Beyond ELLEN: Changing the Channel
Dedicated to all those in Environmental Studies, since the U.S. Military is arguably the single greatest polluter on earth. Oh yes, and to the children who we bomb incessantly.
by Oxz (Richard Martin Oxman)

The family is laughing, watching ELLEN as the rain pours down. Cozy morning. I get up now and then to listen in, to watch the adorable hostess talk about things like nail polish, the different colors that they come in these days, the cute names. “Here’s one, Trust Fund Baby. [Pause.] It’ll never work.”

Ellen’s audience — forever laughing on cue — sends out lots of love to her. They seem quite sweet and decent.

So what’s the problem?

They are the Good Germans. See http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Fascism/Good_German_Syndrome.html and substitute Obama’s name for Bush’s. Ellen too. And the lone black face that plays music on her show.

Not my family though.

Why’s that? ‘Cause both Sylvie www.sosylvie.typepad.com and nine-year-old Marcello www.marcelsgeo.blogspot.com feel a moral obligation to try to comprehend war. To use their imaginations to put an end to war. To — at the very least — mitigate its horrid momentum. Not sleep at night… as if nothing’s happening. Not sleepwalk through a holocaust every bit as big as The Holocaust.

Americans seem to either be like trust fund babies relative to the vast majority of the world. Trust fund babies or trust fund baby wanabees. Very spoiled, with a totally entitled mind-set. Out of touch — by choice — with our abominations. Not involved in taking meaningful action, their signing of petitions and the like (in some cases) notwithstanding.

TOSCA (Taking Over the State of California as per http://oxtogrind.org/archive/364) aims to help the public to self-educate, to go beyond nail polish and jokes about nail polish and adorable, infectious dance steps. Not just in California.

Some people object to our use of the phrase taking over. But… The Great American Audience, hypnotized by The Great American Sponsors and hostesses like The Good German Ellen, will not willingly change the channel on their own.

Oh, seems as if Sylvie and Marcello have turned the TV off, and have channeled their energies into our garden. Our rare garden, where there are no landmines, and where the air is hardly carcinogenic at all. Not yet transformed by the Apollonic imagination into nuclear visions brighter than a thousand suns.

I must join them. [Pause.] For the moment.

Richard can be contacted at tosca.2010[at]yahoo.com
P.S. We are not asking people to stop the good work that they’re doing. Moving in solidarity with TOSCA does not demand that people devote any heartbeats away from special projects dear to their hearts. And we need absolutely no money to do what we intend to do.