Breaking Through the Normalcy of Los Alamos on Hiroshima Day
The normalcy of Los Alamos is so inhumanly, grotesquely, demonically abnormal as to seem perfectly reasonable
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/08/06/breaking-through-normalcy-los-alamos-hiroshima-day
You can’t get any more white, well-educated, upper-class, sophisticated, over-privileged, supposedly-“Christian” and totally normal than Los Alamos. There’s the Starbucks, the Taco Bell, the pet store, the co-op, the hardware store, the fine wine store, the great high school, the beautiful churches, the day care center—and, in the center of town, like in any other town, the mammoth colonoscopy center. Life is good in Los Alamos. Everything is perfectly normal.
Comments
"The politicians bet their careers on keeping it going. The generals order ever greater weaponry (the race is on behind those locked doors to find something bigger and better than a nuclear bomb!) The mad scientists stoke the fires. The priests and ministers bless the bombs. The faithful do their duty, collect their fat paychecks, and know they are doing God’s will. Together, everyone pledges allegiance to their one true god, their ultimate security—the Bomb."
The author even compares himself to Gandhi. Twice. And to MLK.
Doesn't even know the town he's describing
From the article:
"You can’t get any more white, well-educated, upper-class, sophisticated, over-privileged, supposedly-“Christian” and totally normal than Los Alamos. There’s the Starbucks, the Taco Bell, the pet store, the co-op, the hardware store, the fine wine store, the great high school, the beautiful churches, the day care center"
Taco Bell, Pet Store? He forgot mention the strip club, the Macys and the Casino.
"supposedly-“Christian” "
Is this some kind of code word? Hmm let me think Los Alamos "supposed Christians" Lets see, Bethe, Oppenheimer, Feynman, Weisskopf, Reines, Teller, Rosenbluth. Yep the town is just a bunch of "supposed Christians"
"One could argue that Los Alamos—where the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, 73 years ago was first built, where tens of thousands of nuclear weapons have been built ever since—is the greatest city of death on the planet."
Have you seen Chicago lately? It is giving Los Alamos a run for the money on this.
"Here, all the issues of injustice coalesce into one. This is racism front and center. This is sexism. This is unadulterated greed. This is the fullness of colonialism and imperialism the likes of which the world has never seen. This is full on permanent total warfare"
Can one really role all the issues of injustice into one thing? I mean can OJ Simpson getting off really be blamed on Los Alamos?
I am just a tad confused about the colonialism part, considering that New Mexico was first colonized by Spain in 1506 but whatever.
"The priests and ministers bless the bombs. The faithful do their duty, collect their fat paychecks, and know they are doing God’s will. "
It is always fun to watch the Eastern Orthodox priest come out to give his blessing to each years crop of new bombs in the town square by splashing holy water on them and sayin "Thank God for the Bomb". I also thought it was odd that he drove a Maserati around town but I guess with that fat pay check he gets he can afford it.
"This is a town for narcissistic sociopaths"
Although this is not accurate about the town to be fair it could describe some LANL mangers
"I think every U.S. peacemaker who cares about our predicament should visit Los Alamos once in her lifetime to witness the depths of the evil we’re up against."
The town is always trying to think of new ways to get people to visit. Perhaps we could get something like "horror" tourists. I can see it now: Come to biggest City of Death to Witness the Depths of Evil!!. Maybe people could come from all over the world for Halloween. I will pitch it to the city council.
"lead drone attacks on kids in Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq and elsewhere?"
Elsewhere would be Venezuela, oops did I say too much?
"Cars and truck drive by honking, but not in support.
Actually they where trying to warn you about the rattlesnake.
"As God tries to explain to poor Jonah, “These people don’t know their left hand from their right hand.” What must the God of peace think of us?"
God of Peace? Have you ever read the bible?
"distribution of these trillions of dollars to the world’s poor, we need to publicly break through the normalcy of our collective insanity."
I am have bit of cognitive dissonance with this one, could someone point out why I am confused?
"Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama to Joan Baez and the Indigo Girls (Joan, Amy—will you please come?) Plan now to join us."
I am sure that Dalai Lama and the Pope can make but this way way beneath the caliber of what the Indigo Girls have time for.
"Perhaps some day we might learn the difference between our left hand and our right hand."
I would say try looking in mirror but it just confuses things.