28 December 2009

Back to the Culture Wars.

After a long chat with one of my favorite British bloggers,  Jackart,  I have to acknowledge that he is quite correct that I've not been writing in the same way that I used to write.   Sometimes one needs to walk away from an activity--like writing--in order to get some perspective on a variety of things, I suppose.

And I have noticed something extremely important about myself in the last couple of weeks.  I have opinions on things and no one else seems to want to talk about the same things I do.

In fact, people don't seem to want to talk (full stop). There's too much going on with other people. It's very good stuff, but they are busy.

And, gosh darn it, I want to talk--or at least write about whatever it is that I am thinking.

So the culture wars that are interesting me include:

1. The E-book revolution.  Is it one?

2. Is it true that one becomes inherently more conservative as one matures?

3. What provokes the youngest child of wealthy family to join up with extremists and want to blow himself up along with a plane full of other people?

4.  Is it possible to have a fruitful discussion about  race, particularly in an age when more and more children are being brought into the world with such varied cultural backgrounds? Is this even worth discussion?

5.  Should we even care about class anymore?

Perhaps in the next week I'll actually write something interesting. It seems that the synapses are firing again.

This won't be Fictional Rockstar, Jackart.  Nothing will repeat that fun. :)

3 comments:

Jenni said...

1). No. I could never read an entire book via an electronic devise. It would make my eyes all wonky. Plus, there's something intimate about holding the book in your hands, earmarking the pages and placing it on your shelf for others to admire.
2). Possibly, and I'm currently doing everything possible to prevent this.
3). Entitlement and Boredom. Together a deadly combination.
4). Race has always been and I'm afraid will always be an avenue for superficial generalizations. ie; Racist idiots are still breading racist idiots.
5). What class are we talking about here? Class as in, "I have been known to drink Boones Farm our of a paper bag" class, or "go to school and learn things" class? or "upper/middle/lower/ my house is bigger than your house" class.

Jenni said...

Ahem...I mean dogear....I always do that.

m.a. said...

Jenni,

Awesome answers. And by class I guess I mean "my house is bigger than yours and I have such and such an education."

It's so strange to suddenly have strong opinions about things again.