Things I Would Like to Talk About

Politics.

This is the only real problem with talking about politics: You don't accomplish anything, but you feel like you have.

Not talking about politics -- even considering it impolite to talk about politics -- is, however comfortable it makes everyone, really kind of sort of insane, when one considers that what we call "politics" is short-hand for "matters that, ultimately, determine our lives and our deaths."

Also: It has come to my attention that there is a closet Republican in the group. I will henceforth direct all my energies toward discovering this person and outing them.


Money.

No one is comfortable talking about money.

Why are we all so uncomfortable talking about things that are so important?

Let me tell you some things about money:

I don't understand it. I don't know how to use it. I don't know what to do with it.

I have next to none of it!

Once again, in banning money from the conversation, we're removing something that, basically, determines our lives and our deaths. We're also, again, as with politics, actively taking part in hiding, denying, and, as always, denying the denial of the systematic violence of everyday life.

The existence of money is an act of violence. Period. The refusal to speak of it is not different from a family refusing to speak about the violence of an abusive parent. It's over, pretend it never happened, pretend you never pretended that.

RD Laing:

Rule A: Don't.
Rule A1: Rule A does not exist.
Rule A2: Do not admit the existence or non-existence of Rules A, A1, or A2.

I just forgot what I was talking about.