"Spasm Empire" by Charles Potts

Paranoid Christian Fascism is not an appropriate answer to world or American problems but it is the only one coming out of the final days of the Bush administration.

The US government became paranoid with the passage of the National Security Act of 1947, which made government a secret. This made everybody who might want to know what the government is up to an enemy, from whom the truth must be kept at all costs. Are 16 spy agencies enough? Why not 24? or 56?

Christianity is a comfort religion for chimpanzees without the nerve to die decently. They want to drag everybody through their Armageddon–worse than a Mel Gibson movie.

And Fascism, well the 20th century was a hundred million death essay in the futility of invading neighboring countries just because you can. Adios Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Mussolini’s “Government by Corporations” Fascism. The adult countries of Europe and Asia will have to help put the kibosh on the PCF US Empire.

With any luck the empire will collapse in time for all of us to watch. While the Vichy Democrats have decided to ratify the Bush strategy to run out the clock and blame all their failures on subsequent and former administrations (I mean where the fuck is Congressman Conyers’ bill for impeachment?), our obligation is to not help them kill any innocent bodies and to stay out of the way of the debris from falling empire.

Or as Edward Dorn just said: If voting changed anything, it would be illegal.

Peace

Categories: Charles Potts, POETRY | Tags: , | Leave a comment

About Jay Babcock

I am an independent writer and editor based in Tucson, Arizona. In 2023: I publish an email newsletter called LANDLINE = https://jaybabcock.substack.com Previously: I co-founded and edited Arthur Magazine (2002-2008, 2012-13) and curated the three Arthur music festival events (Arthurfest, ArthurBall, and Arthur Nights) (2005-6). Prior to that I was a district office staffer for Congressman Henry A. Waxman, a DJ at Silver Lake pirate radio station KBLT, a copy editor at Larry Flynt Publications, an editor at Mean magazine, and a freelance journalist contributing work to LAWeekly, Mojo, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Vibe, Rap Pages, Grand Royal and many other print and online outlets. An extended piece I wrote on Fela Kuti was selected for the Da Capo Best Music Writing 2000 anthology. In 2006, I was somehow listed in the Music section of Los Angeles Magazine's annual "Power" issue. In 2007-8, I produced a blog called "Nature Trumps," about the L.A. River. From 2010 to 2021, I lived in rural wilderness in Joshua Tree, Ca.

0 thoughts on “"Spasm Empire" by Charles Potts

  1. Not a PCF, I won’t say ‘amen’ to this, much as it seems right on to me. I would edit Dorn to say “..changed anything in time.” (a great liberty I can take, since Edward is no longer alive-outside his extraordinary writings-to object, which he would, after asking Charles to substitute ‘succinctly’ for ‘just’, thus pulling his poetic license). I wonder if any Arthur readers will recognize in Charles Potts one of the most fertile imaginations of the righteously fecund late ’60’s Berkeley Poets who, in his alter ego as Laffing Water, writing in “The Grass Prophet Review” penned the unforgettable line “The police are there to protect the crime”. I am greatly stimulated in the regard that Potts has not been ‘verted in any of the possible prefixed ways.

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