Retail Sacred

I'm not some rabid xenophobe who goes about shouting "BUY AMERICAN!"

We do, after all, live in a world with a global economy and always have. There was a time when the United States was a manufacturing powerhouse that offered plentiful, and profitable jobs for her citizens. We created, designed, built products, and sold them to ourselves and the rest of the world.

Contrary to popular, emotive belief, we still are a manufacturing powerhouse. It's just that our manufacturing sectors are more specialized, and require fewer actual humans to complete the tasks. But that's not the purpose of this essay.

Today, by golly, I found something that is actually made in the U.S.A. Now as I mentioned, I'm not a "buy American" kind of redneck type, but there are a couple of things that should be somewhat sacred, "retail sacred," if you will, when it comes to making, selling, and buying in this country.

American flags are at the top of my "should-be-made-in-America" list, and today I found some that are actually made in the U.S.A.

They were at BJ's Wholesale Club. (And no, I'm not getting paid by BJ's.) How many times have I seen flags, particularly around the Fourth of July that are stamped "Made In China?" I mean, really, now... Is NOTHING sacred? Why would anyone going out to celebrate our nation's independence, or place a flag on a veteran's grave, or celebrate any holiday that requires a flag buy one that is stamped with "I'm made in China, you know, that polluted, communist, WE-NOW-OWN-YOU country China." Long live Chairman Mao!

Yes, American flags made in the U.S.A. How quaint!

Another example of how some things should be "retail sacred" are gifts and souvenirs sold in places such as The Old Statehouse in Boston.

The Old Statehouse, poor little thing, is smack dab in the middle of a boring forest of, seen one seen 'em all glass skyscrapers in downtown Boston. That building was once the heart of Boston's civic life beginning in the 1700's. It was the scene of what is known as the Boston Massacre, the first casualties in America's revolutionary war. In July of 1776 The Declaration of Independence was read from one of its balconies to the citizens of Boston by Col.

Thomas Crafts.

Today, visitors can also buy cheesy souvenirs within those historic walls. Several years ago I visited The Old Statehouse. I considered buying a memento of my visit, but noticed the "Made In China" sticker on every item I touched. I was ticked off about that, and didn't buy anything.

When Chinese citizens visit the Forbidden City or the Great Wall, do you, for one moment, think that they buy souvenirs with a little stickers on them that say "Made In U.S.A"?

Yeah, I didn't think so!

One last example: Just an hour and a half drive from my house is the Corning Museum of Glass. It's a fascinating place that I never get tired of visiting. Visitors from all over the globe visit there in little Corning, NY every year. I'll bet many or you eat your meals from Corning Ware. But in the gift shop, when you buy those beautiful hand-blown glass flowers as souvenirs, where do you think they're made?

Yeah, you guessed it: China.

With so many people looking for work, you'd think the Corning Glass Works could put a few folks to work blowing glass flowers. That would certainly help the economy in Western New York!

So I will continue to look at "made in" stickers from now on. I won't become obsessed with that, but there are some items that just should NEVER be made anywhere but in the country of origin. Recent recalls notwithstanding, I'll stick with my reliable Japanese car for as long as it continues to give me flawless performance.

But the flag I display on my front porch this summer WON'T be made in China. Or any where other than the United States for that matter!

Rick Baker

Rochester, NY

March 6, 2011

©2011 by R. Burnett Baker

Flag photo ©2011 by R. Burnett Baker

Old Statehouse Photo from Freefoto.com

Purple Fingers In Our Face

He's right, you know.

Afghanistan's president Hamid Karzai wants "foreign powers" to butt-out of the country's internal affairs. "Stop meddling" according to the Associated Press report today by Amir Shah.

Karzai has a point. One wonders how that could become a reality with U.S. and allied troops "conducting" a war in that country. I say conducting because we are absolutely NOT "fighting" a war there. Or anywhere else, for that matter.

We are conducting military efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other areas as a maintenance program of global control, political realignment, and resource allocation. Arguably, the United States hasn't "fought" a war to win it since WWII. We have, for over 50 years now, been witness to the "military industrial complex" that former president Dwight Eisenhower considered in his final presidential speech in 1961. In that speech, Eisenhower discussed the need for balance in all of our endeavors as a free nation and global power.

But back to Karzai. He is correct that the U.S. is meddling in the so-called elections that take place in Afghanistan. No doubt this is a continuation of George W. Bush's idiotic efforts back in 2003 to make "democracy-building" a key component of the U.S.'s military adventures in the Middle East. Even former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a man I have long admired, parroted that misguided policy when he stated to students at City College of New York in 2003, "dictators and despots can build walls high enough to keep out armies, but not high enough to keep those winds from blowing in."

Powell was referring to "winds" of democracy. I say that was all rhetorical winds of horsecrap.

The notion that the United States, or any other western country can sprinkle the fairy dust of democratic tradition on non-democratic countries is simply stupid at face value. Ask yourselves how democracy (as we know it) could possibly be implemented in China, for example, where thousands of years of dynastic cycles moulded a world view that does not place emphasis on individuality, but upholds traditions of familial precepts.

Ask yourselves how tribesmen and others of any country who's name ends in "stan" could comprehend, let alone embrace, a political system and voting process that requires at least the appearance that its citizens are a nation of self-thinkers, able to make logical decisions about their political destiny.

No. Their cultures, ethnic traditions, religious practices, and "world" views preclude that.

In a country that dips voters' fingers in purple ink to prevent voter fraud, that's just not possible. Then, again, maybe we should look at the purple finger technique in places like, oh I dunno, Florida.

But Karzai has a point. If we're not willing to fight a war against the demonstrated evils of the Taliban; if we are willing to tip toe around the poppy seeds of negotiations with them; if we cannot take on the responsibilities of occupation and rebuilding that country from inside out and back again, then I say get out. Get out and let Karzai play with the fires of hundreds of years of tribal backtracking.

The world will always have despots and dictators. Most will be brutal and ruthless. A few will come to be know as "benevolent dictators". ( Former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew comes to mind).

I'll play devil's advocate here: Some cultures, some societies, NEED a dictator to keep control of what might otherwise be an even more brutish and intolerable existence. Votes and purple fingers won't make it all better.

Democracy is an ideal that had institutional beginnings with the Indian sanghas (associations) and ganas (councils) in the sixth century BCE, with the Greek city states of Athens and Sparta, and to some extent throughout the centuries of the Roman Republic.

But these days, 21st Century United States has no business trying to whip a little democracy on everyone else as a cover for other motives, whatever they may be. We could have marched into Afghanistan with guns blazing, defeated the Taliban, propped up Karzai (or anyone else) as our puppet leader, and MAYBE we would have effected positive change. Though I seriously doubt it.

However, as previously mentioned, we are one of the world's military maintenance machines, manipulating the masses and keeping global order.

Yet, I believe our country in particular, and the world in general, would be better served if enough citizens and leaders would review and take to heart Eisenhower's words in 1961. Especially the part about balance.

That will never happen.

The Karzai's of the world will mollify our policy makers while seeking to negotiate with madness. They will point purple fingers in the air and in our face to say that corruption is under control, and that we have succeeded in guiding them from the depths of their long hell.

And, we can all live with an "acceptable" level of fear and anxiety. We can all be kept in our reasonable places with meaningless dialectics providing an illusion that the world is being made a safer and saner place. We can all believe that the world wants to be just like us (U.S.): Free, prosperous, and happy.

Karzai's right. Purple fingers notwithstanding.

Rick B. Baker

Rochester, NY

January 4, 2011

Note: Coinciding poem published on "Efficient Agony", 1-4-11.

http://efficientagony.blogspot.com/

© 2011 by R. Burnett Baker

Purple fingers photo from Muslims Against Sharia / CNN August 23, 2009.

Karzai photo from www.guardian.co.UK.

Tank cartoon by Graeme MacKay, "Hamilton Spectator", Hamilton, Ontario.

Barcode Of Life

I endured. Tolerated, really, the advent and passing of another Christmas. Yes, there is bitterness in those opening words, but I'm claiming entitlement to that sour emotion, at least for this screed. As I've mentioned previously, I'm in retail. That should speak a couple of chapters, if not volumes.

I am living and working in a society that has become nothing more than a cradle to grave barcode of life.

Don't give me the canned comeback about how we all make our choices, or how we create our own realities, like so many pop psychology gurus spew. Don't tell me how I could have fought for what I should have done this year to be with my family on Christmas day; how I should have made every effort to be with my newly widowed mother during this first of her coming solitary holidays without my dad. Screw any and all of you who even think that I could have changed events.

I've already screwed myself mentally and emotionally over all that. And screw the retail businesses with all their profits, dividends, and manic cultures of haf2betherecauseit'sthemostimportanttimeofthebusinessyear mantra. And to hell with the Madison Avenue brainwashed iWad infected consumers who should have enough sense to know when they've been taken for the fools they apparently are.

The last time I spent Christmas with my family was 1987. Therein lies much of my holiday bitterness. Partially by design, partially by circumstances, I landed in a part of the country a couple of thousand miles from any family. In 1987 I wasn't yet in the "management" level at work. I had just returned two years prior to the US to complete academic work, and was just beginning a renewed life back in the land of the free after a decade out of the country.

But from that year onward, I HAD to be at work. We HAD to serve the customers. The after Christmas sales HAD to be set prior to opening on December 26th. It was CRITICAL that we had all hands on deck. Comp sales! Record profits! Selling "seasonal time bombs"! Inventory prep! Inventory! Winter clearance set up! Spring merchandise arriving!

Such horsecrap. The corprotocracy, as I've called it for years, has created a monster that is said to determine the health of our nation's economy, thus the economic health of us all. We've been brainwashed into believing that keeping our own pockets free of finance is the strength of our nation and national economy. We've had over 40 years of "educational downsizing", if you will, that has produced an economic population that happily complies with the consumeristic enslavement of the masses to make corporate conglomerates filthy rich.

This is an economic population that continues to "educate" it's young so that they can barely sign their names legibly, have NO real grasp of history, or the historicity of this country's heritage, and have little interest beyond the electronic keyboard they are frantically thumbing as they drive, walk, or sleep.

This is an economic population that produced a president who thinks nothing of calling a multi-gazillionaire sports team owner, and thanking him for giving a convicted animal-killer, a second chance at a "job" playing a child's game for millions of dollars a year while thousands of citizens are job searching and struggling to keep afloat economically.

This is an economic population that continues to crave the latest dumbing-down gadgets that the corprotocracy creates to keep control of not only our finances, but of our minds. Even many of those job searching citizens still buy into the mind-numbing drivel that keeps them holding onto "hope and change."Yes, the masses will buy this week's latest pad, tablet, e-reader, whatever you want to call it, and think they're really smart to have another gizmo to finger and paw at. These are the very people who NEVER consider the wider implications of having such gadgets that can be programmed, uploaded, and downloaded, with anything the cyber mavericks decide to provide. They never consider that those same mavericks can switch off the content of those shiny gizmos and decide what the masses will be allowed to see, read, or hear, further advancing the chilling thought that citizens will continue to relinquish the ideals of freedom that they believe are granted to them for free.

This is an economic population that will call me crazy. Crazy for not embracing these marvelous inventions, crazy for not moving towards the future. Crazy for not going with the flow.

Well, I'm crazy, all right. Crazy for allowing myself to be part of the machine that drives this insanity forward. My excuses are the same as everyone else who find themselves rejecting this seasonal and ongoing madness: Have to pay the bills. I have a mortgage. I have a job that thousands are lined up to interview for. It's a job where, if I dropped dead tomorrow afternoon, I'd be replaced within a week or less. So, I meekly nod and mumble how I understand the "situation" when they tell me I simply cannot take off four or five days to travel cross country and be with my family during Christmas.

Yes, I am compliant. I have been brainwashed to some extent, to play into the sales, profits, and dividends of the corprotocracy. I have allowed myself to hand over my backbone, and bend with the needs of economic dependency.

The citizens of this country must open their minds to this decades old problem, and stop bemoaning, in passing, how Christmas, and the

nation have become "so commercialized." In the next instant these same people are dashing over to the next shiny thingy in the store window.

We need to mean it when we bemoan rabid commercialization of every aspect of our lives. We need to talk about it to others. We need to take action (or inaction in the case of buying things we don't need with money we don't have) to regain our economic power. We need to reclaim our numerous holidays for their actual meanings, NOT for how they can be cashed in for their economic value.

We should vocally, and actively renounce the absolute take over of our values, institutions, and traditions by totally selfish profit mongers. No more "I-Hop Stadium". No more "Kodak Theatre". I can imagine even sports teams quickly becoming, say, the "Coca-Cola Colts, the "Pepsi Patriots", or the "Texaco Texans". We should all tell corporations, and our various governments to stop destroying our traditions. Stop usurping our individual and collective identities.

And we need to ensure that the government and corporate entities stop telling us what is right, good, valuable, or moral.

We…NO…I need to take back my backbone and reclaim my priorities before there are no priorities left to claim. That's why I'm speaking out.

Take back your holidays. Take back your wealth. Take back the traditions that are falling away in the name of politically correct economics. Take back your sense of being. Let's restore true quality to our lives. Let's tear off the barcodes on our faces and ponder the images beneath.

What will we see?

Rick Baker

December 30, 2010.

Rochester, NY

© 2010 by R. Burnett Baker

Baby graphic © 2009-2010 by immense.deviantart.com.

Barcode head graphic © 2007- 2010 by Bulhakov.

New holiday tradition graphic © cafepress.com.au.

Shopping cart graphic titled "Post Consumerism Society", by Dutch Uncle Agency/London.

Fighting The Cancer Of Celebrity

Who hasn't fantasized at one time or another about being rich and famous, about meeting stars, or about hobnobbing with celebrities?

When I was a young man in my 20's, I worked for a nationally known singer/songwriter from Houston. I traveled with his band as a roadie for a couple of years and met a number of famous people. Now that I'm older, I've stopped watching TV, I don't keep up much with the latest music/entertainment trends, and really don't give two hoots about famous people. Truth is, most of the really famous people my age group would like to meet are either dead or dying. They just don't make them like they used to.

I'll admit I do read the National Enquirer. It's my entertainment while I eat my ice cream with Hershey's syrup. But honestly, I probably don't know about 80% of the "stars" in the Enquirer. I mean, who ARE these people? Hell, there are so many shows, and about a billion TV channels now, that it seems everyone is a "star".

Except me.

But I don't care. There are more important issues in the world. Take, for example, the issue of cancer.

It was reported online today that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, attending a recent fundraiser for children's cancer research in St. Petersburg, Russia, took to the stage and sang, in English, "Blueberry Hill". You can watch that fascinating performance on You Tube.

But that's not the point of this rant. Also in attendance at the Russian charity event were many Hollywood celebrities including Goldie Hawn, Kevin Costner, Sharon Stone, and Mickey Rourke, to name a few.

Now let me clarify something: Those five celebrities are NOT part of what I'd consider "really famous people" as I mentioned above. They aren't included in the group of old-time "dead or dying" famous people. Although I think that Mickey Rourke is actually dead and being manipulated by remote control.

But they represent the class of celebrities these days who appear to be only interested in self promotion for self's sake. Furthermore, why would these self serving lettuce heads be jetting off to Russia, of all places, to attend a charity event? Do Russians know who Goldie, Kevin, Sharon and Mickey are? Puleeze.... The average Russian couldn't care less.

But there they are, hobnobbing with the likes of Putin who likewise hobnobs with some real winners himself, such as North Korea's Kim "I'm Ill", and Iran's Mahmoud "Imanutjob".

What I'd like to read someday is a story about how Goldie, Kevin, Sharon, and Mickey donated several million dollars to cancer research centers in their OWN cities. How they followed-up with the researchers to promote true independent cancer research in the United States. And how they spent quality time with cancer victims and survivors in their own communities.

And how they shunned the spotlight with world "leaders" who kiss the asses of other murderers.

Then someday maybe, just maybe, fans will think of them as "really famous people" who really made a difference.

In the meantime, I'll eat my ice cream and read the National Enquirer. That's all those celebrities' efforts are worth.

Rick B. Baker

December 12, 2010

Rochester, NY

© 2010 by R. Burnett Baker

Stop Talking Start Shooting, Dammit

The New York Times today has reported that a presumed shopkeeper from Quetta, Pakistan posed as a Taliban leader, and took part in "secret" peace talks with the Afghan government.

As reported, an unidentified Western diplomat in Kabul said "...we gave him a lot of money."

If true that an impostor conned these Afghan and US government officials out of a lot of money, then I say "more power to him!"

If I remember correctly, after 9/11 we sent troops to Afghanistan to OVERTHROW the Taliban. Correct me if I'm wrong. Why, then are the Afghan and US governments holding "peace" talks with these inbred mental degenerates? Someone explain that to me and try to keep a serious face when doing so.

If we need to carry out negotiations with the Taliban, then bring our troops home and let Afghanistan go to hell with their sick, twisted terrorists and peace talks. I rather think that we'd be better served if we took over Pakistan (which in and of itself is a complete basket case), killed every terrorist that came into view there, and sealed the Afghan/Pakistani border. After all, Pakistan has the bomb. Let's not forget that unsettling little fact.

Just google "Taliban images" or "Taliban beheading images" and then decide if we should be holding "peace" talks.

I say stop talking and start shooting, dammit, or bring our men and women in uniform home now!

Rick Baker

Rochester, NY

November 23, 2010

© 2010 by R. Burnett Baker

Photos presented are from RAWA.org, and Counterterrorismblog.org.

Send In The Clowns. Post Script

A quick follow-up to the Rally to Restore Sanity: According to the Christian Science Monitor today, the rally restored some $150,000 to the National Mall Trust the day before the event.

That should just about clean up the rally aftermath of all those folks on the National Mall yesterday! Hopefully, more donations will pour in so that this bit of pop culture silliness won't be simply an entertainment event that keeps Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert in the ratings game.

R.B.

October 31, 2010

Send In The Clowns. Please.

Americans are idiots. Well, a lot of them are.

Just a few days away from election day, (as if THAT makes a difference), two "rallies" in over 900 cities across the country will be held to "restore sanity" and "keep fear alive", hosted by comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert respectively. You know, to provide a counterbalance to the "extremists" who have been making noise and trying to upset the Democratic Administration's apple and orange cart. It's the leftist entertainment world's comedic response to the rightist wing nut

Glenn Beck. And let me be clear about one thing: I absolutely DO think that Beck is a wing nut. And so is the Republican Party's one trick pony shill Rush Limbaugh. They're just two examples of a herd of blathering heads on TV and radio.

Really, though, it is a fundraiser for helping the National Park Service restore the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Here's the funny part: Many sane and reasonable folks across the land think it's a REAL political rally. And an even funnier part: The people attending the event in D.C. will be trampling all over the very National Mall that all proceeds are supposedly going to help restore!

Restore Sanity, indeed!

In September the LA Times ran a story on the rally and told about Marble Falls, Texas resident Shawna Riley who was booking hotel and airline tickets to attend one of these shows. Never mind the fact that one of these events is being held in Austin, Texas and Ms Riley could have just driven there from Marble Falls and saved a butt load of money. Call me crazy....

Yes, Ms Riley was quoted as saying the event was going to be "one of those we-got-to-be-there moments." (We-got-to... not we've-got-to) She went on to say, "We're tired of the fear-mongering in the mainstream media." I guess she isn't going to tune into Colbert's

March To Keep Fear Alive.

That thousands of people like Ms Riley think of these events as serious political statements validates Colbert's March To Keep Fear Alive.

The real rally for restoring sanity should be for the rest of us to tell Republicans, Democrats, political analysts, celebrities, and talk show hosts like Beck, Limbaugh, and the rest to just shut the *bleep* up.

Enough already! Save your hotel money, airfare, and gas expense. Yeah...restore sanity, you idiots, and save the environment by NOT flying or driving. You know, carbon footprint and such. I mean these are the very people who, on any other day, and during any other rally would be shouting about global warming and carbon offsets and telling us how we're killing the environment by driving cars and eating the meat of farting cows. The more I think about all of it, the more it all drives me insane!

Colbert has it right. Keep Fear Alive. Tell everyone that all these clowns are serious about politics, and go out and have rallies.

Then tell them to go vote. Now THAT scares me half to death!

http://www.rallytorestoresanity.com/

Rick Baker

October 29, 2010

Rochester, NY

© 2010 by R. Burnett Baker