Nelson Lowhim's Blog, page 4

Acceptance

Nice. Have a short story accepted. First time in a while. I'll be back with more info as I get it. Peace. 
Enjoyed it? Share it via email, facebook, twitter, or one of the buttons below (or through some other method you prefer). Thank you! As always, here's the tip jar. paypal.me/nlowhim Throw some change in there & help cover the costs of running this thing. You can use paypal or a credit card.

20 years

r/askhistorians had already opened up the Iraq war for discussion. IOW it is part of history. Twenty years ago. For you younger people it may seem like a lifetime, but it's still part of our fabric (the reasons why we went to war, how consent was manufactured etc). But I do understand how it seems so far in the past that it really does seem past. But that only helps those who helped foment the war (and, note that all the cheerleaders are still with us and with cushy jobs while the dissenters are in the periphery). 
The 20 year mark (when I moved to the States, 20 years prior was in the thick of the Vietnam war and Nixon was in charge and to me, it seemed like that was ancient history) is also lots of reassessing, though not in any valuable terms that I see. I do see some name calling, but it's righteous and it doesn't properly deal with the sickness that led us to that war so easily. You know?
But I kinda want to tie in that war (and also the Afghan war) with the current one our leaders are trying to foment and have fomented (Taiwan and Ukraine). Yes there are some bad actors on the other side, but similar language is being used as in that war and the Afghan war. For the most part the people against the US provocations this time were front and center against the previous war (Iraq). 
But there do seem to be people who are at least posturing that they were right and anyone who was wrong was foolish (hint, I was wrong and have come to reevaluate all that brought me to that point). Which is fair, especially those who cheerled the war and were rewarded for it. But note that this man is pro establishment right now. 

When the West struggles and fails, it’s because of its decadence and senility, a sign of its imminent collapse, when it prevails, it’s because of its dastardly wiles and the limitlessness of its ill-gotten resources. Russia’s appeal in the West, which crosses the traditional boundaries of right and left, is irresistible for those who believe the worst crime imaginable is Western hypocrisy. Since this hypocrisy is the only unforgivable sin

[1]
That is vis a vis the Ukraine war. And in that piece he talks of the one thing most dissenting voices were wrong about: that Putin wouldn't invade. But doesn't talk about any other issues that they (Ray McGovern etc) have brought up (missiles, US first strike policy etc etc). IOW, if he was right about Iraq (good for him) in what ways was he right and what did he critique specifically before the war (no known writings available for that time, tbf) or the sanctions before that? 
All this matters and would be great to look into, but all I see is (even with google searching certain time periods) this guy who knows how to be loud and troll and be right for a brief moment on a trending topic and... well fuck, I guess that is what wins, isn't it? Then you get others agreeing with him and stroking their whatever's to seem that smart. All just nuts, you know? Just scream in the right way for the mob to scream with you, doesn't matter what your previous stances were or are and... there's the success button. Maybe it was always this way (see the columnist below... who has been wrong many times, but does a different, less brainstem based scream, called the Times column). 
But for now, I'll leave this other cheerleading fool, who's got plenty of $$ for his troubles. (and I haven't even gotten into SVB which is another crazy thing and means we actually don't have enough $$ to cover even 250k deposits of cash... so? Guess who suffers, right?)
[1] What can I say about the article in that it at least holds its own refutation. In that the author claims that people can make statements and never have to disavow them because they weren't being serious. Sigh. And I'm not even going to start with what seems to be another liberal obsession: Calling Putin a war criminal while hand waving what we've done. Including straight threatening the ICC with invasion if they try something, then laying sanctions on them when they did. The main point that does acknowledge this is that, well that's wrong, but we shouldn't let Putin get away with X. Sure I'm all for that, but with the US using this as a tool, why confer it any legitimacy? Once again, one must look at their own sins first. 


Enjoyed it? Share it via email, facebook, twitter, or one of the buttons below (or through some other method you prefer). Thank you! As always, here's the tip jar. paypal.me/nlowhim Throw some change in there & help cover the costs of running this thing. You can use paypal or a credit card.

Another Bailout. I'm Shocked.

Same song as before. When the big dogs need to get bailed out the cries of moral hazards or inflation or whatever are drowned out by "won't you think of the millionaires"? Furthermore, it is followed by cries that any talk of letting the superrich feel the whip of harsh capitalism is akin to wanting to eliminate the kulaks. 
Right. 


Because they change their tune when it's time to bail anyone out who isn't rich enough for their dinners. 
And note that they have, again, done this after pulling regulations (are these regulations coming back? Even if we blame Trump for pulling them, we can blame Biden for not putting them back). 



Happened in 08, 20, and now 23. 
And it ain't over yet. They're already blaming wokeism (BJG with a beautiful moment [1]where she asks someone to define it and... just like cancel culture, no one can define it at all). And like before they'll blame a few other weak groups before it's over (but only after their bailouts are through, then they attack like the viscous beasts they are... because capitalism or something). 
Makes one's head spin, right? Just another rerun. How does one deal with it? How do you?
But for this one, I'll go ahead and send you to Doctorow. He nails it all. And has this great point:

But they're missing it in a useful way. Like any weird sign, these bad takes teach us a lot about how the people who utter them model our own beliefs. They think that people like smart gadgets. They think that we don't want the finance sector reformed. They think that we're motivated by schadenfreude, which means that they also think we've forgotten about broken student debt promises, about robosigning and the foreclosure epidemic. They think we are fully onboard with rugged individualism for the poor and socialism for the rich.

These bad takes reveal a profoundly out-of-touch elite, the spiritual descendants of the French aristos who went to the guillotine with sincerely baffled hearts, unable to imagine why anyone would be this angry at them.

[1]note how this person comes for BJG for calling out a centrist for being full of 💩. She calls her a propagandist etc when the people she has hosted aren't Russian or propagandists. I'll also say that this is the same for all the wars our elites want (and even if some of the GOP is against our current Ukrainian war, they want to focus on China... like the dems saying let's leave Iraq and focus on Afghanistan 10 years back... that was wrong too btw): call anyone who doesn't back it a person for the other side. It boggles the mind to see it repeated over and over, tbf. When the war goes bad, then you can blame a few people for a wrong decisions (bonus points to blame those who didn't back it as somehow having the power to derail it all) but never the overall idea of the war. And never punish anyone who backed the war with something like consequences of their actions... a little like the bailout situation. 
Enjoyed it? Share it via email, facebook, twitter, or one of the buttons below (or through some other method you prefer). Thank you! As always, here's the tip jar. paypal.me/nlowhim Throw some change in there & help cover the costs of running this thing. You can use paypal or a credit card.

We're all apes, act accordingly... part N+1

Reading the internets, you get lots of people (ostensibly they sound less like shills/paid bots, especially when compared to those who are parroting the pro-Ukraine war stuff) jumping in with our elites who want a war with China. Just feel like I'm taking crazy pills, but why do people jump in with what our elites want when it's obviously just another ploy to rob from us all? This article here sums it up better. It truly is another attempt to take money for the superrich. Don't fall for it. 
Enjoyed it? Share it via email, facebook, twitter, or one of the buttons below (or through some other method you prefer). Thank you! As always, here's the tip jar. paypal.me/nlowhim Throw some change in there & help cover the costs of running this thing. You can use paypal or a credit card.

Damn

There are some who claim (pretty credibly[1]) that it's just what our elites wanted to hoist upon us, but damn, I'm reading King Lear and dammit it all if that isn't some good shit. I haven't read him in some time. Watched plays and all, but reading him, and rereading each line trying to get the meaning is good for the mind [2]. 
[1] Terry Eagleton's Literary Theory is solid in this regard. Essentially Shakespeare was anointed as the one true "word" mainly because it was a substitute for religious indoctrination that was phasing out "a post-Christian era, he was a proponent of the view that literature was the last refuge of truth, beauty, and the pastoral values that provide sustenance to the soul rather than carefully counted coins to the purse."
read the book, it's great
[2] and I'm sure you can say it's good because there has been some training in me to see this has some sign of class or what have you ,but so what? It's still good IMO. And I can't say that for loads of other classics that I read or are touted as such. 
Enjoyed it? Share it via email, facebook, twitter, or one of the buttons below (or through some other method you prefer). Thank you! As always, here's the tip jar. paypal.me/nlowhim Throw some change in there & help cover the costs of running this thing. You can use paypal or a credit card.

Interactive Fiction

Worked on a short version of interactive fiction. I'm going to completely work through this one then try and improve with a longer version. I'll also add that I'm going to go back and look at howling dogs again. A really brilliant piece (best short story I've read in a long time?). It isn't about the choices, but what you learn. And, tbf, when have I ever read a short in the past decade that I wanted to revisit this much? Speaks volumes, IMO. 
Enjoyed it? Share it via email, facebook, twitter, or one of the buttons below (or through some other method you prefer). Thank you! As always, here's the tip jar. paypal.me/nlowhim Throw some change in there & help cover the costs of running this thing. You can use paypal or a credit card.

Rogue Ukrainians?

Looks like there's an intel leak saying that it was rogue Ukrainians (but also possibly Russian nationals?!). Seems odd. And wouldn't there be more of a reaction if the people we're giving weapons and $$$ to are possibly going rogue and attacking NATO nations? So, if this is true (I'd say low odds, and much less than Hersh's story), we'd have to believe that the US is peachy with it, or doesn't want to dig too deep. Furthermore, it could very well be partially true (use of Ukrainians as plausible deniability for the US). We'll see. 
Enjoyed it? Share it via email, facebook, twitter, or one of the buttons below (or through some other method you prefer). Thank you! As always, here's the tip jar. paypal.me/nlowhim Throw some change in there & help cover the costs of running this thing. You can use paypal or a credit card.

working on it.

IF, will improve it as time goes on. Enjoy it. 

Enjoyed it? Share it via email, facebook, twitter, or one of the buttons below (or through some other method you prefer). Thank you! As always, here's the tip jar. paypal.me/nlowhim Throw some change in there & help cover the costs of running this thing. You can use paypal or a credit card.

Really? Webbots?

Maybe that will improve in the future. But bots spamming this blog with its on purposefully low (can't be crawled anymore no tracking that I have allowed etc) audience is some dumb stuff. So please stop. That is all. 
Enjoyed it? Share it via email, facebook, twitter, or one of the buttons below (or through some other method you prefer). Thank you! As always, here's the tip jar. paypal.me/nlowhim Throw some change in there & help cover the costs of running this thing. You can use paypal or a credit card.

More Visual Text.

Feel like there's a better name for this. Viztext? naw sounds like 90s e somethingness... graphic text tales....Vitexttales? Visual tale? I don't know. But have another piece published here. Yay. Get the prints here. Should be a print of this specific one in a few. Enjoy!
Enjoyed it? Share it via email, facebook, twitter, or one of the buttons below (or through some other method you prefer). Thank you! As always, here's the tip jar. paypal.me/nlowhim Throw some change in there & help cover the costs of running this thing. You can use paypal or a credit card.