The Perils of Dormant Butt Syndrome

Noam Chomsky is still out there pointedly making the useful distinction between "protest" and "resistance".

It makes so much sense.

Though the orange tufted twit of twat thumping has made his depraved intentions clear, he has not yet assumed office. So right now there is nothing to resist although gobs and globs of hideous obscenities to protest.

But in the months and years to come (even after Congress may have "disPensed" with the trimp and his raft of bombastic antics), we will all have to find ways of honoring and supporting each other's tries for decency whether they manifest themselves as varying forms of protest, dissent, organizing, educating, and peaceful passive or active resistance in very bold and creative forms. All of these can carry heavy forms of risk as witnessed by the atrocities at Standing Rock.

Every move any of us make is always an experiment to test our own capacities, but also to test the nature of the system we are trying to change. This is a system so much vaster than trimp and his legions of grifters. This is a system that is even far larger than the ponzi schemes of of state capitalism. Capitalism as a state sponsored system actually dwarfs the idiot elite who are merely captive to its dynamics. But our human project over arches all economic systems and fantasies. Ultimately it may be even greater than the much larger forces of empire and domination which deform all economies - and which also mandate state sponsored torture and terror with the US being the most powerful and vicious terror state of all (so far).

But here is our real struggle which is a struggle of memory and imagination as much as it is battles of wit, words, fists, theater, images, water hoses, tear gas, stun grenades, stadiums, and prisons.

The fact that the US is a massive terror state does NOT ultimately invalidate the myths we teach our children and often use to soothe ourselves. That the US (which includes ALL of US - no matter what) not only fails to live up to OUR idealistic images, but also routinely and systematically attacks and undermines these ideals DOES NOT mean we should choose between the current "reality of US" and our potential with its real, but unknown limits.

"Freedom and justice for all" as an empty headed slogan is revolting and disappointing, but less offensive than when its employed as a calculated cover for acts of infamy. But the underlying ideals are still alive, still real, and like "Democracy" they are neither satisfying nor reassuring. They are goads for us to stop pissing around - and to make ourselves useful.

(Warning: Dormant Butt Syndrome may lead to hip, knee and back pain as well as the withering of the spirit.)