"We are in a society of icy intolerance, where the slightest diversion from, the mildest breach of, the reality principle is violently repressed. Realist Philistinism and Pharisaism are triumphant on all sides. All ideas are immediately cast in concrete. The anathema level is the equal of any religious or Stalinist society. Nothing has changed. The conspiracy of imbeciles is total."

This quote, from Jean Baudrillard's "Fragments: Cool Memories 1991-1995" jumped out at me as I was reading it today, as it seems to capture at least some of what life is like in the late-capitalist Amerika of Gee Dumbya Bush and His Gang O'Thugs, the sold out, neo-Republican Democrats, and Jerry Springer/reality TV. It truly is a conspiracy of imbeciles, and it is making not only the United States but also the world in general a more dangerous, unjust, and insecure place.

I have also started reading Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72" again. Although the book chronicles an election that happened nearly 33 years ago, it still rings true with Mainstream Politics in America Today. The craven, greedhead Republicans, the spineless sellout Democrats...just plug in the name "George W. Bush" for "Richard Nixon" and "John Kerry" for "Hubert Humphrey" and Thompson's book could be "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 2004."

On the more optimistic side of things, I read in the latest Z Magazine about the leftward push of many Latin American countries such as Venezuela (with the government of Hugo Chavez) and Brazil (with the government of "Lula" da Silva. With the US bogged down in Vietnam, oops, I mean Iraq and Afghanistan, these and other countries have been able to at least begin moving in a progressive direction without (for the nonce, anyway) too much interference from Uncle Sam.

And the war(s) in Iraq, Afganistan, etc are beginning more and more to resemble the one(s) in Southeast Asia circa approx. 1965-1975. An endless quagmire, with more and more deaths on all sides, for no apparent good reason. As if there is ever really a good reason for war.

That's all for now...more political ranting to come as well as more of whatever else comes to mind.