One of the few good things about modern times: If you die horribly on tele

[indigobusiness]

Just read the Vonnegut piece posted earlier.

http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/cold_turkey

What strikes me is that, no matter what you think of him, Vonnegut represents the sort of intellectual fervor that seems to be being bled out of American culture. The discourse and dialog seem to grow less substantial by the day.

Please read the article, and pass it around.

Thanks to the original poster for bringing this to my attention.

edited for grammar.

http://sludgereport.blogspot.com/

[ewagner]

1. Wow! I really like this:

How about Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes?

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. …

And so on.

Not exactly planks in a Republican platform. Not exactly Donald Rumsfeld or Dick Cheney stuff.

For some reason, the most vocal Christians among us never mention the Beatitudes. But, often with tears in their eyes, they demand that the Ten Commandments be posted in public buildings. And of course that’s Moses, not Jesus. I haven’t heard one of them demand that the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, be posted anywhere.

“Blessed are the merciful” in a courtroom? “Blessed are the peacemakers” in the Pentagon? Give me a break!

Vonnegut has been a fovorite of mine since college. He has a straight-forward and often brutal style of telling universal truths.

[indigobusiness]

2. You are so right.

It is time for and end to the belief that brutality is strength, hunility is weakness.

What a confused set of values we have developed.

[indigobusiness]

35. "humility"

spelling humbles me.

[kimchi]

10. Wow. I was just trying to remember the beatitudes whle washing dishes.

And having an imaginary conversation with CINO (Christian in Name Only) about the Beatitudes vs. the 10Cs in my head.

Blessed are the peacemakers!

[lectrobyte]

3. Great article! Thanks <nt>

[indigobusiness]

7. This is food for debate in schools...

but, I fear, the education system is being watered, and dumbed, down.

[theivoryqueen]

4. everything but the definitions of liberal and conservative

is dead on. A bit rambling, but not overmuch considering it's author and his age. I myself concluded (coincidence: yesterday) that the major problem going on is indeed the oil supplu and economic dependance upon it by industrialized nations. That's why the media is cautioning us "unsuspecting" (idiotic self serving materialistic) consumers that the price of gas ain't going down again.

[indigobusiness]

15. how so?

http://sludgereport.blogspot.com/

[TexasBushwhacker]

31. I think (hope) he's being sarcastic

"Which one are you in this country? It’s practically a law of life that you have to be one or the other? If you aren’t one or the other, you might as well be a doughnut.

If some of you still haven’t decided, I’ll make it easy for you.

If you want to take my guns away from me, and you’re all for murdering fetuses, and love it when homosexuals marry each other, and want to give them kitchen appliances at their showers, and you’re for the poor, you’re a liberal.

If you are against those perversions and for the rich, you’re a conservative.

What could be simpler?"

*****************************************************

His description of liberals is so over the top that I took it as a jab at the conservatives, ie. the Dittoheads would say:

If you're for tougher gun control, it means "you want to take my guns away from me"

If you're pro-choice, it means "you're all for murdering fetuses"

If you think it's okay for gays to marry, you "love it when homosexuals marry each other, and want to give them kitchen appliances at their showers"

If you're against tax breaks for the wealthy, then you must be "for the poor".

That's my perception anyway.

[Mountainman]

5. It reads like he wants to die soon

I remember back when I was young that one of my most favorite things to do was to get a group of people together in the summer under a shade tree. We bring a bottle wine and some food to pass around and spend the whole afternoon discussing philosphy or just talk about the times and what each of us thought. We didn't argue or try to convince anyone who disagreed with us. We sort of taught each other something and we all learned something. I can't do that anymore because it is so hard to find anyone now who things that's a cool way to spend an afternoon.

[indigobusiness]

6. Life is weighing heavily on lots of folks...

these days.

Coolest way to spend the afternoon...I miss that, too.

[BiggJawn]

8. Sounds like fun..Let me check my "Blackberry"....

Nope, sorry, afternoons are all filed up....

Make it a coupla bottles and I'll step on the Blackberry....

[troublemaker]

9. My Hero

GALAPAGOS is a quick funny read yet contains everything one needs to know about us people.

[indigobusiness]

32. I'll check that out

thanks.

[No2W2004]

11. This is a great article!

Reminds me of a Roger Waters song that contains the following lyric:

And she is different from Cro-Magnon man
She's different from Anne Boleyn
She is different from the Rosenbergs
And from the unknown Jew
She's different from the unknown Nicaraguan
Half superstar, half victim
She's a victor star, conceptually new
And she is different from the Dodo
And from the Kankanbono
She's different from the Aztec
And from the Cherokee
She's everybody's sister
She's symbolic of our failure
She's the one in fifty million
Who can help us to be free
Because she died on TV

And I grieve for my sister
-Roger Waters.

[indigobusiness]

12. What was that from?

Thanks.

http://sludgereport.blogspot.com/

[No2W2004]

13. The song is titled

"Watching TV", the CD is "Amused to Death". It's about a woman he saw killed during Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protest on TV.

[indigobusiness]

14. thanks

http://sludgereport.blogspot.com/

[indigobusiness]

16. Is Cat's Cradle his best?

http://sludgereport.blogspot.com/

[SayitAintSo]

17. Just read it ... WOW .... Really liked it...

You are right ... that kind of intellectual engagement and honesty is an anomaly these days.

[indigobusiness]

18. The American intellect is suffering mightily...

Ari Fleischer, Ashley Banfield, and Aaron Brown were just on Jeopardy....and none of them knew the capitol of Scotland.

These are smart people?

[indigobusiness]

22. but they probably could've spelled "capital"

correctly.

dang me.

[RetroLounge]

19. Wow! Great Article...

More thought in one page than all the Media Whores put together...

RL

[indigobusiness]

20. Kurt for VP

http://sludgereport.blogspot.com/

[jonnyblitz]

21. I printed it up for later. I know I will like it.

thanks. :hi:

[bpilgrim]

23. i am so grateful we still have him around

the old fart is still sharp as a tack and i LOVE HIM :bounce:

thanks for posting that :hi:

peace

[indigobusiness]

36. yep

me, too.

[Kanary]

24. A poor man said this about his plans to go violently

(Dang, it's so hard to write short, accurate, but attention-getting subject lines!)

A man on disability was quoted a while back in my local paper as saying that he was being pushed by cutbacks to the very brink. He said that rather than die quietly, as he felt he was expected to, he would think about immolating himself on the steps of the state capitol building, or something in that vein.

He didn't want to die for nothing, he wanted his death to bring attention to what is being done to people like himself.

It is really criminal that in a country this rich, a person would have to be entertaining thoughts like that.

I've spoken here about the cuts coming down on me, and I know that I've entertained the same thoughts. Why should my death be quiet and ignored? Why should I play the game like they want me to?

It's very difficult going through life with those thoughts, and the resulting anger that is created.

Yet, nothing else seems to get any attention at all, including right here at DU.

So, a good soaking with gas and a few matches..........

Kanary

[indigobusiness]

25. ouch

painfull, but I can relate.

[Kanary]

28. Painful, but isn't it interesting.....

If that man or I try to affect change in the system to get our needs met so that we can live, we'll be met with nothing.

If, however, we try to kill ourselves because we lack the resources to sustain life, there will be those who try to "save" our lives.......

How's that for a very SICK society?

Kanary

[indigobusiness]

30. hang in there

God abides.

http://sludgereport.blogspot.com/

[indigobusiness]

26. ouch

painfull, but I can relate.

[mike1963]

27. That's an amazing piece, emailed to my whole addr. book , thanks

and :kick:

[indigobusiness]

29. Great...good work...

If you like this...spread it around, too, if you would.
http://sludgereport.blogspot.com/

[Trajan]

33. And so it goes ....

See the Cat ? ...

See the Cradle ? ...

I adore the old man: its good to see he is still kickin ...

[indigobusiness]

34. A kick for Kurt

Kick