Notes on the road

Dear Reader,

I'm hitchhiking north today, maybe as far as Big Sur tonight, but I wanted to jot a few notes before I leave.  I'm bringing a cell phone this time, so look for further notes along the way.

Pre-journey notes

1.  Russia and the U.S. appear to be spatting about their new spheres of influence in Syria, but in fact they are cooperating.  The two countries have in common that both were founded by Vikings who subjugated the indigenous peoples where they invaded and formed a new ruling class. The Viking invasion of England in 1066 formed the English upper-class and by extension the American, but the Vikings never made it into the acronym W.A.S. P.  Today Vikings would be called "white people;" in fact they were the "white people" who gave "white people" their cachet as ruler/oppressor.  Thus the post-war relations between the U.S. and Russia can be interpreted as a civil war between Vikings, or alternatively as co-operation against those of non-Viking descent.

2. On my hitchhiking tour north I may pass through Roseburg, Oregon, where a deranged man killed ten people yesterday at a community college.  I spent some time this morning probing President Obama's thoughts after I read that he had once again, as he does after each shooting, bemoaned the gun lobby influence.  Back in 2012 after the Newtown shooting, before Obama was a lame duck, he made a show of urging Congress to act on gun control, but his effort was entirely verbal.  No serious pressure was put on key committee members, as it was to pass Obama's Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) or his Iran Deal.  Those deals were not popular, far from it, yet the President was able to muscle them through.  He didn't even try with gun control.  I went as deeply as I could into his thoughts and came upon what I expected: Obama could secure the TPP and Iran deals because his efforts were part of larger efforts, backed by wealthy special interests.  No powerful interests backed him on gun control. One problem is that the corporate entities that form much of what we call the U.S. government do not care about the shootings, partly because the private sector is making money off them, not only from gun and ammo sales but from increased media ratings.  I do not fault President Obama for not being able to overcome this reality, but I do fault him for pretending, in 2012, that he tried to.  At least he's stopped pretending.

That's it for now.  I'm out the door, walking up to Pearblossom Highway in the great Mojave Desert, looking for a ride!  I’ll be in touch!

Bon Voyage, Harry the Human