April 28, 2004
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Watched a good documentary on PBS, about the Weather Underground. The turmoil in the late 60s is a sort of forgotten history at this point, just under 40 years later, so it was good to see.
I've never considered myself a radical. I was at a bookstore the other day and it just so happened that there was an author talking about the Iraq war, being very critical of it. It wasn't news to me, but there were people listening with rapt attention. There was some representation from the socialists, handing out some indy press they had made, and one of these folks started talking to me.
Eventually, I had to tell him: I don't want your paper. I'm more evolutionary than revolutionary. His reply was: "Yeah, but evolution takes too much time." I had to shrug. Maybe it does, but I don't think this guy and his friends are going to be able to last long enough.
But the whole narrative about the Weather Underground and the Black Panthers and all those radicals is really interesting to me. COINTELPRO and Nixon and Vietnam and Charlie Manson and the whole thing. A total freakshow no matter where you stood or where you were looking, and all the good done since then is being unraveled before our eyes.
And... Once upon a time, there were low-power radio stations where angry black men would talk about killing The Man, and then those black men would end up in jail. Now, however, if you're angry and white and have a radio show or a book deal and you talk about killing Muslims or harassing liberals, your contract is renewed because it's good for ratings.
Comments (3)
So damn true. I've heard that's an excellent film. Hrm...I should check it out.
dammit, did i miss that documentary?!
evolution makes more sense and is more successful than revolution.
with evolution you have a better chance of not throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
it's a shame the revolutionaries get more press.
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