Lacan had metioned at one point something about not worrying about sounding stupid. Maybe it is worth taking that idea seiously.
The truth is that I feel undignified. What persists is some fundamental non relation between me and the world. Isolation. I withhold from the world.
So the important part is to not worry too much about being stupid. I feel tempted to describe the specific circumstances, my particular problems at this juncture. There is a reluctance to write it down due to its pathetic nature. There is the notion that I have made progress lately, with getting a BS in math. Somehow I feel stuck in the same juncture. It is like there has been a certain timelessness, due to what has always been there, which has been a specific orientation. There is a 'symptomatic axis.' Sounds lie 'excess.' It's what determines an orientation.
I seem to return to the keyboard, one way or another. It seems to me that it is difficult to think boldly these days. I have the impression that there is a lot more censorship than we might want to admit. The prevailing attitude seems to be "shut up and enjoy." It is clear that what was at stake in the protest encampment was, for many, enjoymet. I went there one night to check it out. It was the night before the police arrested forty people. I remember there was this speaker who was getting the crowd amped for the upcoming conflict with the police (at this point the protestors had been warned that law enforcement might get involved). There was to be a clash. And there in fact was something of a brawl. It was a local spectacle, you could live stream it on fox 31.
It is interesting to me that some of the protestors that were interviewed found it difficult to speak about why they were there, when asked. It seems that the question, for some, provoked anxiety. I can relate to this question, having at one time been involved in activism. Why is one there, in an activist environment? For some it is difficult to speak well about the reason why. Others are capable of articulating their principles with clarity.
I had been wanting to say something about the trump issue. That is another thing it seems difficult to speak about these days. Trump has been convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records. So this is a felony. One thinks about the many times business records have been falsified throughout the ages. However it is true that he is a convicted felon. And many millions of people seem to be on his side. He spoke of the way that immigrants are poisoning the blood of this country, in his remarks after being convicted. There is this concern about poisoning that seems to resonate for many people. It is a sign of the paranoia of our times. Paranoia is a dangerous affect.
Mom showed me an article in the times about Trumps immigration plan. The idea is that citizens will be recruited to carry out "the largest deportation operation in US history." People will become part of task forces that round up immigrants from homes, businesses, etc. This is the campaign promise of Trump and the Republicans. He seems to be winning the race at the moment.
Do the newest social movements provide any indications as to what should be done? What will be required of us in the coming years? How will we act?
Trumps discourse stokes paranoia. It is worth confronting his words. Yes, there is humor. The comedian Jimmy Kimmel even mocked trump after his speech. The problem is that his message resonates for many, many people. It is important to listen to his speech for this reason.