Titanic Post

Published on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 by the Chicago Sun-Timesby Andrew Greeley

I am ashamed for America. Note carefully that I do not say I am ashamed of America. Despite all its inherent flaws and all its tragic mistakes, the United States stands, however incompletely and with whatever imperfections, for the highest standards of freedom and democracy that the world has yet known.

I am ashamed for America because all the evil done in the nation’s name in recent years is turning off the light on the mountaintop. (more…)

Today almost every principle upon which this country was founded is being turned on its head. Instead of liberty we are being taught to prefer order, instead of democracy we are taught to be follow directions, instead of debate we are inundated with propaganda. Most profoundly, American citizens are no longer considered by their elites to be members or even worker drones of society, but rather as targets - targets of opportunity by corporations and of suspicion and control by government.

~ Sam Smith

Progressive Review Newsletter

I am relieved that civil rights have been incorporated into our legal system, at least in regard to race. Women’s rights and gay rights also show promise of becoming a part of our legal system. Blacks, women, and gays have always been acutely aware of their status because the culture of elitism never let them forget their place, or lack of place, in society. Everyone assumes that we live in a (white) man’s world. Even poor white men believe they are a privileged part of that world.

If you are a working man or woman (or child) and if you are on the receiving end of work orders and have little or no say about your work, chances are you’re a member of the lower working class of humans. We are most commonly known by the middle and upper classes as rednecks, trailer trash, hillbilly, the great unwashed. We are who the middle-class liberals mean when they talk about violence and racism. They also have us in mind when on the rare occasions they talk about poverty. Of course, we are the source of our own poverty. It is our violent nature plus ignorance and laziness, not to mention our complete lack of morals, that has kept us from climbing the ladder to the exalted middle-class. (more…)

Being home alone the past few days, I’ve had this wonderful feeling of lightness as though nothing in the universe could be wrong or out of place. There is ‘wrong,’ I know, but it seems to have no importance. Things are also out of place. I can’t find my sun glasses again. The ‘good,’ on the otherhand, means something. What—I do not know. It feels like I’ve never had a tooth-ache in my whole life or anything else that went wrong. Blissful ignorance, you might say. That or maybe I don’t really exist in the normal sense. I have no special goal in life, nor can I perceive a purpose other than for the amusement of anyone who knows me. No, I haven’t been drinking, it was just a good day and I hope you had a good one too! Anyhow, I wish you all many good days and good nights. love…