Aus aktuellem Anlass - Reloaded:

Da gibt es einen Schreiberling, anders möchte ich das nicht bezeichnen, der dem Prinzip folgen möchte, das da lautet "Die Feder ist mächtiger als das Schwert". Dieser Schreiberling heißt Franz-Josef Wagner, arbeitet beim Axel-Springer-Verlag und schreibt - nennen wir es mal wertfrei: Kolumnen für die "Bild", die wohl gern eine Zeitung wär, aber im Grunde nach wie vor die Demagogiepostille des häßlichen Deutschen ist. Aus der Riege der "Bild"-Leser stammen die Mitläufer bei Nazi-Demos, der Grüßer von Rostock und sein geistiger aber weniger inkontinenter Nachfahre, der Grüßer von Hellersdorf.

Nee, ihr seid keine Nazis... ihr lest bloß "Bild-Zeitung"!

Das Dumme ist: im Falle der "Bild"-"Zeitung" ist tatsächlich die Feder des Schreiberlings mächtiger als das Schwert und oft blutgetränkt, da nicht selten aufgrund derer Demagogie andere Menschen verletzt oder sogar getötet wurden. Gerade im Bereich der APO, der außerparlamentarischen Opposition der späten 1960er und dem daraus hervorgegangenen radikalisierten Teil, aus dem später die Rote Armee Fraktion entstand, hat das Aufhetzen der Deutschen (West) durch die Springer-Presse dazu geführt, die Lage soweit anzuheizen, dass in der jungen Bundesrepublik faktisch der Ausnahmezustand erklärt werden musste (Stichwort: Notstandsgesetze).  

Und nun ist es wieder soweit, was die Qualität der Hetze aus blutgetränkter Feder angeht: nur aus dokumentarischen Gründen gebe ich hier den Originalbeitrag des Herrn Wagner wieder:

BILD-Autor Franz Josef Wagner schreibt dem US-Präsidenten 

Lieber Barack Obama,

10.09.2013 - 23:47 Uhr

Von FRANZ JOSEF WAGNER

Sie sind der Präsident des mächtigsten Staates der Welt.
Der Vereinigten Staaten. Mächtiger als Julius Cäsar, mächtiger als Alexander der Große.

Einen ohnmächtigeren Herrscher der Welt hat die Geschichte nicht erlebt. Sie, Barack Obama, sitzen in Ihrem berühmten Oval Office und blicken auf den gemähten Rasen.
Aber da draußen in der Welt gibt es wahrhaftige, lebendige Teufel.

Deren Werke sehen wir.
Die Gas-toten Kinder.

Lieber Barack Obama, Sie sind der mächtigste Mensch der Welt.

Warum machen Sie nicht ruckzuck alldem ein Ende?
Ein Knopfdruck. Drohnen.

Der mächtigste Mann der Welt könnte das Böse auslöschen.
Was mich irritiert ist, dass er dem Bösen nicht entgegentritt.

Rote Linie – das war ja ein Wort. Ihre rote Linie ist weich geworden.
Zusammenfassend über Sie kann ich sagen: Sie sind ein Weichei.
Sie sind ein absolut toller, sympathischer Mann. Sie reden wie Gandhi.
Sie sind auf Hawaii geboren. Mutter ein Hippie. Vater ein Schwarzer.

Sie waren Sozialarbeiter. Millionen haben Sie hingerissen mit: „Yes, we can!“.
Amerika ist die Polizei der Welt. Amerika verteidigt die Werte unseres Planeten.
Barack Obama ist ein schwacher Polizist. Er ist zu nett. Er ist ein braver Familienvater.

Sein Problem ist, dass er nicht den Baseballschläger rausnimmt.

Gegen das Böse.

Herzlichst
F. J. Wagner


Im Grunde ist das doch nichts anderes als "The Next Generation" beim Springer-Verlag. So wie traditionell gegen die Linken, die "Sozialschmarotzer", die Moslems, die Asylanten, die Anders- weil kreativer Denkenden gehetzt wurde, so schießt sich die "Bild" nun auf das neue Feindbild im arabischen Raum ein, dass da heißt: Baschar al-Assad.

Volker Pispers sprach in dem Zusammenhang vom "Arschloch im Wandschrank", das man immer mal hervorholen und ihm links und rechts eine reinhauen konnte. Für Bush senior und Bush junior war das Saddam Hussein (der zuerst von den USA hochgerüstet wurde, weil die Angst vor dem Ayatollah hatten). Dummerweise hat Bush junior den Wandschrank leergemacht. Dann: Osama Bin-Laden, ebenfalls von den USA mit Hilfe der CIA hochgerüstet und ausgebildet, nebst seiner Mujaheddin, damit er unter Gnaden der USA Afghanistan von den bösen Kommunisten befreien konnte, die in Gestalt der sowjetischen Streikräfte das Land besetzt hatten. Nachdem Bin-Laden und die Mujaheddin den Willen der USA erfüllt hatten, ließen die ihn auf den Trümmern sitzen. (Nachzusehen im Video, das ich in meinem vorherigen Blogeintrag verlinkt habe.)

Und jetzt soll Assad in den Wandschrank - zumindest nach dem Willen des Herrn Wagner, der wohl sehr gern die "alten Zeiten" zurückhaben will, indem er schreibt: "Amerika ist die Polizei der Welt. Amerika verteidigt die Werte unseres Planeten." Also, ich für meinen Teil möchte dann lieber den Planeten wechseln. Amerika verteidigt meine Werte nämlich nicht.

Alle Kriege, die dazu geführt haben, dass in den von den USA zertrümmert hinterlassenen Ländern nun Aufmarschgebiete für Al-Qaida und andere sogenannte "Terroristen" entstanden sind, wurden nur aus einem Grund geführt: Geld. Genauer gesagt: Petrodollars, also Öl. Wie sagte schon ein anderer US-Politiker, auch Friedensnobelpreisträger so treffend? "Öl ist zu wertvoll, um es den Arabern zu überlassen!" (Henry Kissinger, ehemals US-Außenminister). Interessanterweise hat derselbe Mann auch folgendes gesagt: "Man kann im Nahen Osten keinen Krieg führen ohne Agypten und man kann keinen Frieden schaffen ohne Syrien". Und damit hatte er auch Recht.

Übrigens: Warum schrieb ich "sogenannte Terroristen"? Auch hierzu Volker Pispers:

"Die Frage ist: wovor haben Sie Angst? Das ist die entscheidende Frage beim Terrorismus, meine Damen und Herren. Es geht nicht darum, Verbrechen zu verharmlosen. Das sind Mörder! Miese, gemeine Mörder! Aber auch nicht mehr! Verherrlichen Sie die nicht zu Terroristen. Terror ist es, weil wir Angst davor haben. Der Terror ist hier, in Ihrem Kopf. Es sind Mörder, so wie viele Mörder auf der Welt rumlaufen. Wovor haben Sie Angst? Das ist die entscheidende Frage."

Anders gesagt: die wahren Terroristen sind die Medien und die Politprofessionellen in ihnen, die uns die Angst in den Kopf schrauben. Somit ist auch Herr Franz-Josef Wagner ein Terrorist.

Aus aktuellem Anlass:

Aus aktuellem Anlass und weil bestimmt wieder in vielen Nachrichten und Sondersendungen zum heutigen Datum über den "Krieg gegen den Terror" salbadert werden wird: Volker Pispers und sein Programm "Bis neulich!" (Teil 2) von 2007. Obwohl sechs Jahre alt, haben seine Aussagen nichts von ihrer Gültigkeit verloren.

Es ist kein "Krieg gegen den Terror", es ist ein Krieg ums Öl. Die größte Triebfeder, die hinter Kriegen steckt ist: Geld. Schlicht und einfach. Die nächste, etwas kleinere Triebfeder ist Machterhalt von Kriegstreibern.

"11. September 2001, Amerika geschockt - zu Recht geschockt! Ein furchtbares Verbrechen. (...) Das ist Terrorismus. Das kann man nur ertragen und zwar in Würde. Wir können der Welt beweisen, dass eine Demokratie sich durch solche Verbrechen nicht erschüttern läßt. (...)" - Volker Pispers

Wie wir wissen, hat sich der damalige US-Präsident anders entschieden.

"Die Anschläge waren furchtbar in den USA, die waren entsetzlich und widerlich - genauso wie die Reaktionen bei uns. 'Dieser Tag hat die Welt verändert...' - 'Nichts wird jemals wieder so sein, wie es war!' - Meine Lieblingsüberschrift. Die hätten auch schreiben können 'So jung kommen wir nie wieder zusammen!' (...)" - Volker Pispers

Wir waren nach den Stimmen der damals Regierenden "allesamt Amerikaner" (Peter Struck) und hatten gefälligst solidarisch zu sein. "Solidarität bedeutet auch, zu allem bereit zu sein..." (Angela Merkel).

"Die Frage ist: wovor haben Sie Angst? Das ist die entscheidende Frage beim Terrorismus, meine Damen und Herren. Es geht nicht darum, Verbrechen zu verharmlosen. Das sind Mörder! Miese, gemeine Mörder! Aber auch nicht mehr! Verherrlichen Sie die nicht zu Terroristen. Terror ist es, weil wir Angst davor haben. Der Terror ist hier, in Ihrem Kopf. Es sind Mörder, so wie viele Mörder auf der Welt rumlaufen. Wovor haben Sie Angst? Das ist die entscheidende Frage." - Volker Pispers


Ein Großteil der Angst ist doch nicht die davor, dass der klischeehaft von den Medien im Auftrag der Kriegstreiber erschaffene bärtige islamistische Terrorist mit Sprengstoffgürtel vor uns steht, freundlich "Allahu Akbar" sagt, und dann den Knopf drückt. Wir haben Angst davor, dass uns das Öl und damit das Geld ausgeht. Wir haben Angst vor der Pleite. Marc-Uwe Kling ließ in "Die Känguru-Chroniken" das Känguru sehr richtig schreiben:

“Der Kapitalismus ist ein in jahrhundertelangem Arbeitskampf mühsam gefesseltes Monster, das Menschen frisst und Gold scheißt. Was wir in den letzten Jahrzehnten miterlebt haben, ist, wie die Leute, auf die das Gold geschissen wird, die Ketten des Monsters gesprengt haben, damit es wieder mehr Menschen frisst und noch mehr Gold scheißt und man kann nur hoffen, dass diese Leute irgendwann von den herabfallenden Goldklumpen erschlagen werden.”

Das wäre gerecht. Auf jeden Fall um einiges gerechter, als jeder "gerechte Krieg".

Bis neulich!

Happy Go Topless Day 2013!

For me, it is my usual naked Sunday today, spent without clothes (just as every day at home, actually). For many protesting and activist women and men supporting them, today is Go Topless Day.

This special awareness day is celebrated annually, mostly in the USA where it was established in 2007 and first observed in 2008. The date is defined by the US-American Women's Equality Day, which is celebrated on August 26, commemorating the certification of the 19th amendment of the US constitution on August 26, 1920, giving women the right to vote. Go Topless Day is always scheduled on the Sunday nearest to that date.

Since first observed, Go Topless Day has spread all over the world, with much help of the internet, of course, where social media as well as women networking apart from them have helped spreading the message and the very legitimate question "why is it legal for men (especially the big ones) to bare their bellies and man boobs? Why is it illegal for women to do so???" In the spirit of equality, the only way can be to allow everyone doing that, or to forbid everyone baring their upper body. The clothing industry wold rejoice at a ban of toplessness for everyone... men would be required to hide their chest, too, when swimming. Imagine that: bikini tops on man boobs!

OK, there will always be people who will say "Ewww, gross!! I don't want to see either of them! Make the world cover up!!". That would be one solution to the matter of topless equality, but not the right one for the matter of topfreedom - everyone should be free to bare their chest or their whole body, for that matter.

Nudity, in part or whole, is merely the most natural state of being for humans. Clothing and shoes were invented to provide protection from the elements. It is quite clear, that in places with the right climate, people living in accord with Mama Nature are very often fully naked.

They do not know any of our "civilized" concepts of shame, sin or immodesty that are quoted, when nudity is concerned. It's just the natural and traditional way of being to them.

Here's a collection of very colorful as well as beautiful pictures featuring natives from Africa, Asia and South America by Serge Giraud on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sergeguiraud/

Now, on Go Topless Day, the topic are breasts. In many countries and states, women are dicriminated against, frowned upon, hassled, incriminated or even assaulted for baring their breasts, even if it's just for sakes of the natural function of breastfeeding.

"Many people in US think that breastfeeding is only for the first couple of months of an infant's life, or mostly up to year.  Experts don't agree with this.  World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding to 2 years of age, and American Academy of Pediatrics clearly states in their policy statement Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk, "Exclusive breastfeeding is ideal nutrition and sufficient to support optimal growth and development for approximately the first 6 months after birth." "It is recommended that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months, and thereafter for as long as mutually desired." In many other cultures worldwide and in most of the history children weaned even much later.  Comparing humans to our closest animal relatives, Katherine Dettwyler has estimated that the natural age of weaning in humans would be between 2.3 and 7 years.  Many women in the world and even in today's America do let children self-wean, and those allowed to do so, usually wean between 2 and 5 years of age.  The benefits of breastfeeding don't stop at any age."

(Source: http://www.007b.com/ - an inspirational and very informative web resource about breasts and their natural function)

This is what breasts are about. For all of us, who have been nursed the natural way, our mother's breasts were our first and best source of nourishment. And, if we were fortunate, we were allowed to enjoy this special bond to our mother as well as to Mama Nature for as long as possible. In creating the various taboos about them, breasts have become an object of sexual desire and a turn-on for men, mostly. "Of course breasts are a female body part, and there is nothing wrong in seeing them beautiful body parts. But let's let them be like legs, hips, neck, face, and all the other parts of a female—not like some nearly inanimate objects that automatically "click" men's brains' to the "turn on" mode." (quoted from 007b.com).

Of course, breasts are beautiful. Being a man, I can't say otherwise. Being a man, I also say, that faces, hands, legs, arms, feet, bellies, hips and butts are beautiful... female and male alike, according to my taste, too. This is not to merely copy the quote above, but my personal feeling that human bodies are wonderful works of art, created by Mama Nature in Her best way.

Treating human beings and their bodies with respect, love and compassion is to act in the best spirit of treating Mama Nature the same way. And especially the female body once used to be worshipped as the living representation of the Great Goddess Herself. We all know the ancient statuettes like the famous "Venus von Willendorf" (here in the middle in the picture below), with large breasts and broad hips, celebrating Nature's fertility and blessings.

While it might sound primitive to us "civilized" people of the present to worship femininity in this respect, we can learn an important lesson from it. The depiction of women's bodies in their natural state, partly or fully naked, should be treated no longer as a turn-on, but a celebration of out Great Mother, Mama Nature, and Her natural qualities.

There are women out there, brave and beautiful, doing just that, showing it to us by ways of art. They are advocates of Go Topless Day, too, as well as celebrating their femininity, along with the beauty of being life-givers.

I know, that people, who still are caught in the taboo trap will see these pictures mostly as turn-ons... and, yes, these are beautiful women, to be sure. But their nude beauty, as well as every other nude woman's and every nude man's beauty, transcends sexuality. Don't get me wrong, I am not an asexual being, just tuned to the spiritual aspects of bodies. Not at all! But:  have learned to look at human beings, especially when naked, in more than just one way.

And, as we can learn from the Himba women, there's also a happy and playful way to deal with breasts... as they show us here, fascinated by their fair-skinned topless sister:

We can learn so much from so-called "primitive" people...

My blessings to you for a merry Go Topless Day.

Was darf Satire...?

Satire darf Auto fahren! Und zwar speziell die Fahrzeuge einer bestimmten Oberklassenmarke aus Baden-Württemberg.

Mit diesem Spot werden die Funktionen zweier Mechanismen beispielhaft gezeigt:

1. Satire

Zugegeben, es ist die Sorte mit dem Holzhammer, die gleiche Art, mit der uns der finnische Drehbuchautor und Regisseur Timo Vuorensola und sein Autorenteam die geheime Mondbasis der Nazis und die Invasion im Film "Iron Sky" gezeigt hat.

In jenem Film fand ich übrigens realsatirisch erschreckend, wie ein fiktives US-amerikanisches Volk der Sarah Palin nachempfundenen Präsidentin zujubelt, die zur Wiederwahl eine umjubelte Rede hält, die von den "Mondnazis" geschrieben wurde. Tatsächlich werden mit dieser Art Rhetorik heutzutage immer noch Wahlen gewonnen.

Ebenso zugegeben: Ich habe schallend gelacht, als ich die Schlusspointe des "Nicht-Mercedes"-Spots gesehen habe - weil es eben eine Art Humor ist, die ich mag.


2. Virales Marketing

Gerade die eingeblendete Distanzierung vom Daimler-Benz-Konzern am Anfang des Spots und die filmische Machart machen diesen Werbefilm, der keiner sein soll, zu einer ungewollten (wirklich??) Werbung für die Sicherheitsmerkmale (Kollisionswarnsysteme) bestimmter Oberklasselimousinen. Auch wenn betont wird, dass der Konzern eben nichts damit zu tun hat, wird er durch die Verbreitung des Spots in die Schlagzeilen kommen. Die Empörung der Daimler-Benz-Oberen über den Beitrag schafft weitere Medienpräsenz. Das sieht mir doch sehr nach Kalkül aus...

Urban Barefoot Hippie Art

Happy Sarong Saturday...

Summer Rain... - Something Lovely!

Of course, to get the maximum happiness from summer rain, it's best to feel it all over your skin - Skyclad Summer Rain...

Time Machines, My Personal Demons and Exorcists...

Sometimes, these meme pictures on the web can have funny side effects. I guess, everyone has once in his or her life pondered on that question:

OK, the question should be "When would you go", rather than "Where...", really, but let's not get too nit-picky, here.

Given my life so far and things happening, I shared this picture on my Facebook page with the comment: "I'd go back to the 1980s to undo some things... and to do some things differently". Yeah, and that's just plain true. There's no bitterness involved, even though these ugly little demons called "Mighthavebeen" and "Shouldhavedone" were rearing up their ugly little heads again.

It's almost like that simile with the little angel and the little devil sitting on each shoulder...

Only in my case, it's two little ugly demons, both whispering in my ears...

OK, and now, I can hear all those people again, who are going to tell me this:

"You have to learn to let go... don't dwell on the past... Things happen for a reason... Life has its own ways of dealing with plans..." 

And here's my reply to those well-meant comments: Cork it! 

Some things are way easier said than done and some demons might keep haunting me (as well as other people) for a little while longer... We're human beings, we have those imperfections, and sometimes they surface, rearing up their ugly faces. It just happens and I'll get by. Nothing to worry about. Actually, this isn't even feeling like it's pulling me down into sadness or depression... I rather feel angry. I feel like I want to yell at "Life" or "World" for not giving me the chance to find out what might have been, if I had decided differently. I feel like I want to hit them squarely in the face, really!!

Perhaps I need an exorcist to get rid of these demons after all...

But I doubt, that any exorcist can help there... I'll have to drive these abominations away all by myself. It is something I have to face and deal with. A good part of my anger is aimed at me, as well (again: nothing to worry about! I'm not the auto-aggressive type, I'm not going to physically hurt myself or worse...). It's up to me now, to turn this anger at things that cannot be changed anymore into something creative or something useful. Anger, by itself, isn't helping anything or anyone. As soon as I am able to convert my anger and pain into useful energy (creative, activist, positive), I am on my way to heal those old wounds completely. But, before that is accomplished, I still have to deal several blows to the faces of Shouldhavedone and Mighthavebeen.

OK. So, I have come to terms with realizing that some of my life's decisions from fall 1988 on were based on false premises. I had thought to live a life with someone who (as I found out in online conversations we had this year, reflecting on the past) had thought that we had already split up when I moved house along with my parents. Yeah, thanks lots for not telling me this in one of your letters or during one of our weekly phone calls back then, my dear! And telling me that she isn't even sure in hindsight, that it would have worked for us being together anyway was another belated blow to my face.

True enough, it would have been a challenge, since we're both typical Aquarius people: philosophers, thinkers, also very compassionate, creative...

With Aquarius people, according to astrologers views, it's a binary thing, when it comes to relationships:

"This is definitely a relation where the two get to know each other deeply, through conversations that last forever. They explore each other with mutual fascination, to a great extent because they see how much they are fundamentally alike.

     They share mentality and attitude towards life, the two things they value the most. They often feel like they are looking into a mirror.

     Others have a hard time trying to follow the depth they get into together. It's a profound experience for them both, but not necessarily a joyous one. It can get too serious, too heavy, almost like a kind of purgatory.

     If they break up, it's because they come to the joint conclusion that they need to do so in order to move on with their lives. They realize that they have fallen into a well.

     But they can also continue forever, if never ceasing to be surprised and amazed at what they discover in the other."

(Source: http://www.aquariuscompatibility.org/aquarius-aquarius-compatibility.htm )


So, since we did not have the chance to explore it, I feel it's not quite right to dismiss the possibility, that we could have made it until today. Another page lists several reasons ("negative" qualities) that might have been hindrances... but also challenges:

http://www.ganeshaspeaks.com/aquarius/aquarius-facts.action

Given the time machine premise, one thing I could have done in my youth was to have pursued my creative hobbies more strongly... creative writing, drawing and painting were things I used to do for fun. If I'd had a stronger will to pursue that, I would have taken different courses in senior high school. OK, in turn that could have meant that I wouldn't have met my big high school love... but, in hindsight, given the emotional turmoil and pain, would that have been so bad? Granted, the time we had was something very special and wonderful, but seeing and feeling how the outcome of breaking up has affected me (and still does!), Mighthavebeen says: "Hey, you'd be better off without having met her at all, don't you think?"

Yes, maybe...

Actually, yes, that's what I have been thinking recently, considering what she told me. Given the options of what I might have done, pursuing a different career than what I originally planned, it might have made me a happier person in the future. 

When thinking about what has happened in reality, Shouldhavedone says: "You should have made your parents postpone that move, at least until you started studying. You would have been there with and for her at least on the weekends, then!". Yes, that's  true, too... And Shouldhavedone goes on, saying: "...and you shouldn't have gone to service in the Air Force!! Of course, that changed your personality... of course, you became emotionally callous, shallow and blind and deaf to what really mattered!". Yes. Another bit of truth.

And both these little buggers could go on and on, whispering What-Ifs into my ears...

What has changed now, compared to my rant about the anniversary of my breakdown on June 27? First of all, my emotional make-up has changed when looking back on what happened, on what didn't happen and on what might have happened. I am no longer lying in the corner, going fetal and crying myself out... no, I have identified the responsible parties - the aforementioned two nagging and unnerving little demons - and I am now feeling angry rather than sad or depressed. And, quite frankly, I feel that this is a change for the better. Sadness and depression are only means to drain energy from me... anger builds up energy, which can be converted into something different. I have successfully turned the vibes from passive and overwhelming into something active and motivating.

When looking back on my youth, I was a happy part of the peace and one-world movement of the early 1980s, eager to give my share to changing the world for the better... the typical teenage dreamer and idealist behaviour... the hippie inside me coming out to play. And, it's good that it came out and played, since that was crucial to the building of my "weird" personality. When reading a German regional newspaper article about an anti-nuclear protest camp, which attracts today's generation of young activists, teenage dreamer and idealists, I couldn't help but feel nostalgic, thinking back 33 years in my life, when I was among kids like these, when I was giving my shares in trying to make this world a better place... they even still look the same like we did back then...

Lovis Sand und Lilli „Wiesel“ Leibfried in the anti-atom protest camp on the Konert farm

The original article with the picture as seen above can be viewed here: http://www.wn.de/Muensterland/Kreis-Steinfurt/Metelen/Anti-Atom-Camp-auf-Hof-Konert-Protest-in-der-Teddyhoehle

Yeah, it's good to know, that the spirit of these good old days lives on. Staying closer to these people, pursuing my artistic pastimes and hobbies more intensely and with dedication... it might have worked... and even though it sounded harsh when she said it, my Mother really had a point in saying "Other mothers have beautiful daughters, too...". When she said it, my then response was: "Only politeness forbids me, where you can take that sentence and stick it into, Mother!", with a very bitter emphasis on addressing her. Back then, I still believed that I had lost a possible love of my life... I have by now arrived at a point where I am able to see it the way it really was: Just a high school romance. Case closed!

Mighthavebeen just woke up and whispers into my ear again... "What if you had taken different steps back then? What if you had turned onto that other road...?"

With a swift movement, I let my fist shoot up, hit that bugger squarely in his ugly face and send him flying from my shoulder...

Shouldhavedone, seeing this, unfolds his little wings and flies off...