Saturday, August 03, 2013 ***************************************** OLD WOUNDS *************************** Smart Armenians give up on their fellow Armenians at an early age, but, in Saroyan’s words, “mothers hang in forever.” * I don’t take myself seriously except when I quote or paraphrase better men than myself, if you know what I am saying… * Since I never made more than minimum wage I cannot be accused of exploiting anyone; and yet, I have been called a capitalist by some of my detractors probably because I don’t allow my income bracket to determine my writing style. * The overwhelming majority of regimes today, including the most advanced, civilized democracies are either corrupt or incompetent or both; and the overwhelming majority of people are either dupes or greedy for either money or power and probably both. I am reminded of Southern rednecks who used to deliver speeches in praise of “Anglo-Saxon democracy” and against “Jews, Catholics and niggers.” Old wounds or new cancer? # GRANDMASTERS OF THE BLAME GAME ************************************************* In the Decalogue of our leadership there is only one commandment repeated ten times: “Thou shalt not assume responsibility.” * If you can blame it on bloodthirsty Asiatic barbarians or the degenerate West or even our mountains and rivers and Almighty God Himself, why plead guilty as charged? * Who in his right mind would be against one nation under God? The answer must be obvious: the opposition! * Because I write against dividers I am myself accused of dividing the nation. How? Why? Elementary my dear Watson. I am a divider because I divide the nation between deceivers and dupes. * To be a good writer, I am told, means to see the good in everyone, including irresponsible idiots who recycle propaganda and see moral victory in military defeat. * A member of the Party, very much like a theologian, is brainwashed to believe his God is the only true God and all others are in cahoots with the Devil. If you believe that, consider yourself a certified moron, and if saying so is a crime against humanity, I plead guilty as charged. # WHERE I STAND **************************** The only way to survive as a writer in our environment is by writing what someone else wants you to write. The only way to become a best-seller in America is by writing what everyone wants to read. I want to achieve popularity by writing what no one wants to read. Figure that one out if you can. * In his youth Thomas Mann was a nationalist; so was Dostoevsky in his old age. Nabokov was different: he didn’t give a damn about czars, commissars, Mother Russia and the Orthodox Church. But then he went to the other extreme: he supported McCarthy in America and the war in Vietnam. * Sartre loathed the French bourgeoisie to such a degree that he supported Stalin, Mao and Castro. It takes all kinds. * As children we are shaped by propaganda – that is to say, lies. As adults some of us become aware of this fact. Many others never do. * Political parties win elections not because they know better but because they are superior liars and organizers. That’s the only way to explain the victory of Stalinists in Russia and fascists in Germany, Italy, Spain and many other countries. * I don’t write as a writer. I write as a layman who is on the side of victims even when they happen to be writers with bad ideas. * When not systematically slaughtered by our enemies, our writers were ignored, insults, starved, and betrayed by our own ruling classes and the indifference of the people. * As you can see, I don’t happen to be one who is easily infatuated by my fellow men even when they happen to be my “brothers.” #