Leaving it behind
Sep. 5th, 2015 06:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smokingbootNever mind the Hitler Youth, it's the Hitler Middle-Aged I'm worried about. Raging with disappointment at Cameron, raging with anger at the whole backsliding world for not hating deeply enough, imagining new cuts and new slights that must come to pass out of this maddening compassion... they howl like Screwtape at the escape of a soul, albeit less coherently.
A tiny weakness of my own has been flagged up. Mine is a tendency to give extra credit to those who have talent. There's a woman of my long term acquaintance, an artist of some ability. We have never really got on as she's a little tense, a little twitchy, a little precise, and the sheer messiness of me as a concept, never mind as a person, grates on her. What can I say? Some people are just not made to be close friends. Still, I try to treat her gently because we have both been on the scene for a long time, and there's always her work. And that's the weakness! She can paint well, so my tendency is to assume she can't be a complete ninny, because I'm in awe of anyone who creates physical beauty. Her loveliest painting is one of her favourite goddess, based it on an idealised version of herself ...I guess many would paint their faces on a tiny corner of heaven if they could. It just makes me smile a little.
Anyway, she has blaarted uncontrollably all over social media, claiming that Aylan's Kurdi's family died because his dad wanted to get his teeth fixed, and she verified* this bizarre angle on the matter by linking to an extreme right-wing website. I waded through the mountain of rubbish to see what she is on about, and spent a couple of hours of my life I'll never get back trying not to believe the worst of her. Would I have bothered if I didn't think that somehow she must be all right really cos she's an artist? Seems she's not the only idiot in school. That'll larn me.
I've been up since 5.30. Never used to be an early riser really, but now I quite it. Big Cat Dervish came in from outside, her fur all cool. She's a bit too chubby, but it's not because she doesn't exercise. She does, more than the rest of them, but she also hoovers up every morsel she comes across.
I'm sorry that this week has been so full of horrid news, and that my health has been so low. But there's something still and beautiful in the hours around sunrise. Nice feeling.
*I use the term loosely.
A tiny weakness of my own has been flagged up. Mine is a tendency to give extra credit to those who have talent. There's a woman of my long term acquaintance, an artist of some ability. We have never really got on as she's a little tense, a little twitchy, a little precise, and the sheer messiness of me as a concept, never mind as a person, grates on her. What can I say? Some people are just not made to be close friends. Still, I try to treat her gently because we have both been on the scene for a long time, and there's always her work. And that's the weakness! She can paint well, so my tendency is to assume she can't be a complete ninny, because I'm in awe of anyone who creates physical beauty. Her loveliest painting is one of her favourite goddess, based it on an idealised version of herself ...I guess many would paint their faces on a tiny corner of heaven if they could. It just makes me smile a little.
Anyway, she has blaarted uncontrollably all over social media, claiming that Aylan's Kurdi's family died because his dad wanted to get his teeth fixed, and she verified* this bizarre angle on the matter by linking to an extreme right-wing website. I waded through the mountain of rubbish to see what she is on about, and spent a couple of hours of my life I'll never get back trying not to believe the worst of her. Would I have bothered if I didn't think that somehow she must be all right really cos she's an artist? Seems she's not the only idiot in school. That'll larn me.
I've been up since 5.30. Never used to be an early riser really, but now I quite it. Big Cat Dervish came in from outside, her fur all cool. She's a bit too chubby, but it's not because she doesn't exercise. She does, more than the rest of them, but she also hoovers up every morsel she comes across.
I'm sorry that this week has been so full of horrid news, and that my health has been so low. But there's something still and beautiful in the hours around sunrise. Nice feeling.
*I use the term loosely.
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no subject
Date: 2015-09-09 05:45 am (UTC)I admit to being puzzled about the teeth. The BBC states that the source is an interview between the child's aunt in Vancouver and a Canadian journalist. I read the article by the journalist and couldn't find a mention of teeth. Either he mentioned it somewhere else or the BBC made it up. Blame Canada! It's certainly been picked up by all the usual right-wing suspects.
no subject
Date: 2015-09-09 07:08 am (UTC)She got her original information re the teeth from a far right website called FDESouche.
They showed a Sky TV interview with the aunt in Canada, in which teeth get mentioned; basically the grandfather back in Syria suggested that the Dad go to Europe, get his teeth fixed and spec out whether there's any way the family could make a life for themselves there. The family discussed it, and decided that whatever they were going to do, they would do together and travel together. So no reconnaissance in Europe, the family were going to see if they could live there, and the teeth would have to wait til later. The video makes this clear, but that's not what the far right wants to hear. Truth is, they don't want to engage with humanity or reality. I find it eerily reminiscent of 'Cabaret,' except that I'm hoping it's a loud few rather than a popular feeling.
no subject
Date: 2015-09-09 07:39 am (UTC)I'm sure they're trying not to connect with the issue. That, in itself, makes me think that they know the rights and wrongs of it. My only concern would be 'how many refugees can we easily absorb and find work for?' The answer in the case of Canada is 'a lot more than we've accepted and we need to make the process much faster than it is'. I appreciate the government's concerns about security but putting more people on the job in the region would solve that problem.
no subject
Date: 2015-09-09 07:52 am (UTC)It would be a damn site easier if our government hadn't humoured the prejudices of the right wing press in order to invoke widespread parsimonial hysteria.The most vulnerable have suffered, then more need appears and the government is caught between a public demanding they do something, a public also saying, 'But you said we couldn't afford it,' And a small but vocal group who see brown bodies on a beach as a sure sign that Sharia Law is coming to destroy the purity of Albion.
no subject
Date: 2015-09-09 08:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-09-09 08:13 am (UTC)