Well, many of you won't recognize my name, but my user ID tells a story. A long story of fights, arguments, allegiances, betrayals, and nuances. It tells of a time when "liberal" meant something but not enough. I left during the Obama/Clinton wars because the sides were involved in a cannibalizing masturbation of the Other. (How does that work?) I'm a 2008 Obama inauguration attendee, but I've been through all the documented stages of grief for both my party and my nation since then. I've gone from being a prolific Kos participant to missing in action. I once had the distinction of having written an issue (controversial) diary (on the Catholic church) that had more comments than any other in Kos history at the time of its publication. My Kos claim to fame. Seems like a lifetime ago.
After Obama's election, I found myself increasing disillusioned--sullen and morose. Now, I find myself seeking voices from outside the U.S. because the vast majority of voices here seem to be caught in a bizarre echo chamber that even accommodates those who disagree. How is that possible? Rod Serling most certainly had a screenplay or short story in the vault somewhere that anticipated the bi-aural echo chamber. It exists nonetheless and it looks like this: the only lens through which Americans view the world is one that is focused by American television and news media, which means the rejection of all other and foreign news sources. It is a lens that insists that American exceptionalism exists even though every metric on the planet suggests otherwise.
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