The Politics of Not Fucking Listening. Also, last night's Dreams.

[wolven7]

MC Frontalot - [Bizzaro Genius Baby]--- WAs talking, over at wacko1138's chunk of the web, about the point of Obama's speech. That we can't privilege one kind of speech, that we must recognise the problems of inequality in the world, and in this country, that makes certain members of society feel unable to honestly speak and approach an issue.

But of course we missed it. Of course we focus on the spin. Of course we find the angle, and we Don't Listen.

Pitchshifter - [Disposable]--- One of the things I've learned in graduate school, more than anything else-- and maybe this is just a product of the people with whom I've studied-- is to actually LISTEN to someone. Not just pretending to listen, so that we can fill the time before we go on our next tirade, and talk about Our points. The actively listen, and adapt, and Engage in Conversation.

Now, maybe I'm wrong, but I thought most of these people had at least gone to college. Taken a Speech class, or two. Or at least Heard about them.

The Smiths - [This Charming Man]--- Dreamed, last night, anout working for a very rich man who wanted to close down an art gallery/ music store the building and architeture of which I'd loved since I was a little kid, and the people in which had always been nice to me. (Jarboe - [Into Feral (w/ Blixa Bargeld & Nic LeBan)]). He wanted me to help him shut down the store, to tell the people to get out, and I was walking around, being nostalgic, and I told him to go fuck himself. I told him that he was a self-righteous, self-involved bastard, with no taste, no tact, no couth, and no compassion. (Nine Inch Nails - [The Good Soldier]). That there were other things, but that I would tell him, in the car, on the way home.

I woke up in that building, which was also home to those people, and I looked out the windows. There were men in vans, and people with rifles, in trees, waiting for me to walk past windows. My former boss had put a hit out on my life.

Something after that about wandering through the back yard of this building, which was every back alley sstem, everywhere. (Poe - [I Cain't Say No]). The very epitome of a "warren," all dark and covered by walkways from above, and lit by neon. So closed in and closed over, but open, laterally, wide spaces. I got into a fight, in the alley next to a club, with two thugs who'd been paid to kill me. I made their guns misfire. The bullets ejected whole, rather than firing and ejecting the cartridges. They were confused, I beat them, took their guns and pointed them at them, and fired. Nothing happened. Dropped the guns, and told them that they wanted to be my friends. And they started working for me.

Turning around in the club line, and seeing missmeganmaude and mastergode standing in line, with some other people I recognise, and I turn to talk to them. They quickly make their excuses, having seen the altercation, and are away.

Buggles - [Clean Clean]--- Something about traveling through the network of buildings, the spaces between which make the warrens. Traveling with Brandon, trying to get to his dinner date, on time, and me trying to note all of the people who've been noting me and following me. We pass from an alley to the inside of a building, and there is a ballet recital/rehersal and one of the dancers recognises me as I recognise her. We go past them, around a corner, and up a set of stairs.

KMFDM - [Dogma]--- Up the stairs, we're out in an alley, and Brandon recognises that we're being followed. He checks for his knives, and I realise that I've had mine with me, the whole time. A sense of ladymerrydeath and rubberdux, all around. That's about when I woke up.

I've been re-reading American Gods, the past few days. Slowly. I've never actually Read the Author's Prefered Edition that I was given for Christmas, five years ago. (Tom Waits - [More Than Rain]). I've already found several differences. Places where it's been fleshed out. I'm really enjoying it. On the other hand, ther are a lot of things I should have caught, my first time through, and which, just like my second and third times through, make me cringe that I missed them. *sigh*

Speaking of which, if you, by some major fluke, have never actually read American Gods, them may I direct your attention here: American Gods, free, online, for the next eleven days.

She Wants Revenge - [These Things]--- Enjoy.

Comments

[unknownbinaries.livejournal.com]

Re: The speech: People don't want to think, and work it out. They wanted either a spectacle or a quick fix. And when it turns out to not be one, they make it the other.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

But the act of making it into those things seems like it would take more time and effort than simply shutting the fuck up and listening.

[jerem-morrow.livejournal.com]

Have to say, I'm pleased I added ye.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Thank you for saying so. I appreciate that.

You yourself have a really interesting take on things, and I'm enjoying reading your take on things. Thinking especially of your post on The Humans Project.

Self-defense

[karishi.livejournal.com]

I think some part of the behavior, the not-listening, comes of having to filter constant spin. People think that if they listen to everything, really listen, they'll be spun, controlled, or maybe burned out by media like the girl in Johnny Mnemonic. In that book thar, The Tipping Point, there's a spot where a broadcaster altered thousands of votes not by speaking but merely by smiling when talking about one candidate and not smiling when talking about another. We know that little things affect us, and we want, desperately, to choose everything for ourselves, to be big boys and girls. Or, at least, to feel like we do. Caught that disparity; most of us want to feel like big boys but not like adults... Perhaps the other half of the not listening comes of that.
One terrible and clear point: If society at large goes for the spin rather than the words, Hillary may be right; Obama's words may be just words; all the great speeches, intelligent discourse, and careful, thoughtful action might not be able to change the world if the rest of the world refuses to listen.
On the other hand, if even a few thousand Americans who weren't already on board with the ideas of Obama's speech really listened to it, and thought about it, then Mme Clinton's accusation that Obama's all talk was dead wrong (or at least its implications were). Because that speech, truly heard by thousands, could change the timbre of the nation.

Re: Self-defense

[wolven.livejournal.com]

It's never "just talk," because the only way people ever believe that something is "just talk" is by being talked to by someone else.

But most people don't realise it.