From the heart

[Sue U]

We need to hear this more often. Blogger "Intern Riley" Waggaman, excerpted from his farewell post at political blog Wonkette:

Just a few things, before I go bye-bye:

I’m twenty-three. Can anyone even begin to count how many countries we’ve flattened, for Freedom, since 1987? I’m twenty-three, and for my entire life, all I’ve known is war.

The fact that the headline of every major newspaper on May 2 wasn’t “Alright. Time For Us To Go The Fuck Home!” is the only reason you need to distrust American Journalism.

The Revolution will not be televised or livestreamed. Nothing on television/web video is revolutionary. Turn that shit off. It’s just a bunch of Sex, Violence and Fear. God knows how many misguided years I’ve spent reveling in these three things. I’m embarrassed for myself.

Speaking of Revolution: In our glorious Information Age, Your Mind is where the real revolution is. That’s where all revolution begins, actually. Right there, in your noodle.

Also, I apologize for everything I’ve ever said or written. Except for this:

Fuck War.

I’m twenty-three, and I’m pretty dumb, all things considered. But also:

Fuck War.

I’m a crappy friend, a terrible son and a lousy brother.

The least I can do is say Fuck War.

I’ve got 99 problems, and Endless War is definitely one of them. It’s your problem, too.

To America’s Future, our College Goin’ Youngsters: I know that it’s fun to play on “the quad,” with your frisbees. And I know there’s all those cute guys and hawt ladies, for sexytime pleasure. Trust me, I totally understand. Just don’t let your schooling get in the way of your education. That would be very sad.

And if you’re opposed to Endless War, you keep good company: Voltaire, Thoreau, Twain, Vonnegut, Heller, Trumbo, Orwell — etc. etc. Lordy, even Helen Keller, who was dealt the shittiest hand, ever, and would have had every right to be a violent right-wing vengeful Bitter, was anti-war. She was actually a straight-up commie. Go figure.

Andrew Breitbart, Richard Cohen, and also most of the “liberal” pundits — nobody will remember these people. Actually, that’s not entirely accurate. In 100 years, some graduate student in a PhD program at the University of the Moon will cite some of that punditry, for his/her dissertation, “How America Became Fascist, On Twitter.”

Anyway, getting back to that revolution, in your head. The revolution has already happened for me. It was nonviolent, and didn’t involve the CIA. My new country is called the Democratic Republic of Rileyland. We’ve got a lot of problems, here in Rileyland. It’s not a very wealthy place, for starters. We have a very large deficit: We owe Sallie Mae a shit-ton of money. But the Democratic Republic of Rileyland does not tolerate endless war. We don’t travel around the world, curb-stomping brown people. Our citizens know better than that. The Democratic Republic of Rileyland has many, many problems — but it is, thankfully, a nation of Peace. And Hope. And Change. (You need Peace if you want those two other things, “Hope” and “Change,” by the way.)

There’s an election coming up in Rileyland. The pundits say I’ll be reelected, and not because I shot some guy in the face.

Much Love, and Peace,

– riley

http://wonkette.com/445555/goodbye-fore ... ore-445555

[Lord Jim]

I’m twenty-three, and I’m pretty dumb

I would say that summarizes it pretty well...

In fact most of that reads (apart from the liberal use of obscenities) like it was written from the perspective of someone who was twelve, not even with the cultivated judgment of a 23 year old....

Call me cynical, but to me the whole tone of that tome rings false on the ear...

It reads to me like a middle aged hippie trying to do an impersonation of what he would like 23 year olds to think....

[Sue U]

Well, he may be pretty dumb, but he knows one thing that's absolutely true.

[rubato]

Well lets see:

He thinks television et al are crap. good

He's capable of self-criticism. also good

And, he's against war. Good again.

yrs,
rubato

[BoSoxGal]

Lovely, Sue. I have hope for the future knowing some 23 yr. olds are thinking like that. Thanks!

[Lord Jim]

I have hope for the future knowing some 23 yr. olds are thinking like that.

If I believed for a single instant that this cliche ridden vacuous lefty twaddle (“How America Became Fascist"...puh-leeze...great green gobbets up I throw) was in any way representative of the thinking of the youth of America, I sure as hell wouldn't....

[Rick]

Steve should also like this fellow.

He also writes for the Huff & Puff...

[Lord Jim]

Steve should also like this fellow.

It's funny Keld...

I too thought of Steve while reading through that tripe....

The basic thrust of it can be summed up thusly:

"Riley no like war. War bad. Fuck war."

War is a Bad Thing. Got it. Quite a profound insight, that. I'll be sure to write it down somewhere in case I forget.

[Crackpot]

Coming out against war is really quite the bold statement. We need someone like him to come out in support of oxygen.

[Crackpot]

You know declaring Victory and getting the fuck out worked ever so well after we defeated the Soviets. I mean that in no way came back to bite us in the ass ~15 years later or anything.