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| April 13, 2007 Alaskan in Exile by Neil Zawicki, insurgent49 I’m out. The therapy has taken hold, and my brain is clean again. Karl Rove is again just a man. A pasty, out of shape man with Machiavellian Sociopath tendencies, but he no longer has a hold of my sanity. And neither do I, for that matter. Trying to hold on to sanity makes people do things like wear collared shirts and sit under florescent lights and ask bankers and civic leaders questions like “how many new branches does the bank have planned for next year?” No. If I learned anything from the Rove scare, it is that I am a freak. I have a daughter and I am a freak. I think of long golden evenings spent barefoot, skin hot from the sun, salt crusted hair, standing in the cockpit after a day on the ocean. I think of nights spent covered in paint, or weeks spent in Moab, chasing jeepers and making plaid skirts. I think of making play-dough cupcakes with Gwen, and then inviting her animals to share them. The zebra and the bear and Bambi and a duck. All enjoying play-dough cupcakes. I think of feeding my daughter by building cabinets with Peter and Thadeus, of painting and preparing to print Gwen’s very own book starring her. These mean days make the sun seem a little dimmer, but it’s not. It’s getting brighter. I think of Amanda and the future and I think of good things. Further, and in the spirit of the commentary corps here at i49, I’m taking the week off to groove on the outdoors.* So, enjoy this past column, and I’ll be back next week … *First spoken by Dead Ryan Giaugue, who now grooves on the universe in every direction. December 30, 2005 Alaskan in Exile by Neil Zawicki A lost Roman soldier stumbled into monarchy in the third century, A.D. He was wandering home, somewhere in central Britain, after his legion had disbanded with the news that the Roman Empire had collapsed. Along the way, he ran across a lawless village and was asked by the inhabitants to protect them from thieves and raiders. He accepted the job and got the best house in the village, raised a band of “deputies” and proceeded to declare his offspring the heirs to his rule. And so it goes. The Roman Empire’s demise gave way to what became known as “The Dark Ages.” Kings and Queens held power and kept their subjects in a superstitious fear coma for generations, while little bands of monks made beer, kept notes and maintained the calendar for future civilizations. The Renaissance marked the end of the Dark Ages, and brought new thinking and new technology, and people started once again to use their imaginations. The fall of Rome could not have been a pretty thing for the citizens of the empire’s capitol. To hold off the massing barbarians that had laid siege on the city, Romans frantically built barricades out of statues taken from all parts of the metropolis, while senators ran around begging them to stop, trying in vain to retain the very substance that made their once great society. These days, some American senators are trying to preserve our constitution and our laws – the very substance of our society – as our leaders tear them apart in the name of defense against terrorists – the new barbarians. Meanwhile, our legions walk the dusty streets of broken nations all over the world, and will not by any estimation be coming back to the capitol of the empire any time soon. The Romans were stretched quite thin toward the end of their rule. About 500,000 soldiers defended the extreme edges of the empire. Retrospect reveals a force of about 3 million was necessary. The standard issue basic weapon for the Romans was the short sword. It was their M-16 rifle. Roman soldiers also had superb armor and tactics, and all the money, horses and supplies they needed. Despite their wealth and reach, the rest of the world eventually ganged up and defeated them. What will become of modern society when the American Empire falls? When will it happen? I give it another 150 years, tops. Then what? What new ruling system will spawn from the ashes? Perhaps a thousand years from now, children will read in their history books: “A lost American soldier stumbled in monarchy in the 22nd century A.D….” Neil Zawicki, exiled Alaskan, is Editor at Large for Insurgent49, a former reporter for the Alaska Star, and winner of the Alaska Press Club's 'Best Columnist' award. He is now living out the rest of his days in an undisclosed location in Oregon. He can be contacted at hondo23@gmail.com 'Alaskan In Exile' appears on insurgent49.com every Friday. |
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April 6, 2007 March 30, 2007 March 23, 2007 March 16, 2007 March 9, 2007 March 2, 2007 February 23, 2007 February 16, 2007 February 9, 2007 February 2, 2007 January 26, 2007 January 19, 2007 January 12, 2007 January 5, 2007 December 29, 2006 December 22, 2006 December 15, 2006 December 8, 2006 December 1, 2006 November 24, 2006 November 17, 2006 November 10, 2006 November 3, 2006 October 27, 2006 October 20, 2006 October 13, 2006 October 6, 2006 September 29, 2006 September 22, 2006 September 15, 2006 September 8, 2006 September 1, 2006 August 25, 2006 August 18, 2006 August 11, 2006 August 4, 2006 July 28, 2006 July 21, 2006 July 14, 2006 June 30, 2006 June 23, 2006 June 16, 2006 June 9, 2006 June 2, 2006 May 26, 2006 May 12, 2006 May 5, 2006 April 28, 2006 April 21, 2006 April 14, 2006 April 7, 2006 March 31, 2006 March 24, 2006 March 17, 2005 March 3, 2006 February 24, 2006 February 17, 2006 February 10, 2006 February 3, 2006 January 27, 2006 January 20, 2006 January 13, 2006 January 6, 2006 December 30, 2005 December 23, 2005 December 16, 2005 December 10, 2005 December 2, 2005 November 25, 2005 November 18, 2005 November 11, 2005 November 4, 2005 October 28, 2005 October 21, 2005 October 14, 2005 October 7, 2005 September 30, 2005 September 23, 2005 September 16, 2005 September 9, 2005 September 2, 2005 August 26, 2005 August 19, 2005 August 12, 2005 August 5, 2005 July 29, 2005 July 22, 2005 July 15, 2005 July 8, 2005 July 1, 2005 June 24, 2005 June 17, 2005 June 10, 2005 June 3, 2005 May 27, 2005 May 20, 2005 May 13, 2005 May 6, 2005 April 29, 2005 April 21, 2005 April 14, 2005 April 7, 2005 April 1, 2005 - also by this
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Reserved. in-sur-gent (in sur'jent), n. 1. a member of a group which revolts against the policies of its leadership. |
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