Hey yall! I just recorded this walking the streets of our nations capital on account of I noticed something: I see less protests than I’ve ever seen here! In this podcast, I run through a couple theories as to why that may be! Love yall!
That rant about the motorcycles? You were channeling me, I swear. I was bitching about it one day and someone went "My dad just loved the rumble of his Harley so much that he had straight pipes put on his Suburban so he could experience it no matter what he was driving. He never even considered that it might have been annoying for other people." In my head I was thinking "Well, fuck your dad." In reality, I just didn't reply.
Hey Corey! 👋 My major is being a good human being and my minor is human equality. It’s exhausting sometimes, though entirely necessary for my future career of living in the best way I can. 😉
I grew up in Virginia and after 15 years in New England I'm moving to DC soonish for so many of the reasons you discussed. That city makes me feel alive.
Oct 21, 2023·edited Oct 21, 2023Liked by Corey Ryan Forrester
Another theory -- a lot of protest has gone online. Easier. Faster. You can do it wearing pajamas.
Trudging up and down the street with a misspelled hand-painted sign sounds an awful lot like work.
re: the situation in the so-called Holy Land. Back in the late eighties, I worked at a place that published the Baltimore Jewish Times -- a 40-page weekly magazine. I'd say it was 2/3 advertising and 1/3 Zionist public relations -- if not propaganda.
These were the days before the articles were sent through email or saved on a thumb drive and that meant that the text had to be typed (or "keyed in" as those troglodytes insisted on saying). So. My dainty digits would be dancing on the keyboard, typing columns of stuff that to my young, idealistic mind -- was just horrible.
To summarize the editorial philosophy of this rag: (1) Israel historically belonged to the Jews, 'cause Jehovah said so and the Jews should have that particular real estate NOW and forever. (2) All Palestinians should die, immediately, (3) so Israel can have even more real estate (boys and girls, can you say "Lebensraum"? (3) If you want to be an authentic Jew, you should sell everything, quit your overpaid job, leave your comfy life in America and move your smug ass to Israel. (4) However, it should be pointed out that life in Israel can be dangerous, the apartments are small and expensive, you need to build a bomb-proof room, etc. (5) BUT! You can still be a real Jew if you send money to help Israel! (6) Ad follows for a high-priced fund-raising banquet to support ... take a wild guess as to whom the beneficiary might be.
Reading this stuff made me feel like two enemies were playing endless tennis inside my head, using a hand grenade for a ball and the Gaza Strip for a net. I'd think "well, of course the Jews want a country of their own -- look how they've been treated throughout history -- how often have the Jews been persecuted or blamed in countries which suddenly decided that (a) they needed a scapegoat; and (b) the Jews weren't really citizens anyway. Let's kill them! Or at least kick them out!
Then I'd read something about Israeli tanks knocking over Palestinian settlements and calling for Palestinians' extinction and I'd think "guys -- STOP -- surely that sounds a bit familiar, doesn't it?"
I'd read another story about Palestinian tactics and think "What kind of sick bastards would encourage children to throw rocks at Israeli soldiers?"
Or I'd read about a Palestinian suicide bomber who blew himself and forty other people into meat chunks.
Back and forth. Back and forth. I was grateful for an article by Thomas Friedman which stated that there were "bandits" on both sides of the struggle. And oh boy, didn't that comment spark a firestorm of angry letters!!! How could he say such a thing -- about the Jews!
I lived with my parents at the time and my mother was always eager to hear about "my day." "Mom," I said, "am I an Anti-Semite? I type these articles and I don't like what the Israelis are doing but apparently, if you criticize anything the Jews are doing, you hate Jews and you are a terrible person. I don't WANT to be an anti-Semite!"
I do wish I had read the Baltimore Jewish Times before I ever read a word of Philip Roth. Roth's stories and novels would have made a lot more sense to me.
Anyway, Cho. Here's my sad theory.
Hitler won.
He lost the land war in Europe and blew his sorry brains out, but not before teaching the Jews how to be Nazis.
I know that is a broad, broad generalization and I would love to be wrong. But that's how it looks to me.
Again, I have nattered on at length.
Thanks for reading my comment on Puttin' on Airs" yesterday! I think you need to get yourself a Fu Manchu outfit.
That rant about the motorcycles? You were channeling me, I swear. I was bitching about it one day and someone went "My dad just loved the rumble of his Harley so much that he had straight pipes put on his Suburban so he could experience it no matter what he was driving. He never even considered that it might have been annoying for other people." In my head I was thinking "Well, fuck your dad." In reality, I just didn't reply.
Hey Corey! 👋 My major is being a good human being and my minor is human equality. It’s exhausting sometimes, though entirely necessary for my future career of living in the best way I can. 😉
I grew up in Virginia and after 15 years in New England I'm moving to DC soonish for so many of the reasons you discussed. That city makes me feel alive.
Another theory -- a lot of protest has gone online. Easier. Faster. You can do it wearing pajamas.
Trudging up and down the street with a misspelled hand-painted sign sounds an awful lot like work.
re: the situation in the so-called Holy Land. Back in the late eighties, I worked at a place that published the Baltimore Jewish Times -- a 40-page weekly magazine. I'd say it was 2/3 advertising and 1/3 Zionist public relations -- if not propaganda.
These were the days before the articles were sent through email or saved on a thumb drive and that meant that the text had to be typed (or "keyed in" as those troglodytes insisted on saying). So. My dainty digits would be dancing on the keyboard, typing columns of stuff that to my young, idealistic mind -- was just horrible.
To summarize the editorial philosophy of this rag: (1) Israel historically belonged to the Jews, 'cause Jehovah said so and the Jews should have that particular real estate NOW and forever. (2) All Palestinians should die, immediately, (3) so Israel can have even more real estate (boys and girls, can you say "Lebensraum"? (3) If you want to be an authentic Jew, you should sell everything, quit your overpaid job, leave your comfy life in America and move your smug ass to Israel. (4) However, it should be pointed out that life in Israel can be dangerous, the apartments are small and expensive, you need to build a bomb-proof room, etc. (5) BUT! You can still be a real Jew if you send money to help Israel! (6) Ad follows for a high-priced fund-raising banquet to support ... take a wild guess as to whom the beneficiary might be.
Reading this stuff made me feel like two enemies were playing endless tennis inside my head, using a hand grenade for a ball and the Gaza Strip for a net. I'd think "well, of course the Jews want a country of their own -- look how they've been treated throughout history -- how often have the Jews been persecuted or blamed in countries which suddenly decided that (a) they needed a scapegoat; and (b) the Jews weren't really citizens anyway. Let's kill them! Or at least kick them out!
Then I'd read something about Israeli tanks knocking over Palestinian settlements and calling for Palestinians' extinction and I'd think "guys -- STOP -- surely that sounds a bit familiar, doesn't it?"
I'd read another story about Palestinian tactics and think "What kind of sick bastards would encourage children to throw rocks at Israeli soldiers?"
Or I'd read about a Palestinian suicide bomber who blew himself and forty other people into meat chunks.
Back and forth. Back and forth. I was grateful for an article by Thomas Friedman which stated that there were "bandits" on both sides of the struggle. And oh boy, didn't that comment spark a firestorm of angry letters!!! How could he say such a thing -- about the Jews!
I lived with my parents at the time and my mother was always eager to hear about "my day." "Mom," I said, "am I an Anti-Semite? I type these articles and I don't like what the Israelis are doing but apparently, if you criticize anything the Jews are doing, you hate Jews and you are a terrible person. I don't WANT to be an anti-Semite!"
I do wish I had read the Baltimore Jewish Times before I ever read a word of Philip Roth. Roth's stories and novels would have made a lot more sense to me.
Anyway, Cho. Here's my sad theory.
Hitler won.
He lost the land war in Europe and blew his sorry brains out, but not before teaching the Jews how to be Nazis.
I know that is a broad, broad generalization and I would love to be wrong. But that's how it looks to me.
Again, I have nattered on at length.
Thanks for reading my comment on Puttin' on Airs" yesterday! I think you need to get yourself a Fu Manchu outfit.
Spot on!
Good to hear from ya. Good luck tonight and safe travels back home! 💜