Tuesday, March 14

So . . .

Yesterday, Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI) introduced a Motion of Censure on the floor of the US Senate, to formally take Our Commander in Cheat to task for violating the Constitution and the law in his illegal domestic wiretapping program. Astonishingly enough, the main response from the Republican leadership (specifically, Dr. Bill "I've seen the videotape and in my medical opinion she's conscious" Frist) was they they couldn't support the motion on the grounds that -- and this is a direct quote -- "it would send the wrong signal around the world."

This is the man, by the way, who wants to be the next Republican President of the United States.

None of these idiots seems to comprehend that invading a nation which has not attacked us, killing tens of thousands of innocent civilians (the current best estimate, which our Pentagon continues to suppress, is 25-30,000 Iraqi civilians died in the actual fighting, and the bump in overall death rate from all factors, comparing pre- and post-invasion, suggests that the invasion of Iraq was responsible, by the end of 2004, for 130,000 Iraqi civilian deaths. And we wonder why they hate us . . .), kidnapping innocent citizens of friendly nations and shipping them off without trial or even the faintest shred of evidentiary review to be tortured -- not to mention maintaining our own officially-sanctioned torture chambers in Cuba, Iraq and Afghanistan, and having an executive banch of government (Constitutionally charged with enforcing the our nation's laws) openly declaring that our nation's law does not apply to them . . .

I mean, how much more wrong can our fucking signals get?

Ahhh, anyway.

Anyone still wondering about the actual legality of the domestic wiretap program might want to check out the details here:

www.nybooks.com/articles/18650



All this goes toward a problem I've been facing with my work lately (in addition to the recent space-monkey attack). All of you who've stuck with me this long know that I'm not interested in merely producing entertainment. Not that I frown upon "mere entertainment" -- in fact, I admire it, and enjoy it immensely when it's produced by others. I just don't do it myself. Because, I guess, I have adult ADD, and I just can't keep myself interested in something unless I'm grinding away at something resembling truth.

The problem I had during this last attack was that the space-monkeys kept whispering in my ears "Look! Look at the world around you! Look at the country you live in! Don't you get it? Truth is irrelevant . . ."

Nietzsche wrote, in one of the early passages of BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL, that a philosopher makes a leap of faith as profound as any priest's, when he decides to believe that truth is worth more than a useful lie.

There is no evidence for the intrinsic value of truth.

In fact, as Mr Bush & Co. have shown, the opposite has become the case.

This makes it very hard to believe in what I do. However, having escaped the space-monkeys for the nonce, I do have at least the answer sergeants have been giving to uncomfortable questions since before there were sergeants.

"Soldier, shut up and soldier!"

I am not, never have been and never will be a soldier. But I know how to shut up and soldier nonetheless.

25 comments:

FK said...

I understand where you're coming from on this one, Matt. Maybe you could bottle up that soldiering and send it my way.

Anonymous said...

Matt,
Good "Starship Troopers" reference.
RIchard

Basket Of Puppies said...

"Don't you get it? Truth is irrelevant . . ."

You're LISTENING to the space monkeys, now? Sounds like they're working for the other side. And isn't there a quote from Burke that's appropriate here? (OK, I'd have put it here, but googling for it shows several possible variants and I haven't actually READ Burke, so...)

Beck said...

So just what IS the best method of chopping up a homeless person you've just murdered in the middle of an Ambien induced sleep walk?

alppuccino said...

Beck,

You know...

You put a towel on his head, wrap a string of M80's around his torso and send him toward the nearest police recruiting station duct taped to a 1983 Peugot.

MWS said...

Oh, I get it.

You fuckers don't think I'm in enough trouble with the government already.

MWS said...

And it's Peugeot, isn't it?

I'd go for a Renault, myself.


But that's just because they made the French tanks that backed up the Maginot Line . . .

If you want something to blow up easily and well, go with a manufacturer who has a tradition of making things that blow up easily and well.

Beck said...

Actually, there's a left-wing troll posting excerpts from this post to a bunch of right-wing blogs. Which is why you're getting some weird comments.

I'm assuming for the moment that the troll is someone other than you.

alppuccino said...

I went with the Canadian spelling.

No blood, no foul?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
MWS said...

Anonymous comments are not permitted on this blog.

Man up or fuck off.

MWS said...

And as I have said before --

I barely bother to post here. I certainly don't waste my time posting this stuff anywhere else.

Anonymous said...

From dictionary.com: Soldier-An active, loyal, or militant follower of an organization.


Ghandi was a soldier.


MLK was a soldier.


Not shabby company.


I am still currently employed by Uncle Sam, so I can't legally tell you what I really think, but wait about 6 months...till then-preach on brutha!!!

Anonymous said...

Mr. Stover,

I'm really looking forward to CBK. Hope to see it on Amazon.com with a release date sometime soon! Any idea what the length of the book will be, compared to the first two?

- Chris

MWS said...

Shorter.

Shevchyk said...

Man, I don't even understand what the hell this conversation was about, an Ambien? Peugot? What the--?

Unknown said...

See?

Wisconsin produces something better than cheese.

I got to meet Feingold once, and he was a great guy.

Anonymous said...

The truth is never irrelevant, only obscured and lost. Truth is what keeps people going, even when the rest of the world appears to be going crazy.

Only problem with truth is that it's so fucking obscure and faceted. Which truth are we really after?

The world's fucked up and it sucks. Space monkeys or no, sometimes it feels like we may just be heading in the right direction if we can get out of all the wrong ones.

hugs!
Jenn

Anonymous said...

Hello, I'm one of the students who was attending your lecture at Danville High School (guy who asked you about names) and I wanted to thank you for some of your professional insight. I've wanted to be a writer since about 7th grade and have written stuff as a hobby. *prays to be published one day* I always value whatever bits of advice I can gather from published authors and am very grateful I got a chance meet you.

Also Shatterpoint sounds awesome and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. This book is perfect for a friend of mine (huge Samuel L./Windu fan) and I'll recommend it to him when I see him next.

btw, if you wanna keep in touch, my e-mail is CorbinSum@gmail.com

r.e.anningson said...

hmmm.... i wonder if a two month silence is a good thing. Is CBK coming soon? I hope so.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm...interesting. This alone deserves some contemplation on my political beliefs. I've been trying to keep my views impartial throughout this fiasco, trying to look past the spin. However, between the Maher Arar case and the domestic taps it really has gotten to the point where it is inexcusable. I have to say I do believe Bush should get impeached, just like I was in full support of Clinton getting impeached.

I still don't side with either political party. I think the Democrats can be just as retarded as the Republicans in many cases, but in this case Matt, thanks for catching my attention and opening my eyes a little wider.

Btw, Star Wars on Trial...man I so would've loved to see you as the prosecution. I swear Traitor was the last Star Wars book that had any sort of substance (and ironically is the book that got me reading your older work. Still looking for a copy of Jericho Moon, but Heroes Die and Blade of Tyshalle have become my two favorite fantasy novels.)

"Truth is irrelevant" heh...between the politicians and the news media, it seems the belief is that truth has become essentially what they tell us it is. I swear, I hate the news more than the politicians.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Stover,

I posted a few messages about the Constitution & Bush in your Author thread at TFN. I agree with you to a point about the wiretapping and secret prisons. BUT you made a remark saying that Supreme Court could never be constitutionally wrong b/c they are the final authority on constitutional issues. I'll submit to you that the SC can be wrong and has been wrong in the past and continues to be wrong. Secondly, liberals violate the rights of others just as much as conservatives. They take away economic freedom and believe in forced charity through taxation. Many liberals would have no qualms about violating the 2nd or 10th amendment. Libertarianism is really the only ideology that promotes complete social and economic freedom as well as respect for legal rights. Both parties use morality to limit the rights of individuals. Calling for the cons to be ousted and the liberals to be voted in is trading one set of freedoms for another. Not what I would define as progress.

S.Klassen said...

Hey Matt hows the book comming along? You must really be swamped with work, we haven't heard from ya in months. Hope everything is going well, hope your feeling well.

Anonymous said...

From Tom Smith's blog (filkertom.livejournal.com)

"Anne recommended to me the novelization of Episode III by Matthew Stover, and I've gotta say, she was right on all counts. It's amazing. The same story, yet done so right. You won't believe it."

Eric

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