Thoughts on Triggering

In reading about BPD and childhood trauma, I came across the concept of "triggering". I understood this concept intellectually, but only recently understood how I too am triggered. Whenever I see, or read about, any abuse, bullying or cruelty, I go into a towering homicidal rage. (Internal raging, sparing friends and family, thankfully) Not that I would act upon that rage, for intellectually I know the perps are themselves "only a pawn in their game" , that bullies were themselves bullied, and the sources of our problems are structural, not personal. (Capitalism authoritarianism, patriarchy, institutionalized racism etc)

Cruelty triggers my subconscious – in a sense "reliving" my abuse as a child. I must emphasize the subconscious nature of this. When, for example, I see a cop beating up a demonstrator I do not consciously see myself as a child being assaulted by a bully, but it brings to the fore immense feelings of injustice and of helplessness. (I am sure that much of my dislike for Trump is because he is an archetypal schoolyard bully) And the rage? When you are a child you are forbidden to express your anger at the cruelty done to you. Authorities, whether parents, teachers or cops, will always make it far worse for you if you react with hostility toward their oppression. Thus, you learn to hold in your emotions, especially anger. But the repressed always returns. As an adult you will be prone to outbreaks of violent anger and not know why.

Will knowing this make you rage less? Sure would be nice. But here's something else I have learned – not from books – but experience. You are never cured. You come to terms with your abuse, you can forgive your abusers, knowing that they were victims as well. Therapy lets you HANDLE your problems and allows you to have a "normal" life. But the pain is always there.

Borderline - A Song About Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline - The following words and music by Larry Gambone, arrangement, instrumentation and voice by Maurice Soudre.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toABF6o-Do0

Anna Delso

ANNA DELSO - Poet, anarchist, revolutionary and feminist, member; CNT-FAI, Mujeres Libres, French Resistance and the CSN

I met Anna at Librarie Alternative in Montreal in 1988 and was so impressed with this tiny woman with such immense revolutionary spirit. We would converse in French – not knowing any Spanish at the time and her modesty was such I had little idea of her background except for hearing she was in the Mujeres Libres. When she presented me with her book, Trois Cent Hommes et Moi, I found out that she just wasn't a member of Mujeres Libres, but its secretary, and that at age 16! Fleeing Spain after the defeat by Franco, she ended up in a concentration camp.

 

                                             Anna age 66

 Eventually free of the camp, she like so many Spanish revolutionaries, joined the French Resistance. By this time she was all of nineteen. After Liberation she and her partner organized a movement which united the CNT, the UGT, POUM, the Socialists and the Libertarian Movement in a united front against Franco's fascism. Moving to Quebec she was involved as a militant of the CSN in the textile industry. She was also a cancer survivor.  I lost contact with Anna over the years but am pleased to learn that she is still alive - at age 93! See also https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Delso

Anarchism and counter-culture podcast

This is the podcast of the interview I did for the CFRO program, Red Eye a few weeks ago. Discusses the Vancouver counter culture and anarchism as well as my book "No Regrets". See; 

http://rabble.ca/podcasts/shows/redeye/2015/11/1960s-counter-culture-and-anarchism-vancouver

UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME AND DISABILITY

UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME AND DISABILITY

by H. W. Honeycutt

Discusses the need for a Universal Basic Income (what is also called the Guaranteed Annual Income) in the United States. Special emphasis on how the Universal Basic Income would positively effect people with disabilities.

UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME AND DISABILITY is available at  amzn.to/1NokwzL  
Quotes from the book:

    While UBI likely would not discourage labor on the whole, turning us into a nation of slugabeds, it would almost certainly allow individuals of all abilities to recognize and embrace different types of non-income generating labor. Labor conditions with UBI would provide a significant change from our current system, which primarily reflects the views of market-ideologues who only see value in labor which generates income.

    We thus need to recognize disability as a much more ingrained feature of human existence, and account for it accordingly, not with a continuance of market discipline for people who, through no fault of their own, cannot generate income. We should instead stabilize the living situations of all Americans via a UBI.

    With UBI, disabled workers would be in a better position to remain selective about when they would chose to work, and the income from any part-time employment would be an addition to, not a reduction of, their UBI benefits. And because UBI puts more power in the hands of workers to negotiate not only wages, but also labor conditions, people with disabilities would experience greater leverage in shaping their work environments; if they experience the unwelcoming

Big Surprise - Canadian Federal Election 2015

The vast majority of us are breathing a sigh of relief that the Harpercons are no longer in power. The Liberals out-foxed the NDP by moving to the left of that party on economic issues. The NDP talked of balanced budgets while the Libs talked of the need to get things running again. Big mistake for the NDP.  The Greens never made their break through as the voters stampeded to the Libs to get rid of the Conservatives. The Liberals are promising much - getting serious about climate change and the First Nations, building coop and affordable housing, democratizing our political system, restore protection to the waterways, legalizing pot,  building public transit, funding the CBC, maintaining Canada Post home delivery and many other progressive - and needed - things. The question is, will they act on this or just waffle? Only time will tell, but the Libs have an overwhelming majority, plus for any progressive actions ought have the backing of the three relatively  left parties, (by today's standards)  the NDP, Greens and Bloc Quebecois. The Libs plus the other three parties have 239 seats compared with the Cons 99 so they could do whatever they want. The only thing needed is the will to do so.

The 2015 Canadian Federal election

After a summer of being behind in the polls, the Harpercons are now ahead, after playing the “fear of Muslims” card. Of course, 32% isn't any kind of ringing victory, but our bizarre and undemocratic “first-past-the-post” electoral system would convert that figure into a minority government. If the Harpercrit and his minions are able to bump that figure anywhere past 36% they would be in majority territory, and if that happens you can kiss your arse good bye as far as what remains of humanity, democracy and decency in this country. What a system that allows 36% of the voters to bully the other 64%!

This election may well be a cross roads. If we can't vote out the most retrogressive government in modern Canadian history what can we do? The inability to change course, even though the vast majority of the population desires this, indicates that the system is broken. And with another Harpercon regime, it will become even more broken.

The only alternative is revolution! Yeah, right... If people can't get it together to eliminate their worst tormentors electorally, you think they are going to grow a spine and overthrow the system? Of course, as the Cons wreck society, attack First Nations and generally maintain a plunder-based economy, there will be a rise in protest and civil disobedience. But will it be enough to make the changes we need? There is little time left, given the pace of global warming. If we had another 50 years, fine, no problem, but we don't. We need to make those changes now.

The only “alternative” is collapse. Capitalism and the state are too boxed in by their own contradictions to make revolutionary change possible. The environment, the social, political and economic systems continue to degrade until the point of no return. Like the Mayans, the survivors, if there are any,  abandon the “temples” and return to a simpler, human scale and environmentally saner reality.