Poem: God's Teacup

I have often wondered what folks who pray or converse with their god imagine how that god deals with the information and what makes them think “He” wants or needs their pleas and supplications.

If one's god is omniscient, doesn't one's god already know one's heart and what one needs?

Also, what reaction do they imagine “HE” has to our suffering? Considering the egregious and never-ending pain and harm done by humans to other humans on this plane of existence, one must —if “HE” is truly an all-powerful entity— deduce a wildly sadistic, sociopathic spirit watching over all.

It reminds me of this, humbly from me, from a lifetime ago:

God's Teacup

Last summer she gathered stones along the path up the mountain and scattered her tiny drawings on the floor of the shack where she stayed alone week after week. 

She practiced silence there, even at the stream where she laid her blouse, cotton skirt, the letter to her father, and went barefoot in the shallow rapids that washed past her toes and ankles and entered her like mantras, like cool wet syllables awakening within her.

When he pushed her through the doorway, when he raped her, when he apologized and left —when she scraped semen off her thighs with a knife, like scales off fish, or when she woke within a jabbering of angels— did her god peek over the rim of his teacup, his pinky rising in salute, his eye winking through the mist, his Great Nostril flaring?

“Hogwash!" and Other Down-to-Earth Observations

Do you believe in ghosts, channeling the dead,
zombies, possession by Satan, the Law of Attraction
and other mythologies of the magical-thinking kind?

Well, HOGWASH!

But don’t get too upset with me. I know how humorless you true believers can be. For the evidence, consider the following:

From skeptic.com:Challenging Psychics is Deadly Serious BusinessUK-based Sally Morgan, known by her moniker “Psychic Sally,” has become embroiled this week in another dispute with skeptics. Earlier today an undercover video was released showing rather disturbing threats being made against a skeptic from people who apparently work for the psychic performer.

The video is below, but first some background is in order. A skeptic named Mark Tilbrook has been handing out leaflets outside Ms. Morgan’s appearances as a form of skeptical activism since earlier this year. These leaflets offer some questions for attendees to consider to make “sure you are not tricked or misled into something that may not be real” along with some hyperlinks to skeptical resources online.

Ms. Morgan’s team took a dim view of this campaigning…

…As you can see, two representatives of Morgan’s come out and threaten Tilbrook not only with legal action, but also with physical violence. They also make a number of anti-gay slurs against him and several other people who have campaigned against Morgan. Quite disgraceful on every level.

Furthermore, psychics sure know how to report the deaths of folks who aren't even dead yet.

The thing is, the world needs more skeptics. Where, for example, were the skeptics when victims of misogyny, rape and oppression could have benefited from their ability to reason effectively? As an example, consider how one insular religious community killed even the possibility of critical thinking from the get go and reaped the consequences of hogwash gone wild:

For a while, the residents of Manitoba Colony thought demons were raping the town’s women. There was no other explanation. No way of explaining how a woman could wake up with blood and semen stains smeared across her sheets and no memory of the previous night. No way of explaining how another went to sleep clothed, only to wake up naked and covered by dirty fingerprints all over her body. No way to understand how another could dream of a man forcing himself onto her in a field—and then wake up the next morning with grass in her hair.

For Sara Guenter, the mystery was the rope. She would sometimes wake up in her bed with small pieces of it tied tightly to her wrists or ankles, the skin beneath an aching blue...

And then we have all the other examples of such hogwash gone wild... ad infinitum.

(Originally posted at Thomhartmann.com. See the on-going conversation here: http://www.thomhartmann.com/forum/2014/11/“hogwash-and-other-down-earth-observations )

Women and the Symbolic Garb of Repression: Whether Taliban or Western Slut Fashion, Women Lose

Awhile back Thom Hartmann* asked a question on his show: "Does slut-shaming mark the return of the Christian Taliban?” Interesting, but I didn’t hear anything resembling my opinion on the subject, so I thought I’d bring it up here.

The framing of Thom’s question assumes a choice of Yes or No: either slut-shaming reflects puritannical, Christian repression, or it doesn’t, and slut fashion gets a pass on behalf of Western women’s liberation. But wait— maybe there’s another choice. Maybe slut fashion deserves a critical look from the progressive feminist’s point of view. It may be possible, given that neither Taliban patriarchy nor Western patriarchy get a five-star rating for women’s equality or liberation, slut fashion represents repression as well, that is to say, it’s the other side of the coin of religious repression.

If, in America, women learn to hide their intelligence and their unique personhood underneath a heavy mask of make-up and clothing designed to define them according to their sexuality alone, can we seriously insist that slut-pride and slut-fashion represent true liberation?

If women define themselves outwardly solely by their value as sexual ornaments, haven’t they cooperated in their own represson; haven’t they agreed to wear the symbolic garb of male rule and patriarchy?

Don’t get me wrong— I get the standard feminist argument against slut-shaming: Slut-shaming works by a double standard. Men not only do not have to present themselves in society as sexual ornaments, but they also will not be shamed for being sexual. Men are “studs;” women are “sluts.”  It’s an old story, and it’s an infuriating one. Inspired in part by fear and hatred, and, yes, loathing, of female sexuality, it shames women for owning their sexuality, for celebrating it, and for being shameless about it. Shamelessness, after all, is among the worst of sins a woman can commit— “You shameless hussy you!” We’re supposed to behave ourselves, and strutting our stuff still inspires shudders among those who would control women, as it enrages the would-be-rapists. Thus, the Slut Walks appear, where “sluts” resist the sexist paradigm in a defiant celebration of the body and its wholesome meaning.

Also, slut-shaming puts the responsibility for male behavior onto women, rather than where it belongs— on men.

I get it. And, yes, that argument has validity. It works for me too.

Just the same, looking at these with-and-without-make-up pics of porn stars, I see a contrast between the real and the fake, between individuals —whole persons with unique characteristics— and standardized dummies fabricated according to the values of our culture, values which do not include the freedom of women to be independent of the demands of men.

When women dress in “the slut look,” —and don’t tell me that’s not a costume— don’t they leave out an awful lot about themselves? Don’t they wear a sign saying, “Hey guys, I’m not a person; I’m an object,” and don’t they express their submissiveness in doing so? Haven’t they hidden themselves behind the metaphorical burqa required by the most sexist of male standards and preoccupations?

It doesn’t matter that they haven’t had to hide themselves, head-to-toe, under fabric; they’re still hidden.

So, even while Western society shames women for their sexuality, Western society also, as represented by advertising, violent pornography and other media, relentlessly presents women as low-status sexual beings, or as beings predominantly useful as status symbols (women on Hefner’s arm along with his fancy car and mansion), as creatures solely intended for male amusement or abuse, or as second-class decorative elements: Is that not the Western version of a burqa?  Moreover, where women buy into it, can women be blamed entirely?  (See The Codes of Gender / documentary.) 

When women feel pressure, or even the desire, to have breast implants, nose jobs, lip injections and the rest of what passes for face and body enhancement, that is, to the point where all evidence of the unique person they once were disappears, and what is left can only be described as Barbiesque for young and old alike, what is that if not a Western burqa?

For example: Nicole Kidman before, au naturale; and after, in her American, or Western, burqa.

Most disturbing of all, commercial indoctrination in slut-conformity begins quite early: One Google group dedicated to the subject of kids, a girl/woman posted this question and comment: “Can anyone fill me in on this Junior Slut fashion for Girls?... Geez.  "Junior Slut?"  What next?”

How about a happy medium? Anybody for wholesome, self-respect and dignity that does not deny one’s sexuality but also does not allow it to define oneself entirely?  How about starting early with that; how about Disrupting the Pink Aisle!?

(related topic: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/pressure-mounts-bbc-over-sexist-gaffe-presenter-135855559.html   )

(* website note: http://www.thomhartmann.com/bigpicture/slut-shaming-digital-age)

The Steubenville Syndrome

The Steubenville Syndrome: A culture-bound, collective psychological phenomenon, where perpetrators of rape receive immunity from blame by virtue their higher status compared to rape victims, and where the victims are blamed by communities instead and/or receive no sympathy or proper justice for their suffering.

Sometimes the Steubenville Syndrome results in silence, the silence of whole communities and groups, of those in authority, or of news media. But now we’re seeing more and more instances of outrageous community reaction, after rapes by football players, against the rape victims!

The latest case:

...But like Steubenville before it, the town of Maryville revolted against the facts in the case.

Days after the incident became public knowledge, students at the high school began attacking Daisy and her family. On social media, fellow Maryville students began threatening Daisy, tweeting that she would “get whats comin.” Daisy’s older brother Charlie, who was himself an athlete for Maryville, was booed by his own classmates during a wrestling meet. Her mother, a veterinarian, was fired from her job two weeks after the incident without so much as an explanation, only later learning that her boss feared that her presence “was putting stress” on her other employees.

Meanwhile, members of the community rallied behind Barnett and the other perpetrators. In March, just over two months after the alleged rape took place, the most serious charges of sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor were dropped without an explanation.

Daisy’s family moved away to avoid the threats and harassment they faced since her story first came to light. But the trouble didn’t end. Six months ago, their old house burned down mysteriously.  http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/10/14/2777431/maryville-missouri-rape/

From Dave Zirin, The Nation:

 The Verdict: Steubenville Shows the Bond Between Jock Culture and Rape Culture

...We learned at the Steubenville trial that not only did a small group of football players commit a crime, but fifty of their peers, men and women, saw what was happening and chose to do nothing, effectively not seeing a crime at all...

...On colleges, there is reason to believe that the same teamwork, camaraderie and “specialness” produced by sports can be violently perverted to create a pack mentality that either spurs sexual violence or makes players fear turning in their teammates. A groundbreaking 1994 study showed that college athletes make up 3.3 percent of male students but 19 percent of those accused of sexual assault. One of the studies authors, Jeff Benedict, said, “Does this study say participation in college sports causes this? Clearly, no. We’re not saying that. We just think that at some point there is an association between sports and sexual assault…. the farther you go up, the more entitlements there are. And one of those entitlements is women.” 

The signs and characteristics of the Steubenville Syndrome: hero worship; uber-masculinity valued; power and status inequities; misplaced sympathy for rapists; group think and conformity; general acceptance of male dominance and sexual entitlements; pervasive view of women and girls as things; bullying. 

Remember the story, The Lottery? I do believe it speaks to this syndrome. One can see how, in cases where football plays a huge role in community pride and enthusiasm, blaming the victims of rapes by football players could represent a kind of human sacrifice to the gods of football.  

What’s the Matter with Supernaturalism?

A funny thing happened on the way home from Oz.  We discovered that clicking the heels of your ruby slippers and repeating, “There’s no place like home,” can’t get you there —it was just a dream— and whether wicked or good, of the North, East or West, witches with true supernatural powers do not exist.

Birds may fly over the rainbow, but humans without airplanes can’t. Why, oh why? Alas, you’ll get the same answer from Mother Nature that you heard from your own mother— “Because I said so!”

Regardless, behold the website Afterlife101*.   Note well the website’s claim: Spirits freed of their mere human bodies by physical death —“spirit guides”— dictated its text to mediums here on Planet Earth. See how the website presents advice on living our lives, yet offers no wisdom beyond anything offered to us already by human voices past and present, and without the superior eloquence you might expect from the spiritual realm, nor even respect for proper grammar!* 

"...in the spiritual world we know there is no such things as war and hatred and anger and fear and distrust..."

This website cannot be serious, I say to myself. Yet, hold on— 21% of Americans believe that people can communicate mentally with the dead, and three out of four believe in the paranormal, generally.    Furthermore, 74 percent of us believe that there is a heaven, at least according to a 2007 Pew study.   

That is to say, three out of four Americans engage in magical thinking... and will defend it to the death, I might add.

So, what’s the matter with that? Witch hunts are long-gone (except in some places), so what’s wrong with a little harmless supernaturalist entertainment? Well, not an insignificant number things, according to the eloquent words of one living human being whom I consider to be among the most perspicacious social critics of our time, Chris Hedges, writing in Empire of Illusion:

"Pseudo-events, which create their own semblance of reality, serve in the wider culture the same role creationism serve for the Christian Right. Pseudo-events destabilize truth. They are convincing enough and appear real enough to manufacture their own facts . . . The use of pseudo-events to persuade rather than overtly brainwash renders millions of us unable to see or question the structure and systems that are impoverishing us and in some cases destroying our lives. The flight into illusion sweeps away the core values of the open society. It corrodes the ability to think for oneself, to draw independent conclusions, to express dissent when judgment and common sense tell you something is wrong, to be self-critical, to challenge authority, to grasp historical facts, to advocate for change, and to acknowledge that there are other views, different ways, and structures of being that are morally and socially acceptable. A populace deprived of the ability to separate lies from truth, that has become hostage to the fictional semblance of reality put forth by pseudo-events, is no longer capable of sustaining a free society.

Those who slip into this illusion ignore the signs of impending disaster. The physical degradation of the planet, the cruelty of global capitalism, the looming oil crisis, the collapse of financial markets, and the danger of overpopulation rarely impinge to prick the illusions that warp our consciousness. The words, images, stories, and phrases used to describe the world in pseudo-events have no relation to what is happening around us. The advances of technology and science, rather than obliterating the world of myth, have enhanced its power to deceive. We live in imaginary, virtual worlds created by corporations that profit from our deception. Products and experiences – indeed, experience as a product – offered up for sale, sanctified by celebrities, are mirages. They promise us a new personality. They promise us success and fame. They promise to mend our brokenness...

...Blind faith in illusions is our culture’s secular version of being born again. These illusions assure us that happiness and success is our birthright. They tell us that our catastrophic collapse is not permanent. They promise that pain and suffering can always be overcome by tapping into our hidden, inner strengths. They encourage us to bow down before the cult of self. To confront these illusions, to puncture their mendacity by exposing the callousness and cruelty of the corporate state, signals a loss of faith. It is to become an apostate. The culture of illusion, one of happy thoughts, manipulated emotions, and trust in the beneficence of power, means we sing along with the chorus or are instantly disappeared from view like the losers on a reality show."

I bring this up not to attack religion. Religion has its place, where metaphor, myth and mystery serve the spiritual, psychological and emotional well-being of believers. Like art, religion is one way to meaningfully encounter the central questions of our lives— love, beauty, existence, loss, suffering, and our connection to the world. But like art, it belongs in the mythos side of things and should remain there, in the realm of what Hedges refers to as the “non-rational,” rather than attempting to squeeze it into the box of literal truth.

In this humble blogger’s view, the essential mistake of New Age mysticism and Spiritualism is that it attempts to render the mysterious real, to yank it out of the mythos side of things and into the logos side of things. Rather than allowing the dead to rest in peace in a realm unknown and unknowable to the living, that is, in the realm of the mysterious, Spiritualists insist on reviving the dead to a literal place, where our dearly departed’s lives continue energetically and without end, in merciless conscious awareness.

Rather than accepting the mystery of our lives and our ultimate vulnerabilities, New Age mystics grant literal mass, force and power to human brain waves, believing delusionally that such “vibrations” can literally control destiny. In particular, the Law of Attraction, a pet theory advanced by the likes of Oprah Winfrey, claims that our thoughts emit energy strong enough to create events and attract either good or bad into our lives. Most disturbingly, believers employ pseudoscience and misinterpretations of real science to bolster their delusions. This would be a harmless popular phenomenon, except that it develops into a kind of tyranny, which puts the onus of disaster and disease on victims for their “negativity,” as opposed to demonstrating understanding, compassion and sympathy. 

Additionally, the attitude becomes an ideology of intolerance, with contempt for the “weak” being one of its characteristics. That is, no New-Age mystic or positivity cultist, likes a person whose “vibrational frequency” is apparently too low to be read as human, or who criticizes belief in the supernatural. It’s like how nobody likes a wet dog, or “bitch,” especially when she shakes off the water in your face.

Barbara Ehrenreich learned this, when she sought solace on a website for breast cancer survivors. Rather than receiving comfort, sympathy and validation from her fellow BC survivors when she expressed anger over the cancer industry and treatments, she incurred hostile and patronizing suggestions that, among other rejecting responses, she needed to adopt a more positive attitude or get therapy, because, as the majority of this group inaccurately believed, “cancer is fed by anger.” (completely untrue) Well, that painful experience resulted in the book, “Bright-Sided, How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking has Undermined America.”  Thus, out of decidedly negative responses from the positivity junkies, came a hugely positive book— that is, if you consider factual insights into a particularly irrational craze in the U.S. to be positive, as I do. 

The point is, despite what looks superficially like the life-affirming perspective of New Age religions, such as Science of Mind and Spiritualism, the practical effect becomes one of unloving and careless rejection of those who do not subscribe to the ideology.  That is to say, “love” becomes something to be enjoyed by one’s fellow true-believers, while outsiders get the shaft.

"Mass culture is a Peter Pan culture. It tells us that if we close our eyes, if we visualize what we want, if we have faith in ourselves, if we tell God that we believe in miracles, if we tap into our inner strength, if we grasp that we are truly exceptional, if we focus on happiness, our lives will be harmonious and complete. This cultrual retreat into illusion, whether peddled by positive psychologists, Hollywood, or Christian preachers, is a form of magical thinking...

...The world that awaits us will be painful and difficult. We will be dragged back to realism, to the understanding that we cannot mold and shape reality according to human desires, or we will slide into despotism...

But even if we fail to halt the decline, it will not be the end of hope...no tyranny in history has crushed the human capacity for love. And this love—unorganized, irrational, often propelling us to carry out acts of compassion that jeopardize our existence—is deeply subversive to those in power...” —Chris Hedges

capital crimes

capital crimes

what if I lusted after time

instead of money—

or love—

what if

I am happier being nobody, skipping

into paradise while peeling

an orange—

what if

I settled for the slow, ambling

cello I would later

weep over   —what if

I wept—

what if I suffered no sophisitcates,

preferring instead the company

of plants —seedlings

weeds,   tiny   insignificant

populations—  what if I

mostly loved a turtle, as shy

as myself       —what if I

undid the pawl of parent

preachings, letting fly

the mechanism of my life—

what if all I owned was less

than sparse, from days roused

in solitude, within a humble terrain

of contentment—

what if all I ever risked was

everything  —for a life

who would be my judge—&
who would be my executioner?

Manning’s Moral Leadership

By virtue of his personal sacrifice on behalf of freedom and democracy, Bradley-Chelsea Manning has demonstrated moral leadership of a kind rarely seen these days, when official leadership is so commonly characterized by cowardice and corruption.

The government may think it’s making an example of Manning to discourage whistleblowing. Instead, Manning makes an example for everyone to follow, an example for ethical behavior— this is what an intact ethical compass looks like, people.

Make no mistake— Manning is a national treasure.