A Garden Break-Out

[H2O Man]

"A rumor twice repeated in this prison becomes accepted as fact.” – Rubin Carter to me, 1974.

“Don't be surprised when I say I was in jail. You're still in jail. Your mind is in jail.” – Malcolm X


How in the heck, my friend asked me, do all these people believe his lies? He just lies all the time, telling the same obvious lies. What is wrong with them? I might have gone into a long talk about brain chemistry, including how memory is stored. The felon's repeated lies spark their memories, causing them to experience pleasure, and that memory replaces the option of recognizing a lie. They hate everyone he hates.

All of those who hate become hate itself, on some level or another. It cannot be otherwise, although those who hate tend to be incapable of grasping that reality. But hate is a germ that spreads, both within the individual and group levels. Hate does not exist outside of humanity, the same as “sin” aka stumbling blocks. Thus, our country today is ruled by out-of-control hate. Perhaps it is just me, but I'd prefer not to join in and be ruled by that unnatural force.

On January 5, 2021, our federal government was the institution that made this country a democratic republic. Imperfect, yes, but good. The next day, a group that resembles Alex DeLarge's “droogs” attack the institution. It was a riot, with a semi-disorganized cluster of hate seeking to spread their seeds of hatred. Though it was put down, and a significant number of thugs incarcerated, four years later, Alex was made president/warden of the institution. The Democrats – myself obviously included – found our nation had been transformed to a prison.

With droogs roam the streets – their militias turned to ICE – they are attempting to create violence among the various ethnic groups in population. That tends to take place in all prisons. They seek to create new rules by crushing the Constitution and rule of law. Their minds are in a jail of hatred. Because they are hate, they can only spread the germs of hatred.

Democrats must respond by recognizing this is the current reality. We do not have the luxury of sitting back, thinking, “Gosh, that's terrible! Thank goodness they aren't coming after me!” The leaders of the party must recognize that change is needed. We can't afford to pretend that politics is business as usual. We need bold leadership now, that inspires us to study and put into practice the wisdom of Gandhi and King.

[erronis]

1. Wonderful post, again, H2O Man. Cutting to the visceral cruelty in the droogs / republicans.

Of course trump and his pathological devil (Miller) are nowhere as intelligent as "Alex" (Clockwork Orange). But the sheer mass of stupidity and depravity in this dystopian current world match the evil of the novel.

[H2O Man]

2. Thank you.

I appreciate that. And agree with you on the felon and miller.

[malaise]

3. K & R

Change is definitely needed

[H2O Man]

7. Thanks!

I think we need to be positive and upbeat, using humor and patience, as we approach breaking this country out of the prison our sick co-citizens have created. It is the time for rallies to transform into large non-violent sit-ins. I'm basing this on the H2O Almanac prediction for late July and August.

[LoisB]

4. Excellent as always. Thank you.

[H2O Man]

8. Thank you!

I've been talking a lot the last couple of days with the group of associates that I work with on political-social issues. They are about as old as me, and getting restless. We need to confront the beast.

[LoisB]

20. Yes, we do. I have been thinking a lot lately about what actions I can take myself.

[Saoirse9]

5. Well said! n/t

[H2O Man]

9. And thank you!

I came in a composed this while taking a break from gardening. My lawn is too wet to mow, and we will get storms the next seven or eight days. Plus it is hot & humid, which I enjoy, though it tires these old bones & lard out quickly. So I try to pace myself, which recognizing that we must weed the soil of this nation, and bury hate deep under the rocks it keeps coming out from.

I find gardening to be a spiritual exercise. I also find social-political activism to be a spiritual adventure. One of my Native friends recently contacted me, to set a date for ceremony. I want to be ready.

[Bumbles]

11. I always appreciate your posts, H20 Man.

As usual, you were spot on.

I, too, find gardening to be a spiritual exercise. My plants and I, especially my mosses, commune frequently. I get lost in tending them and talking with them. I often thank them for the sanctuary they provide to me.

[H2O Man]

13. Well thanks!

I've been uncovering a fairly large patch of wild strawberries. Each year, I uncover more. The Strawberry Festival was important to the Haudenosaunee. My little grandson loves the "tame" strawberries. Next year, he is in for a treat!

[Bumbles]

24. I took my Daphne out for her constitutional this morning and saw my small patch of fraises des bois

and thought of your lucky grandson. They are proof that sometimes the best things come in small packages.

[KPN]

6. Thank you for saying so H2O Man. nt

[H2O Man]

10. Thanks!

Very much appreciated!

[cachukis]

12. Their tactics are tactics of war.

They are employing a methodology to eliminate any opposition to their ideology.
They control the faucets.
Their image of America excludes those outside their image of purity. I don't think they want to pass up this opportunity. The police state has big money and a director. The complicity in power is frightening.
Altruism is law. These people seek what is allowed.
Vengeance is a human condition. We are surrounded.
The evidence cannot be ignored.
We are reliant on elections. I don't think they like elections.
We'll see.

[H2O Man]

15. Very interesting.

Thank you!

It looks like I have a minute before this evening's thunder storm begins. I appreciate your response! One of the things that I think as a grumpy old man is that hate, like alcohol addiction, lies to the person it seeks to ultimately destroy. Those like the felon and the maga cult have the illusion that they have accessed power. They have not -- just the opposite, a collective unconscious of millions of human machines has accessed them. They are destructive, of course, as hatred and violence can only be.

But they are unaware of, and at very least currently, unable to understand what actual power is. As my late friend Rubin noted in 1974, the word power comes from the Latin posse, and correctly means to grow and build a healthy society. They do not understand at all.

[cachukis]

18. It is their achilles heel.

But I don't think this is a bad dream that we can wake from.
Machiavelli wrote extensively on how various princes wielded power.
This gang now has the Heritage Foundation, a frustrated constituency, billionaires and a megalomaniac with chaotic skills.
Kane, in Kung Fu, taught how to lean back to frustrate powerful blows. We are on our heels.
They have their posse with the aforementioned resources.
We live in a very wealthy, resilient society that is proud of its management skills. It will take some time for the safety net to actually fold. The repubs have postponed much of the enactment hoping to escape 2026 blame.
I live in Florida and people here take hurricanes as a fact of life. Our government hides the shortcomings to our education realities.
I am not quitting, but we are in for an extended conundrum.

[H2O Man]

23. Right.

I certainly advocate that everyone has the right to self-defense and defense of family. I always liked the way that Malcolm X spoke about this. If someone is breaking in your home to do you harm, send them to the mortuary.

But from extended family experiences in "The Troubles," that's not where we want to go. We have non-violent options available to us. Yet that requires that the Truth of Thomas Merton's saying that to be a non-violent force ismore difficult to master, requiring greater strength than violence requires, must take root within the individual.

Yes, we are in for a long, frequently difficult and dangerous struggle.

[Martin Eden]

14. Hate Works Orange

Appy-polly-lodgies for my subject title, but after reading your post I can see and hear Malcolm McDowell as Alex DeLarge -- so I had to point out the color ORANGE is common to the dystopian novel/movie and the current Dystopian-In-Chief who is a master at leveraging HATE into power.

Seeds of hatred have long been planted in America's GARDEN (referring to your thread title). We have seen the cruel harvest manifested many times throughout our history. Billie Holiday sang of Strange Fruit hanging in America's orchard.

A nation reaps what it sows. Generations of good citizens have planted healthy crops, but poisonous weeds from bad seeds have not been eradicated.

If hatred is indeed an unnatural contrivance, every season presents us an opportunity to plant good seeds to sprout a new generation of human beings more resistant to the poison.

I am reminded of a favorite quote from Frederick Douglass:

It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.

[H2O Man]

19. I love it!

Every word. Thank you!

After posting this OP, and returning to tend to my garden, I wondered if everyone was familiar with "A Clockwork Orange"? I suppose if they are not familiar with the original, they are experience the re-make being recorded in every community in the United States, every single day now.

The sadly predictable rise in shootings, reported in the media, is a sign that those particles of dust are finding the gravitational pull weakened, and going out of control. The next level, who mistake themselves for Rambo-flavored ICE, are thinking they might have been given license to engage in violence in a public setting. And the militia bobbel-heads in ICE indeed have license, which we must make temporary.

My sister just messaged me that her granddaughter just left this place safely. She plays basketball, and is very talented, getting some nice offers for after high school. Just a reminder of the tense climate we are in:

https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2025/07/13/expo-center-incident

[BittyJenkins]

16. So..is it time for Democratic Leaders

To call for a convention that includes all who care about our constitution and figure out an organized plan with leaders who have a clear voice! I hear scattered amazing things all of the time but we need a clear vision forward.

Our normal following the law and wait is not working because they aren’t playing fair.

[H2O Man]

21. Exactly!

I'd add having our elected representatives start by talking honestly, as a group, about the threats to the Constitution. They need to get their heads together in a manner similar to that of the Founding Fathers, opposed to a king. And have other sources engage in public teachings, because the maga cult may soon try to outlaw everything but Amendment 2 being taught in schools and colleges.

Most of all, I think the grass roots needs to be holding mini-conventions across the country. For it really is us that decides what direction the party goes in.

[BoRaGard]

17. Thank you!

[H2O Man]

22. Thank you!

[Kid Berwyn]

25. Viddy well, Droogies. Viddy well.

In the movie, Alex loved the Ninth. In the book, the Fifth.

Other than that, they are both perfect in that the works detailed precisely what Anthony Burgess thought today would look like when he put his ideas to paper.

We have moved past the time of the Ludovico Technique. We need a complete system wipe and reboot. Exactly like what happened to HAL.