Under the blue mango

Once in awhile I add a new blog to my blog rolls (if you will notice I have two lists). The newest additions most frequently go into the top list. Very rarely do I mention them, but this time, I feel I should say something about Joe Bageant.

I was given a head's up to it from a friend. Although I had heard of the book this author had written, I had never read it-- 'Deer Hunting for Jesus' which is about the class wars in the United States. I guess I should get a copy but for now I am reading his blog.

He's rough. He's outspoken. He says exactly what he thinks, and political correctedness be damned. He's no fan of the United States' political system. He appears to think that anybody who reaches the presidency has already sold out to corporations.

After I read his most recent post, I started picking and choosing from the list of previous blogs. His outlook is interesting, his stories carry you along, and give you something to chew on. Warning though-- he pulls no punches. Absolutely none.

Bageant sees our country as heading down a slope with no way to stop the slide. He thinks Conservatives know it and are just getting all they can before our economy totally collapses. It might seem that is a view without hope but then again, maybe it's just realism and there is something we can personally do about it-- as in accept a lighter footstep on the earth, help those we come across when we can, and recognize that the life we lead today might not be sustainable.

It's really not about guilt or fear. It's about facing situations squarely, not letting ourselves be carried away with what we cannot change-- but changing what we can.

I still don't know how much I will agree with him. He might not end up permanently on my lists, but he definitely has a viewpoint. Of course, like all bloggers, it's all just his opinion.

Whether you read anything else by Joe Bageant, you might try: Under the Blue Mango. It is about life in Belize and his attempt to make a difference.