Category: Blog

This Guardian article describing comments made by an official in Oklahoma is the latest installment in the right attempting to revise historical truths that do not suit their narrative. In this case, the official is saying that the Tulsa Massacre in 1921 was not motivated by race. This does not deserve an earnest response because it is an argument woven in whole part from bullshit. I am sure there are many people who will take this on in the next few days.

It does, however, remind me of the similarly BS denial that the civil war was “not about slavery”. I heard this recently from a smart kid in middle school as he described his report on the civil war. It was horrifying to me that he was taught “the controversy” in a classroom when all source materials are unambiguous in the cause of the secession movement.

Below is a round-up of the declarations and ordinances from each seceding state, which show conclusively that slavery and the return of fugitive slaves from other states were the two reasons most frequently cited in the documents for secession. The only other reason specifically mentioned was from Texas, who were still upset that the Federal government had not done more to protect its borders in their war with Mexico a decade earlier. That is it. . . No other reasons are cited in the documents.

TD;LR – The secession of states following Lincoln’s election was about slavery explicitly.

The South Carolina Declaration came first, adopted on December 24, 1860. It states vey clearly that Article 4 of the United States Constitution required “No person held to service or labour in one state, under the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in consequence of any law or regulation therein, be discharged from such service or labour, but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labour may be due.” [Note that this clause was superseded by ratification of the 13^th Amendment in 1865]. The Northern states’ violation of this was the primary and sole cause mentioned in the document for South Carolina’s succession from the union.

They wrote,

“But an increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the institution of slavery, has led to a disregard of their obligations, and the laws of the General Government have ceased to effect the objects of the Constitution. The States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa, have enacted laws which either nullify the Acts of Congress or render useless any attempt to execute them. In many of these States the fugitive is discharged from service or labor claimed, and in none of them has the State Government complied with the stipulation made in the Constitution. The State of New Jersey, at an early day, passed a law in conformity with her constitutional obligation; but the current of anti-slavery feeling has led her more recently to enact laws which render inoperative the remedies provided by her own law and by the laws of Congress. In the State of New York even the right of transit for a slave has been denied by her tribunals; and the States of Ohio and Iowa have refused to surrender to justice fugitives charged with murder, and with inciting servile insurrection in the State of Virginia. Thus the constituted compact has been deliberately broken and disregarded by the non-slaveholding States, and the consequence follows that South Carolina is released from her obligation.”

South Carolina was not alone. Here is a page with the text of the declarations from the first several states to secede.

In Georgia, they wrote, “For the last ten years we have had numerous and serious causes of complaint against our non-slave-holding confederate States with reference to the subject of African slavery. . . While the subordination and the political and social inequality of the African race was fully conceded by all, it was plainly apparent that slavery would soon disappear from what are now the non-slave-holding States of the original thirteen. The opposition to slavery was then, as now, general in those States and the Constitution was made with direct reference to that fact.” Original Text in full.

In Mississippi, the second sentence of their declaration begins, “Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery– the greatest material interest of the world. Original Text in full.

Texas writes one paragraph about the failure of the U.S. government to protect its borders, and then spends 12+paragraphs and really, the entire remainder of the document explaining its grievances related to slavery. Original Text in full.

Louisiana‘s ordinance of secession only states that they are leaving and does not list grievances in particular.

Florida passed a similar ordinance, but later was found to have drafted an unpublished narrative declaration. It’s chief grievance is the conflict between slaveholding and non-slaveholding states.

Alabama‘s Ordinance of secession only references the election of President Lincoln as the precipitating event for their withdrawal from the union, but does reference their plan to confederate with the other slaveholding states.

The later seceding states (all of which seceded in April and May of 1961, following the beginning of the war when the Beauregard fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor on April 12, 1861) tend to draft shorter ordinances.

Arkansas did not secede until May of 1861, and they write an ordinance referencing Lincoln’s rule and the war between North and South.

Virginia‘s Ordinance of secession, similar to Louisiana’s, states simply that they are seceding, but does state, that the Federal Government has perverted the constitution “not only to the injury of the people of Virginia, but to the oppression of the Southern Slaveholding States.” Again, this is about the Northern States’ increasing refusal to return fugitive slaves to their bondage.

Tennessee‘s entire legislature voted the state out of the union, invoking NOT the constitution, but the original right of revolution. The ordinance was devoid of their reasons for secession.

North Carolina‘s ordinance was similarly without a list of grievances.

And there you have it. I don’t see ambiguity or controversy here.

 

 

 

A few items of note for Independence Day in the United States:

A Matt Yglesias’ essay about the risks of catastrophizing (even when reasonable) to young folks and to our politics. I don’t usually like his stuff, but I think I agree with this piece.

A Noah Smith essay riffing on the historical comparison from the present moment to the 1970’s and reasons to be hopeful, including the subtle changes in politics.

Man called Ishi from The Las Archive – a Room 237 treatment of Ursula LeGuin’s story, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.” This makes me want to reread LeGuin’s stuff from the late-60’s.

I suppress anger. Actually, I think I repress anger. I don’t allow myself to feel it in the moment, so I think repression is more accurate a description.

From a pattern established in my young adulthood, I learned to take responsibility for everything in my life. This was adaptive for me and allowed me to take control and gain agency. It was empowering. I learned how to fend for myself and how to be a responsible adult. I developed discipline and self-control. But this story does not end there. There is a downside. . .

I learned to swallow my anger when someone wronged me. I would tell myself to put my head down and get to work – that I was capable of fixing or overcoming whatever. I would tell myself that I was uniquely capable, while the other person was not. I was more able to see their perspective when they could not see mine. I was more able to do the work necessary to repair the relationship, even when I was not to blame. I would tell myself that anger was a sign of others’ weakness, and I was better off just handling the situation, rather than showing weakness myself – that anger was unproductive and shameful.

I think there was a time where this adaptation served me. I believe it is a useful ability to be capable of pausing before reacting in anger. But when it is your default response to stress, anger or aggression in relationships; it is maladaptive. You are locked into a dynamic before you are consciously aware of (1) suppressing your anger, and/or (2) how your suppression is impacting the interaction or relationship. I internalized the subconscious belief that I was responsible to fix the other person’s issue regardless of whether I was to blame. I put aside my feelings, and solely responded to theirs. I made myself less than equal, believing that I was a bigger and better person.

I am tempted to judge myself harshly for how foolish the above sentences are when expressed plainly. But I will not. The truth of the pattern is important to recognize.

I need to get comfortable with this particular discomfort. I want to practice constructively expressing my anger and sitting in that moment without judgment. Let’s discover how that modifies my experience in personal relationships. I believe tolerance for taking up space, wanting things, and owning my emotions will improve. I believe my periodic head and neck pain will resolve, and that I will find joy and pleasure more readily.

My practice will be to speak what I am feeling out loud using “I” statements (I feel [angry/sad/afraid]) as often as I can. Intuitively, I believe the quickest path to breaking the pattern of suppression/repression of “negative” emotions – in my case, anger – will be to express the thing clearly in real time, if possible.

Recognition of the issue is the first step. The second will be recognizing the pattern as it happens in real time. The third step will be expressing the feeling appropriately in real time. Let’s see where that gets me. . .

Some reading on the topic:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/overcoming-destructive-anger/202006/suppressed-anger-doesn-t-just-go-away

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-emotional-intensity/202201/5-symptoms-repressed-anger (#2 and #4 speak to me)

https://mhanational.org/10-healthy-ways-release-rage

https://www.outofstress.com/repressed-anger-release/

https://www.healthline.com/health/mind-body/how-to-release-emotional-baggage-and-the-tension-that-goes-with-it#Watch-more-from-the-Youth-in-Focus-video-series

https://www.talkspace.com/blog/how-to-release-anger/

On Saturday 06/24/23, I hiked Sandstone Peak. It was a beautiful clear day in Western Malibu and not too hot – especially because it was early. I was back in the car before 9:00 am. It is a short 1.5 miles to the top, gaining about 1,000 feet in elevation. At the top, you are at roughly 3,000 feet above sea level.

The drive to the trailhead is winding and slow on Yerba Buena. But it is a beautiful area, and it would be a good full day to do the loop around Boney Ridge.

I have several thoughts while listening to this Freakonomics podcast with Ari Emmanuel.

First, what the hell are helminths? Well, they are worms. He is eating worm eggs to presumably reduce inflammation.

Secondly, I should write down some of hie advice because I think there is wisdom in it.

1. Don’t be indifferent
2. Be curious
3. Be comfortable in the uncomfortable
4. Show up — be consistent
5. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and get out of their way
6. Fail often, but do it quickly
7. Your schedule makes you dumber. Get out of daily routines and meet people outside your normal sphere

For me, at this moment, the idea of “being comfortable in discomfort” really resonates. Paired with “getting outside my normal routine”, I think I would do well to break free of my routine and meet new people, do new things, and get comfortable in novel situations. It if am to push forward and continue expanding my knowledge and set of skills, I need to grow, and growth comes quickly when one must process novel stimuli.

It’s time.

The 3ppm increase this year is concerning, but the overall trend is terrifying. Our collective inability to think exponentially is causing us to destroy the habitability of our planet.

The above image of the 2000 year Keeling Curve is from UCSD.

• Blog

https://archive.org/details/gd94-06-17.nak700.ladner.9774.sbeok.shnf/gd94-06-17d2t01.shn

June 17, 1994

I can remember standing in the rain and the impatience of the crowd as the band tuned up and seemed to be hesitant to play. The rain had been consistent since the first set and the atmosphere was electric – birds circling Autzen stadium, tie dyed flags waving in the cool wind. It seemed too cold for a June day, and it didn’t help that we were all – forty thousand of us – absolutely soaking wet.

But then the band launched into Rain by the Beatles, and what I remember is everyone smiling, cheering with recognition of the tune, and then dancing for the whole second set.

The moment that I can still see crystal clearly in my mind’s eye is half way through Rain, I was on the field and I looked up at the stands to see forty thousand people dancing in the rain and thinking that the band had taken the place from a tense, edgy vibe to a great shared moment. I can still feel that. It was magic. It was transformative.

That is what I loved about the Grateful Dead.

There is no one worth following as a guru. Those who succeed in today’s media landscape tend to excel at self-promotion, rather than possessing wisdom. There is no secret recipe to being better or more successful. There is no value in listening to anyone trying to sell something.

The truth lies waiting for you to do your own work of learning about yourself and seeking more and better information. Your process is your own. MY process is MY own.

I have listened to self-help and GTD and optimizing podcasts for years, and I have read more than a few related books, and yet. . . The real change in my life is not related to that consumption. To be fair, some of those things have given me motivation or ideas that I have utilized. But I have never seen progress by copying or following a prescription from someone else.

I am changing by deepening relationships, self-observation, and through my own research based on what I am interested in and/or find helpful.

I am taking a break from consuming other people’s opinions.

I saw some photos of the crowning of the British King, and all I can think is WTF does this exist?!?! It is insane to me. No one should “rule” over people as a king or queen, and nor should anyone be given that authority by way of wealth or celebrity.

For some reason, I can’t quite put my finger on, I have been thinking a lot about the short essay by Chellis Glendinning from 1990, entitled, “Notes toward a Neo-Luddite Manifesto.”

I remember reading it in the Utne Reader in the early-1990s and being inspired by the idea that all technologies are political, and the obvious tendency to promote new tech as utopian, while ignoring the externalized costs and negative effects of the same.

Although the itemized list of technologies seems quaint due to the total absence of mobile phones, modern internet, social media, data collection practices, surveillance capitalism, and ad-driven search, algos, etc.; the author was far-sighted enough to include “computer technologies — which cause disease and death in their manufacture and use, enhance centralized political power, and remove people from direct experience of life.”

So, don’t let anyone tell you that we could not have foreseen the risks of rising fascism, when Mondo 2000, Utne Reader and other publications were contemplating the rise of computers “enhancing centralized power” in the early 1990s.

You can read more about the movement here, or the original Luddites, and a more modern take on this essay at Gizmodo from 2015.

I have been going through my life somewhat thoughtlessly. Sure, I try to be a good person, making morally justifiable decisions and being kind as often I can. But I have not spent enough time considering whether my efforts and focus align with what really matters to me, to my community, and to the future. So, what really matters? And once that is determined, how can I live in a way that serves those things best?

The list is short: (1) caring for and sharing time with family, blood and chosen; (2) living a thoughtful life with time and space to meditate and study, (3) trying to leave the community and world in a better state than I found it. Nowhere on that list are the self-centered things I have been fixated on for the last several years: Finances. Fitness and appearance. Pettiness.

For years, I thought I was above the comparisons to others. I smugly congratulated myself for knowing how much money was “enough.” But upon reflection, I realized that I was engaged in that behavior in other ways – mostly comparing other indications of “success” and social status. It was deeply humbling to come to the realization that I was not above the comparisons I was so quick to condemn in others. I have spent entirely too much time thinking about myself and how I match up against my peers, colleagues and neighbors. There is nothing important about my weight, my appearance, my social status, my financial wealth, my professional achievements, or the number of followers I have on social media.

I believe my increasing anxiety is directly proportional to my self-centered perspective. I would have less anxiety if I spent time focused on larger things and doing things that matter most to me. Maybe service to others is a way to reduce my anxiety levels, in addition to being the right thing to do, or course.

Knowing the above, I have been continuing to struggle to align my values and actions. I often succumb to the temptation of compulsive behavior: doomscrolling, playing games, fixating on self-help, eating when bored. . . This is all taking time and filling the void within. I need to make a series of small changes that will nudge me away from my current habits and behaviors and encourage more time spent away from technology and more time engaged with people whom I love and enjoy, as well as more time reading for pleasure and meditating.

I think the way forward is to (1) limit my use of technology to certain beneficial uses, (2) to spend less time listening to self-help podcasts, (3) spend more time focusing on larger ideas and (4) serving others directly and indirectly.

Why I Want to Avoid Technology

1. It is largely a waste of time, as the level of discourse is poor and more hostile than other venues
2. It is designed to be addictive by very smart people, and it works well. So it is compulsive behavior rather than a useful tool
3. The internet is useful as a tool to find specific information, but it is rife with companies trying to steal your attention so they get paid.
4. I distrust technologists
   1. There is a disturbing alt-right bent to many technologists that reeks of fascism and paranoia.
   2. Extreme wealth is not indicative of virtue, thoughtfulness, nor intelligence
   3. Many technologists minimize their use and their children’s use of social media.
5. AI bots are on the cusp already of filling the internet with bullshit
6. Tech should be a tool we wield to solve problems, not a time and money suck

For these reasons (and others!!!), I want to curtail all use of the internet unless I have a specific objective. And, I want to bundle those objectives, so that I minimize the number of times I get online to as few as possible. In the time I once spent browsing reddit mindlessly or watching YouTube videos, I want to read, write, meditate, and spend time with friends and family.

Why I Want to Avoid Self-Help Podcasts and other Content

I think self-improvement has its place and is useful at times. I also think that there is a massive industry in the US, in particular, around selling people inwardly focused content. Of course we can all do better and be better. But the focus here is wrong. The ills plaguing our society are not individual, they are communal and global. Think healthcare, climate change, social media, addictions, hatred and prejudice, poverty and inequality. Self-help and self-improvement has its place, but our problems are systemic and I want to spend more time studying those systemic issues rather than navel-gazing and trying to becoming more productive or more efficient.

Larger Things & Serving Others

A few of the systems I want to study right now are privacy regulations, water systems in California, and how I can serve others. I think AI is also interesting, but I have a lot of work to do before I can begin to understand the code behind it and assess its strengths and weaknesses. I will have to read up and should work to find reliable good sources with a greater understanding.

I will take some time experimenting here, as I will have my hands full just limiting my internet usage and filling that time with reading and study. I hope that using that time more effectively will reveal opportunities for me to serve my family and community in interesting ways and reveal new areas in which I can research and find interest.

For the time being, I want to focus on being more present in the moment with people, reading novels, and researching in depth ideas and topics outside of my professional expertise.