Libertarian Progressivism

My brand of Progressivism has a strong libertarian streak. I’m Pro Freedom and freedom of expression. I think we Progressives need to change the culture of America, the way the rightwingers have done over the past 30 years. You know, decriminalize “drugs” etc. (Isn’t it interesting how the Democrats have ceded the Freedom issue to the Republicans, which they have perverted — that’s another post). So now I’m outraged that Opa-Locka down here by Miami became one of the first cities in the country to ban sagging pants on public property yesterday. Democratic, African-American Opa-Locka. Florida. Leading the way once again. At least they didn’t criminalize it: “offenders” whose pants do not cover all of their underwear will be “removed” from public property but no one can be fined or arrested. But Tase the resistors, the ones still fighting for their freedom in the American Police State that imprisons more of its citizens per capita than any effing country on Earth.

Personally, I’ve always kind of liked the look, not that what I like or dislike should have any bearing on another person’s freedom of expression. I like artistic people. I especially like the young men showing the tops of their sexy rounded butts. I also like the torn jeans look, especially when the tears are large and in the right places and maybe showing a furry leg. I find it exciting. Adds some pizzazz to a day’s boring forays and errands. Hey, women get to show cleavage. I’m for equal rights. I liked those Muslim breast cancer victims sitting with Laura “Hurricane Corrina” Bush this week in their black whatchamacall thems, faces hidden behind the mesh screens. I thought — they must feel more safe and secure than the rest of us, hidden from society like that. I wonder if they are allowed into banks in their countries. I actually thought about trying it some time. Wouldn’t it be cool to walk around seeing everything but nobody being able to see you? I was outraged when the French banned Muslim head scarves.

I think it’s wrong for egotistical aggressive people to be forcing their lowest common denominator conformity on others. Fuck them. It’s not just wrong, it breeds resentment and anger in our society that spreads and eventually gets expressed in destructive ways and it all eats away at our decaying society. Low pants are associated with thug-gangsterism but the style has gone well beyond that. So Opa-Locka will be disrespecting and humiliating a lot of non-gang people by physically forcing them off the sidewalks and enraging them and alienating them from the society they need to be a part of.

In the 1960s we were being brainwashed by recurring media condemnations of totalitarian Communist Red China, which if we didn’t “contain” with military bases and the Vietnam War, would take over the U.S. — yes, that’s what the stupid rightwingers were actually saying while most Democrats quietly went along then as now. They kept showing photos of the Young Communist Pioneers — scores of them all dressed identically in their gray uniforms in supposed drab martial conformity that had snuffed out all individualism and turned Chinese youth into zombies. And they would do that to us if we didn’t fight them. That’s how they portrayed it. I’m not embellishing. Never mind that our Cub and Boy scouts wore blue martial uniforms. So you can imagine my outrage in the 1990s when our schools imposed totalitarian style Communist conformity on American youth with mandatory uniforms. I oppose that too.

If you want to get into the conformity game, do you really want me to indulge my dislike of business suits and ties? Make them illegal? I’ve worked for a couple of corporations in my life and I did not like it. I prefer non profits and education. (By the way, I’ve been job hunting for seven years now with little luck — that’ll be another post — and after this post do you think I will ever work again? Tee hee.) I hate the phony bullshit role-playing corporate culture and the alternate lives and personalities of corporate people after 5 pm. I find suits and ties laughable. I really do. I hate the way people use suits and ties to give themselves a “legitimacy” that they often don’t deserve. That guy wearing a suit and tie is just as likely, if not more so, to lie and steal from you as that friendly homeless guy lying on the sidewalk outside Starbucks yesterday. They’ll usually use the “system” to do it. Like the Democrat lawyers nixing the caps on their exorbitant fees in the no-fault “reform” this month while the doctors had to take caps because there are far more lawyers in the legislature than doctors. I hate wearing them, except once in a while when I feel like dressing up or weird. Why when I sweep next year’s Netroots Awards in multiple categories I will accept your adulation in torn jeans and sagging pants. Tee hee. You should see me in a suit some time. If you look closely at me you will see how uncomfortable I am and if you nail me for how stupid I look I’ll blush very red and perspire. They look like costumes to me. Something you’d wear to a Halloween party. Can you imagine what Muslims think of them? And they’re so restrictive. The ties choke the neck and most of the time the knot is skewed to one side and looks kind of sloppy and stupid. What idiot came up with the idea to tie a piece of cloth around the neck so as to choke it?

Among the many problems with this ban is it’s yet another example of arbitrary government dictated by the whims of the particular clique in control of a given government. You can’t show underwear. Does that mean the elastic waste band? Tase ‘em. What if half the waste band is showing? Tase the resistors. What about a half inch of the flannel, or even an inch? How ‘bout an inch and a half? Or two? What if the pants are low on one hip but not the other? You know, that fashion statement. Of course it will depend on what you look like. If you’re a 50 year old white man with graying hair the Morals Control Officer will let it slide. But not if you are a 25 year old Black male. Although it might depend on the officer’s mood that day. Stop the oppression. Day 52.