By Judith Gayle | Political Waves
It’s been an impressive week for news watchers, with inflammatory speech and action apparently an acceptable new norm here at home. Meanwhile, eyes still turned toward the Olympics in Asia, we find Cossacks wielding horsewhips and pepper spray in Sochi, and Kiev going up in actual flames. The Dark Side is really pulling out the stops to herd us back into our previous sleepy submission — working non-stop at several low-paying jobs, shopping ’til we drop from anxiety over rising costs and issues of survival, and shrugging our shoulders about political maneuvers that we don’t have time or energy to address — but it doesn’t seem to be working. The world is watching like never before, witnessing a kind of emotionally-wrought overkill that seems almost fictional in its scope.
This month’s chapter in the ongoing saga of sanctioned death of young black men in Florida offered a hung jury in the Michael Dunn murder case. Dunn shot numerous rounds — three separate volleys — into a car of teens attempting to flee after he complained of their loud music at a gas station. Seventeen-year old Jordan Davis died in the assault, the gun Dunn accused him of carrying never found. While side-stepping the obvious question of premeditation, Dunn was still found guilty on several counts of second-degree “attempted murder” and will likely die in prison.
Although Stand Your Ground wasn’t specifically mentioned in this case, it was the elephant in the room, tying this kind of armed overreaction with the Zimmerman/Martin case and reminding others of the Colorado case of a “threatened” former policeman shooting a young father for texting his baby-sitter in a movie theatre, putting a round through his wife’s hand on his chest and killing him after he threw popcorn. It should be noted that the Stand Your Ground law works best for white people, with less than one-percent of black citizens finding it a useful plea. One also has to wonder what would have happened in any of these cases if the principals were not carrying lethal weapons.
Giving the civilized world a bad case of cat-scratch fever, former rocker and self-professed “madman” Ted Nugent — campaigning in Texas with gubernatorial candidate, Greg Abbott — referred to President Barack Obama as a “subhuman mongrel.” Got to admit, that took my breath away. Mudblood, anyone? So dark!
Only the hard-core Dixiecrats are defending this level of hate speech, but it strikes me as more than simply racist. It’s cloyingly dangerous, with crib notes straight out of Mein Kampf. After decades of scrutinizing the psychological mindset of mainstream Germans that allowed them justification for the Holocaust, I find most persuasive their insistence that the Jews were not quite human and therefore expendable, especially as der Führer pushed to make his dream of German purity and dominance a reality. Yes, a darkly racist zeitgeist in a deeply unquestioning, patriarchal society, and ultimately, lethal in the extreme.
There’s a little too much historical echo in Nugent’s words and attitude to allow me to laugh it off. Too many old, white, gun-totin’ citizens on the right consider him a patriot, and do not see him, as aptly referenced in the Daily Beast article, ” … in all his unhinged glory.” Those who watch these things carefully had already noted the disrespect (no doubt intended) in Texas Rep. Steve Stockman bringing Ted as his guest to the recent State of the Union address.
Thanks to the Phil Robertson dust-up, some pundits also objected to the presence of Duck Dynasty CEO Willie Robertson wearing his iconic (Stars and Stripes) headband while attending the address with Louisiana Rep. Vance McAllister. Small potatoes. Ted’s appearance was less reported while a zillion times more controversial, if not entirely repugnant from my point of view. Turns out Willie and the Prez are equally kicked back and easy with one another. I doubt Ted would say the same, despite his quasi-apology issued today, more regretful for discomforting the party than for insulting the president, or even the office of the president.
It’s crazy making, isn’t it? Light keeps trying to put its best foot forward, creating progress and inclusion, and not without gaining some ground — as found here and here and here, for example — but it continues to be accompanied by a desperate frenzy from the repressive right to reverse modernity and protect against all things diverse.
For instance, conservative legislators across the country are going after the LGBT community with renewed vigor, reworking their attack by pushing attempts to legally codify suspension of services to people of whom they disapprove under the guise of defending their religious freedom. This looks to be an oppressive last-ditch effort at discriminatory law to stop the ongoing transformation of gender equality in this nation.
There are already various versions of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 29 states, but Republicans in Idaho, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Kansas, Arizona, Hawaii, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Mississippi have doubled down on stringent legislation. According to Truth Wins Out, a Chicago-based nonprofit that promotes gay rights, “The fact that they’re doing it Jim Crow-style is remarkable, considering the fact that one would think the GOP would like to be electable among people under 50 sometime in the near future.”
On the world stage, Vladamir Putin has been seen daydreaming about all the fabled unobtanium he can gather, pushing forward his vision of a reconstructed Soviet. What can be said of a leader who publically mourns the “old ideals” that were destroyed with the Soviet breakup, an event he considered “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century?” Seems clear that Putin is in favor of an attempt to return cultural, financial and military prowess to a united Soviet capable of defying the political authority of either China or America. He would lead it, of course.
It appears that a peace deal within the factions in Ukraine, hastily slapped together in the last few hours, will turn back the constitution to its previous version and allow for early elections, but Russia is less than happy about the arrangement. Nor does President Viktor Yanukovich seem pleased by this compromise, as he faces bankruptcy without financial support from Putin. This situation remains too fluid to predict an outcome.
The Ukrainian situation is vastly more complicated than just the ambitions of the Russian president, of course, but it’s doubtful that it would have become so bloody without Vlad pressuring for a Eurasian Union of the former Soviet block countries, undercutting cultural and economic influence from either Europe or America. For their part, Europe and the U.S. did no favors to anyone but themselves by threatening sanctions and overtly siding against Yanukovich. Nothing is simple or straightforward, not in the world of geopolitics with each side looking out for its own interests. You won’t hear about that on CNN, citizen. In fact, unless you go looking for it — or read Planet Waves — you won’t hear that at all.
Is looking out for ourselves — taking care of our own and nobody else — the ultimate expediency, configuring a way to keep power and “win” at any cost? Of course we can’t expect government to work against its interests, but can’t we expect some ethical conduct in the mix, especially since the way our little tribes shift these days, it’s hard to keep one’s footing?
It seems obvious to those who stand back far enough, but probably still unnoticed by most of us, that politics has changed enormously in the last few years, going from Dubya’s “us/them” to Obama’s “just us.” The Republicans are deeply distressed by this outcome, others of us not sure it’s a bad thing, but not able to yet name what it truly is. Obama has been criticized for not having set a hard-nosed direction internationally or specific agenda nationally. The clean line that separated us — racially, politically, ideologically — just a decade ago has shifted and nobody seems sure exactly what to make of it.
The far edge of zealotry has taken root here, as it already had in the Middle East and other nations that endured economic and cultural repression. We didn’t expect it; we weren’t looking for the outliers to become so shrill and muscular. And if it’s confusing to the average bear, I wonder how dyed-in-the-wool power brokers on the right like Lindsey Graham and John McCain feel, as they face off against eager Baggers in their home states, ready to retire them as “too liberal” to serve the cause of political purity.
In the other camp, progressives find themselves praising Obama for taking risks and making headway with environmental causes while sweating bullets over the possibility that he will approve the XL pipeline. We applaud his push toward populism while criticizing his reluctance to use the bully pulpit to achieve it. We approve his measured intellect while decrying his apparent moderation. Meanwhile, every step forward seems to come with an inevitable lurch backward. It often feels as if we’re on a see-saw, going up and down, back and forth.
But never fear, if we can take a big enough step backward for perspective, we’ll see that we’re making progress, informing ourselves, deciding what works and what doesn’t. Life is never a straight line, a linear path, a series of successes without the learning events known as “failures.” We’re on our way somewhere and we’re hurrying right along, which is why we must keep from falling into negativity and dismay. If we remain “teachable,” we’ll get what we need to recreate ourselves.
It’s not like we aren’t covering ground. We’re just not sure exactly where we stand, from moment to moment, which is why we need to look within ourselves for the things government used to provide: safety, security, stability. All that dependable structure is dissipating, closing itself out as an obsolete concept in need of redesign, as it must if we are to rebuild. We need to look to one another for compassion and caring, to gather in service to planet and stewardship of her life forms. We need to evolve a newly configured ethic that will bring us into an end of separation and create that all inclusive larger tribe that we know ourselves to be.
That’s an inside job, happening within each of us as we walk on this unstable terrain. Keeping our eye on the goal will make the see-saw less dizzying, while keeping our hearts open will bring results sooner rather than later. As Neptune conjuncts the Sun tomorrow, don’t let the shadows tug you down. Make time to daydream beautiful visions of an awakened tomorrow, a loving future. That’s the road map forward, written in your heart, aligned with your soul purpose, and mine.
Thanks for the update, Brendan. I’m sure this level of brutality colors everything around you at this point, one more example of the kind of extremism we’re experiencing. I used to go into Baja quite a bit but stopped in the late 90s. The level of police corruption was a red flag and so much culture that had been welcoming and innocent just turned toxic. A great sadness for the Mexican people, who deserve better. We’ll all be watching and keeping Light for you.
I saw the Big Dog was going to KY, be — he’s a charismatic character, I hope he’ll prove helpful; you never know when he’ll backfire. I wonder about the Bagger candidate, how credible he’ll be. The fringe is alive and well in our states, with the gerrymandered districts giving them inappropriate influence. I’d love to see Mitt go down but sure as hell not to be replaced with an Bagger zealot. Dealing with people who have no desire to govern, nor understanding of what it means, has been PAINFUL.
Breaking today: for those of us who think reports of a “sea-change” is a bit too overconfident, look at this — the pentagon’s proposal for a whittled down, pre-WWII style army. What an about-face! A land AND sea change!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/23/pentagon-army_n_4844656.html
Thanks for the conversation this weekend, kiddo’s — be well, be blessed all …
Good grief Brendon, I had no idea it had escalated to this point. You sound cautious which is good. I remember shopping in Mexico near the border and it was a delightful experience so I’m sorry to hear the situation has deteriorated to the point you describe. I dug out my old chart for Mexico (date used Friday, September 28, 1821, 6 PM Mexico City) and it has 9 Aries 34 rising, which would put transiting Uranus right there in late January (2014), early February. Also, the natal north node at 4 Pisces in the 12th house is where transiting Neptune (drugs, etc.) is right now.
That chart has Gemini on the 3rd house (communication) cusp with ruler Mercury in the 7th house at 16 Libra 43. Transiting Mars was conjunct natal Mercury in January and trans. Jupiter (retrograde) squared that degree in late December from the 4th house which would support the (home) censorship program; that and Neptune in the 12 house. Jupiter will pass over 16 Cancer again in May, this time in direct motion, and will be trine transiting Chiron at 16 Pisces (in Mexico’s 12th house) who will be quincunx natal Mercury. Mars will return to conjunct natal Mercury in retro motion in April and again, direct, in June.
Something else to be aware of is Mexico’s Mars at 0+ Leo (leader) which is quincunx Mexico’s Neptune (drugs) at 0+ Capricorn (organization). The potent solar eclipse in May 2012 at 0+ Gemini (in Mexico’s 2nd house of money) would have formed a yod (sextile natal Mars in Leo and both quincunx natal Neptune in Capricorn). Solar eclipses can be activated for years after the initial event, such as when the New Moon in January 2015 at 0 Aquarius 09 opposes Mexico’s natal Mars in Leo.
Take care my friend; I wish you well.
be
P.S. Transiting Hidalgo is at 6+ Capricorn right now, conjunct this chart for Mexico’s MC.
Forgive the several omissions of entire words – I was trying to type too fast, and I didn’t review it enough. I think you’ll understand what I meant. Ergh!
Judith and Be,
Thanks for the kinds, thoughts, and keeping in the light for me. I’m not sure how bad it will be, but it will take some time to get started – the lieutenants are just getting lined up now and waiting for the first shot to fly. I feel for Mexico: that poor nation will feel the brunt of course, and her people will pay a horrible price. The current government began a new policy of press censorship the day they too office: no cartel stories, no reports on any violence, no discussion of what is going on. What news makes even this far is often distorted or lacking.
A recent is this: about three weeks ago, a number of gunmen for the Beltran-Leyva cartel drove from the Tijuana area to Agua Prieta, which is only 20 miles from where I live. They proceeded to have an hours long gunfight with members of the Sinaloa cartel, using heavy machine guns, grenades, and a lot of bullets. The entire city locked itself down for several days while scattered shootings happened all around them. The death toll given by our local sheriff (NOT Homeland Security or Border Patrol – they were silent) was 8 persons killed. I happen to have a student who has family in A.P.: he said that 35 people were known dead, and the gunfight had lasted nearly 12 hours, with the Beltran-Leyva gunmen eventually withdrawing. All this happened despite there being a Mexican Army garrison just outside the city, who apparently did nothing. I think they were content to let the cartels kill each other, rather than intervene. This was the first cartel related action I’ve ever heard of in this area, as it has long been a Sinaloa cartel zone exclusively.
I don’t know how it will go, honestly. I expect the Zetas cartel (who are primarily on the Gulf Coast) may try to move into this area, and if they do, it will be extremely violent. They take no prisoners, and allow no quarter. They’ve been called animals, but that actually besmirches animals rather badly. If they make moves this far west, it will be a war.
The cartels don’t like stirring up things on this side of the border either. That’s bad for business, and usually makes it harder for them to smuggle everything across. They know if the border region gets too bad, our federal government is likely bring in troops and try to seal it up. I think it can actually be done, but then the restrictions on free movement will make everyone unhappier, and the huge presence of armed troops would drive people away. We are already subject to inspection just to leave the area. The Border Patrol has checkpoints about 30 miles above the line, and you are funneled through them in order to go elsewhere in the country. Technically, all they can ask is if you are a citizen, but figuratively that means little. The younger ones tend to ask a lot of questions not about citizenship, but the older ones know better and are usually very competent. As a full-tilt gringo of obvious European extraction, I usually get a “have a nice day” and a cursory visual check when stopping. If you’re brown, the questions may more pointed, there may be more of them, and a secondary vehicle check if you’re unlucky. Profiling is alive and well down here.
Ain’t life exciting in the 21st century? In the four years, going on five, since I moved down here, I have not crossed over to shop or anything. Most gringos/Anglos don’t anymore, unless going with locals who are Mexican-American. Keep it simple, keep it short, and not after dark is usually the advice.
Brendan, grateful to have your eyes and ears on the border but please don’t take unnecessary chances, okay?
Jude, hopeful news re: upcoming election as Big Dog Bill Clinton will be here in Kentucky on Tuesday to campaign for Alison Lundergan Grimes’ run against Mitch McConnell for U.S. Senate seat. Looking at their charts on the November election date I see more trines for Alison then Mitch;
she: trans. Venus sextile natal Saturn, trans. Mars trine natal Chiron and sextile natal Venus, trans. Jupiter trine natal Mercury and trans. Saturn trine natal south node and sextile natal north node…..
he: trans. Sun square natal Mercury, trans. Chiron conjunct natal south node, trans Jupiter square natal Mars, trans. Pluto quincunx natal Jupiter. trans. north node square natal Pholus, trans. Neptune quincunx natal Pluto
I’d hoped for an upset in the May Republican Primary election, based on Alison’s chart that day. Transiting Uranus will trine her natal Mars and transiting Chiron will trine her natal Uranus as the Kentucky Repubs duke it out. However, Mitch doesn’t appear to be surprised or unhappy that day and since I don’t know beans about his opponent’s horoscope, I assume the Tea Party won’t take Mitch down this time. Maybe she will be “surprised” (Uranus) at the closeness, or the turnout (more women?) or something totally unpredictable.
Last week I mentioned the Ceres-Vesta conjunction but didn’t mention that asteroid Pallas will be keeping a lengthy sextile formation with them (Jan 30 through March 30 and beyond). In 3 major charts they form yods with (1) Juno in Pisces on Feb 28th’s New Moon, (2) with the Sun in Pisces on March 16th’s Full Moon, and (3) with Venus in Pisces on April 29, a solar eclipse at 8+ Taurus, all suggesting a powerful increase of feminine influence this Spring. I’m hoping this translates to goddess support in Alison’s race as well as Wendy’s campaign and any others who are challenging the entrenched old guard.
be
Thanks, be, I so appreciate your comments. From day to day, I find myself circling events, sniffing at them to pick up scent, trying to put them into perspective, and — while things are really changing quickly — it seems to me that our nationalistic zero-sum, winner-take-all sensibilities have finally given way to a more pragmatic national vision … and that’s a MAMMOTH change.
It came to us on the heels of war-weariness, which I suppose we should thank Dubby for — I always said he was a Guru. And that’s another reason that I find each new outrage simply grist for the mill. Each new assault on our common sense and decency brings an opportunity to see ourselves differently, to uproot the childishness at the base of our attitudes. If adulthood is achieved by fucking up in spades, we should be ready by now!
As for drama, it’s plain that life is dramatic enough without becoming drama queens, clutching our pearls [wounds] in an attempt to get more sympathy or attention. That mechanism seems part and parcel of the conservative mindset, continually searching out perceived danger, guarding against loss of stature and authority; constantly considering itself under attack. With that kind of consciousness, the black guy was the equivalent of a neutron bomb!
Credit where it’s due, Obama the Leo has the intellectual cool [and emotional self-discipline] to defuse the obvious signs of conservative HORROR that the man, himself, represents their greatest fear: the browning of America and the loss of what they consider “the natural order” of their racial [and gender] superiority. Just wait ’til we get a woman in the White House — we’ll have to go through another round of reactionary BS, I’m sure.
The drama queens do worry me, of course. They are much more entertaining than rational sorts, which means we have to be SUPER vigilant about organizing for this coming election … COMING UP SOON, you guys! The right has the Big Money and the siren song of drama queens, still swearing they’re victimized patriots [just look how the Left has gone after poor Ted because of his unfortunate choice of words, playing that worn-out race card!] Bread and circuses, always a concern.
I’m pretty sure that part of what eludes us, in the midst of all this wrangle, is a sea change in how countries deal with one another. Now that we can watch every moment of struggle and track every piece of political gamesmanship — the channelers would say now that secrecy can no longer be maintained — we have to bring less testosterone to the table and welcome rationality. That’s what we seem to be wrestling now.
I think that’s part of what has us spun up: that’s just not how we’ve moved through the last century, and thanks to John Wayne and the like, that’s not how we perceive ourselves. There’s a whole industry that wants to prove that [sea change] completely untrue … but ultimately, I think we have no choice but to find the middle path and capitalize on our mutual, global possibilities.
I mean, hey! Shift is happening organically. 50 Cent is at NASCAR today, signing autographs for rednecks. It’s a miracle [of marketing and generational tolerance]! And so it goes.
Hi Brendan. The cartels … normally vicious … are going to be fierce now, divvying up the spoils. How will that impact in your little spot? Isn’t it like trying to teach in a war zone? I have utmost respect for the level of difficulty, here. If you have time to elaborate, I’d be really interested in your thoughts; and should you not, do know that I project peaceful stabilizing energy around your situation. Light, Light, Light-filled evolution and peace, in all things!
Nice analysis, Judith. Besides being the ‘something’ that gives that Be mentioned, Yanukovich apparently wasn’t very tidy, as he left behind files that list all of his bank accounts, whose patronage he was paying for, and a host of other documents that essentially indicate just how corrupt he was. I saw a report on HuffPo that indicated he tried to leave Ukraine, but was not allowed to do so. He’s toast, medium brown with butter and jam.
A very nice followup, Be. Today also saw the capture of “El Chapo” (Shorty) Guzman, head of the Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico. It’s the largest cartel, and responsible for the importation of marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine into the US. By no means is the cartel dead, no, this just means it is about to get very violent in Mexico as the remnants begin to fight amongst themselves for control. I’ll be keeping my eyes and ears open for whatever happens down here. Living just seven miles from the border, I expect to see it get hotter in terms of violence and mayhem across the line, and we could be flooded even more so with people and drugs as a result.
Can I say something here? You Miss Judith have exemplified how the Universe is operating in our corner of the planet, the USA. Yes, yes, yes, it IS almost fictional. High drama fiction. How many films have been created using the Germany/Hitler model of horror; 100’s? Thousands? Are we creating the fodder for films and books that, in hindsight will amaze viewers/readers at the slow reaction U.S. citizens had to the collapse of their once mighty society? If so, let’s hope that the collapse is the beginning of the transformation into what this country will become some day. It is drama and exaggeration that reaches the lowest common denominator of a society, that gets the biggest bang for the buck.
It is Pluto in Capricorn and Uranus in Aries that’s getting all the press for creating the hard times we all experience, but it is transiting Neptune in Pisces in the 3rd house of the U.S. Sibly birth chart that relays back to us how those hard times are experienced by all of us. It is often theatrical in it’s delivery, almost always heart breaking in some way and drives most of us to find ways to escape the stories we are “flooded” with. It is Neptune’s way of coping.
Presently, it is the Neptune-septile-Pluto way. Septiles (51+ degree separation between planets) do not present as rational or objective events or thinking. They present as irrational because septiles divide a circle by 7 and 7 is an irrational (can’t be divided equally) number. At this time Neptune is joined by the Sun, so the Sun is therefore also septile Pluto. Nothing makes sense.
The good news about septiles is that they offer a choice. They act as a fork in the road of destiny and if you choose wisely, you can improve your lot in life; destiny if you prefer. We are guided to choose the correct path with septiles, but it won’t be done if we are depending on pure logical thinking. Not alone anyway. We must keep our hearts open as you say Jude; believe in our feelings and instincts and they will guide us in how to choose and respond.
On Tuesday the 25th the transiting Moon will conjunct Pluto, then septile Neptune and then septile the Sun, among other (much) more pronounced aspects (squares, oppositions, sextiles) she will be making. If not felt on a personal level this Tuesday, watch the news and see what happens on the world stage. It might be more visible (ie. objective) to see the energy play out.
Something to consider is that Yanakovych’s Mars is at 12+ Libra conjunct his Neptune at 14+ Libra and they conjuncts Putin’s Sun at 13+ Libra and the U.S. Sibly Saturn at 14+ Libra. Yanakovych’s Mercury (conjunct Sun) is at 14+ Cancer and conjuncts the U.S. Sun at 13+ Cancer. Yanakovych’s birth chart pattern ties the U.S. and Putin together via the triple conjunction of his Neptune (dissolve boundaries) and Putin’s Sun (ego consciousness) and the U.S.’s Saturn (boundaries). His Mercury and Sun and the U.S. Sun square Putin’s Sun and the U.S. Saturn. Something’s gotta give, at least a little bit.
Yanakovych’s Venus at 14+ Gemini trines his Neptune (higher octave of Venus) which conjuncts his Mars, and his natal Gemini Venus is one degree away from where transiting Venus occulted the Sun in June 2012. Is the Universe using Yanakovych as a catalyst to break the deadlock between Putin and the U.S.?
Yanakovych’s Jupiter at 7+ Pisces is the same degree where transiting Neptune will sit for over 3 months as it stations retrograde this Spring/Summer. His Jupiter trines his natal Uranus (surprise!) in Cancer which conjuncts the U.S. Venus. Just sayin’.
President Obama walks a fine line doesn’t he? Talk about No Drama Obama, when the films and books come out in years to come, they will have a much different perspective (what drama!) of him than what we have right now. Like I say, Neptune’s way. Speaking of Neptune, the U.S. Neptune (22 Virgo) is in the same degree as Obama’s Mars; he is the human representative of the U.S. Neptune’s energy. Lastly, Obama’s Neptune at 8+ Scorpio trines Yanakovich’s Neptune in Pisces, extremely close to where transiting Neptune will station in June. It’s Neptune’s way and Neptune is the higher octave of Venus and Venus, remember, is Love.
be