A system that makes you pay to exist, compete to eat, and obey to survive is not a civlization; it's a prison with shopping privileges. —Anonymous

Round Peg Revolution

by C.A. Matthews

There’s an old saying that goes, “You can’t fit a square peg into a round hole.” When I saw the above meme, I was momentarily taken aback. In this instance it’s the “round pegs” telling the “square peg” that they’re not going to change to fit the “square hole” or system. The round pegs insist that it’s better if the system is changed to fit all pegs. No peg is left behind that way.

Wow. That’s pretty deep, isn’t it?

What is the “system” these pegs are talking about? Could it be the system of government or a political system the pegs live under? Could it be the economic system the pegs have to work in? Could it be the social system that dictates what is considered moral and what isn’t in peg society? Could it be all three?

For ease of argument, let’s say the pegs’ “system” includes all three dimensions—social, political, and economic.

Now notice the square peg’s countenance and gesturing in the meme. Its frowning and pointing. Its demeanor is disapproving and demanding. The square peg is shown carrying a briefcase—sure evidence of a closed mind if there ever was one! 

I’ll admit I’m jumping to conclusions with the scanty facts presented, but you’ve got to admit that any peg which has sharp corners, carries a badge of honor for business-types (the briefcase), and displays a stern, condescending attitude toward others who are different from it is probably not a very nice peg person.

I believe the technical term for this type of peg would be an “asshole.”

The round pegs, on the hand, seem friendly and outgoing. They’re willing to work with the square peg to build a better system—a better world, you could say. Their willingness to think outside the box—or rather the “square hole”—and include a wide variety of pegs in their system demonstrates flexibility and their ability to handle a greater range of experiences. They’re not stuck with four sides and four corners. They’re “fluid” not “rigid,”open to change and desiring that all pegs thrive in their system.

Square peg with its briefcase and finger pointing tells us that it’s “The square pegs’ way or the highway!” The square peg system is unyielding. All pegs must re-shape how they think, how they act, who they are, and what they do to survive in order to fit into the square peg system. There are no options, no consideration for individual differences, talents, or tastes apparently in a square peg world.

 

To find out more about the differences in the "peg systems," continue reading the rest of this article on Substack. You can do so by copying or clicking on this link: 

https://therevolutioncontinues.substack.com

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This article is the 520th blog posting of The Revolution Continues. We began in June 2015, and we're still going strong. Please keep reading, sharing, and subscribing to help TRC continue for another ten years. 

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What Radicalized You?

words and original photos by C. A. Matthews

What radicalized you? Nothing. Not wanting people to starve and suffer is not radical, it’s normal. Stop saying it’s radical to be base level empathetic, and start asking what made people into sadists. Call out sick behavior, because kindness should be the default.

This pretty much sums up my take on life. I haven’t been “radicalized” by past or current events. I’m just a normal person, reacting in normal ways to abnormal circumstances engineered by sadists. Not wanting people to starve and suffer is not radical in both my opinion and in the opinion of the person who created the meme above.

Are we “special” for wanting good things for others? Or are we just demonstrating the default setting for humanity?

What sort of person would you rather live beside on planet Earth—those persons who are not shocked and horrified by the cruel stances of the Israeli and US regimes that allow mass starvation and suffering to happen in Gaza and elsewhere, or those who are out protesting in the streets because they are shocked and horrified by this kind of sick behavior? 

I know my answer, but do you know yours?

 

To find out what may have radicalized you (as well as read a great poem) continue reading the rest of this article on Substack. Copy or click on this link: 

https://therevolutioncontinues.substack.com

There you'll see related article and video links, all the graphics, and be able to leave comments. You can become a free or paid subscriber and receive weekly posts in your email box, along with occasional special articles just for paid subscribers, too.

Subscribe to The Revolution Continues on Substack today. Power to the people!

This article is the 519th blog posting of The Revolution Continues. We began in June 2015, and we're still going strong. Please keep reading, sharing, and subscribing to help TRC continue for another ten years. 

You can make a donation at https://paypal.me/camatthews or at Buy Me a Coffee or at Ko-fi. Every little bit helps since this is my only source of income. Thank you.

 

An Anthem For Our Times

by C. A. Matthews

I wanted to do something different this week just to see where it would take me.

Last week’s post was on the longer side, and fact-heavy articles tend not to get re-posted as much. So I decided this time ‘round to share some more of my poetry, but this time by putting it to a tune. (Maybe this kind of audio post will help me break into the Substack Top 100? I’d be happy just to get my subscriber count over 2,000, including a few more paying subscribers.)

I won’t claim to be a poet. I’ve had some of my poetry published before, such as last year’s poem Dust From Gaza in For All, the Revolutionary Poets Brigade anthology. I know a lot more talented poets here on Substack (such as Dan Denton) who make my attempts at poetry pale by comparison. But I was inspired by two recent events to write this poem, which quickly became the lyrics to a song, an actual honest-to-goodness protest song.

I thought: “Every generation has a protest song, a song that sums up what’s really important and needs to change to make the world a better place. Why can’t I write that song?”

I know that sounds a bit arrogant, but one can always dream of being remembered for more than just writing a weekly sociopolitical column for the past ten years and pissing off more strangers, friends, and acquaintances than there are grains of sand on the beach in Gaza. I’d like it if people could say at my passing: “Wow, she cared enough to put herself out there and write a pro-Palestine protest song that made even more people hate her.”

The inspiration for my song came from Caitlin Johnstone’s brilliant in-your-face essay, Nobody Say “Fuck Israel, Free Palestine” which was in turn inspired by the Northern Irish hip-hop group Kneecap’s brilliant in-your-face protest screen at the recent Coachella music festival. Caitlin and Tim (they’re a writing team, so I don’t want to leave either of them out) stated that one should never say the phrase “Fuck Israel, Free Palestine,” as this could be considered hurtful by those folks who think “genocide is good.”

Well, let me state for the record that I’m certainly not one of those immoral, sadistic, sick and twisted bastards who thinks “genocide is good.”

 

To listen to a recording and read the protest song lyrics, continue reading the rest of this article on Substack. Copy or click on this link: 

https://therevolutioncontinues.substack.com

There you'll see related article and video links, all the graphics, and be able to leave comments. You can become a free or paid subscriber and receive weekly posts in your email box, along with occasional special articles just for paid subscribers, too.

Subscribe to The Revolution Continues on Substack today. Power to the people!

This article is the 518th blog posting of The Revolution Continues. We began in June 2015, and we're still going strong. Please keep reading, sharing, and subscribing to help TRC continue for another ten years. 

You can make a donation at https://paypal.me/camatthews or at Buy Me a Coffee or at Ko-fi. Every little bit helps since this is my only source of income. Thank you.