Southington, Connecticut. May, 1942
October 17, 2009
This, Your Native Land
Most of the people in this Smithsonian Gallery are gone now. Certainly the American ethos is gone. But the past also has a past, and to many of these souls the 1940's was an awful, turbulent time. And it was, in many ways. The images are drawn from all over, from both coasts and everywhere in between. For the moment, politics has no place here. This is all of us, and what we are....all races, nationalities and origins.
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16 comments:
Your paragraph is the perfect introduction and the final word, Nickie.
"This is all of us, and what we are....all races, nationalities and origins."
Does this include the indigenous population? I think AIM might disagree.
That remark isn't worthy of you, scunner, or maybe it is. We can discuss the Norman invasions, the marginalization of the Picts and which side of Hadrian's Wall your forebears were on.
But you believe in the ludicrous propositions of dialectical materialism too...when do you attend your next witch-burning.
Sometimes you're just a fool.
America is at its best as a melting pot.
If I may add, our way of life in America requires cooperation and more importantly, participation.
When people stop participating, neighborhoods go to hell, innovation goes to some other shore, (people with big screen TV's move out of California.... :)) and the contributors are simply outweighed and overwhelmed by the takers.
People stop worrying about paying loans back.
This has been the major movement in America the last decade or two and it's picking up steam.
I read a news article couple years back. Someone at a Kmart was offered a 4,000 instant credit card through an error in Kmart's credit system. She called her friends who called their friends with the message that 'KMart was giving free money away".
Opportunists went to other KMarts and acquired credit applications to sell to the hordes that showed up to get their free 4,000 instant credit. Not a one of them had the slightest intention of paying back a cent. Violence ensued in the KMart parking lot and afterwards earrings, still attached to ear parts were found in the parking lot where they fought over remaining credit application forms.
True.
That image came to me as the mortgage meltdown came to pass, and I could hear people screaming in my imagination that "Countrywide is Giving Free Houses Away" thousands of times across the American landscape.
We're screwed folks. There isn't enough participation left. The rest of us will buckle under the load and that will be that.
Along this line is a truly excellent offering from Bill Whittle of Eject Eject Eject Here which I'm going to link on my window to the world as well.
TK, as for popular participation, you could make the same case for Russia in 1917, France in 1787, America in 1770 or England in the 1640's.
A minority tipped over the regime and seized power. It's a dirty business, but it happened.
Rhod. Agreed. It is optimistic. And one can easily see the mechanics of it, realizing that the masses simply remain in the wings waiting to see what will happen.
The key is the military. Whose side will they be on?
If they're on the government's side, then we have Tiananmen Square. Else we have Bombs Bursting In Air and Our Flag Still There.
Well ... I understand the sentiment. "We've Killed All the Prophets" was drawn from this.
But still, my belief remains: As long as there is enough in us, there are enough of us.
With all due respect, Kid, I don't believe that the Takers are in control long-term over the contributors. The dirty little secret in life is that the contributors will always be -- and always have been -- outnumbered. The American Revolution had about 35% popular support, and much less participation.
Some of you need to get out to the Badlands where the Contributors still have some say. That's a big swath of America. Granted, it is not on either coast and the MSM ignores us.
But out here, the American ethos lives.
We are surrounded and the way ahead is clear.
DC, your perspective always makes me feel better.
DC, I hope you're right of course.
We'll see how many voters had a change of heart in 2010.
Scunner, face your own fallacies and impetuous comments, for a change. Don't bore me with your silly outrage.
First, our Latino and/or Muslim future was not what you meant in your presumed ironies about the indigenous population being excluded in my post.
You seem intelligent enough, for the most part, not to insert reflex multiculturalism in a simple love of country. Apparently not.
As for the migration of peoples and the replacement of cultures, by your snarling standard I should have you prove that your ancestors had nothing to do with The Clearances, which brought my family to North America, before I gave you permission to feel the slightest human pride in your surroundings.
Socialists like you fetishize a catalogue of Original Sins, turning everything good and decent to ashes so you can stroke your cynicism.
Get a life, Scunner.
BTW, Scunner...if you had bothered to examine any of the pics before you mounted your little steed and started shooting your little popgun, you would have seen people of all races, etc., and immigrants.
Take your stereotypes and stick them...
Rhod - abuse is no substitute for argument.
"Don't bore me with your silly outrage."
I have no outrage in this matter Rhod. I haven't been to the States in eight years and have no desire to return, and not being native American it's really not my problem. Folks like Leonard Peltier might feel differently though.
"...your snarling standard..."? I really don't get that at all.
"Socialists like you ...". Few and far between Rhod.
"...if you had bothered to examine any of the pics ...".
Ah, America was great in the good ol' days when men were cowboys, women were mommies, and folks still believed in the dream. Different days now Rhod. (I wonder if your new socialized health system will provide free gender reassignment operations?)
No worries though - 'cause in the Islamic Republic of Ameristan you'll have a new bunch of good ol' boys to sort that lot out.
POP:0)
" ... America will thrive and prosper while you get smaller and smaller."
Oh but that were true. My wife assures me that my girth increases with every year that passes.
"Scots like you are dour and resentful that the world hasn't rewarded your conceits with importance."
I resent that. At least my grandkids think I'm a somebody. I coulda been a contender - honest.
Scun, this is my last comment, so you can have your say.
There's a pattern to your fatuity. Insults, reinterpretation of answers with selected quotes, unseriousness and then childishness.
Such nonsense doesn't come naturally. You have to be educated to that level of nonsense.
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