On a dear friend's page there's discussion, and comments about Vegas. Many feel calling this the "worse" mass killing in American history is profoundly false. Posters gave many examples of the mass killings of native people, and blacks as to the racist falseness of the claim.
The worse mass killing of U.S. citizen by other citizens was our Civil War.
"Vegas" was perhaps the "worst" of the Modern Era.
That era being roughly 1950 to the present. The Texas university tower the many school, and job shootings Attica Sandy Hook Orlando, and such. In this category yes Vegas is the worst of the "modern era".
However if one counts from the start. From the beginnings of European colonizing North America. Then "Vegas" is less than a paper burn.
Also Americans don't know theirs or anyone else's history. So the destruction of the Black community in Tulsa at the turn of the 20th century or Wounded Knee in the 19th would only get blank stares.
This categorizing of Vegas as the "worse" other than being overtly racist. Is rather mere tailoring to what a contemporary U.S. audience would understand. Progressive objections not withstanding.
You want folks to understand who they are, and what they did,...tell them in a way they'd listen.
As opposed to just yelling "Murderer" in their faces.
They'll reject this, and walk away their ignorance intact. The far left, and right of this era are both narrow intolerant hostile cults living in the sewage of their sealed bubbles. Another way has to be found,...one that works. I believe our lives, and the continuance of our Republic depends on this.
More comments:
From Miguel.
It's all Americans that are the problem. Simple as that. All the other variables are present in other countries, but the mass killings aren't. So, logically, it's Americans that are the problem.
But while we're here - the mass killing in Las Vegas was done by one person. Comparing it with mob or military actions is meaningless. But it's still just Americans murdering people. Americans love to murder.
From Uncle.
This is how a drone pilot can sit comfortably in an air conditioned control room in Kansas. That, and kill individuals or whole villages a world away then go home to dinner, and TV. So long as we personally don't get splattered, ...on with the show. I'm not saying we can't change.
It's just right now we see no reason to.
An addendum.
The whole "Star Wars" mythology comes to mind. Looking at it objectively it's about a "Forever War". One that exterminates whole planets at a time. Sometimes blows planets up. This with no acknowledgment of what just was portrayed before our eyes. The instant fiery deaths of millions of species great, and small, and the extinguishment of trillions of living beings. Instead it just cuts to a love scene. Though overlaid with the romanticism of knights, and villains. That American infotainment mythology commits mass genocide as a matter of course.
That's us. This is why generations identify with , and love it. Btw the world loves it too. The world is fascinated by our covert culture of mass death. We're the greatest show on Earth.
From Miguel.
I don't love it. And I don't know anyone who does to be honest.
From Uncle.
Granted,...but money talks. These guys get most of their loot from overseas sales. People aren't less murderous in other nations. They just don't actually go out, and do it. That where we're different. If we were a person we'd be in intensive psychiatric care. This because we're a profound danger to ourselves, and others.
From David.
Las Vegas Is Only the Deadliest Shooting in US History Because They Don’t Count Black Lives
From Uncle.
Yes David exactly. They still don't. My post was just putting it in the perspective of our country as it is. Most don't know the history of the country, and don't care. Each murderous event is a separate bubble. Which bursts, and is forgotten till next time. The who, and why is not important. It was just another show.
(...So ends the Sermon.)
5 comments:
Thank you for this post.
I seen my job, and I done it.
Miguel’s right, Americans are the problem. There’s a reason we’re attracted to fundamentalist science fiction like Star Wars (as Alan Moore rightly called it). We desperately need a new & better paradigm, but will never get one. Mass shootings like Vegas might just be extreme examples of our tantrum politics.
Commie journalist Andre Vltchek makes a good case that the USA is basically a colonialist imperialist project of European diaspora, which goes a long way toward explaining our history’s very substantial bad parts. This is the Anglo-American empire, and empires are not democratic humanitarian organizations, but very much the reverse.
Furthermore, we’re dished. We’ve conned ourselves with the delusional American Dream, and believe in capitalism like a religion when we need to treat it like the dog poop that it is.
I fancy the future organization of this continent will be regional rather than national. Even Europe shows signs of fracturing. I fancy the future will be... interesting.
Z
"Things fall apart the center cannot hold".
When da fuck are these jerks going to get that.
Family Tribe Village Nation Empire. Okay been there done that. rather than going back to the stone age hunter gatherers which many seem romantically attracted to. The American gun culture being at heart just this.
So instead of wearing bear skins using flintlocks, and eating anybody we can trap. maybe there something better beyond "Empire' as opposed to behind it. No clue about the next step, but clearly there 'is' a next step if we the fucking imagination to figure it out.
Look if we could invent racism antrax bombs, and income tax. We can invent the "Next Step".
Yeah, there’ll be a next step. Something will arise to displace capitalism, because the latter’s days are numbered. It’ll be dead by century’s end, most likely.
I believe the usual thing is a spell of dark age warlordism followed by some kind of feudalism. I hope we get something other than feudalism because that’s so boring - been there done that.
But the warlords are already here. We call them narco-traffickers, but they’re warlords sure enough; dope is just their current handiest source of revenue. They’ll branch out in a big way when the time is ripe. There comes a point in decline when supporting one gang of crooks, like our current rulers, actually becomes more onerous than supporting Attila and *his* gang. Then the people stop supporting the former, who get their throats cut, and Attila takes over. But we’re not quite there yet.
I’d like to see a viable alternative to capitalism, maybe based on local currencies or something like that. Marxism won’t answer because it assumes an industrial base, which is going away. Some regions and countries will find their way, others will flounder. History is complicated.
Z
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