Thom Dunn is a Boston-based writer, musician, and utterly terrible dancer. He is the singer/guitarist for the indie rock/power-pop the Roland High Life, as well as a staff writer for the New York Times’ Wirecutter and a regular contributor at BoingBoing.net. Thom enjoys Oxford commas, metaphysics, and romantic clichés (especially when they involve whiskey), and he firmly believes that Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" is the single greatest atrocity committed against mankind. He is a graduate of Clarion Writer's Workshop at UCSD ('13) & Emerson College ('08).
I've been working on this very important research for a year now, and I'm proud to finally share the truth with the world: how Smash Mouth tried to warn us about climate change & modern anti-intellectualism 20 years ago with a little song called "All Star."
This is a very serious work, and you’re welcome for my sacrifice.
Read MoreOnce there was a Russian tree
and she loved a little boy
and everyday the boy would come
and beg the tree for dirt on Hillary Clinton.
The storyteller in me is always interested in what goes on in other people’s heads. There are various cliches about how every villain is a hero in their own story, and I generally think that’s true — both in fiction, and in real life.
And as more and more information comes out about the whole Russia-Trump-Comey-Hillary-Email-Clusterfuck, I think it’s important for us all to remember that these are actual human beings, who, like all of us, are often forced to make decisions with limited time and with even more limited information, and that sometimes, they get it wrong.
(Except for Trump, obviously; he’s little more than a spoiled chaos demonbaby in the middle of his greatest tantrum yet.)
In June 2016, my wife and I headed to Ireland for a week-long vacation. It was my first time on Emerald soil, despite my unabashed affection for my cultural heritage. While I certainly wish I’d had the chance to visit earlier, there was also something poetic about making the trip during the centennial celebration of the Easter Rising, the first major conflict in the struggle for Irish Independence.
We certainly didn’t expect to hop on a plane to Ireland the day after the Brexit vote. Nor did I think anything at the time about the fact that I listened to "Hamilton" for the first times ever as we drove through Ireland that week, and in that specific political context.
So naturally, this got me thinkin'...
I was there during the siege on sacred ground, when the Dakota Access Pipeline workers came with their earthmovers.
They pushed the earth out, and they dug up rock effigies — what we know as sacred markers of our burial grounds. They pushed everything aside and erased our history. Those meant a lot to us in our Lakota culture, and it was devastating.
I’m a water protector from the Cheyenne River Sioux reservation, next to the Standing Rock Sioux. We are the descendants of Chief Spotted Elk, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull — great chiefs and warriors who weren't afraid to put their lives on the line. But my ancestors always walked with a chanupa(ceremonial pipe) in one hand and a skull cracker in the other. That meant "I’m gonna come to you in peace, in prayer, because I have my chanupa. But if you have to fight? I’ll fight."
Read MoreTo live in — and, by extension, participate in — a democratic-republic system automatically means that you are comfortable with the ends justifying the means. I've heard that phrase used to pejoratively refer to fellow Hillary supporters, but I actually think it applies to *everyone* involved.
If you don't vote? Your means are a hearty shrug that justifies that whatever happens, happens, 'cause whatevs.
If you vote Republican in this election, you are saying that the means of bigotry, bullying, oppression, and the subjugation of fair working conditions for everyone justify either the maybe-possible potential of slight economic improvement for some people which hopefully includes yourself although you can't guarantee, or that you've eradicated the "establishment elite" (whatever that means) from the system to usher in some form of change (whatever that means, although it includes the means that you already justified).
Alternately, if you vote Republican strictly because you want to crush women's rights to choose, you are justifying those same means of bigotry, bullying, oppression, and subjugation of worker's rights justify that maybe-possibly-hopefully-for-you, there will be no more abortions. More on Jesus in a bit.
If you vote Third Party, you are saying that the means of either federally funding a Third Party in the future, or absolving yourself from the process of a two-party system, justifies whatever the end result may be.
(I suppose that, more specifically and less defeatist, Libertarian voters are okay with losing some administrative protections for people in the hopes that our social and economic rules both eventually level out in the favor of some Utopian ideal of freedom. Green voters are okay with electing a self-serving pseudo-fascist whackjob in the hopes of justifying the passing of literally any part of a far-left progressive that I, personally, agree with, which is why I'm being so unnecessarily harsh to Stein.)
If you vote Democrat in this election, like I plan to do, you are saying that some obvious cases of collusion within the DNC at large, and some unfortunate foreign policy issues, are okay if it means that the vast majority of our fellow US citizens still get to enjoy their civil rights, and that there will be more opportunities for advancement in this country for people from all walks of life.
(I guess it also means that you're okay with the means of a qualified leader who married a guy who can't keep it in his pants, finally having the power to make some damn decisions)
And here's where we get to the Jesus proverb, since the evangelical vote is so significant, and because Christian mythology so informs our social makeup, for better or for worse:
All of these situations involve throwing some stones — which, for the sake of this intellectual idiomatic exercise, are the "means" of the other overly-simplistic philosophy. None of our votes or beliefs come without baggage or compromise. And unfortunately, we are complicit in the means that justify our desired ends (specifically for the sake of rhetorical Facebook argumentative bullshit logic).
We all want to present an image of ideological purity, but unfortunately, that's just not a realistic possibility, given the way our country (and world) functions. So the question is: which stones are you most comfortable throwing?
Statistical anomalies can be tragic and regrettable without serving as evidence for anything all.
Less than 50 officers are killed in the line of duty each year on average, not counting accidents or injuries or deaths from illness. In the grand scheme of tragedy, this statistic means that policing is not a particularly deadly career. At the same time, this doesn't preclude officers from being brave and noble individuals worthy of appreciation.
The majority of those officers killed in duty are killed by white Americans.
By contrast, police are responsible for killing around 1000 people each year, and a disproportionate number of those people are black Americans, usually men, and whom in the vast majority of cases, did nothing to elevate the conflict but for existing in a high-tension situation with an armed officer while also being black.
These are all facts.
The photo on the top left was taken during the Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas last night, before further violence took place. This photo represents an ideal situation: if cops are meant to professionally stand against injustice, then it is right that they would stand in solidarity with those suffering from injustice. I like to think that the moment reflected here is an accurate representation of the majority.
The photo on the top right is the tragic reality that black Americans are forced to live with every day, due to the aforementioned statistics of black Americans being killed by cops. Regardless of your feelings towards police, you should be able to empathize with the fear that black Americans are feeling — because it is statistically justified. This is unfortunate, but it's the truth.
(If at any point in this ranting you have thought to interject something to the affect of "But isn't every death tragedy?", you're part of the problem, because that is such an obvious and foregone conclusion that it doesn't even bear clarification.)
At the bottom of this photo, you see a tweet made by a former US Congressman, in the aftermath of last night's protest and subsequent anomalous shooting.
And that tweet at the bottom? That is the source of all of these problems. That is the insidious virus of white supremacy laid bare for all to see, by a white man in a position of power and influence. It still exists today, still oozing like snake venom through the veins of our country.
And it is not a statistical anomaly.
It is men like this who create a system that continues to keep black Americans down 150 years after the formal end of slavery.
It is men like this who pass laws that lead cops — essentially their employees, or at least, the professional enforcers of their will — to profile, punish, and sometimes and with increasing disproportionate frequency kill black Americans.
It is men like this who use their power to appeal to the most rotten fears in the hearts of white Americans, by pointing to statistical anomalies like a sniper at a Black Lives Matter protest and use that as evidence or justification of some greater evil, while ignoring all other steadily persistent evidence to the contrary. It is these same men who will readily classify any white shooter as a "lone wolf" or as "mentally ill" — perpetuating the idea that white people are allowed to be individuals, while all minorities must stand-in as representatives for their entire group.
It is men like this who encourage others like them to deny their human impulse for empathy. It is men like this who are the problem. (And yes, it is men like this who make up the bulk of Donald Trump's support base.)
I try not to be the person who shares every single meme in the wake of every single tragedy, who participates in the back-patting performance art of social media America. I try to stand in solidarity with my black friends, and let them feel their grief, while also knowing that I can never fully grasp what it is like to be in their shoes.
It is 2016 and these 3 photos represent 3 vastly different realities that all coexist in the United States of America today. Do you see the problem now?
We're so close to the goal! Go team!
Read MoreYou have 10 minutes, and if you got one answer wrong, then sorry, you can't vote today.
Granted, the above test is not explicitly racist. But even the worst apologist can't deny the inherent classism of it. Technically speaking, this test was only administered to voters who couldn't prove a certain level of education. Which is kind of arbitrary, no? That's not like carding someone to buy alcohol. There's no visual indicator of someone's education, is there?
Well, sure, if we consider that education is a privilege, not a right, one that is much more easily accessible to people of a certain class. And in Louisiana in the 1960s, most of those people "of a certain class" were of a certain pigment as well...
(and hey, don't get me wrong: there a lot of dumb people in this country, and that they have a voice in our so-called democracy could be seen as an impediment on progress. But as appealing as it sounds to oppress those faces, suddenly your progressivism borders eerily on fascism...)
Presented without comment, because it's self-explanatory.
Yeahhhhhhhhhhh this pretty much sums it up. Happy post-election day.
Because America needs a new national anthem.
Sadly, this is still better than the jingoistic Cap from Mark Millar's Ultimates...
I thought I was supposed to get more conservative as I got older and scoff at my foolish, ignorant youth. Isn't that how this is supposed to work? So why is it that this song strikes me as being even more poignant and relevant today than it was 15 years ago? (besides that I was 14 when it came out and definitely did not fully grasp the political complexities contained within the lyrics beyond "YEAH PUNK ROCK ANARCHY WOO DOWN WITH THE GOVERNMENT CORPORATIONS R ST00PIT")
I'd say this song was prophetic, but really, it's more eye-opening to realize how the problems that our country faces today have actually been issues for quite some time now, and have only gotten worse as the years have gone on. Maybe that's a sign that, ya know, it's actually time to do something about extremism, and violence, and corporate abuse, and economic imbalance, and mental health, and so on? Maybe?
I wish I had a schilling
for every senseless killing —
I'd buy a government.
America's for sale
and you can get a good deal on it
and make a healthy profit,
or maybe tear it apart.
Start with assumption
that a million people are smart,
smarter than one.
My incredibly talented partner, Ms. M. Bevin O'Gara, is directing the Boston premiere of You For Me For You, a fantastical new play by Mia Chung that tells the story of two sisters trying to escape North Korea and flee to the United States. Bevin and I tend to stay out of each others' ways when it comes to our creative processes, so while I've read the script, I honestly don't know much about the production itself -- but I can tell you that I'm incredibly excited to see this highly imaginative story acted out on stage (and not just because my girlfriend is the director and I'm biased). Here's a little preview video I put together for the production, which starts performances tomorrow and runs through February 16:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qlpSZVLyuEA]
(side note, when I was approached to create a video for the show, it took so much of my will power to not just give them this:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEaKX9YYHiQ]
but you knew that was coming, right? I'm a horrible person)
Instead of the usual political opinions, I tried instead to write a piece that explores politics without being overtly political. Although my editors at Tor were initially hesitant of the controversy, they were ultimately pretty pleased with the product! And so, my latest article at Tor Dot Com explores the centrist politics of Brian K. Vaughan's Superhero-Turned-Mayor-Of-New-York-City epic Ex Machina, which actually takes an impressively (if ultimately depressing) nonpartisan view at the ups and downs of American politics, only with lots more punching and invaders from alternate realities (obvi).
While I've mostly avoided political discourse on this website (at the pub after a few beers, now that's a different story), I was recently reminded me of the existence of this song, and was struck by how relevant and poignant it was (read: people in the 99% need to stop posting things on Facebook bitching about the 99%, because every complaint I've seen coming from a member of the 99% betrays a clear misunderstanding of the entire movement, and is completely counterproductive. Seriously, we're all in this together, and if you don't want to actively support the movement, then fine, but don't make fun of your own problems on a public forum because you're only hurting yourself. There, I said it). Anyway, here's a song, originally written by Phil Ochs, later adapted by Kevin Devine (and further updated, however slightly by myself). Lyrics after the break; enjoy!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_QeyDk0jG4]
I cried on September 11 Tears ran down my spine Like I cried for each murdered Iraqi As though I'd lost a neighbor of mine But Afghanistan got what was coming It was the right thing to do, at the time So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
I stopped by those Occupy campsites Cursed Bachmann and the whole GOP And I can't get enough of Obama His message of change speaks to me Sure, Nader's right about most things But he cost Gore that election, you see So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
I bristled and raged through Katrina The response made me sick to my heart I'm sure FEMA would've come running If they'd flooded rich whites in Cape Cod But don't talk about revolution 'Cause that's going just a little bit too far So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal Yes I vote for the Democratic Party I figure soon enough they'll come along And I attended those vote for change concert And they sure got me singing those songs And I'm bothered about corporate government But I do want our brand to trade strong So love me, love me, love me I'm a liberal
Yes I read the New Yorker and Nation And I've learned to take every view And I idolized Franken and Stewart Hell I feel like I'm almost a Jew But when it comes down to globalized markets Well there's no one more red, white, and blue So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
And sure once I was young and impulsive I wore every conceivable pin Even went to some socialist meetings Yeah I learned all the old union hymns But oh I've grown older and wiser and that's why I'm turning you in So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal.
In honor of Columbus Day, I've compiled of other US holidays that, while currently nonexistent, could easily be seen as thematic cousins to our Columbus Day. Hooray Imperialism! (also, a very special NoPrize to whoever can figure out all of the specific dates and events referenced!)
Here's a little prose poem for your patriotic pleasure (following up on last year's Fourth of July post). If you've ever wondered about what it really means to be an American — well, I think I've got your answer right here!
And as an extra holiday bonus, here is a video of the BEST SPEECH EVER from a masterful cinematic beauty that shares its name with the holiday in question:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUdB8gCMcXI&w=425&h=349]
