Day 26

1. Names. Collect papers. Reminder about exam. Put them in Marbeck mail at your own risk.

2. Under-reported issues: Give those I missed last time a bit of time to talk about theirs.

Thanks for your votes . . . here are the results.

2. What’s to be done at the end of a course like this one? As we saw again in this last round, the issues and threads of American life are many, vast, and easily can overwhelm us. Sometimes I think it’s crazy to even try to understand this country, let alone try to act in some sane way in the midst of it all.

45,000 deer were shot in Ohio on the first day of hunting season. 202 in Allen County. I didn’t hear a single gunshot, did you? It’s all a matter of information . . .

On Fox News last night O’Reilly was “interviewing” Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners. He asked what Wallis would have done about the Taliban. I don’t believe that Wallis finished a single sentence in response before O’Reilly interrupted to say that he and others of his ilk didn’t have any answers, though he did say that he “respected” him after cutting him off.

When I see things like that I get gloomy, because if that’s the kind of information people are acting on, we’re in big trouble. On the other hand, there is at least some flow of diverse information and opinion, even yet, and I refuse to despair.

Why is that? Well, cartoons, for one thing.

Cartoon on heroes: http://www.ucomics.com/rallcom/

One thing Saddam could do to avoid war: http://www.ucomics.com/rallcom/2002/11/21/

Permanent Record: http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2002/12/02/tomo/index.html

Fun Game: http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2002/11/25/tomo/index.html

In the cable news: http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2002/11/11/tomo/index.html

Conservatives with an attitude: http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2002/10/07/tomo/index.html

Punk isn’t dead: http://www.cakemusic.com/Images/store/tom2.JPG

Songs, for another.

(Sung to the tune "If You're Happy and You Know It")

If we cannot find Osama, bomb Iraq.

If the markets hurt your mama, bomb Iraq.

If the terrorists are Saudi And the bank takes back your Audi And the TV shows are bawdy, Bomb Iraq.

If the corporate scandal's growin', bomb Iraq.

And your ties to them are showin', bomb Iraq.

If the smoking gun ain't smokin'

We don't care, and we're not jokin'.

That Saddam will soon be croakin', Bomb Iraq.

Even if we have no allies, bomb Iraq.

From the sand dunes to the valleys, bomb Iraq.

So to hell with the inspections;

Let's look tough for the elections,

Close your mind and take directions, Bomb Iraq.

While the globe is slowly warming, bomb Iraq.

Yay! the clouds of war are storming, bomb Iraq.

If the ozone hole is growing, Hey! we prefer not knowing. (Though our ignorance is showing), Bomb Iraq.

So here's one for dear old daddy, bomb Iraq.

From his favorite little laddy, bomb Iraq.

Saying no would look like treason.

It's the Hussein hunting season.

Even if we have no reason, bomb Iraq!

And here’s a thinker I discovered just yesterday—Jacob Needleman. A brief handout, more stuff by and about him at the web sites below, in case you want to consider this as you work on the final.

Short interview with Jacob Needleman: http://www.jacobneedleman.com/images/PubWeek2.gif

Longer interview: http://www.newdimensions.org/article/needleman.html

Article by Bliss, “The American Soul and Empire”: http://www.counterpunch.org/blisssoul.html

Thanks to everybody. I’ve really enjoyed this group and this time together.