index of those
years. At that time I was blogging almost every day as I continued to do for
some time. In the past two or three years I have written less frequently and, I
am sure, less creatively. The fact is, I have mostly lost interest in U. S.
politics. It is pretty clear that both parties are very similar, they both no
longer act in the public interest, favoring the wealthy and corporate interests
almost exclusively. The hypocrisy and lying have become so blatant we, the
public, no longer have any true idea of what is happening or why, and our voices
are not heard by those who purport to represent us. Having been an ordinary
democrat all of my life I have finally become a full-blown Democratic Socialist
(in the mold of Bernie Sanders whom I very much admire). My limited creative
powers have diminished as well as my interest in politics. I have thought
seriously of just ending Morialekafa entirely (ten years is probably more than
enough), but I know I will occasionally be motivated to write something, at
least until my Journey to the West comes to an end.
But frankly, I believe things
have become so bad I no longer support either party. I no longer sign petitions
(except rarely), I no longer donate money or time, I find I do not believe
anything I am told by the media, and I have lost my faith in my country.
Perhaps I am just getting old and cranky but I am sick of the whole business.
More importantly, I do not want to even remotely be linked to the murderous,
genocidal, colonial maniacs that currently insist on unconditionally supporting
Israel’s attempt to rid the world of Palestinians. Our President and Congress
apparently have no sense of either shame or guilt, just take the money, look
the other way, and speak nobly of robbing the poor to feed the rich, killing
the Palestinians and Russian/Ukrainians to feed the permanently greedy, and
pretend that all is well with the world. After all, as we are constantly being
told, it’s all Putin’s fault.
“Imagine the
people who believe such things and who are not ashamed to ignore, totally, all
the patient findings of thinking minds through all the centuries since the
Bible was written. And it is these ignorant people, the most uneducated, the
most unimaginative, the most unthinking among us, who would make themselves the
guides and leaders of us all; who would force their feeble and childish beliefs
on us; who would invade our schools and libraries and homes. I personally
resent it bitterly.”
“I never wonder
to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.”
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