I have been staying away from "meta" comments on this list in recent
years, but now I cannot resist. What follows is all seriously off-topic,
so feel free to ignore.
The only negative comment I can make to Jonathan is that none of the
mistakenly sent personal emails over the years have even remotely
measured up to the gentle, almost poetic love letter someone posted by
mistake -- someone who then vanished from the list. We never did learn
how far along the affair, or hoped-for affair, progressed, but I for one
hope it blossomed into bliss.
I will try to see a Beebe show when I can.
But the other comment, to Jonathan and all, is that I have more than one
friend who has reported strange depressions and other disconnections in
the last year. And I have had to admit to myself that I am part of this
too -- how else to explain staying in bed most of some days, alternating
between doing nothing and reading the news on my phone, when things i
would enjoy much more, and actually believe in, beckon? And I have a
diagnosis for us: we are depressed because the world is going to hell.
Or as Jonathan put it, our civilization might not make it. The planet
might not too.
It is not just that "short-fingered vulgarian" at 1600 Pennsylvania
Avenue; look at what is going on in Poland, Hungary, Turkey, the
Philippines, and many other countries: just as bad, though mostly
without the threat of nuclear holocaust.
I have a theory. There was a drought in Syria a decade ago, causing huge
migration to the cities, providing people with nothing much to do. Many
fought in the coming civil war. There are many causes for droughts;
climate change could be on contributor. Is much of the entire migrant
crisis due to climate change? Given that Trump's election win was so
narrow, it probably was; even though the decline of coal was not caused
by climate-sensitive environmentalists, many voters thought it was. The
unpredictable and surprising effects of climate change seem likely to me
to cause populations to the rational thinking that is essential to
democracy and seek out "Great Leaders," however hideous they might be.
If these effects are happening now, with a sea level rise of less than a
foot since 1900, I shudder to think of the result of the sea level
rising only one foot from here, something that seems inevitable. There
are many more effects besides flooding, including increasingly harsh
weather extremes, such as massive storms, of which we have already seen
a few.
I sure hope I am wrong, that we will institute fixes for the climate
(which will however require massive carbon-removal projects as well as
an end to emissions) before it is too late, and that in a few years we
will be seeing democracies progress again. But meanwhile the US is ruled
by a would-be despot who thinks that the Democrats' failure to applaud
his speech constitutes treason, also showing that they do not love their
country very much (which, by the way, is not the same thing as treason).
Applauding the leader's speech = loving one's country. I can think of
other countries whose governments would claim that, but all are bad
dictatorships.
I cannot believe that even the rational do-gooder "good people" are
mostly not acting on the massive threat climate change presents. Curing
disease in Africa, as the Gates Foundation is doing, will make no
difference in the face of this potential apocalypse.
I have a short, somewhat related essay, titled /Trump, Bach, and Me/, at
http://fredcamper.com/W/Bach.html in both print and audio form.
Fred Camper
Chicago
On 2/11/2018 9:33 AM, Jonathan Walley wrote:
Ha Ha! I used to heap scorn and mockery upon people who accidentally sent
personal emails to listservs by incorrectly replying. But now I have made the
same embarrassing gaffe! Oh, woe is me.
Well, now everyone knows about my very high opinion of Roger Beebe’s work,
which you absolutely should see if Roger comes to your town, as well as my
personal anguish and agony - and I welcome any commiserating responses, as well
as scorn and mockery. I could have pretended it was an intentionally
post-modern “review” of Roger’s show, in the tradition of published letters to
and from filmmakers and critics (Dear Stan Brakhage…), but I decided to be
honest instead. But Roger, since it’s now public, you’re welcome to use my
email in any and all publicity for your forthcoming programs.
Sorry everyone for unwittingly - wittlessly - opening the grimy window onto my
stupid problems.
All best,
Jonathan
Dr. Jonathan Walley
Associate Professor and Chair
Department of Cinema
Denison University
wall...@denison.edu
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