Uncle Jim is skeptical

missives from the woke side of the Cascade divide

I recently wrote my uncle Jim, the brilliant professor, inventor and successful entrepreneur who lives in the Seattle area. Jim is proof that you can be very smart and yet not have the discernment needed to see through such massive frauds, scams and con jobs such as 911, Covid, and our insane foreign policy (Ukraine, Middle-East, etc.). Somehow, the stuff I’ve researched and present in my amateur way is no match for Fahreed Zakaria, who Jim watches regularly.

Nevertheless, it’s worthwhile hearing Jim out; I always learn something. I sent him the Phil Ramsey interview and he was appreciative but skeptical. Here was his response:

Thanks Dan, I appreciate your updates very much… Concerning…your interview: I appreciate the political base of the guy’s thoughts but I felt that he exposed his political naiveite when he claimed there was no need for politics in the fight against such a projects.  You know, and I know that politics are at the base of such a fight between profit motivated corporate supporters and the common sense of your fellow’s concerns.  Our Clean Air and Clean Water protections come from Acts of Congress, not our Constitution.  They could be blown away next year by the politically appointed Supreme Court.  Until he recognizes the origin of a century-old, $4/acre mining claim cost, and the political lobbyists that perpetrate such ridiculous policies, he’ll never get anywhere with his campaign.

I think Jim misunderstood what Phil was trying to say. Of course Phil understands that we fighting the mine will have to employ every trick in the book- political, judicial, and popular sentiment and activism, to win this battle. I think Phil was just trying to say that this issue need not be undermined by the standard political division among the people. Jim exhibits the thinking that I’ve seen already a couple times in this mine issue and have written about: folks cannot let go of their animus toward people on the other end of the political spectrum. Jim can’t stand the “rubes” on the right who fail to see how big corporations will run roughshod over every one if government is not used as a cudgel against them. He thinks the more we restrict government, the more the crony capitalist class will crush the little guy.

I think even my ancap buddies will agree with Jim on these points at the least: indeed we do need to pay attention to supreme court nominees, and the origin of ridiculous mining claims, and the lobbyists who own our government.

Jim’s problem is that he’ll just go with what he thinks is the lesser of the two evils, i.e. the Democratic Party. And that’s just how Fahreed wants him to act.

Me, I hate both wings of the War Party and think we should start a populist party.

Here was Jim’s second missive:

I KNOW conservatives are trained to vote Republican, even in the face of their supposed “Small Government” goals.  Or so they define themselves to their public with such attractive sound bytes.  However, below those simplistic sound bytes, the business of exploitive businesses, such as the potential mining of the Bitterroot Valley, marches on, while goals, such as environmental protections are dismantled for the benefit of such exploitation.

Meanwhile, instead of encouraging the political attention of the masses, they are encouraged to limit their attention to the sound bytes, without any in depth scrutiny.

In short, I would encourage your friend to scrutinize the ground level influence of political activity behind what is favoring the lucrative nature of that mining proposal.  (This would be a good year to shine light on it.  Montana is electing a Senator this year.)

Jim

Meanwhile, I as a political novice will continue working on the popular-sentiment aspect of the fight. I want to get voices from around the valley and the world to speak up. Recently we were up at the headwaters of Sheep Creek to get a feel for the area:

DWS- 2 minutes:

DG- 1 1/4 minutes:

PS: After watching that video of Daniel the German I was thinking, how about we bring a bunch of tourists into the Bitterroot and show them around, and get their input on the idea of an open pit mine at the headwaters? I would volunteer my services as a guide to such groups. First video after a group visit: Japan loves the (Clean) Bitterroot!