The Big Day

Today we commemorate the end of our national innocence. We were violated on September 11, 2001 and the entire world knows all about it. For the 2752 deaths in the towers we have made 31,929 American service persons perish. On top of that we have devastated an entire country with the destruction of their buildings and the killing of over a million of their innocent citizens in pursuit of some kind of retribution. Yes, the whole world knows about our sorrow, because, like a gigantic five year old, we have stomped and screamed and thrown our bomb cookies all over the middle east.

I’m sorry if you think me cynical, but I just want to say respectfully, that falling for the draped flags on this day is a form of somnolent nationalism that allows the Big Dogs to continue their evil corporate ways. War is big business. We all know this. And yet, when push comes to shove we all must genuflect to the standard rhetoric, corporate double-speak, “they died for our sins” sort of thing. And something like 50% of homeless people are vets, so let’s not get into the “support the troops” thing. That’s another sleepwalker lie.

In reality, the corporations rejoiced at Bush’s declaration of war. Just look up how much money Halliburton and friends have made over these years and then look to see the actual people involved. How can I not be cynical?

Back to the theme. Come to think of it, the tower people did die for our sins. Our sin of greed spreading over the world, exploiting the helpless, stealing from the innocents. This is the way of the modern world. The American Way. We have succeeded in spreading the the desire for the disease we call capitalism all over the world. Everyone wants to come here to be King of His Own Castle. You’ll notice I said “he”. Because no matter how you look at it, women are still a class below men, preferable “under” in a sexual sense, the sex class. But that’s for another post.

If we open our eyes and our hearts, we will see that our policies and procedures are selfish, cruel and ultimately will defeat us. That will be a self-made disaster. That’s what I mean when I say the tower victims were not  innocent. None of us is innocent, as long as we participate in the lies of the dominator culture.We are in this life together. Like it or not.

The draped flags are there for a reason. In reality there is no such thing as reason. Reason is fabricated to give us a sense of meaning and purpose, which makes life do-able. I know this is true because when I have lost my reasons for living, I was very unhappy. We do get to make it up as we go along. All the more reason for sentience. Anyway, those in power are adept at creating reasons that will motivate you and bestow meaning unto your life and they do so with impunity. That means “unpunished,” as in “no good deed goes unpunished.” In other words, we don’t get to tell them they are wrong because they have all the power, and I mean all of it. Yes, including your mind. Yikes, now what?

We really don’t know the reason for 9/11. I’ve seen the videos of the “pancake” collapse of the buildings and heard the engineers say that it could not have happened that way. I’ve heard the people who were there tell about explosions they heard, over and over. So who’s to say, who’s manipulating who? Which reason gets priority in a situation such as this? I can’t answer that. I just don’t feel so innocent any more.

The innocents of this world are the creatures who trust us, the sentient beings, to be frikking sentient. We are unique, because we can choose our consciousness. Being somnolent is a choice. Being cruel is a choice. Being selfish is a choice. Many folks choose selfishness because they know that waiting their turn will send them to the end of the line and they don’t want to be there. Why? Because it’s the end of the line. You may not get your share from back there. Because it’s the loser position.

Is it about entitlement? We all think we are entitled to live, but no one gets out alive, so what’s the prob? Well, my prob is that seeing the flag waving and hearing the sentimental platitudes pisses me off. I ask myself why I am  such an asshole that I don’t respond properly, like everybody else. I respond just fine when I remember the cruelties and omissions that I have created in my own life, so what’s up?

I can’t stand looking at the goddamn naked emperor any more! Wake up people. We all know he’s naked, and so are all of his cronies. Sentience. Please!