« Science Fiction and War | Main | Hello (Dis-Information) Dolly » April 09, 2003

The Paranoid-Critical Patriot

I was tempted, being a good and concerned citizen of the modern world, to blog about the endless stream of info and links about our current thrash with Iraq ("Thrash" because it can't be a war. Only Congress has the right to declare war and if it’s happened, I missed it.). But on the day when Saddam's statues are being yanked off their pedestals and dragged through the streets, I find myself exhausted with the whole stupid, bloody tragedy of it all. A ruthless Stalin-wannabe cut off at the knees by a faux-president with daddy issues. Who do we root for? Venal leaders lead us against other venal leaders. We're living a third-rate Tom Clancy novel. All that's left to hope for is less blood in the next few weeks, but that's not likely in the current circumstances.

For some reason, the world right now keeps sending me back to the Surrealists. They didn't just embrace the contradiction and the illogic of the world, they rode it like crank-fed surf rats. They wanted nothing more than to "… place the visible at the service of the invisible." And to change the world. They failed, just as our mini-Crusade into ancient Mesopotamia will fail to stablize the world. But the Surrealists failed with style.

In an effort to distract you just a little from the Baghdad edition of Real World, I present you with the First Surrealist Manifesto, dated 1924.

http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T340/F98/SurrealistManifesto.htm

Posted by Kadrey at April 9, 2003 08:56 PM

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