The Latest Defector From the Church of Scientology

Back in April of this year, many of you will recall that I devoted an entire post railing against the Paul Haggis’ movie CRASH (2004). I quoted film critic David Cornelius who aptly said the movie was “obnoxious, hollow, and not at all as smart or important as it thinks it is.” I followed this assessment with my own: A totally derivative film: GRAND CANYON meets MAGNOLIA with a dash of SHORT CUTS for good measure.

For some reason, I did not point out that Haggis used to be a writer for the absolute worst American sitcom of all time: DIFFERENT STROKES. The connection I would have made then would be that both works hit you over the head with simple morals and even simpler solutions. I mean, it did not surprise me one bit when I looked over Haggis’ CV and saw he used to write for some of the worst television shows ever.

Upon closer inspection, however, one will see that Haggis has been deeply involved in dozens of progressive movements and organizations, from environmental awareness to basic human rights in El Salvador. He is a proud card-carrying member of both Amnesty International and the American Civil Liberties Union. Not bad! I still think CRASH has the dubious distinction of being THE WORST MOVIE OF ALL TIME, but all is forgiven owing to the fact that Haggis seems to be a really nice guy who wants to improve the world any way he can.

Last but not least is the fact that Haggis’ CV is quite impressive once you get past the FACTS OF LIFE era. The 90s saw him writing for less embarrassing fare, and the new millennium is proving to be an incredibly prolific time. In the last five years alone, he has had writing credits for the two new James Bond movies, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, and TERMINATOR SALVATION. One can easily see that Haggis has managed to do an impressive amount of creative and activist work over the last 30 years while being a devout Scientologist.

Yup, that’s right. Yet another Scientologist in Hollywood.

Jokes about silly celebrities being brainwashed and jumping on Oprah’s couch are many. The whole phenomena is an easy target. But I’ve always entertained the notion that maybe Scientology is actually a pretty normal religion. I don’t know of any Scientologists directly, but the ones I do know of seem pretty together and intelligent to me. Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Giovanni Ribisi, Jenna Elfman, Juliette Lewis, Rob Thomas, Beck, Kirstie Alley, and the list goes on. Unlike many of their celebrity compadres, none of these believers has gotten in trouble with the law, struggles with a drug problem, or comes anywhere near making their lives a shamble. Okay, Kirstie Alley has a weight problem, but that’s the most serious flaw I can find out of any of them. I mean, the Church of Scientology seems to have a pretty good batting average. Their followers seem so mundane and familiar, especially compared to evangelical Christians and the like.

But I’ve never been able to reconcile the ostensibly rational believers with the rumored teachings of the Church. There is a major disconnect here. Smart, reasonable people don’t pay through the nose for the “privilege” to read their sacred texts (the last I heard, all the other religions offer this information for free). Smart, reasonable people don’t participate in the practice of “disconnection” wherein a Scientologist is asked to cut off ties with loved ones who have not converted. Smart, reasonable people do not accept the practice called “fair game” wherein former Scientologists are retaliated against by having their most personal confessions aired publicly. Smart, reasonable people don’t believe that 75 million years ago, a being called Xenu, dictator of the Galactic Confederacy, brought a race of people not unlike humans to this planet, piled them around a bunch of volcanoes, then destroyed them with hydrogen bombs.
Okay, you get my point.

But what if these claims are untrue? What if these descriptions are nothing more than a vast smear campaign on the part of Viacom and Time Warner? I recall reading an interview with Tom Cruise wherein he was asked if he really believed in the Xenu Story. Cruise became very, very upset and said he would not even respond to such a question. He then testily implied that in order for the conversation to continue, such questions would have to be taken off the table. I interpreted this hostile response as a “No, I don’t believe in Xenu and neither does the Church of Scientology.” This assumption was challenged, however, by claims of former Scientologists who say that no discussion of Xenu is permitted amongst lower ranking Scientologists of the spiritual hierarchy. Talking about Xenu prematurely, before being properly exposed to it as a highest level Scientologist, is a severe transgression.

More can be learned about this new religion from various blogs and interviews of former Scientologists. They all confirm the rumors: increasingly large amounts of money are involved to get to each level of the spiritual hierarchy, Scientologists are asked to “disconnect” from loved ones not indoctrinated in the Church, “fair game” practices do go on, and – here’s the kicker – the Xenu Story exists. Members of the highest levels believe it and protect it fiercely.
Clearly, this is a very unpleasant religion, which begs the question: Why do people stay? Well, they usually don’t. Scientology has a 95% turnover rate within 3-5 years. The number of truly active members is estimated to be only 50,000.

And why do those truly active members stay? I guess that’s a question for Paul Haggis who has, last month, renounced his membership in the Scientology community through an angry letter to one of their directors. He had been a believer for 35 years but, upon hearing that the Church of Scientology supported California’s Proposition 8 (which banned gay marriages), has renounced his membership on the grounds that he wanted nothing to do with a homophobic institution. There were other reasons as well, such as his disapproval of their “disconnection” practices which he and his wife were subjected to. In the letter, he also called them on the unethical act of publishing former members’ confessions and secrets in the press. Said Haggis: “That kind of character assassination is unconscionable.” No mention of the Xenu story however.

This is the last paragraph of Haggis’ defiant letter which has been going around the internet like wildfire:

The great majority of Scientologists I know are good people who are genuinely interested in improving conditions on this planet and helping others. I have to believe that if they knew what I now know, they too would be horrified. But I know how easy it was for me to defend our organization and dismiss our critics, without ever truly looking at what was being said; I did it for thirty-five years. And so, after writing this letter, I am fully aware that some of my friends may choose to no longer associate with me, or in some cases work with me. I will always take their calls, as I always took yours. However, I have finally come to the conclusion that I can no longer be a part of this group. Frankly, I had to look no further than your refusal to denounce the church’s anti-gay stance, and the indefensible actions, and inactions, of those who condone this behavior within the organization. I am only ashamed that I waited this many months to act. I hereby resign my membership in the Church of Scientology.

Hmm. That’s all very well and good, but did it really take him 35 years to realize this? Like his movie CRASH, this is a religion that is so clearly “obnoxious, hollow, and not at all as smart or important as it thinks it is.”

Al Gore: Carbon Billionaire?

The New York Times has recently printed an article noting the vast amount of wealth Al Gore is making from his environment-promoting investments

(http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/business/energy-environment/03gore.html?bl).

Basically, Nobel-prize-winning, former American Vice President Al Gore …

1. is a partner of a venture capital firm called Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, which provides capital for Silicon Valley companies and the like.

2. Kleiner Perkins backs the company SILVER SPRING NETWORKS, which makes hardware and software for efficient electricity grids, to the tune of $75 million.

3. SILVER SPRINGS NETWORKS has retained Al Gore and another partner of Kleiner Perkins as unpaid corporate advisors.

4. Last week, the U.S. Energy Department announced that $3.4 billion would be set aside for smart grid grants. More than $560 million of this will go to utilities with which SILVER SPRING has contracts.

5. This means that Al Gore and his firm Kleiner Perkins will mostly likely make tons and tons of money.

6. Some Republicans are unhappy about this. They claim him to be a “carbon billionaire” profiting from policies he supports. Note: Gore does not actually endorse or promote anything as a paid elected official. He is a private citizen with no representational obligations.

7. Some Republicans have insinuated or outright accused Al Gore of unethically profiting from recent initiatives – basically saying that Gore had intentionally promoted causes specifically because those causes are linked to his own investments.

8. Right-wing pundits on the radio and in the blogosphere are going crazy about “the Global Warming Scam” and are comparing Gore to Ponzi scheme defrauder Bernie Madoff.

TO THE DETRACTORS: Give me a break. Gore is only putting his money where his mouth is. What do they expect him to do -- invest in coal? Yes, he's making a lot of money out of it. But it’s not “dirty” money, it’s clean – pun intended. As he is no longer an elected official, he doesn't have conflict of interest issues to deal with (nor should he). This is NOT Halliburton and Al Gore is NOT Dick Cheney. Know the difference. Furthermore, Al Gore did not spend the last 8 years educating the world about global warming as some sort of convoluted, unnecessarily arduous strategy to make more money through Kleiner Perkins – that would be ludicrous. And understand that Global Warming is not a part of some vast, enviro-fascist conspiracy propounded by an international cabal of greedy meteorologists, marine biologists, and wildlife refuge caretakers.

Yellow Supremacy, God's Mistakes, and Savvy Rednecks

As you all know, I’ve been quite fascinated with white hate groups in America. Ethnic supremacy, I always thought, was an attitude invented and practiced by disenfranchised white people and that racial exceptionalism was a concept that “belonged” to the whites. Wrong! As it turns out, South Koreans have their elitism as well. Apparently, South Koreans take great pride in their so-called “ethnic homogeneity” and have mixed feelings (pun intended) about the influx of non-Koreans pouring into the country to fill low status jobs. But this goes beyond the usual xenophobia because the emphasis here is on “pure-blood” nationalism. Hmmm. Could it be that because Korea has been invaded by both the Chinese and Japanese, the result is that sexual slavery and rape of Korean woman were all too familiar over the centuries ... and that this current wave of racial purity is overcompensation? Korean women who were forced into sexual slavery in China or who served as “comfort women” in Japan were ostracized and stigmatized for giving birth to “mixed” offspring and for having, literally, slept with the enemy. They were seen as tainted and their children were viewed as shameful mongrels. This contempt carries to the present day where Korean women who socialize in public with a foreigner – regardless of socioeconomic status -- are given dirty looks and may even experience verbal and physical assault. To marry a foreigner is the ultimate act of not only patriotic betrayal, but racial betrayal as well. Even North Korea is neurotically eugenical: Korean women who return home pregnant after going to China to find food are forced to get abortions lest the Korean gene pool become contaminated. Wow.

Switching over to America, I found this marvelous clip of Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich ripping an anti-health-care-reform “doctor” another asshole. Enjoy!

Next: Surprise surprise! Another bigoted American Christian! Here’s the “kinder, gentler” spin on homophobia:

Finally: Who says rednecks have to be stupid? Not me! And apparently not a lot of really smart, progressive, rural Americans. Check out The Blog of The Week: http://www.hillbillyreport.org/

5 Random Thoughts

1. Everyone thinks the feminist movement happened because of white women writers and activists like Gloria Steinem, Simone De Beauvoir, and Betty Friedan. But it didn’t happen that way. It wasn’t that sexy. Rather, it was economic. The white middle class was having a harder and harder time maintaining itself. A middle class lifestyle is expensive. You have these huge mortgages. Two car payments have to be made. The fucking living room has to be redecorated. Then you have to pay for your kids’ college tuitions while saving up for retirement. At a certain point, during the 60s, white male suburbanites said to their wives, “Look, I can’t do this by myself anymore. You gotta get a job. You gotta pull your own weight here or I’m gonna die from a heart attack at 50.” So the wives started working too. But they were hardly revolutionary; if anything, they were behind the curve on this one. Black women and working class white women always had to work beside their husbands. They never had the luxury to be stay-at-home moms. I mean, don’t get me wrong: I love the intellectual feminists; they’re eloquent writers and very inspirational. However, they were hardly the core.

2. My Thursday afternoon women’s support group is the only real face-to-face socializing I have in my life. I love it. The only thing I noticed, though, is that there’s a lot of empty talk and whining without any attempt to get real solutions. It’s weird. It can be very supportive and emotional, but it’s meaningless. I mean, Monica’s lamenting the fact that she’s been with the same guy for the last 15 years and during this time he’s cheated on her five times. Five times?! She’s crying and crying about it, but nobody’s asking her why she’s stayed with this loser for so long. What is she getting out of this? Fifteen years is a long time to be dating someone. Dating is what you do in high school and your early twenties. It’s not where you want to be when you’re 40 years old! And then there’s this other woman whose name I can never remember. She loves to hear herself talk and can hog up the entire 90 minutes without anyone making any attempt to shut her up. In our last meeting she went on and on about her stupid cat and how it’s a shame people don’t hold the door for others anymore. Who cares?! Why are we putting up with this? This happens a lot. People crying about their horrible, fucked up childhoods. Just move on already.

3. But back to the whole women’s issues thing. I’ll always be a feminist and I think most people, men or women, are even if they don’t realize it. But does feminism, the way it has evolved, address the issues in my life? So much energy is spent talking about how women are hitting a glass ceiling at the office, never getting the corner office or their own parking space in the corporate garage. This is so far removed from what I’m concerned about. I mean, I’m not climbing anywhere so there’s never been a glass ceiling to hit. And then you see these successful businesswomen getting together for lunch, talking about the diamond rings they’re going to buy for themselves without men or a marriage to necessitate it. Is this what feminism has come to mean? That now women can be materialistic, corporate assholes just like their male counterparts?

4. At first I was really alarmed about the rise in hate groups in this country. I still am, but now I feel really bad for them. They’re poor white people who have been poor for generations and they’re sick of it. The world is changing so rapidly and they’re afraid, correctly, that they’re being left behind and nobody cares about them. So they’re afraid AND angry. The white-supremacist movement is the only thing that really addresses their needs, as misguided as it is. In the last election neither Obama or McCain talked about poverty. They only addressed middle class concerns. But the more I read about the white supremacist movement, the more I see how much they have in common with radical Muslim terrorists. This is what naturally happens when frustration and rage becomes organized. There should an international Poor People’s Party that incorporates the socialist ideals of these hate groups with the commonality of poverty of people all over the globe. Everywhere you look, in developed countries and undeveloped countries, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poor. Poor white Americans have more in common with textile workers in Thailand than they do with their better-off brethren.

5. The secret history of the American educational system is very interesting. I didn’t know until I went to grad school that in the beginning of our Republic, school teachers were primarily men who were very learned, intellectual, and passionate about their profession. It was a calling and they wanted to change the world by making Americans well educated. But this bothered those in power. They were afraid of what that would mean, to have an informed public. For example, coal miners might read about Marxism and form unions. People would question the practice of forced child labor. Things like that. So they got rid of these men and replaced them with women who were poorly trained, had not gone to college (many times having only an 8th grade education themselves), and became teachers only because they were merely spinsters and didn’t have a husband to take care of them. Naturally, the quality of schools in this country plummeted and teaching became less respected. Salaries for teachers decreased as well. That was intentional. It’s only fairly recently that men have returned to teaching in public schools so that now we have men and women entering this profession who are properly trained, college educated, and passionate about what they do.

5 Areas Where Liberals Sort of Agree with Neo-Nazis

As you all know, I’ve been visiting a lot of white supremacist sites. It’s pretty much the usual schtick (pun intended) over and over again by poor marginalized white people. The Jews control everything and black people are just slightly advanced chimpanzees. If you were a rabid Muslim terrorist who wanted to prove that Americans were evil and ignorant, you’d pretty much point to these people. But anyway, I did notice a few things that prove the whole “politics makes strange bedfellows” cliché …

1. Both Liberals and Neo-Nazis opposed the Invasion of Iraq. Basically the Neo-Nazis support any Arab country because they all oppose Israel. Neo-Nazis express great concern about the plight of the Palestinians and feel that Iran is not the nuclear threat as described by the Jewish-controlled media. They feel that American foreign policy in the Middle East is wrongly shaped by Zionist interests. Liberals also opposed the Invasion of Iraq on the grounds that it was an unprovoked attack and that it overstepped the boundaries of international law. Liberals too are suspicious of the American government’s motives, and feel our actions in the Middle East are fueled by oil company greed and imperialism. They too feel our country’s foreign policy is wrongly shaped – but by the neocons (of whom many are Jewish – Paul Wolfowitz, Irving Kristol, to name a few). Liberals also oppose an attack on Iran and feel that the U.S. is overly paranoid about their nuclear capabilities and actual threat.

2. Both hate Eminem. To the Neo-Nazis, Eminem has betrayed the white race by adopting and endorsing a black form of music. They call him a “whigger” – a white nigger, or a white person who emulates black culture to an obsessive degree. Liberals hate him because his lyrics have been misogynistic and homophobic.

3. Both want to open up elections for third-party candidates. No need for explanation. The Neo-Nazis would probably nominate NSM leader Jeff Schoep, whereas the liberals would nominate Ralph Nader.

4. Both feel the media is controlled by the few. As usual, the Neo-Nazis point to the Jewish elite in Hollywood and beyond. Liberals point to the two or three multinational media conglomerates such as Time Warner and Viacom.

5. Both hate the Republican Party. As far as liberals go, this is a no-brainer. But neo-Nazis hate the Republican Party and former president George W. Bush because they view them as beholden to Jewish/Zionist influence– hence the wars in the Middle East that serve to protect Israel. They also feel that the conservatives and their party have betrayed them because, in their eyes, the Republican Party used to be the party of the white Christian people, but now they are in bed with the Jews and other non-whites, as evidenced by the presence of both Collin Powell and Condeleeza Rice in the Bush Administration. I would even go out on a limb and say that the Neo-nazis probably hate the Republican Party even more than the liberals do, if that is possible.

Question of the Day

"Why is it that when a black man wants to preserve his culture and heritage it's a good thing, but when a white person wants the same thing, we're called haters?" -- Thomas Robb, the national director of the Knights Party (an offshoot of the Klu Klux Klan).

The Rise of Hate Groups in America

Last year, about this time when I was in art therapy, one of my fellow patients commented that she hoped Obama would win because it would improve race relations. She was one of those old-school liberals who was still stuck in the 1970s. She always got on my nerves. For example, she was of Chinese descent so she was absolutely thrilled when Beijing hosted the summer Olympic Games. Now, why should a country, which is not even a democracy and is one of the worst human rights violators in the world (according to Amnesty International), even be considered for this? I thought it was a travesty. Then, there was that controversy over whether or not the female Chinese gymnasts were even old enough to compete. When various judges expressed suspicion, she insinuated that those claims were somehow political. Excuse me, but anybody could see that the Chinese were flat-out lying. Those girls were NOT 16 years old (the minimum age requirement); rather, they were more like 11 or 12 – 14 at the most. It was obvious. So then, with all seriousness, she says, “Yes, but Chinese girls mature later in life and I don’t think the western officials are taking this into account.” What the fuck?!!

Anyway, back to Obama. I didn’t see then what she meant about his nomination improving race relations. Did she really think that his becoming President would cause white people to say to themselves, Gee, I guess I’m starting to like black people more? Would black people say to themselves, Gee, I guess white people are coming around? Furthermore, what’s wrong with race relations in this country? I don’t recall hearing about any race-related riots in the streets. It’s not like this is the early 90s and O.J. Simpson just got away with murder. It’s not like there’s turmoil in the ghetto because the police who beat up Rodney King just got let off the hook. I agree that the early 90s was something of a nadir in black and white relations. But it was 2008 when we had this conversation and she didn’t seem to realize that the issues had changed.

As it turns out, we were both wrong.

While much of America is rejoicing the election of a very different kind of politician (myself included), the flip side is that there has been a surge in hate group and Neo-Nazi support. In fact, the day after Obama’s election, the Aryan Nation reported so much traffic to their website, their server crashed. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the numbers of individuals linked to openly racist organizations has increased by 54% since 2000. This dovetails with the findings of the Department of Homeland Security, who are just as concerned about internal terrorism as they are about external. Today there are approximately 926 hate/white supremacist/neo-Nazi groups across the United States. California and Texas have the most – 84 and 66 respectively. North Dakota, Wyoming, and New Mexico only have one or two each.

I decided to check out some of these hate sites. The American Nazi Party website is pretty minimalist and short on information. In fact, it’s downright boring. You can order a copy of MEIN KAMPF and some other standard literature, but there isn’t much to actually read on the site, strangely enough. So I bopped on over to the Aryan Nation website, which looks like it might have been designed by the Hell’s Angels. The color scheme is atrocious -- there’s way too much black and not enough red or white. That was a turn-off right away. There’s a section called NEEDFUL THINGS where they ask for donations (used furniture, old computers, calculators, etc.), as well as a FORUM and ACTIVIST TIPS. Stuff like that. It’s a practical website, but short on political content.

By far the most thorough and articulate hate website belongs to the National Socialist Movement, which seems to be somewhat “assimilationist” and, from what I can tell by their photo gallery, is more youth-oriented. They have a blog which is updated frequently, although nobody ever comments (kind of like here!). There is also a FAQ section, a 25 Point Party Thesis, and an extensive, alphabetized article list (“Jokes,” “The Jewish Child Porn Industry,” “Eugenics,” “The Failure of Multiculturism” etc.). I searched and searched and searched and could not find their economic stance, in spite of the fact that they have the word “Socialist” in their name. They’re very vocal and opinionated about everything else (The War in Iraq, Donald Rumsfeld, lactose intolerance, Katrina …), but for some reason won’t say anything about economic policy. This was annoying. On Youtube you can see clips of them marching on Washington saying they’re not about violence, they only want to advance the White Race peacefully and democratically, etc. They definitely know how to market themselves and, in my opinion, are the most dangerous because of their sophistication. Clearly, they are the user-friendly version of hate.

I wish I was savvy enough to hack into their sites and take them down, but alas, my technical skills are pretty limited. I have been tempted to become a member so I could lurk in their forums, but I’m paranoid they can see my IP address. So instead, I’ve been reading a lot of information on the Internet. All the news sources say the same thing – hate groups are on the rise in America because there’s the perfect storm of: 1) poor economy; 2) much debate over immigration and illegal aliens (especially as they relate to homeland security); and 3) the election of an intellectual black man in the White House. I would also put my two cents in and add my theory that the world is going through so much stark, dramatic change both nationally and globally that lower income, uneducated white people feel they are being left out and left behind. They are frightened and mad. Not surprisingly, the Secret Service have had to work extra hard to keep the President safe because there are more death threats than usual for an American leader.

So all of this is pretty disturbing. Call me naïve, but I didn’t think white people like this still existed in such abundance. They are probably exaggerating their popularity (as are the civil rights groups who monitor them), but the sheer number of documented groups across the country is shocking. I can see why the Department of Homeland Security is so concerned. After all, the first real terrorist attack on our soil was committed by the American militant Timothy McVeigh (although, to the best of anyone’s knowledge, he did not have racist beliefs). But in a way I’m glad this stuff is out in the open. People like this should be identifiable. I think that censoring them or jailing them would just force them to go underground where they would morph into terrorist groups. Frankly, I’m surprised they haven’t already. That would be the new frontier

Sarah Palin To Guest on Oprah Show in November

I went to the Oprah website and read some of the 500 or so comments already piling up in response to this. I put in my two cents:

I voted for Barack Obama wholeheartedly, but I was extremely disappointed last year in how Oprah covered the Presidential Campaign, endorsing Barack Obama without giving the other candidates any air time on her show. It was unprofessional and I expected more from her. I also did not appreciate her telling me who I should vote for. It was disrespectful and insulting to my intelligence. There was much talk in the liberal media that no matter what she did -- endorse Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama -- she would have gotten a backlash from either the black community or women. But she would have avoided a lot of grief by not endorsing anyone at all and keeping her voting decisions to the privacy of a voting booth. That was the mistake -- not that she endorsed a particular person, but the fact that she endorsed someone in the first place. It was inappropriate. Am I happy she is having Sarah Palin on the show? Well, it's a little too late isn't it? Having said that, I think Sarah Palin is a disturbing individual, but she is a public figure in the news and therefore deserves coverage on this show.

White People Were Slaves Too

White Cargo - The Forgotten History of Britain’s White Slaves in America. By Don Jordan and Michael Walsh.

The New York Times Book Review By JOYCE HOR-CHUNG LAU; Published: April 27, 2008:

Every schoolchild recognizes certain images of this nation’s darker side: slaves kidnapped from their native lands, shipped in disease-ridden holds, traded like animals, and then whipped and worked on America’s plantations. Don Jordan and Michael Walsh, both of whom have made documentaries and both of whom live in London, retell that familiar tale — although the victims here are not Africans but English, Irish and Scottish people, sent to the colonies largely against their will in the 17th and 18th centuries.

“White Cargo” begins with the discovery of a 17th-century skeleton in Maryland in 2003; it turned out to be that of a boy, about 16 years old, who had suffered from tuberculosis and injuries consistent with hard labor. Presumably he had been a slave, since his body had not been properly buried, but thrown into the basement of a home near Annapolis, “in a hole under a pile of household waste.” He was northern European, probably British, one of tens of thousands of victims of a century-long practice, stretching from Boston to Barbados, that treated whites as slaves and that largely predated both the black slave trade and American independence.

Mainstream histories refer to these laborers as indentured servants, not slaves, because many agreed to work for a set period of time in exchange for land and rights. The authors argue, however, that slavery applies to any person who is bought and sold, chained and abused, whether for a decade or a lifetime. Many early settlers died long before their indenture ended or found that no court would back them when their owners failed to deliver on promises. And many never achieved freedom or the American dream they were seeking.

This vividly written book tells the tale from both sides of the Atlantic. Its condemnation is aimed at both American planters and the English elite, who were blinded by greed, arrogance and a desire to get rid of their “society’s sweepings.” Horribly, one of the first groups sent to America was made up of street children, ages 8 to 16, who arrived in 1619. This slave trade, which the authors say was often “dressed up in bright humanitarian clothes” for the public, later extended to beggars, Gypsies, prostitutes, dissidents, convicts and anyone else who displeased the upper classes. Founders like George Washington do not fare particularly well, but Sir John Popham and Oliver Cromwell come off worse. Benjamin Franklin is one of the few good guys.

“White Cargo” is meticulously sourced and footnoted — which is wise, given its contentious material — but it is never dry or academic. Quotations from 17th- and 18th-century letters, diaries and newspapers lend authenticity as well as color. Excerpts from wills, stating how white servants should be passed down along with livestock and furniture, say more than any textbook explanation could. The authors are not only historians, but also natural storytellers with a fine sense of drama and character.

Despite the heaviness of the subject matter, their playful way with words and love of literary allusion come through. There are kidnapping victims of the kind written about in Daniel Defoe’s “Colonel Jack,” and a tumultuous ocean voyage that may have inspired Shakespeare’s writing of “The Tempest.”

What little discussion there is about this forgotten bit of American history is sometimes linked to those with ulterior political motives, usually interested in delegitimizing current-day discourse about race or the teaching of black history. “White Cargo,” which was first published in Britain last year, has a refreshing sense of distance and neutrality. The authors take care to quote African-American sources and clearly state that they have no wish to play down the horrors of the much larger black slave trade that followed. If anything, Jordan and Walsh offer an explanation of how the structures of slavery — black or white — were entwined in the roots of American society. They refrain from drawing links to today, except to remind readers that there are probably tens of millions of Americans who are descended from white slaves without even knowing it.

-- The New York Times Book Review

Is the BBC Always This Stupid?

It’s September 11, 2001. In this clip, the BBC is reporting that a plan has crashed into the World Trade Center. You can see it on the live feed. Then, as the newscaster is talking, the second plane crashes into the second World Trade Center. But the newscaster, who obviously has no idea what she is doing, does not even notice this. And apparently, neither does anyone else at the fucking station! A good several minutes pass before they realize what has happened – probably because they learned it from other television news sources. They obviously are not even watching their own live feed. Then ,,,

… in this second clip, after they finally acknowledge the second plane crash, they spend several minutes marveling about the incredible coincidence of two planes crashing into the World Trade Center and one of the newscasters calls is “an unfortunate event.” Another newscaster says, “We have to wonder if this is deliberate.” They spend the next couple of minutes actually pondering whether or not this could be deliberate. Then their New York news correspondent, another genius, seriously raises the possibility that this is a “navigational error.” What?! I mean, it’s all happening live right in front of them and they think it could be two navigational errors in a row?!!! Then she says, “We don’t know if this is an attack at all.” Finally, the newscaster says, “We don’t know if this is deliberate, although that is the suspicion.”

How the fuck did she get her job?!! Who did she have to fuck to get her job?!!

Racist Liberals

I love group therapy. The women in it are cool, smart, wise, honest, and funny. We come from all ages and colors, but we can relate to each other on so many levels. The discussions can be almost like salons where we talk about not just the usual mental health issues, but about what’s going on in the world.

Today was especially good because we had a pretty decent turnout in spite of the rainy weather. We started talking about racism on the part of so-called enlightened liberals who treat people of color differently because they think they’re being culturally hip. Monica, who is of mixed Mexican and Scottish descent, has had the tedious experience of having to explain to (usually white) liberals that: 1) No, she doesn’t speak Spanish at all (to which they invariably reply, “Why not? Don’t you want to learn about your culture?); 2) No, she’s never been to Mexico (to which they invariably reply, “Why not? Don’t you want to learn about your culture?”); and 3) She doesn’t really eat or know how to cook Mexican food (“Why not? Don’t you want to learn about your culture?”).

These comments are typically followed by not-so-subtle insinuations that perhaps she is ashamed of her so-called cultural heritage. The subtext here is that, because she looks Mexican (dark hair and dark eyes), she is somehow obligated to be “ethnic” in ways we would never expect of white people (or, more specifically, European-Americans). Nobody ever says to white people, “How come you don’t speak German? And why have you never been to Berlin? And you don’t eat frankfurters? What’s wrong with you? Are you ashamed of your heritage?” Interestingly, when she informs them that she is also part Scottish, they shut up. They never expect her to identify her European roots. After all, they never do.

Monica is very smart. She said, “I think European Americans (because that is what white Americans should be called) are conflicted about being white. They never bother to learn about their own heritage and ancestors, but expect people of color to. As if, somehow, people of color can never be completely American, as if we are destined to somehow straddle two cultures. I was born and raised in the United States. I shouldn’t have to explain this to anyone.”

It’s racism, pure and simple. And it comes from liberals who think they’re “multicultural” and “worldly.” But a lot of those liberals have serious issues with their own American culture (which they refuse to acknowledge) and project a romantic notion on to other cultures. They cannot fathom that there are people of color who do not have issues with their own American identity. They do not see themselves as Mexican-Americans, Chinese-Americans, or African-Americans. They are simply “Americans.” Just like European Americans are simply “Americans.”

I know a lot of those liberals. I went to college with them. They were always so politically correct, always pointing out how progressive they were. Nobody could stand them. They could talk forever about poverty in the ghettos and infant mortality rates in the black community, but if you ever tried to get them to talk about poor white people, they could care less. Which is pretty racist.

And classist. Liberals hate to talk about class, lest it come to light just how privileged they are in comparison to their neer-do-well cousins living in trailers. They never want to admit that classism breeds racism, that racism is the product of classism – never the other way around. Suddenly, when it comes to this point, they become suspiciously un-intellectual. They won’t go there. It’s much more comforting to feel superior to the Ku Klux Klan and the Nazi Party while simultaneously being just a racist in their expectations and assumptions of what people of color are supposed to be.

Guess Who Said This

"I'm a Christian. And so, although I try not to have my religious beliefs dominate or determine my political views on this issue, I do believe that tradition, and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman."

My Neighbor Wants to Have Sex with Me

I keep telling myself I should have a lesbian fling (because you only live once), but I never get around to it and just don’t ever feel like it. I remember once, I was with a group of really cool actors in a closed off room at a bar. We started talking about sex while lounging on big purple velvet couches and sipping martinis. As it turned out, I was the only person there who had never been in an orgy, fucked someone on a plane, had anal sex, or made out with a woman. I felt so boring!

So yeah, I guess I’m not that sexually adventurous. A few opportunities have come my way, but I always passed them up. Practically out of sheer laziness. I figure, if I ever make love with a woman, it would have to be with Angelina Jolie. There’s really no other woman I would consider, but you never know. There was a show on OPRAH recently about straight women who thought they would never go for a woman, but then surprised themselves by falling in love with a lesbian who, for various reasons, proved to be the exception, the special one who made them switch teams. The affairs would go on for a year or so and then the straight woman would back to being straight. Hmm. Interesting.

So anyway, I’m writing all this because I recently had the following conversation with my friend Sara while we were on our way to I-Hop for breakfast:

Sara (out of nowhere): So, are you a dyke?

Me: No, but everyone thinks I am. I don’t care.

Sara: I’m not a dyke, but I’ve done certain things.

Me: Like what?

Sara: I’ve fooled around with women.

Me: Oh, well that’s not unusal. Most people experiment.

Sara: Do you?

Me: Nah. I never did. But I don’t judge people who do.

Sara: So you wouldn’t want to fool around then?

Me: Not really.

Sara: Have I offended you?

Me: No! Not at all. It’s very flattering actually.

Sara: I fool around with my best friend from high school and her husband at their house in Plainfield. I tried to get my husband to join us, but he won’t do it. He’s very conservative.

Mr: Hmm.

Sara: So, you wouldn’t want to do anything like that?

Me: No. But I’m not judging you, don’t worry.

Then I promised I’d take her to a lesbian bar on condition that we also go to a gay men’s bar because the music’s better over there.

In Case This Blog Gets Deleted ...

Go to www.orange5000.blogspot.com

Why? My Sitemeter records show that someone from Morristown, New Jersey with a certain IP address left comments here 2 months ago about quotes allegedly stolen from the compilation book of Keith Richards quotes by a certain author. This person, who found my blog by Googling “Keith Richards Quotes”, fervently insisted I take down the quotes. After much debate, it became clear that it was very possible this person was indeed the author of that book (judging by the apparent indignation and hostility). Then I did a quick search and read various articles written about that author that said she lives in Morristown, New Jersey -- a small rural community. I did not interpret that to be a coincidence.

Recently that same location and IP address left another comment promising to notify Rolling Stone magazine about alleged copyright infringement on my blog. The snarky tone was very familiar and I knew it was the same person as the first time. My Sitemeter confirmed this. This comment was in response to my post “What Is It About Keith Richards?” wherein I said that I had gotten grief over claims that I stole quotes from that book. That person reached this site by Googling the name of that book.

Then, even more recently, someone with that same location and IP address visited this blog for 30 minutes and looked at 8 pages – but left no comment. That person found this site by Googling her full name and my name. My guess is that during this last visit, she wasn’t just browsing – she was screen-capturing posts she felt infringed on copyright in order to fulfill her promise of contacting Rolling Stone magazine.

So to avoid even more headaches, I’ve deleted all posts that have even a remote possibility of bringing on litigation.

I should add here that my other blog, Orange5000, is pretty fucking cool. I posted some of my grad school papers for lost souls floundering in early British literature courses. I figure, with the world being as competitive as it is, and with standards being higher and less forgiving than ever, today’s young adult needs all the help he/she can get. I’m just helping them out. Of course, I prefer that students credit my blog and list me in their bibliographies, but if they have to flat-out plagiarize my scholarly papers out of sheer desperation and terror, then I would partly feel flattered (and, really, what can I do about it?).

So, bookmark it: www.orange5000.blogspot.com

4 Lists of 10

10 Things I Love That Everyone Hates (or pretends to hate):
1. TOP MODEL
2. Painfully skinny fashion models
3. The possibility of Paris Hilton venturing into serious acting
4. Fidel Castro
5. The Recession (everything is so cheap!)
6. White trash cooking
7. Old Nazi film footage
8. Disappointment over President Obama
9. Small, yappy dogs
10. Farting


10 Things You Should Do Before You Die:
1. Go on a safari
2. See The Rolling Stones in concert
3. Steal something expensive
4. Get to know your parents
5. Forgive your parents
6. Buy cowboy boots and a Stetson
7. Write a passionate letter to the editors of your favorite magazine
8. Adopt a homeless animal
9. Try marijuana and cocaine and Ecstasy (but not at the same time)
10. Tell a despised person exactly what you think of him/her


10 Overrated Things:
1. The Beatles
2. French food
3. Lip moisturizer (Vaseline works much better)
4. College
5. John F. Kennedy
6. Impressionism
7. Twitter
8. Punk rock
9. Andy Warhol’s silkscreens
10. Almost any book in the English Literature curriculum in American high schools (FRANKENSTEIN, THE GREAT GATSBY, and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD to name just a few)


10 Underrated Things:
1. Roxy Music (their romantic, lush sounds are endlessly influential)
2. Cilantro
3. Cliff’s Notes and the “… For Dummies” series
4. The color orange
5. The warm disposition of the English
6. George Michael (in the United States)
7. Semicolons
8. Astrology
9. Feminism
10. Jon Bon Jovi (a better-than-decent actor, passionate activist, philanthropist, devoted husband of more than 20 years, musician)