If You Want To Know Why People Have Lost Faith In Capitalism, This Might Help

Old Lighters 🤔

9/11 happened 20 years ago today. I remember being confused about why they were sending us home early from kindergarten, I remember seeing the man I was told was President Bush speaking on TV, and I remember for the first time in my life seeing teachers and adult strangers who truly looked scared. I was 5 then, and I am 25 now.

About 3,000 people died in the 9/11 attacks. Well over 100 times that many people have died as a result of the US response.

Our government’s response could have been simple, a narrow mission aimed at capturing or killing the architects of 9/11. We eventually achieved that objective, but only as part of a massive, world-changing Global War on Terror which has made us all both less safe and less free. The tragedy of 9/11 was used to justify a campaign that likely ended over a million lives altogether, including:

Brutal invasions and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, which were some of the longest wars in US history. Along with the damage caused directly by these wars, they also prompted the creation of ISIS and the complete Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

Drone warfare in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Niger, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and other places we don’t even know about.

The use of internationally banned and discouraged weapons in our wars, including cluster bombs, depleted uranium shells, Mark 77 firebombs, incendiary white phosphorus munitions, and anti-personnel landmines.

Torture, both in US military detention and illegal “black sites” run by the CIA and others in numerous different countries. This includes the illegal, unaccountable, and sadistic activities at Guantanamo Bay, stolen territory which is used to commit blatant human rights violations. This came alongside a rise in the US use of extraordinary rendition, a form of kidnapping which is a violation of international law.

The empowerment of the Saudi government (which had actual ties to Osama bin Laden), and the aggressive provocation of the Iranian government (which reached out to help the US in the immediate aftermath of 9/11).

Massive spending on “counter-terrorism” training for governments around the world, often strengthening the grip of corrupt and violent police forces on local populations.

An expansion of secret US Special Operations missions in countries around the world. In the mid-2010′s, journalist Nick Turse revealed that US SpecOp soldiers are deployed in the majority of the world’s countries each year.

A massive reduction in civil liberties and privacy rights in the US, including the PATRIOT Act, the 2008 FISA Amendments, the 2012 NDAA, the rapid growth of the NSA and the surveillance state, and more.

The creation of the Department of Homeland Security, which is today one of the most scandal-ridden departments in the federal government. This includes the 2003 creation of ICE, who have been responsible for the creation of prison camps for immigrants.

A rise in Islamophobic discrimination and government policies, with the US government approach to surveilling Muslims serving as an inspiration for policies which oppress Muslims around the world today, from France to China.

Accelerated militarization of US police, as surplus military equipment from our foreign wars flowed straight into local police departments.

Trillions of dollars wasted on enriching private military contractors and weapons companies, money which is then funneled into lobbying for even more war.

Large, untold counts of lives lost as an indirect result of all the above. These deaths have mostly been imposed on the countries where we’ve intervened, but I would argue for the inclusion of many of the 30,000 suicides of US veterans since 9/11.

Growing up against this political background was hugely influential for how I came to view the world, and the War on Terror was ultimately one of the things which got me interested in politics in the first place. With time, I learned that we were not obligated to do all of this by the loss of life that occurred on 9/11. We are not honoring the memories of the dead when we create more dead. 

The War on Terror has been a global disaster of gargantuan proportions. All of its architects have blood on their hands, and we will suffer from the consequences of their actions for decades to come.

Today, 20 years later, I will not be honoring 9/11 by giving a speech about the bravery of our military generals. I will not be cashing a check for writing the exact same 9/11 anniversary essay that gets written every year. I will not be announcing a special 20% discount on inventory, nor will I be giving a lecture about the dangers of foreigners.

This September 11th, I am going to go on a hike, to sit in a bookstore, and to eat a meal outside in the cool breeze of a warm evening. Doing this- living my life normally- is the only reasonable response to two decades of attempts at using this day to stir up fear and hatred. As for the future, I look forward to continuing to fight with others for true peace and security: an end to war, military aggression, and imperialism.

“In case you haven’t noticed … When they say “woke,” they mean Black. When they say “Soros” or “globalist,” they mean Jewish. When they say “parents’ rights,” they mean Christian zealots’ rights to overrule all other parents, ban books, and dictate lessons. When they say “freedom,” they mean freedom to inspect your son’s genitals and log your daughter’s periods. Freedom to indoctrinate and impose an agenda, just like they accuse their opponents of doing. Freedom to restrict voting and overturn elections. Freedom to deny medical treatment so women die and kids kill themselves. Freedom to wield the power of the state and applaud vigilante violence against anyone who disagrees or looks different. Today’s Republican Party serves exactly three groups: the NRA, untaxed billionaires, and bigots who want white supremacist theocracy. To say you’re a Republican is to say you have exactly two values: privilege and hate.”

— Paid for by Eric Grevstad, Bradenton, Florida

“The Beatles were hard men too. Brian Epstein cleaned them up for mass consumption, but they were anything but sissies. They were from Liverpool, which is like Hamburg or Norfolk, Virginia a hard, sea-farin town, all these dockers and sailors around all the time who would beat the piss out of you if you so much as winked at them. Ringo is from the Dingle, which is like the f***ing Bronx.

The Rolling Stones were the mummys boys they were all college students from the outskirts of London. They went to starve in London, but it was by choice, to give themselves some sort of aura of disrespectability. I did like the Stones, but they were never anywhere near the Beatles not for humour, not for originality, not for songs, not for presentation. All they had was Mick Jagger dancing about. Fair enough, the Stones made great records, but they were always s**t on stage, whereas the Beatles were the gear.”

— Lemmy Kilmister

They warned me your childhood would whizz by in a flash

They warned me and I laughed,

because then,

each day felt like a lifetime.

Each sleepless night was a year, each hour of the day was an age.

All my energy was consumed, with keeping you alive, happy, thriving.

Your smiles became my goal, your laughter my reward, your tears my every waking concern.

And here we are my love, you have grown.

I remember all the firsts, but I have no idea when the ‘lasts’ happened...

Where was I?

The last time you snuggled into my lap to read.

The last time I lifted your warm little body to mould into mine, that fit, just right.

The last time you crawled into my safe space, in the dark of the night.

They warned me your childhood would whizz by in a flash,

And I laughed.

But it did, my love,

It did.

And now I watch you grow evermore strong and I vow to drink in every tiny detail,

lest that go by in an instant also.

I may not remember all the ‘lasts’ my little one,

But I am watching for every ‘new’.

Yes,

I am watching.

- Donna Ashworth

Image by KM Bergerren

How to Stay Cool Without A/C

A lot of Northerners were very kind during the freeze in Texas this winter with tips on how to stay warm for people who had lost heat. This is an attempt to repay that favor for people in the Pacific Northwest and other northerly locations who are facing dangerous heatwaves without built-in A/C. My qualifications to give this advice are that I was a summer camp attendee and counselor with no A/C for many summers in humid-ass central Texas with highs over 100F basically every day. Hopefully some of it will be of use to somebody who isn’t used to the heat.

1) PUT ICE WATER IN YOUR BODY. Ice water is your best friend and the #1 way to drop your body temp. Drink more than you think you need (like, at least a half-gallon a day and closer to a gallon or more if you have to be outside doing manual work all day) to cool your insides down and stay hydrated. Have some bananas, trail mix, or a sports drink to help replace the electrolytes you’re sweating out and keep you from getting cramps, but try to have most of your fluid intake be water. I used to take a giant water bottle, fill it part way with water, and freeze it on its side so the ice would slowly melt over the course of the day and my water would stay cold longer.

2) PUT ICE WATER ON YOUR BODY. Cold water, ice, or a damp rag on your head and neck, the backs of your knees, the insides of your elbows, and under your armpits will help you cool down the best, because your blood runs close to the surface in those places. Cold packs designed for injuries or lunchboxes, bags of frozen vegetables, etc. can substitute for ice water as well. Even room-temp water will pull heat away from your body better than body-temp sweat will, especially if it’s humid, so if you don’t have enough ice, the sink, bathtub, or hose will do fine. Dipping your feet into cool water helps a ton as well if you have to sit and work and don’t want your clothes to be wet.

3) WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO GET SO MUCH ICE?  To make sure you have enough ice to last you the weekend, especially through a potential power failure, I recommend getting a cooler (even one of the cheap styrofoam ones is fine in a pinch) and ~10lbs of ice from the big coolers at most gas stations, drug stores, or grocery stores. Try to do this now, before anybody loses power, and store as much in your freezer as you have space for to keep it from melting. You can use it for drinking or to keep your food cold in a power failure. You can use it for a party later if you don’t end up needing it during the heat wave, but you will probably be very happy you had it.

4) AIR FLOW. Being inside a room with the windows closed is the worst possible place to be if you don’t have A/C, because glass windows create a greenhouse effect and the hot air can’t escape. If at all possible, find a shaded place outside where you can catch any possible breeze. If not, open all your windows and, if it’s safe, doors so you can get a cross-breeze. Hopefully you have window screens to keep pets and kids in and bugs out. If not, you’re gonna have to do your own risk assessment. Fans of all sizes and descriptions are your friend; ceiling fans should be set to spin counterclockwise in summer. Even if you have A/C, finding or making a handheld fan will be worthwhile for when you have to venture outside. If you aren’t in a situation where you need to conserve ice, blowing air over a cooler full of ice will give you a makeshift A/C. 

5) SHADE. You will probably immediately notice that direct sunlight is a miserable place to be when it’s super hot. Find or make a shaded location, and don’t be afraid to move around to avoid the sun as the day goes on. Stay on the shady side of the sidewalk whenever you walk someplace. Try to shade your windows as best you can without obstructing airflow using blinds, curtains, shutters, etc. especially if they’re directly in the path of the sun. Do not be a jerk to your neighbors if their shade solutions are ugly. If you can get a shade for your car windshield, I highly recommend it, as the steering wheel, dashboard, seatbelts, and even seats can quickly become too hot to touch in a sealed car and will hold that heat for a long time.

6) CLOTHING. Light-colored, loose clothing that is as close to 100% cotton or linen as you can find is your friend. It doesn’t necessarily have to be short as long as it’s breathable. You will sweat through anything you wear, so I personally prefer only wearing machine-washable stuff. Sun hats, sunscreen, sunglasses, aloe gel for sunburns, mosquito repellent, anti-chafing supplies, etc are all worth looking into if you aren’t used to spending time in the heat.

7) TIMING. Try to stay out of the sun and avoid doing anything strenuous in the middle of the day when the heat is the worst. If you have a choice, plan to be more active early in the morning and late at night when the temperature is more bearable, and take a break in the middle of the afternoon.

Here’s a graphic from the CDC about how to recognize heat-related illnesses and what to do about them. I will add to this that if it’s hot and you stop sweating, you are getting to a dangerous level of dehydration and need to drink something BEFORE you start having more serious problems.

“Donald Trump threatens the entire existence of the American republic. He is able to do this because the Supreme Court he created is assisting him in doing so. It is a corrupt Court – on which more later. It overturned a central right for half of our population. It routinely mixes and matches rationales, jurisprudences, logics to arrive at the end point of transforming America into their extremist vision. We’ve heard that yesterday’s decision was a terrible decision, an extremist decision, that it changes the American experiment fundamentally. No disagreement with any of those points. Most importantly, in my mind, it’s a fake decision. Yes, it will now be controlling within the federal courts. But it doesn’t change the constitution any more than a foreign army occupying New England would make Massachusetts no longer part of the United States. That may seem like a jarring analogy. But it’s the only kind that allows us to properly view and react to this Supreme Court.”

—

The rationale for the decision yesterday has literally no basis whatsoever in the US constitution.

Josh Marshall is correct, but I don’t think it matters. This corrupt, activist, fascist SCOTUS does not care. The majority has decided that the Constitution, 250 years of precedent, popular opinion, and the foundational ideas that have made America what it is since 1787 are what they say they are.

I live in a country of three hundred and forty million people.

In this country, six unelected christian nationalists, five of whom were placed on the court by presidents who lost the popular vote, who are opposed by SEVENTY PERCENT of the population, are making up laws out of whole cloth because their power is unchecked and can impose their regressive authoritarianism on that entire population is not a free country.

America has not been attacked like this since 9/11. Six unelected people forcing their christian nationalist agenda on a population of three hundred and forty million is not a Democracy. It is tyranny.

Everyone is missing the central message of yesterday’s ruling: SCOTUS is going to install Trump as dictator for life, by any means necessary. Somehow, after he loses the popular vote again, and after he’s even lost the Electoral College again, these six Fascists will invent a reason to overturn the will of the electorate, again. Every single one of their rulings this term have been part of their coup. Now, just line them all up and connect the dots.

We are four months away from the likely end of what passes for freedom in America, and once it’s gone, it’s not coming back in my lifetime.

🌎

A question I get asked a lot while working at a public library is "how do you deal with homeless people?"

And the answer is, we don't.

The unhoused people who come here seeking refuge 99% of the time understand that they will be kicked out if they misbehave.

The people you have to watch out for are Jessica, who only came because the kid she didn't want had to visit for a homework assignment and she just *needs* to yell at her child for asking to borrow two books or stay an extra five minutes, or Michael, who came in to look at porn on our computers for whatever fucking reason, or Karen who just wanted to come by to throw a fit that the particular book she wanted was checked out and harrass our staff about our collection being too limited.

99% of the time, the people we need to ban are middle to upper-middle class white people while the homeless and mentally ill/disabled people mind their own damn business and are honestly some of the best patrons we have.