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It’s the same old story
Tell me where will it end
I got the same old blues, same old blues again— J.J. Cale
*
I’m gonna lay down these Doomsayer Blues.
The fourth National Climate Assessment under the U.S. Global Change Research program was released on the Friday of Thanksgiving weekend — the traditional burial ground for stories that those in power want to deep six. Read the report — or its executive summary (the full report is huge) — for yourself and draw your own conclusions.
Take a look at the yellow vest protests in France; angry people out on the street rioting over higher fuel costs and a generally rising cost of living. Draw your own conclusions.
You don’t need me singing the same old blues again.
*
The purpose of Running Iron Report is to explore ways to adapt and overcome in a rapidly-changing world. It’s about holding onto ancient verities. It’s about doing, NOT about merely bitching about a sorry state of affairs. That’s too easy — and it erodes the soul.
Just when it was needed, our correspondent from Austin, Texas, Rick Schwertfeger sent a dispatch with the beautiful words of the grand old curmudgeon Edward Abbey. They punched a cloverleaf through the X‑ring:
“Do not burn yourself out. Be as I am — a reluctant enthusiast…a part time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it is still there. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, encounter the grizzlies, climb the mountains, bag the peaks. Run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive.…”
*
That’s it, isn’t it? I admit I’m a little pissed at myself, having to be reminded of something I fundamentally know, but I’m not singing the Backslider Blues, either.
I’ll simply fall back on some principles articulated by the Dark Mountain Project manifesto:
• We live in a time of social, economic and ecological unravelling. All around us are signs that our whole way of living is already passing into history. We will face this reality honestly and learn how to live with it.
• We reject the faith which holds that the converging crises of our times can be reduced to a set of ‘problems’ in need of technological or political ‘solutions’.
• We will reassert the role of storytelling as more than mere entertainment. It is through stories that we weave reality.
*
Take the last point first: Craig and I are working on a podcast series on “The Stories That Shaped Us.” The plan is to offer these as some added value for those of you who want to travel a little further down the trail with us. Prepping for these pieces has really brought home the profound power of Story. No amount of polemic can match the impact of a well-wrought tale that engages on every level — emotional, intellectual, spiritual. Truly, stories shaped my sense of who I am and how to walk in the world — and I know I’m far from alone in that.
My efforts in the coming months, here and at Frontier Partisans, will be bent toward telling stories that point toward “how we live with it.” I’ll be doing my best to weave a little skein of reality in this corner of the world.
Part of figuring out “how we live with it” comes down to picking what battles we’re going to fight.
It’s important to decide where you draw your lines; where you’ll lay down your sash and drive a lance through it, staked out and shouting “It’s a good day to die!”
For me, those battles are going to have to be local and immediate. The country where Craig and I live is getting settled up at an accelerated rate, and like Aunt Sally’s well-meaning assault on Huck Finn, they’re trying to sivilize us, and we can’t stand it. We been there before.
Lighting out for the Territory ain’t an option, so we have to make a stand.
But resources are finite; they must be spent wisely and effectively. I am resolved to engage only on issues that directly impact the way of life of me and my people.
We helped stave off Initiative Petition 43 in Oregon, which would have criminalized a whole class of legal firearms owners, including us. I fought a losing battle to keep a local shooting area open and am currently engaged in staving off pressures on another one.
Access to public lands is another ongoing battle worth fighting — and it gets weird and complicated. The Forest Service has announced plans to limit access to local wilderness areas that are being “loved to death.” I have very mixed feelings about this: On one hand, the problem is real: It ain’t a wilderness experience when you’re surrounded by hordes of spandex-clad yahoos who think it’s all there for them to have a big Instagram shoot.
On the other hand, something deep bridles at being required to seek the king’s leave to walk the country.
*
So let the robots march, let the Aunt Sally’s attempt their sivilizing mission and let the Grand Old Republic continue its march to… wherever it is headed. We’ll be out here breaking trail, rediscovering old paths, making wrong turns and walking in circles till we figure it out, chasing the ghost of Ed Abbey in the desert, doing our level best to keep our brains in our heads and our heads firmly attached to the body.
It’s a full time job.
Jimmie, it’ll be interesting to see how you feel after Ceili starts having babies.
They” have to be taught to be resilient and adaptable, cuz it ain’t gonna be easy.
Yes. This.
I impress this on my kids at every opportunity. If plans and other situations don’t pan out — don’t freak out. Adapt, roll with it, etc.
They might be a little too young now to ‘get’ it and everything is over-dramatic at their age, but I figure I better start now.
My experience with Ceili indicates that inculcation of attitudes and values starts well before they’re “ready.” So, yes, better start now, as you are.
Saddle Tramp says
Good piece Jim and oh so very true. Love the Huck Finn analogy! So, cinch up your saddle (and everything else) and hang on for the count…
Jim, hope you do not mind me piggybacking onto this post with one meant for Craig at the Bunkhouse. I wrote it when his last post came it, but it was too big to mail so I just parked it. Brevity is not my forte and I could have went on much longer. I spared everyone.
Appreciate you hauling the freight for me here. Keep leaning forward. Thanks Jim!
Now into the Bunkhouse:
Well Craig, you have provided yet another fine stimulant to thought.
Not being omniscient myself, I also am making a wild ass guess. However, even a blind man knows when the sun is shining. Allegiances are held by subjective rationalizations and perceptions. That’s a given. Blind partisanship is not part of my make-up nor do I seek any idealized perfection. This comes down to a matter of degrees to which I feel the threshold of acceptance was long ago breached. This is beyond the pale and I am far from being naive about transgressions throughout our history. You know it when you see it. I am a little more hopeful for that reason, but I fully understand your cautiousness. I have more faith in Mueller’s integrity and approach. He slowly fried the smaller fish and is letting the Big Fish stew in [his] own juices. A classic approach to building a case and rounding up the gang. Regardless of the legalese and all those other technicalities along with any realistic expectation of an indictment (of a sitting president) anytime soon and possible conviction have not swayed me yet. Presidents are too big to jail it seems. That’s what underlings are for. Isn’t that what jades us all about our government including the military. Too big. Too powerful but things are especially and blatantly out of kilter with a loose cannon now at the helm. Acknowledging a problem (China for example) does not equate to having the proper solution nor does giving Russia a pass, that is until absolute overwhelming political pressure (not his own) forces him into a feeble chastisement not of his making. That becomes extremely suspicious to me as to someone being compromised. I do realize that friends may hurt you whereas an enemy will kill you. I want Russian friends too, but Putin is not one of them. Xi Jinping is not one either, but we need China more than we need Russia. How about Trump’s tax filings? The list goes on. I have no political allegiances myself. They all have their foibles to say the least. What about John F. Kelly and his planned departure? Was he blind, deaf and dumb or just sacrificing himself to save the Republic? Is he complicit. Seems he was extricating himself from the fire either by invitation or self preservation (to both his skin and sanity) legally or otherwise. Maybe it’s his turn to cough up the goods. Who the hell knows. Let the tale wend itself out.
My first question is this:
Is Trump fit to serve and is he serving a defensible cause?
My second question:
Can we come up with a suitable lesser of the two evils replacement or is Trump really a good guy for all of us?
Fake news or not, I really do not want to demonize Trump or anyone else if I can help it, but damn he has made it real, real hard not to. I can read enough between the lines a can smell a skunk. He tells us himself without the fake news. Gather up the rest of the usual suspects as you will, but we have entered a new realm from my limited perspective and Trump is only a figurehead and a symptom and not the cause of the dilemma we all now uncomfortably straddle. Plenty of blame everywhere to go around. All I know for sure that without a planet we all go down together. I ain’t in the predictin’ business. The truth is a tricky target and very hard to define as to it’s affect on reality and effectiveness in practice. How much do you really want to know and how much do you really need to know? Whatever gets you through the night is my conclusion, but what the hell do I know.
Thanks for your inspiring thoughts Craig.
Thanks as always ST. i can’t tell you how much it means to both Craig and myself to have the kind of dialogue we have.
lane batot says
Saddle Tramp–I would NEVER have voted for Trump in a buhzillion years(not that we as voters were offered much of any alternatives–ahem!), but once he was IN, I TRIED to keep an open mind, in the HOPES that he might well surprise us all and actually do a fair-to-middlin’ job, and perhaps actually upset that monopoly of criminals we called “elected” politicians. As has been crowed about(falsely, alas). Despite my TRYING to be open-minded, and the obviousness of media persecution, tRump has done nothing but CONVINCE me he is just part-and-parcel of the same greedy, entitled, money-oriented dishonesty that poses as our guvmint. For me, the ultimatum signaling time to put on the war paint and unbury the hatchet, is the selling out of the last of our wild places–the philosophy that ONLY money and profits matter. The last of any chance of respect and fairness has been betrayed by the continuous stupidity, greed, and egoism displayed. Not that any and all presidents have not also displayed a bit of that here-and-there, but tRump has taken it too a whole new level! He sure did surprise us, but NOT in a good way. I can’t help but WONDER what-the-heck choices we’ll have come the next major election. Enough to make one want to crawl down their badger hole, and kick dirt backwards till the entrance is plugged, and try to sleep past this political Winter.…
Saddle Tramp says
Lane I could not agree with you more. You buried the hatchet dead on the mark. I also understand the resignation to having wanting to be hopeful that the disruption would stir up things and be a catalyst for needed changes. He fooled me once by becoming the president so I thought well maybe he would fool me again by really making things great again. I hate to see anyone fail. I also sure hate to nurse total cynicism and give in and give up. Whatever good we have ever accomplished did not come about by giving up. I know that is a very loaded question depending on where you come from. As RIR advocates we assess and adapt and ride out the storm as best we can. I don’t think it’s time to retreat though fragile as it is and fragile as it always was. There is plenty of evidence for concern. That’s for damn sure…
Saddle Tramp says
My pleasure Jim and a big thank you to both yourself and Craig. By the way I ended up sending a second version after I thought the the above one did not get through. A few minor correction and additions. Nothing lost in the thought though. I am amazed at the evolution of FP from the very early days of a few random postings and to what it (along with RIR) has developed into over the years. I am looking forward to your newest upcoming venture into your influences. What helps keep my sanity is my several trips to Joshua Tree National Park the last couple of months. Climbed up to the Finger Of Hercules yesterday in Lost Horse Valley. Perfect weather in the high desert every time I went out to JTREE. Always stop at Cap Rock and pay my respects to Gram. Hope you and Craig can maintain your stronghold there in Sisters. Thanks again…
Tip your hat to Gram for me next time, too. Please.
Saddle Tramp says
Consider it done!
Here’s a heads up in case you had not heard about it. I I just came across this today and purchased the premier issue of STRUNG MAGAZINE. It is interesting cross-section of articles along with great photography on a variety of outdoor activities. Their western office is located in Hood River. Maybe you guys can connect up somehow. Contact information is on their website. A very unique quarterly periodical. Anyway you can get a taste of it in the link below:
https://www.strungmag.com/
I will investigate today.
lane batot says
Although the stupidity and weakening caused by over-civilization does seem to be escalating, these are issues I HAVE BEEN dealing with all my life–involved in struggles and battles and campaigns since childhood–the motor-bike war, the housing development campaign, the dog pound guerrilla conflict, the trapline raids–I have been fighting against over-civilizing influences all my life, and I have actually WON some! But more than the winning or losing, it IS about trying to prevent this juggernaut called “progress” from overwhelming the planet and humanity–“HUMANITY” being the survival and quality of life of our species, and our species’ diverse cultures that show us how to live–show us in ways that all-controlling “politically correct” urban notions have no real clue about. Even one’s failures can provide inspiration for those that come after, who might not fail. If I must “trespass” to roam freely, then I WILL trespass! Along with the badger, the COYOTE would be an excellent symbolic animal for the RIR(they often hunt symbiotically with badgers, too!)–an animal reviled by accepted society, with almost every hand turned against them, persecuted and efforts at extermination ongoing–yet the coyote survives it all, even moving INTO our cities, into our very backyards, bringing it’s wild ways with it, adapting to and thumbing it’s nose at our controls, while yet remaining true to it’s wild coyote nature. We must all become tricksters like Coyote!
Saddle Tramp says
Lane,
Yes COYOTE.…
My most recent trip to Joshua Tree had me traveling down an unpaved back road off of the main road in search of The Finger Of Hercules. A little ways in I came up on a big healthy coyote loping down the middle of the road. He then steered off the road and blended into the desert, but I could still catch glimpses of him in and out. I knew it was going to be a magical day. I was not disappointed. Enjoyed your comments Lane. I will be heading back to JTREE again this Thursday and back to the way of the Coyote…
lane batot says
Since coyotes have settled the Southeast, I have noticed that most road-kill disappears a LOT faster than it used to! That’s Coyote for you–take a modern phenomenon, and make it work for you, while remaining Coyote!
TJ says
We could all use a little more Coyote resolve.
It’s like the 35 pound SB Cali Raccoons that crawl out of the sewers during graveyard shift.
They look at you like they are planning to steal your wallet and look like they probably could.
TJ says
A worthy cause and a good fight Jim. I spent approximately 30 hours riding with three separate Northern Idaho law enforcement agencies a while back. It felt like a parallel universe in a very good way. Not perfect but significantly different. I have had family and friends in Idaho since the 70’s.
Half the laws of California that are actually understood and enforced; no burning of flags; guns for every law abiding citizen who wishes to own one; a strange absence of graffiti and any visible gang influence and real winters that keep an entire segment of the criminal culture from traveling north of Boise. The flip flop, shorts wearing social service baby birds (mouths open) dont survive there.
Granted a much smaller population than California or Oregon, but what really stood out was the acceptance of a common culture or cultural framework (including the original Native American) and a seeming understanding of, “This is how we live here.” You are free to leave at anytime if it’s not for you.
The Coeur d Alene area is wrestling with a similar version of growth, simultaneous financial health / more crime and California immigration.
The fight is real and I agree it starts with aggressive local action from honest, educated individuals like yourself.
Keep it up.