Joe Bageant

Ghosts of Tim Leary and Hunter Thompson

Freedom vs. Authority under the 40-foot pulsating rainbow vagina

Everything Americans think they know, they learned from a televised morality play. It's all theater. You root for some good guy and boo some bad guy. You pick your own, but you dance to the tune of the men running the show. It's mind control, pure and simple, and if there is an American immune to it, then he is probably living in a snow cave somewhere in Alaska.
-- Gypsy Joe Hess (1919-1988), prospector, self-educated philosopher and horse trader

By Joe Bageant

In my ragged assed 40 years of writing, I've been lucky enough -- or sometimes unlucky enough -- to meet and write about many of America's "somebodies," mostly vapid asshole movie and TV stars and rock musicians. When I was young, so-called "media journalism" then was just what it is now, what we called "starfucking", and amounted to writing PR for media corporations in "music journals" of the time. But we covered a few worthwhile iconic figures in the mix as well -- the kind that stick around in the background of one's thinking forever. At my age now, I find a lot of them are dying off, the Hunter Thompsons, Susan Sontags, Ken Keseys and Kurt Vonneguts. However, I have a self-imposed policy not to eulogize them because the hundreds of sentimental Internet tributes that flourish upon their deaths somehow seem ghoulish, and because it is a universal truth that we writers will do anything for an audience, and celebrity death is one of the easiest ways to attract one.

A curse on whites who took land of natives

Hello, Joe,

It's me, Gene, the fellow who was born in Charleston, West Virginia, but now living up north in a place called Sweden. Remember me? I had hoped you would someday turn up in Stockholm to cool off a bit after you wrote your book, which I have on order as soon as it hits the press. Feels good to read your musings about the lower classes in the old Appalachians and its environs. The place needs a Mark Twain to write about it -- but you will do. You and I feel the same way about Virginia, West and East.

Liberal condescension toward working class

Joe,

Thank God you care more about the fight than comfort! And I say thank God without irony even as an evangelical atheist who was baptized Catholic and grew up with believing working class people. Even as an atheist who, as I slide into my mid-forties, has decided it's time to cut the delicate respectful crap and fess up to, even confront, anyone who will listen in order to declare what a lot of hooey religion and belief in God really is. And declare it even if, like you, I know that lots of the best socialists and other fighters for a little justice in this life, people who think genuinely of others' well being, got that way and often stay that way through some kind of faith.

Preacher explains 'come unto me' stuff

Joe,

Love you, brother, and keep preachin'!

But I'm going to have to let you do it. I've never been a marcher, and I just can't see the point in annoying powerful people who don't give a rat's ass whether I lay down in front of their tank, bulldozer, or limo, since I won't deflect them any more than the other potholes in the infrastructure that they've already written off as a tax deduction.

Race exploited to hide class issues

Joe:

I recently learned about you and have so far read Rising Above Politics and Redneck Liberation Theology. Brother, you are a classic example of how insight, the gift of gab and outrageous wit can offer something that is actually worth reading.

I have been called "nigger" many times while also had the chance to truly love some so called "rednecks".

More power to you, amigo, and I will definitely visit your site regularly.

Jim

Rising Above Politics

Can we quit talking and start walking?

By Joe Bageant

Well, lo and beshit! I never thought I’d ever see the day. But even in my hardcore Republican run hometown, many conservatives are quietly sneaking away from the sing-along around the campfire of George Bush’s war-crazed hootenanny. Most of them are ordinary bona fide conservatives. But others slipping off under cover of darkness are among our richest Republicans who profiteered mightily in the security, construction and service businesses that sprouted like mushrooms from every aspect of the Iraq War. Either they have suddenly developed a steak of conscience, or they simply don’t want to be associated with the trail of crime, blood and feces Bush and his cronies have obviously tracked across the carpet of American history. My bet is on the latter.

A view from Spain on French elections

Hi Joe Bageant,

I just spent a quiet weekend here in Madrid with my eyeballs strapped to a broadband connection catching up with your musing on the state of empire and your escape from America (congratulation on the latter) and I was hit square in the puss by a nasty irony. You alluded to a true leftist tradition in Europe (OK, so those weren't your exact words, you know what I'm talking about). The irony of course is that as I was reading that, my still somewhat newish neighbors (I'm in my third year here) to the north in the Fifth Republic (France) were flocking to the polls in record numbers to elect a feisty little right-winger to run things for the next seven years.

Jesus declares class warfare and liberation

Dear Joe,

Your "Redneck Liberation Theology" essay got me to thinking. There is a crying need for a third party to emerge that would galvanize the many lost souls who are either in an uncomfortable affiliation with one of the two major parties or are simply unaffiliated.

It's time someone formed the Christian Liberation Party. This would in no way compromise the separation between state and religion since the party would be dedicated to following the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Those who wished to accept him as their personal savior could, and those who chose not to would be just as welcome to join.

Life in a small rural Missouri town

Howdy Joe,

I discovered your blog for the first time tonight, and find it utterly cool shit! You may be a Leftie, but you do understand us laboring biscuit eaters better than just about anybody else writing out there in the elite centric blogosphere.

Yup, you're the guy in the country song: "Good Old Boys Like Me" who can never leave those sweet deep roots we were nurtured in like little babybooming tadpoles.

The ruling arseholes control all news

Joe,

Thanks. You and your writings continue to be an inspiration as does the publishing of a "working class" writer's work such as Rafi ("Liberals leave when fighting starts").

Looking outward from Australia, believe me it's the same here. Lying manipulating bastard politicians, ruthless media projections of "the omnipotent market" and the utter powerlessness of the individual to challenge.