Author: mickeyz

What passes for “normal”
Excerpt:
The New York Stock Exchange was shut down by the attacks, but once things returned to normal, Wall Street went back to making decisions that impacted horrendously upon the large majority of the globe while the top one percent of Americans carried on owning wealth equal to the bottom 95 percent. That’s normal.

Read the full article here

Mouth-to-Mouth Fiction
Gregory Elich: I’ve just finished reading your latest book, CPR for Dummies, and what a wild ride it was. Although you’ve written much fiction, you’re generally known almost solely for your political works. What avenues does fiction allow you to express that aren’t so easily done in political analysis?

Mickey Z: When readers approach a book labeled “novel,” they are usually expecting some sense of entertainment… not overt education. So that allows me to tell a story, to screw around with format, to depict events without factoring in a non-fiction reader’s skepticism and desire for documentation. If I have something to say, I can put those words into the mouth of any character I choose and expect that these words will be received and perceived within the context of the story. A parable can often be more influential than a dissertation.

Full interview here:
http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/mouth-to-mouth-fiction-cpr-for-dummies

—
http://www.mickeyz.net

Mickey Z., Eliot Katz, Val Turner
Buzzer Thirty presents a provocative and entertaining reading/musical event

Where: Waltz-Astoria
When: Thursday, September 11 at 8:00

Who:
Author Mickey Z.
Singer-songwriter Val Turner
Poet Eliot Katz

Waltz-Astoria
23-14 Ditmars Blvd. (in Astoria)
N/W train to Ditmars Blvd.

Relevant links:
Buzzer Thirty: http://www.buzzerthirty.com
Waltz-Astoria: http://www.waltz-astoria.com
Mickey Z.: http://www.mickeyz.net
Val Turner: http://www.youtube.com/user/bodhival
Eliot Katz: http://www.poetspath.com/exhibits/eliotkatz

War, elections, and our way of life
Thanks to Maxwell Black, here’s my Aug. 7 talk, in five parts:

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8kHLyWJ1qM
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJB-yj–3ZA
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IabHSWmMew
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTmApzBcuMA
5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdNbQ8SmrIU

OR: All five parts on one page:
http://www.amovingtrain.com/transmissions1/?p=381

For the short attention span crowd in the room, here’s Val Turner doing a three-minute musical version of my talk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yCkPwcuz2E

Please watch, share, add comments, post links on your site, and all that.

Thanks…
http://www.mickeyz.net

There are no innocent bystanders in America
Mickey Z. (with Rosemarie Jackowski)

No, this is not a rehash of the Ward Churchill/Little Eichmann witch-hunt. But I have been contemplating the sentiment behind Churchill’s original essay. In Eichmann in Jerusalem, Hannah Arendt wrote, “The trouble with Eichmann was precisely that so many were like him, and that the many wereneither perverted nor sadistic, that they were, and still are, terribly and terrifyingly normal.” She wrote of a “new type of criminal,” who “commits his crimes under circumstances that make it well-nigh impossible for him to know or to feel that he is doing wrong.” Raise your hand if this sounds frighteningly familiar. The time is long overdue for all of us to be actively and relentlessly reminding the criminals that they are criminals. Until we do, they have the freedom to live in denial.

I sent the above paragraph to Rosemarie Jackowski (RMJ) to start a conversation.

RMJ: All over the United States people are working at jobs that result in the deaths of innocent people. There are military contracts and sub-contracts in small towns and villages, big cities, etc. Any job that supports the war machine is a real problem. I understand why people take jobs like that, but it would be a much better world if everyone just made the decision to do no harm.

MZ: You know what that line will provoke…the inevitable “so what can we do?” question.

RMJ: I am not sure what we can do. Sometimes I feel that it is hopeless. A big part of the problem is ‘the system’.  Ever since the Black Budget was created by Congress in the 40s, we have had a secret government operating. Individual citizens can try to do as little harm as possible. As I say often, even buying a pair of socks does some harm because it supports the war economy. Think of it as a moral continuum. The shopper who buys the socks is doing a slight harm. The voter who votes for a member of Congress who votes to finance the war, well that voter might be closer to the maximum on the scale of evil. The military sharpshooter who kills a civilian and the guard who tortures a prisoner are enabled by irresponsible, uninformed voters. Are we becoming a culture that is totally devoid of compassion and empathy?

MZ: Becoming? Our culture views compassion and empathy as nothing more than masks, disguises to hide the harm we’re all guilty of.

RMJ: Yes, it would be a big help if the average US citizen had an accurate understanding of history. Teachers could play an important role. Too many teach that the pursuit of war is an honorable career option. All students should see the Fisk War photos before they graduate from high school. The sanitized view of history that is taught leads to a culture of entitlement – ‘it is our oil under their sand.’ The perfect formula for creating a killer is to teach him that the US never does anything wrong, expose him to a lot of violence in the media, video games, etc., and then apply peer pressure. After that, it only takes a few weeks of basic training.  

MZ: So we agree: Little Eichmanns do exist. But I’ll bet if Ward Churchill had used a different term, he would have remained as obscure as ever. The way I usually phrase it in articles or talks is that with few exceptions, there are no innocent bystanders in America. Any closing thoughts?

RMj: Well, I disagree that Ward Churchill was obscure before, but the “E-word” did bring a lot of additional attention. I knew about him because he is a fellow member of Veterans for Peace. Churchill’s use of the “E-word” and the controversy that resulted was a valuable national learning opportunity that was missed. The media attention was misdirected from the facts of history and what Churchill really said. Instead the media focus was directed toward ad hominem attacks on Churchill. It just happened again when Rev. Jeremiah Wright made his comments about US history. Instead of having a national discussion on the merits or flaws in what Wright said, the media was consumed with ad hominem attacks on him. Basically it boils down to this – in the US if you speak the truth you will pay a high price. Mickey, you make an important point. There are no innocent bystanders in the US. We are all complicit – every one of us.

MZ: And that goes double for anyone who has fallen for the Obama hype.

Mickey Z. can be found on the Web at http://www.mickeyz.net.
Rosemarie Jackowski can be reached at: dissent@sover.net

“Myth America: War, elections, and our way of life”
Waltz-Astoria Café presents:

Mickey Z.

Thursday, August 7
8:00 pm

“Myth America: War, elections, and our way of life”
(aka “stand-up tragedy”)

Come join the author of books like “The Seven Deadly Spins,” “50 American Revolutions You’re Not Supposed to Know,” and the brand new novel, “CPR for Dummies,” to discuss the anti-war movement, the 2008 election, war, peace, cell phones, gorillas, Gwen Stefani, and MUCH more.

Special musical guest: Val Turner

Waltz-Astoria
23-14 Ditmars Blvd.
Astoria, Queens, NYC

Directions
(N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd., walk west toward East River)

America would never be able to spread its values all over the planet without those men and women who volunteer to make it happen.
Yet another Memorial Day is upon us, and our president sez: “No group has ever done more to defend liberty than the men and women of the United States armed forces.” This simple reality presents me with a genuine conundrum. How in the world can I pick which indomitable defenders of liberty to honor this year?

Perhaps I can spend my day in quiet contemplation of those valiant heroes who unselfishly risk the agony of carpal tunnel syndrome as they push the buttons and/or computer keys to launch those cruise missiles into crowded Third World cities. The same goes for America’s many courageous snipers and fearless bomber pilots…all of them using their fingers and eyes to preserve our way of life.

I owe my liberty to them…

Of course, I could instead dedicate myself to worshipping the gallant warriors who put their feet and toes on the line each time they repeatedly kick a prone, chained, and blindfolded prisoner at Gitmo. (Oops, did I say “prisoner”? I mean “enemy combatant,” of course.) These resolute patriots also expose their vocal cords to excruciating injury when they engage in the selfless daily practice of screaming at such evildoers. One can only imagine the mental strain of coming up with new epithets each and every day-day and day, year after year.

Thanks to them, I am free…

Then again, the epic exploits of America’s latest generation are nothing new. This country was built on centuries of similar deeds and efforts. Remember: America would never be able to spread its values all over the planet without those men and women who volunteer to make it happen. Could you imagine what life on Earth would be without the pervasiveness of American values?

Mickey Z. is the author of the upcoming novel, CPR for Dummies, and his blog can be found here.

We must never forget the deep connection between volunteer soldiers and the American hunting culture.
Thanks to the Associated Press (AP), I recently learned about an innovative new method in psychological therapy: killing. Thanks to the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), wounded American soldiers are now attempting to “recover” from their violent trauma by, well, imposing violent trauma onto defenseless animals.

“The PVA learned many years ago that participating in sporting events helped restore self-confidence and that ‘can do’ attitude to someone who has received a catastrophic injury,” said Bill Kokendoffer, president of the Mid-America Chapter of PVA. “We older injured, like myself, try to show the newly injured that life is not over after an injury, just changed.”

“It is about giving them the experience,” added Lew Deal, a retired Marine who serves as director of outdoor programs for PVA. Deal’s venue of choice was the Great Turkey Hunt 2008 in Miami, Oklahoma. Four paralyzed veterans took part this past April. One of them, according to AP, “earned his inclusion” by getting shot in the head while serving in Afghanistan. The goal, according to organizers, is for the hunt to serve as a “mechanism to set a psychologically wounded service member on a path of healing.” (Reminder: this is not an SNL skit.)

When one of my local daily papers–AM-NY–ran this story, it provoked two angry letters in the following day’s edition. “What perverse logic is at play here?” asked the first reader. “How about feeling better about yourself and helping animals, children, or community?” A second reader objected to “victims of violent actions or situations” seeking to “feel better about themselves by creating other victims.”

While it may seem a more obvious choice (for sane people, at least) to give wounded humans an opportunity to heal through efforts that involve compassion and caring, we must never forget the deep connection between volunteer soldiers and the American hunting culture.

I remember a 2004 New York Times article called “In Iraq’s Murky Battle, Snipers Offer U.S. a Precision Weapon.” Author Eric Schmitt explained how American snipers earn all those yellow ribbons we see on passing SUVs. “Soldiering is a violent business, and emotions in combat run high,” Schmitt wrote. “But commanders say snipers are a different breed of warrior – quiet, unflappable marksmen who bring a dispassionate intensity to their deadly task.”

Such intensity is often honed at the expense of animal life.

“Most snipers are familiar with firearms even before joining the armed forces,” Schmitt wrote. He interviewed two snipers who “grew up on farms, and both owned their first rifles before they were 10.” According to Schmitt, these patriotic heroes “fondly remember hunting deer as youngsters.”  

You just gotta love the use of the word fondly to “soften” the image.

To further highlight the age-old hunter-soldier connection, let’s flashback to the early days of the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. That’s when some gallant American soldiers, in their unswerving quest to spread freedom and democracy, had an after-hours beer party in the bombed-out and neglected Baghdad Zoo. When all was said and done, one of those soldiers had shot dead a rare Bengal tiger. “Someone was trying to feed the tigers,” the zoo’s night watchman told Reuters. “The tiger bit his finger off and clawed his arm. So his colleague took a gun and shot the tiger.” In that same Reuters article, we learned: “The tiger was one of two in the zoo-once the largest in the Middle East, today a decrepit collection of dirty cages and sad-looking animals.” (No mention of U.S.-imposed sanctions, of course.)

If we want a better world for animals, we must make no excuse for the hunter. If we want peace for all living things, we must dispense with the unconditional support for our (sic) volunteer troops.

“War will exist,” declared John F. Kennedy, “until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige as the warrior does today.”

Or, as Albert Einstein sez: “The pioneers of a warless world are the youth that refuse military service.”

Mickey Z. is the author of the upcoming novel, CPR for Dummies, and his blog can be found here.

 How much more will it take before everyday Americans collectively hang their heads in shame over their (sic) nation’s contemptible conduct?
I was reading Five Years of My Life: An Innocent Man in Guantanamo, by Murat Kurnaz, when I came across a passage about Kurnaz being subjected to gruesome electric shock torture at the hands of America’s brave volunteer warriors. After passing out and being tossed back in his cell to sleep it off, Kurnaz was soon awakened by harrowing screams.

He saw two valiant American soldiers hitting a man who was lying on the ground-his head wrapped in a blanket. Five more patriotic heroes eventually joined in on the beating, hitting the man’s head with the butts of their rifles and kicking him with their heavy boots. “Then,” says Kurnaz, “they walked away, leaving him lying there.”

The next morning, the man was still lying in the same spot: in a pool of blood. It wasn’t until later that afternoon that four US officers came to inspect him and an escort team earned their yellow ribbons by taking away his lifeless body.

“I wondered to myself if had any children,” writes Kurnaz. “Whether his mother and father would ever find out that he had been beaten to death. At that moment, I didn’t care whether it was him or me. My life was worth nothing more than his. I’d understood for quite some time what this camp was about. They could do with us what they pleased. And I might be next.”

Even if the man who was beaten was death was proven-beyond a reasonable doubt-to be personally responsible for 9/11, how can anyone but a sociopath justify such treatment? Can anyone but a sadistic criminal justify the existence of “Gitmo”? How much more will it take before everyday Americans collectively hang their heads in shame over this ongoing crime and the many other examples of their (sic) nation’s contemptible conduct?

Are any of you ashamed of the epidemics of preventable diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc.? What about the poisoning of our air, water, and food (including mother’s breast milk); the one-third of Americans uninsured or underinsured when it comes to health care; the fact that 61% of US corporations do not even pay taxes; the presidential lies, electoral fraud, limited debates, and so on; the largest prison population on the planet; corporate control of public land, public airwaves, public pensions; overt infringement of our civil liberties; bloated defense budget, unilateral military interventions, war crimes committed in our name, legalization of torture, blah blah blah?

What will it take before you are wholeheartedly ashamed to be American?

Ask yourself these two questions:

1. Do I feel the planet is in peril?
2. Do I believe that those in power-those most responsible for the planet being in peril-will relinquish power voluntarily?

If you answered “yes” to number one and “no” to number two, I have one more question for you: How much are you willing to endure before you take serious, sustained action?

Mickey Z. is the author of the forthcoming novel, CPR for Dummies and can be found on the Web at http://www.mickeyz.net.

 

Never, ever, ever trust a liberal (on anything).
Whenever I write an article or give a talk about the state of global affairs, the first question asked is this: “So, what can/should we do?” My inevitably stammering reply involves a combination of three factors:

*What we’ve been doing all along is obviously not working
*We need new ideas, new tactics, and a far greater commitment from everyone
*I can’t say more because it could be (purposely) misconstrued and that just don’t fly in the land of the free (sic).

Sometimes, when I’m feeling particularly frisky, I might quote Walt Whitman: “This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown, or to any man or number of men–go freely with powerful uneducated persons, and with the young, and with the mothers or families–re-examine all you have been told in school or church or in any book, and dismiss whatever insults your own soul; and your very flesh shall be a great poem.”

In an attempt to finally segue from the nebulous to the somewhat tangible, I offer these eight simple Whitmanesque ways everyday Americans can begin to challenge the dominant culture without getting themselves fitted for an orange jumpsuit.

Embrace not the corporate sanctioned standard American diet; go vegan, organic, and local. Be warned: what you own ends up owning you; say no to conspicuous consumption. Opt for two wheels, not four; bid a fond farewell to your internal combustion engine. Under no circumstances should you cast a vote for either a Democrat or a Republican; these are but two wings on one corporate party. Never, ever, ever trust a liberal (on anything). Reject both war and its warriors; offer not your support to those who volunteer to wage war. Reach out for your television remote and boldly press “off” (toss the cell phone, too). 6.6 billion miracles are more than enough; cease breeding immediately.

(If even 25% of America made these basic, entirely doable cultural adjustments, it would essentially qualify as a revolution…by today’s diluted standards.)

Feel free to commence the predictable malice, ridicule, indignation, and mockery…but remember: if you’re waiting for Barack Obama to provide the “change we can believe in,” the joke’s on you.

Mickey Z. is the author of the forthcoming novel, CPR for Dummies and can be found on the Web at http://www.mickeyz.net.