The Old Gods

by Dennis Green

The pagan gods and superstitions not only survive, but flourish, in spite of the best efforts of Christian Soldiers to stamp them out. Just as the spiritual traditions taught at the Shaolin Temple in China defy the best efforts of modern socialism to suppress them.

Christianity itself grew in large part by adopting many of the features of earlier faiths, including Judaism, which had itself retained much of the old pagan lore of Canaan. “Clean” and “Unclean” animals and food…human and animal sacrifice, (preferably the fatted cow, but a thief or Messiah will also do), talking whirlwinds and burning bushes, missionary whales and accommodating Red Sea waters. Monotheism, Pantheism, who’s to say?

Monotheism, to a Western mind, is so abstract it gets positively wishy-washy and boring. “God the Father?” Who’s your Daddy? None of us can be truly sure. Might be that dude married to your Ma, or married to her at one time…but after all, who can really know? “Daddy’s home!”

Most folks know that Mother’s Day is sometime in May, but Father’s Day? Uh…a month later? June? How many times have you scoured the Hallmark rack for a Father’s Day card at the last minute the way you do for Mother’s Day? Mother’s milk. Motherly love. Mothers Against Drunk Driving. And then there’s “Fathers For A…Better America..?” Or something.

But the Navajo god Coyote? Now, there’s a deity we can dig. “Coyote sang out ‘Fuck You!’ and ran away…” the poet Gary Snyder writes. Coyote the Mischief Maker, Coyote the Trickster. Or in Java, the Monkey God Trickster, who plays with his own feces and throws his food.

Most of the gods of pantheism are archetypes, so intimately familiar. There’s Cupid, and Narcissus, Venus and the warrior god Mars. They are all so familiar because we carry them around inside us. We peek, they hide. And when we least expect it, they reveal themselves. Mount Olympus is very crowded, and so is my solitary heart, filled as it is with ghosts and spirits and demons.

The more I see, the less I understand. “Epistemological modesty,” I think it’s called. We know so little, so much less than we assume. And in that swarm of all our ignorance and uncertainty, the spirits live. And thrive. If our minds are just smart phones, we harbor more than a hundred thousand apps. And some of them are all about spirit.

Others are old songs we can’t get out of our heads, old lovers we can’t get out of our beds, old banquets laid out for the Grateful Dead… if all romance ends in despair, all doubt ends in faith, not certainty, but faith. The thin suspicion that, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary, things are going to be just fine. That politics and government exist in a parallel reality that has, finally, very little bearing on the one we live in.

There’s nothing romantic about the Old Gods after all, just a sneaking suspicion that they might have as much meaning in our lives as any Abrahamic abstractions and dogma and theology. They are all around us, and Abraham is not. Except, perhaps, for a few very pious Rabbis.

As for St. Valentine…how’d he get to be a saint, anyhow? Now, Venus, the Goddess of the Loveboat! I can dig. And also today, welcome in the Year of the Tiger. More about him later…

The Old Gods are still with us, and if we let them in, they will prove themselves every bit as vibrant as the Hollywood celebrities getting most of the attention in our society these days…All hail Bacchus! I’ll drink to that!

©2010 Dennis Green

The Trouble With Writing

by Dennis Green

I have a real problem with writing. Not my own, actually, as I’m a very accomplished writer. Published. Made my living as a writer from the age of 33 on, still get articles published in the local newspapers and blogs, publish novels, short stories, poetry online…love it more than life itself. I write somewhere between 20-50 pages a day, and keep about ten percent of those, do three or four re-writes, and post or publish only the things that meet my own very high standards.

Also taught English Lit, Composition and Bonehead English for ten years, including the works of the greatest writers — Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Turgenev, Flaubert, Melville, Fitzgerald, Chekhov, Hemingway. I also took a keen interest in the “New Journalists” — guys like Hunter S. Thompson, Tom Wolfe and Norman Mailer’s non-fiction.

Everyday, I read a lot, newspapers and magazines, online research articles, books on my Kindle, emails and blogs. But I don’t read a lot of contemporary prose. And I can race through the Sunday paper in only a few minutes. Primarily because the writing is so poor. Flat, predictable, uninteresting, without any verve or voice or personality. No style.

We seem to live in an age of “Anti-Style,” where all that matters is having an opinion, a position, a “take” on things. The problem with this is that so few contemporary writers have ideas that are interesting enough, compelling enough, to hold our attention. And then they blame us for having Attention Deficit Disorder…

One of the few exceptions is Bay Area writer Mick LaSalle, who reviews movies for the San Francisco Chronicle. He is as knowledgeable as Pauline Kael, and a better writer. I had a lively, fun exchange with him via email recently. I took him to task for not knowing about the servant Gerasim from Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Illych, as a possible inspiration for a character in a new movie about Tolstoy.

“You need to get out more,” I told him. And then I referred to that other great work of Tolstoy’s, The Cherry Orchard. Ooops! Realizing my error the next morning, I sent him a correx to that end. And then, after another email, I got from him the following:

You had me salivating the other day, when you wrote to tell me how stupid I am -- and then confused Chekhov for Tolstoy. That was a belt high fastball over the plate . . . and you had to spoil it by realizing your mistake.

MICK

So I told him, “Yeah, but I have an excuse, pushing 70. My pals tell me that if I have a senior moment, just wait, and it’ll pass. And sometimes they do.” Some excuse. I wouldn’t buy it either.

But the opportunity for such a lively exchange is rare, and I’m not sure why. I suspect that what’s deceptive is the volume of “content” that gets pushed our way. Let’s face it, really good writing hooked up to a quick and lively mind is not all that common to begin with. Think of all those creative writing classes you took, or writers groups you participated in.

So inevitably, there’s a lot of wasted paper and a lot of wasted ink, (or pixels), and it shouldn’t be surprising. Writing is both a gift, and very hard work. You hone it, your voice, your sense of the craft, but you also work from both a hunger and a spark. You can’t NOT write. If you don’t, you wither inside and die.

And the spark is an ember you have to blow on to make a blaze, like that story by Jack London about the man trying to light a campfire in the snow with just one match. And is it true that the best writers are also failed talkers..? Well, I dunno. Sometimes we have a pretty good gift of gab. Just ask the ladies…

©2010 Dennis Green

Politically Incorrect

by Dennis Green

Obama and his team of political advisors, including Rahm Emmanuel, who served in that role with Bill Clinton, have done just about everything wrong. And I say this as a politico, not as a moralist or ideologue. They made a classic mistake — mistaking horse trading for politics.

Because politics is not cutting the pragmatic back room deals, and no, it’s not LBJ twisting arms either. It’s creating the perception — the illusion, even the MYTH, if you will — that you are competent and effective, and especially that you are working for the good of the people.

(For a brilliant analysis of their failures, see Rolling Stone Magazine’s “No We Can’t” by Tim Dickinson, 2/18/10. One callout: “Folding Obama’s campaign team into the DNC was like moving Greenpeace into the headquarters of ExxonMobil.”)

So making wonderful, Lincolnesque speeches is not enough. And cutting deals is not enough, being ruthlessly pragmatic. It’s Show Business, folks! The whole damned show, the whole kit and kaboodle, has to be impressive and convincing. Because, if it’s not, your opponents will demonize the hell out of you. But if you’re aligned with the DNC and the usual “transactional” style of politics, you’ve demonized yourself.

Being right is not the same thing as being correct. Of course Obama was right that American health care is a disaster and getting worse by the minute. But the “sausage making” of legislative hard work has turned off the electorate. Leaving the details to Congress has been a disaster.

Health care, left alone, will get so bad it will cure itself. HUH? That’s right. When insurance premiums become out of reach of enough citizens they will all be showing up at the E.R. and eventually the AMA itself will spearhead real change, and have the clout to stand up to the other special interests. They’ll push for Single-Payer, Universal Medicare.

But the loss on health care may cost Obama not only the midterm elections, but his own re-election in 2012. That’s how ruthless politics can get. Just ask Jimmy Carter. And frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.

For in the meantime, the GOP has not exactly played its cards right either. Their approval ratings are even lower now than they were when Bush left office, because they haven’t presented any ideas or proposals or alternatives with any more appeal than the Democrats’ ideas.

Even voters who are not at all politically sophisticated are sputtering with frustration. And they will not simply turn back to the Republican Party they suffered with for eight years under GWB. The GOP is fighting over how big a tent it will be and the various factions — the Religious Right, the Libertarians, the Neo-Conservatives, the Madisonians — are all very different in their philosophies.

Some are big spenders, others fiscally conservative. Some want the government to enforce Christian morality and ideals, as they interpret them. Others want as little government interference in their lives as possible. Some are isolationist and protectionist, others are global and believe America should spread its values worldwide and confront communism and terrorism, (even Islam), wherever they show themselves.

So there is no clear definition of “conservative” anymore and no effective strategy for “progressive” or liberal agendas either. Most Americans, it would seem, crave a centrist, moderate but efficient and vibrant government that makes obvious good use of its power and our taxes. It may take a new party, independent of the Old Ways, to give us what we want. Obama’s campaign apparatus might have been that, but no more.

Until then, the Old Wayfarers will go on being politically incorrect, and failing, and flailing away.

©2010 Dennis Green

Literacy Test Needed

by Dennis Green

At the recent Tea Party Convention, a first, Tom Tancredo — no stranger to American Right-Wingnuts — called for the institution of a nationwide literacy test for U.S. voters. I think that’s a great idea! And in fact I would go even further, and make passing such a test a requirement for citizenship, instead of the accident of geography of simply being born here.

And I think I could design a literacy test that Barrack Obama could pass handily, but one that Sarah Palin and most Tea Baggers could not. If we really mean what we say about how much we value education in America, let’s put our registrar of voters, and our passports, literally where our mouths are.

Maybe a question or two about T.S. Eliot, or Turgenev..? A simple org-chart of the Indo-European languages..? Perhaps just ask for the definition of onomatopoeia. It’s only fair.

After all, literacy tests were used for years to prevent black folks from voting in the South, so why shouldn’t we use them now to disenfran-chise white trash, rednecks, trailer trash, No Nothings and Ignorati? What goes ‘round must come ‘round eventually. Why not now?

And even if we limit former Republican Representative (Colorado) Tancredo’s suggestion to “a civics literacy test,” I suspect more immigrants studying for their citizenship tests, or who have recently passed them, would qualify than most natural-born citizens educated in our public school systems. If Tancredo really wants to raise the bar, perhaps he should offer a height requirement that only a zaftig Swede could pass.

And a few Watusi.

In his significant legislative efforts, Tancredo authored the Sudan Peace Act calling for a “self-sustaining Sudan” in 2002, as well as sponsoring a “Moratorium on Immigration” which failed to pass in 1999, 2001, 2003 and proposed an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to “establish English as the official language” in 2005, which also failed. He dropped out of the presidential race in 2007, and did not run for re-election.

At the Tea Party Convention, Tancredo said, “…lots of people wouldn’t even be able to say the word ‘vote’ in English…” And for that, he received a standing ovation. From people who pronounce the word, “Eye-Rack”!

I say if we’re going to have a real populist revolt, bring it on! We college graduates outnumber the dropouts now two-to-one and urbanites far outnumber the rubes. In a May 3, 2007 debate among the ten candidates for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination, Tancredo was one of three who raised their hands when asked if anyone did not believe in the theory of evolution. Outnumbered yet again!

So perhaps we need a question about biology on that literacy test as well. DNA? Such a literacy test could even become a sort of political process of natural selection, weeding out those unfit to vote, hold office, or even live within the continental United States.

Something tells me that Tancredo and Sarah Palin would be among the very first to fail.

©2010 Dennis Green

Scamming the System

by Dennis Green

“Reduce your credit card debt! Pay only pennies on the dollar! You may qualify for a power chair or scooter at no cost to you! Hounded by the IRS? We can get you off the hook!”

Sound familiar? These “commercial messages” are brought to you by scam artists. By attorneys and manufacturers who have learned how to scam Medicare, credit card companies or the IRS. And they are enlisting you to become a co-conspirator. What’s wrong with that?

Well, every person who escapes a few hundred thousand in federal or state taxes, or credit card debt, or who gets Medicare to pay for one of those ridiculous power wheelchairs puts the burden on the rest of us. Our credit card fees go up, or our taxes, or Medicare goes bankrupt sooner.

But if you think this is something that goes on only on late-nite TV, look around you. The scam is going on everywhere. In California, angry taxpayers passed the Jarvis Amendment to the State Constitution, which froze the amount property taxes could be raised, until the property changes hands.

Retired homeowners, people on a limited income, the working poor could all breathe a sigh of relief. Local government and state government would have to live within their means. Oh, yeah? Think they can’t scam their own system?

So some genius came up with the idea of a “parcel tax,” an incremental layer of fees on top of property taxes. And since it would take a 2/3 majority to pass, it couldn’t possibly be abused, now could it? Citizens aren’t that gullible…are they?

And then our local leaders turned to us and said, “Want a new library? Well, we can’t possibly afford to do that out of the ordinary city budget. If you really want that library, you’re going to have to pass a parcel tax. Want to keep that hospital open? When minutes count? You’re going to have to pass a parcel tax. Schools! Our schools are going broke! The State is taking away all that money! You’re going to have to pass another parcel tax!”

Meanwhile, almost 70 people working for the City make in salaries and benefits more than $200K a year. Teachers negotiate sweetheart deals and smaller class sizes to avoid layoffs, even as enrollment declines. And so long as we are told that without those new taxes these horrible consequences will result — no library! no hospital! no schools! — we pony up.

It gets worse. In the midst of scamming us with parcel taxes that get around Prop. 13, the snake oil salesmen came up with another scam. “Let’s also exempt the seniors from paying those taxes, but let them vote to impose them on everyone else!” (That’ll fix that 2/3 majority requirement, you betcha!)

And so far, the senior citizens have fallen in as co-conspirators every time. “Sure, we’ll vote for a new library, especially if it doesn’t cost us anything! Schools? Oh, the little darlings! Please don’t close that hospital and throw me into the Oakland briar patch!”

You can’t fool all of the people all of the time, but you sure can fool 2/3 of the people every once in awhile. Maybe our local electric utility should go into the cable TV business, eh? Now, there’s a scam I can get behind!

©2010 Dennis Green

Why I Am A Libertarian

by Dennis Green

Study a little history of American government, and it’s pretty obvious that from the very beginning, it doesn’t work. Hamilton and Burr, in their famous duel to the death, simply acted out that fact in the most dramatic possible fashion. George Washington was merely the least corrupt and incompetent President of those who followed him. See Quincy.

As a libertarian, I believe we get the government we deserve, that it is always representative, even if the corporations have more clout than the average citizen. After all, the media itself is a corporation — from network and cable TV to newspaper and magazine conglomerates to “viewers like you” — all the larger business organizations in America, for-profit and non-profit alike, are incorporated.

But America, Inc. has more problems than Toyota. And President Obama’s $3.6 trillion budget for 2011 makes that very clear. All but 20% of that budget is devoted to entitlements, from military spending to Social Security and Medicare, unemployment insurance and infrastructure. Only 20% is in “discretionary spending” subject to a freeze.

If government in Washington, D.C. is dysfunctional, the government in Sacramento, California, is even more so. I’ll be surprised if the State doesn’t go into bankruptcy, now that its fiscal deficits have ruined its credit rating. In my own hometown of Alameda, looming deficits, failed policies and a school system so badly managed that it will be seeking a 60% increase in parcel tax financing layered on top of property taxes, all face the voters.

I’ve worked in politics most of my life, and have volunteered for several successful campaigns, including Jerry Brown’s campaign for Mayor of Oakland, and also a number of unsuccessful ones, such as the campaign to defeat the conversion of our local electric municipality to a telecom company, which lost $90 million before it folded.

In that time, I’ve gotten to know a lot of politicians, and only Jerry Brown, among those, held up well in my estimation. The others have proven all too human, some even craven in their need to be popular, and to win. I was planning to volunteer for three campaigners this year, but have decided to simply critique them, and work to oppose the very worst.

So I don’t follow leaders, and I certainly don’t expect government to solve my problems. They barely keep the streets and traffic lights in running order. And as a Libertarian, I am not a member of the Republican Party, which claims to oppose big government, but lied us into two wars, wiretapped our phones and emails and oversaw an economic collapse that may still turn out to be a Second Great Depression.

And Democrats? Hah! Many Democrats would impose fundamentalist religious beliefs upon the citizenry, such as the so-called “Right to Life” anti-abortion laws, outlawing gay marriage and extending tax exemptions to politically active churches. Not to mention filling the coffers of Goldman-Sachs.

So I will join others in fighting for a constitutional amendment that requires that in every election there be a provision allowing us to vote, “None of the Above.” I would rather see a position — even mayoral, governorship, senatorial, or yes, even Presidential — remain vacant than be filled by yet another hack or fool.

After all, what good does it do to “throw the rascals out!” if there’s just another raft of rascals waiting to get in?

©2010 Dennis Green

Anger Is Not Enough

by Dennis Green

Sarah Palin gave the keynote speech at the first Tea Party Convention, and blasted President Obama’s policies. And while Palin didn’t rule out running for President herself, she doesn’t have any ideas of her own about governing either.

No policy, no platform, no ideas — just lots of anger.

Sarah Palin demonstrates that you don’t have to be blonde to be dumb.

And she also proves, collecting her $100K speaking fee for saying nothing, that anger is not enough. “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”

Oh, yeah? Where you going?

There’s a reason there’s never been a Libertarian Party worth much. If you don’t trust government, don’t like government, you don’t go into politics. You go to work for Fox News. As Palin has.

It remains to be seen whether the Tea Party will be absorbed into the GOP, which is already pretty intolerant of moderate views. And if it is, as Palin urged in her speech, it’s not clear how mere anger is going to change politics.

If there were an option on our tax forms, and on every ballot, for “None of the Above,” I’d go for it most of the time. I’d support the schools with my property taxes, but not with added-on layers of parcel taxes, as we do now in Alameda, until the schools show that they have made all the savings possible and are being run, managed and staffed efficiently.

But that isn’t what the Tea Party is recommending. They complain vaguely about “entitlements” while saying at the same time, “Keep your government hands off my Medicare!” Duh.

No one ever talks about economies and efficiencies in our Defense Budget, or cutbacks there. Being seen as “weak on defense and the security of this nation” is the 21^st Century equivalent of being seen as “soft on communism” in the Fifties.

There are so many “third rails” in American politics that almost every subject is off-limits. But if you think the Tea Party is going to cut Defense, or its own entitlements, I’ve got four bridges right here in Alameda I’ll sell you. As far as “transparency” in government is concerned, just wait until the Tea Party starts raising big bucks from lobbyists to pay those hefty speaker fees, and see if they let us in on their private meetings and conversations.

Waste in government, and in our schools, is not going to go away just because people get angry. Not unless there is a new Tax Revolt across America to back it up, a refusal to support corruption with our taxes. If enough people refuse to do so, they can’t throw us all in jail. What we the people need is a political union that will take us all out on strike.

For if we’re not going to take it anymore, we have to stop giving it. Our money, our support, our votes. “None of the Above,” including taxes! Now, if that doesn’t rouse your rabble a notch or two, I don’t know what will.

©2010 Dennis Green