Polly's pages (aka 'Donna Williams')

Ever the arty Autie

The American soul is redeemable.

January27

Count Me In by autistic artist Donna Williams Perhaps you are one of the members of our global community who is so sickened and burned out by one of the most globally despised leaders of a superpower since Hitler – George W Bush. Perhaps you, like I, felt so certain that a nation who could vote back in a president so Nixon-like as Bush, showed so little hope we’d emerge from a modern day cloud of patriachal negativity and environmental apathy that that leader influenced world wide. Then, if this is the soul of the future president of the United States, then I believe that the soul of America will again be capable of sanity, empathy and being once again a constructive part of a global community.

7 Comments to

“The American soul is redeemable.”

  1. On January 27th, 2008 at 1:51 pm christschool Says:

    George W. Bush makes Nixon look like Ghandi.
    Many Americans, including myself, would rather not be identified as Americans with a President like
    the one we have. He is the quintessential facsist. Much of America is swept up in bigotry and
    jingoism unfortunately. However, I would want the world to know that almost half of our
    country feels the same as the rest of the world about George Bush. Unfortunately, we are only
    less than half of the population and cannot use our vote to oust him because the larger half
    put him back in office. It would be wonderful if we could split the country up in two. Those who
    want a theocracy could form one nation and the rest of us could form another nation more in line
    with modern thinking and progressive concern.

  2. On January 27th, 2008 at 9:59 pm donna Says:

    totally true.
    when he was voted back in I think many non-US people were utterly shocked.
    With everything they now knew, they voted him back.
    I fortunately had some wonderful US friends so knew this was not all of America
    but still I think many fell into deep dread about the world after he was voted back in
    we had the most sychophant leader here, John Howard,
    who was quite right wing and pretty much went along with anything his pal Bush said
    and Australians too voted him back in
    we were so shocked
    then I understood what Nixon’s brainwashing fear mongering was all about
    these two had hold of people’s minds
    it was scary
    I was so glad when Blair, for all his faults, pulled away from Bush
    that left co-alition of the fools
    and now we have Kevin Rudd, an egalitarian non-racist humanitarian
    first thing he did was ratify Kyoto
    he also made it clear we were no lapdog to the Bush admin
    I also met some nice republicans
    so I won’t presume that all republicans are pro Bush and his tripe
    I so hope America rising from the spiritual muck.
    but fear and rigidity are great opponents, ask any autie.

    I lived most of my life with horrid Exposure Anxiety and social phobia
    I’d feel ill as hell, my body electric, just handling simple social stuff
    but I really really wanted it to never own me, define me or my life
    so I’d challenge the bastard, trick it, sneak my way around it anyway that I could
    and it’d get me back, contorting my expression into avoidance, diversions, retaliation responses
    and I’d feel really trapped, often give up, give in
    but then I’d get back in the ring and think, no, this is MY life anxiety, to hell with you
    I learned the self calming of a Buddhist
    I learned to walk a Taoists path
    but still it has my number, knocks on the door of my soul
    but fear and stagnation are similar challenges for people taught paranoia and mistrust
    and if they look at a stagnant pond, that’s where they’re at
    the pond gets smelly, and there’s no flow, no oxygen, the life in it atrophies and dies
    a pond that becomes a tidal wave, also kills all in its wake
    but some flow is necessary, to retain life
    and that means accepting change, turning away from the drug of fear.

    autism can be a good teacher
    it has taken me spiritual places perhaps I’d never gone without it.

  3. On January 31st, 2008 at 2:02 pm Ivan Says:

    There is one man here in America whom I believe can do what you’ve said here…………bring America back to sanity and in the direction this country needs to go. Who the hell are we to talk about how other nations run their affairs when our own bedroom is a complete wreck?

    America has faced the destruction of many tens of Katrinas at the hands of our current Administration. And that started happening a good while before August 29th, 2005 (try about 4 years prior to that, when the man took office.)

    Perhaps if we had all known better what would happen if Bush came to office again, things might have been different. But that doesn’t matter anymore. Things are what they are for now, but we in America have a historic change to improve our lot tremendously (though not very fast at first, and not without some unpleasant costs I don’t think. We need badly to kill this budget deficit our government has run up.)

    One big question is whether delayed gratification has a say in this, or whether instant gratification with no regard for the future wins out again.

    I pray for the soul of America. So does Athena…….and the Integral…………..

    Ivan

  4. On February 9th, 2008 at 10:43 pm Adrianna Says:

    I am an American, and am ashamed of what passes for leadership in this country.

    I am on the front lines in politics trying to put an end to all this. Actually, I am registering to be a member of the Socialist party.

    And, my father is a conservative Republican. Both of my parents are. They both voted for Bush both times, and my father now deeply regrets it. So it is interesting.

    They know I am Socialist, and my father is actually opening up to new ideas, which is good. He is totally okay with my stances. He wants me to follow my conscience.

    Anyway, he, and many others, actually told me that they voted for Bush because they didn’t like Kerry’s personality.

    Excuse me? I thought politics is about voting on the issues, not about your perception of their personality. Personality is not easily definable. A person’s stances are much more concrete, and that is what you are voting for anyway. Someone to take care of issues, not someone who looks good, sounds good, or just “feels good,” the kind of person you want to be aruond, be friends with, etc.

    Some people say that people can fake policy positions. Well, people can fake personalities too. Sociopaths do it all the time. Bush has done it since he entered office.

    So bottom line…if you are gullible and don’t mind being f***** over, vote on looks or personality.

    If you are serious about bringing positive change, vote on what matters.

    America’s, and the world’s, future depends on it.

  5. On February 9th, 2008 at 10:55 pm donna Says:

    Very well put.

  6. On February 10th, 2008 at 7:07 am The Integral Says:

    Aussies can help any Americans living Down Under to understand the issues at stake in this election as well………if anyone is interested……….people can gather and hold rallies and stuff……….remind Americans abroad to vote in the general election………..

    We’re all in this together……….here in America we certainly DO NOT WANT another 4 years of ssdf………..(same sh** different flies)

  7. On February 25th, 2008 at 6:02 pm Amanda Says:

    Actually, in response to the person who said less than half of America feels this way… Bush’s approval ratings have been slo low that it’s clearly way more than half the country who disapproves of him, including a huge amount of conservatives.