A Friend of Mine Said...

...Wonder which of our rights they'll take away as a result this whole Tucson deal...

Well, hopefully this stays within the state. And, frankly, Arizona has pretty much zero gun legislation at the moment. The 2nd amendment is in full effect man, too many guns to take that away. Maybe they'll take away "Congress on your Corner" style events - I'd be far more concerned with what this is going to cover-up in terms of Media coverage.

But I agree, rights are being taken away. Legislation contrary to the will of the majority, or of some majorities, is somehow coming into effect, either through our representatives or through our courts. Some of these are heartfelt and passionate, like homosexual marriage on the Liberal agenda, some of these are coldly self interested like big business Republicans attacking Net Neutrality. It's a shame everybody else either doesn't care or seems to have a price - or at least everybody who's motivated enough and cold enough to run a company well, or run for office has a price - and the price buys complicity and complacence.

There is an uneasy and regularly changing balance between corporate interests and big gov't interests (to call them by the names they're called by their enemies) but ultimately, there is only one problem, man's lust. Specifically in this situation, man's lust for power. And! it runs deeper than that, there is a lust for safety, for security, and in unsafe places where money buys everything, money is security but don't ever think that more money doesn't come with more problems; catch-22. In a way, it's like "Skora" how can you blame Skora for his nature? It's our nature to seek security, both as a group and from the group, as families (real and imagined) and, especially in the modern, western milieu, as individuals.

Our society praises and treasures success, if only through our sycophantic worship of celebrity and wealth. The very idea of an entourage! It's nothing to celebrate to be a blue collar worker, nothing to celebrate to be middle management. It's really no wonder that the powerful, the price-tagged, are the people in charge of it. They're the people who have made their decision, whatever it may be, for good or for bad. Their movtivated and they make it happen. Think Frank Costello. The shame is how we need them. In some ways it's reminiscent of Mein Kampf, but it's not Jews, it's no ethnic other, it's just something akin to C. Wright Mills' "Power Elite." Our way of life is like an open-air prison, but it keeps us "safe" from most-everything but each other.

Somebody has to buy what's produced, or everyone has to find something else to do. The whole system is out of control man. I agree that "big gov't" isn't the answer, but until we change the way we live on a massive scale, "big corp." doesn't have another counter-balance. So we vote for guys like Russ Feingold... oh wait, I guess we don't anymore.

Or, that's just the way I see it Tony. Miss ya bud.