Sinister: on to business...

[Robyn Fadden]

hello all, i am particularly fond of calling you
sinisters of mercy - thank you erica, i believe, but
also thank you leonard cohen, you sexy misogynist
bastard genius - that's his wutang name, btw.

right then, on to business. Protests and other things
we should all be aware of b/c the shit is hitting the
goddamn fan and there aren't enough migrant workers in
the world to clean it up:

- Protests are about awareness, about the cultivation
of a critical mind. The WTO conference and protests
are about more than world trade - they are about power
and someone always coming out on top. *That's*
capitalism. That is *not* democracy, it's not "sharing
the wealth". I'm sorry to say that I didn't make it
down to Seattle due to illness and I regret this, but
I have heard many first-hand accounts in the past
couple of days. These include peaceful protestors
being shoved to the ground by police, all the while
yelling in disbelief that what they learned in their
civics classes is a lie. A personal wake up call
becomes political, a little light makes its way into
the consumeristic cocoon of the 90s. 

- Protests (today) have the power to pull people out
of their apathy and recognize the current state of the
world. Whether you think protestors are dirty hippies
or violent idiots or peaceful academics or whatever,
at least you're *thinking* about it, and wasn't that
the point anyway? This WTO protest is sure to spur
more reaction to trade organizations, business and
government power, the growing gap btwn rich and poor,
the sad state of the environment, etc. There may still
be confusion about one's own personal opinion, but at
least people might understand that they can and should
have the right to a voice that is listened to.
Ideally, if we give respect, we should get respect. A
good value, but one that is gets lost rather easily it
seems. 

For me, it's very difficult to adhere to one opinion;
we are so used to being swayed by advertising, media,
government opposition, all the arguments that each
side has against the others. What happens when you
grow up in this kind of environment? It seems to me
that we are caught in paradox and irony, and this
conflict can send some of us into clinical disturbance
and depression. The answer here is to try to ignore
these confusions, for sanity's sake. But then, this
would be apathethic - apathy (and self-absorbtion)
being high among the majority of the "youth"
population (read under 35(?))  right now. It's nice to
listen to music and watch movies and hang out with
friends, but there are conversations that need to be
happening - philosophy is not boring, getting down to
earth is not boring (I don't need to tell this group
that, but you are an exception to the attitudes of
most people, and yes, I am aware of stereotyping, but
stereotypes exist because they exist...) And once we
start talking about what needs to be done, well,
that's where change can begin, and grow out of what is
currently happening. The corresponding actions become
apparent with thought. 

The thing is too: What are we protecting/fighting for?
What are we supposed to be unified for, if unity is
possible? Free trade doesn't exist, the name is a
joke, someone gets rich, someone gets poor trying to
live up to an impossible affluence. I don't blame the
States, I don't blame anybody - it's this strange
state of the world right now, something grown out of
many influences. I don't understand it, and it is
frustrating. But I know things should be better than
they are. United for things being better than they
are. United at all. 

There's the rant, the speech from an idealist,
thoughts that are still forming, etc. Just had to say
something on the topic.

*the opinions expressed in this email are the opinions
of Robyn Fadden, and in no way have anything at all to
do with anybody at all except for her as she lives in
her own sphere, untouched by anything or anyone, cool
as a fuckin' cucumber, nothing can phase her,
sentiment is for the weak, long live solipsism, climb
to the top, believe the illusion.


=====
I was reading the dictionary. I thought it was a poem about everything. ~Steven Wright
~~~
Robyn Fadden    rfadden at yahoo.com    Vancouver, BC
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