There’s these US Coast Guard ads running on local radio; these short audio vignettes of Coasties in action, with voiceovers from both some parochial voice and declarations of role from (apparently) young serving Coasties themselves.
Example: (audio track of helicopters and waves, “We’ve got, you, ma’am”, etc.) Young voice: “We are the rescuers!”; (audio of clanging bootsteps, radio static, “Looks like 80 kilos, sir”), voice: “We’re keeping the streets clean!”, (audio of more bootsteps and generalized firearms-readying, “Sector 8 is clear!”), voice: “We are the first line of homeland defence!”, Parochial bit: “The US Coast Guard: On the frontlines to protect our American way of life.”
Now, whoa there. Being a mariner, i have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for the branches of the USCG who man and service Lights & Aids, who perform Search & Rescue, and who regulate and administer marine traffic and safety. But this paramilitary “On the frontlines” BS? Gimme a break.
So, everyone knows by now that the USCG is a branch of Homeland Security, which to me sounds like the emphasis has shifted from those traditional and honourable roles to all this drug-sniffing, terrorist-busting, self-fulfilling “threatened security” fantasy. Hell i always thought that the American Way Of Life (AWOL?) was all about drugs, violence, and hedonism anyways. Yeah, i know the dream is supposed to read something like, “Here is the land of opportunity for the average guy to work hard and realize all his dreams”, but in modern parlance it sounds more like, “Here is the land of opportunity for the rich to get richer and blow it all on gluttonous excess”. More recently, it’s starting to sound like, “Here is the land of homogenization and Federal ID systems, where the best bet for the average guy to get steady work is with some contracted paramilitary security firm”.
Every time i hear some voice calmly invoking the thrall of “homeland”, i’m immediately reminded of another land, a “fatherland” in the central Europe of the 1930’s.
August 7, 2005
your papers, please
August 4, 2005
analogize this
sudden flash in de ol’ brainpan:
Anyone who knows me halfways well knows that i have this penchant for explaining things and thoughts through analogy. All aspie-like, this is probably ’cause i’ve subconciously learned that an analogy is more contextual than my simply babbling. It also suddenly dawns on me that perhaps i do this because that’s about the only way i can manage to explain things to myself. What’s this? Um, yeah… i don’t understand some things, unless i can manage to explain them to myself in terms and context that i can comprehend. Well, it makes sense to me, anyways…
August 2, 2005
song o’ the week
The song o’ the week is Louis Armstrong’s “A Kiss To Build A Dream On“. Heard a touch of this on a commercial or something, and it just flicked a switch or something. i have distinct memories of the two times/places in my life when/where i listened to plenty of Louis; always the usual greatest hits cd… can’t recall if this cut was ever on that disc, but it’s certianly stuck in my head now.
August 1, 2005
everything that’s wrong with the world
Okay. This is evil in it’s most subtle and sublime form, don’t you think? “Mommy, mommy! i wanna be a multi-disciplinary championship eater when i grow up!” C’MON, PEOPLE! GET A GRIP!! (the sounds of purging echo dully in the background…)
