Re: Thoughts on a Jackass and other things

Well, I sure agree on the jackass analogy and the lack of talent at the top of foreign policy establishment.  (Unless there are some well-hidden agreements with Putin...)

And I hope you are right about Russia holding off.  I am somewhat worried by the following word from a friend in Odessa an hour or so ago, who started with a report that things are going well on some of common (non-political) projects and then added:

"I cannot guarantee it will not change in the next days or weeks as today some very active protests and some battles started between pro-russian and pro-ukrainian groups."


 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Hunter Gray <[email protected]>
To: Bear Without Borders <[email protected]>
Cc: Redbadbear <[email protected]>; SycamoreCanyon <[email protected]>; marxist <[email protected]>; newgreencanada <[email protected]>
Sent: Mon, Mar 3, 2014 11:33 am
Subject: [marxist] Thoughts on a Jackass and other things


 
  
    
                  

Some of our trees are now budding.  Wish we could send this pleasant weather all over the land.
 
I'm not a admirer of the historic Teddy Roosevelt.  But, of course, like many, I always recall his often mis-targeted "Speak softly but carry a big stick."
 
That policy -- at least the "speak softly" -- seems to have gone by the board in our country.  And the U.S. is now up against a relatively silent Force that cannot be intimidated.   The current U.S. diplomatic entourage strikes me as poor quality generally.  One might disagree with a George F. Kennan of yore or even the more recent George Mitchell -- but these, and many others, were high calibre people. (Mitchell, in retirement, is still with us.)
 
 I'd be surprised if Russia proceeds further in the geographical sense.  It has its priority areas safeguarded.
 
Mainline U.S. media yesterday saw an interesting mix between the Ukrainian/Russian situation and the Oscars.  War talk was wild -- especially from some of our national mediocrities in whose natures impulsive recklessness often resides.  Kerry was especially virulent.  But they're all frustrated by the nature of the situation and the refusal of Russia to back down.
 
Kerry especially reminds me of a Jackass (male donkey or burro) that I once knew in Yavapai County, Arizona.  My parents owned some prime, lower Oak Creek land -- lower altitude and much warmer than still fairly close Flagstaff.  Sometimes I'd sit on the edge of  our higher turf under a cedar tree and look down and across to some of the small ranch/farms.  (My father once killed a nine foot rattler close to that particular tree.)
 
On one of those very close-by mini-ranch/farms, there was a donkey of note.  He brayed constantly and, obviously "full of himself", pranced around.  The humans in the setting, and all of the other livestock, paid no attention to him.
 
Best, H
 
HUNTER GRAY [HUNTER BEAR/JOHN R SALTER JR] Mi'kmaq / 
St. Francis Abenaki / St. Regis Mohawk  and
Member, National Writers Union AFL-CIO
 
Check out our massive social justice website
www.hunterbear.org  The site is dedicated to our
one-half Bobcat, Cloudy Gray, and to Sky Gray:
http://hunterbear.org/cloudy_gray.htm
 
SHOOTING LUPUS --  Driving this oft-lethal deadly 
disease of mine back into its genetic cave and into
impotency in an eight year war:
http://hunterbear.org/shooting_lupus.htm
 
See our very full COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
page -- with a great deal of practical material:
http://hunterbear.org/my_combined_community_organizing.htm
 
See my  new expanded/updated "Organizer's Book," 
JACKSON MISSISSIPPI -- with a new 10,000 word
introduction by me. This page lists many reviews.
And this book is also an activist's how-to manual: 
 http://hunterbear.org/jackson.htm   
 
The Stormy Adoption of an Indian Child [My Father]:
http://hunterbear.org/James%20and%20Salter%20and%20Dad.htm:
(Photos)