First Entry

My name is Forrest Lamar Palmer. I decided to start this blog to part vent, part analyze, part educate and, more than anything else, record the decline of Western industrial civilization as we know it. The way I see it, this is all like a BIG ASS Venn Diagram where all the ills of society, like racism, climate change, peak oil, pollution, big ag, poverty, famine, drought and everything else is interrelated. Some people would say this is all due to capitalism, which I tend to agree, but this capitalist mentality is so entrenched in every aspect of not this country, but the world at large, that at this point it is asinine of me, any other person, any other group, people, country or collective to think it can be changed at this point. I know most people in this country don't see it because we are very insulated from the pain of the rest of the world, specifically the Global South. The same way that where I grew up in inner city Los Angeles and the inherent violence that comes from any disenfranchised people was something that wasn't viewed as important by people outside of this area and the only time it was seen as problematic was when it occasionally spilled over into areas where it could potentially affect middle class white America. Enter the police stage right who are nothing more than modern day slave patrollers who are their to keep the 'natives' in their place. The primary objective of the police is to keep social order in place, whether that be slavery Jim Crow or any oppressive system. But, there will be plenty of time to detail this and all other things. I don't plan on dying tomorrow, although you never know. If I was to die right after this first post, the thing I would like to leave any person with is one piece of advice: question EVERYTHING. Personally, I have divested myself of pretty much all the things that were taught to me by the school system, my brainwashed community, American society and the inherent European mindset that has controlled the globe for the past 500 years (these being the words of the great John Henrik Clarke). The reason I had to divest myself of these things is because everything I believe and, more importantly, KNOW is the complete opposite of all I have been taught in my life. This is what they would call 'indoctrination', which thankfully after all these years, I have finally stomped out the last vestiges of it  in my personality and mindset. It is quite liberating.

The reason I named my blog, 'The Ship Be Sinking' is in homage to the old point guard for the New York Knicks, Michael Ray Richardson. The history of the quote is readily available for all who are interested in it. All you have to do is google it. I feel it is very appropriate for a couple of reasons. One is that it is funny and a lot of times in humor, there is a lot of truth. Second, it is a nudge at all the people who have felt for centuries that the problems that ails black people over here specifically and people of color across the globe could be solved if we were just able to have perfect diction, dress well, Westernize our culture and mindset and then all our 'problems' would be solved instantly. Yes, someway that no one can really explain to me, climate change is connected to black people saying 'ain't'. Lastly, I can't think of a better description of what we are going through now in the world because, whether people want to face it or not, the ship be sinking and no matter who is president or in Congress or CEO of whatever company or political/social leader is found, it is going down.

In this blog, I will detail all of it. For no other reason than I want to do it. Really, all of what I detail will be facts and figures that anyone could learn about if they wanted, but due to time contraints, fear, lack of an inquisitive nature or plain ol' JDGAF (that would be, just don't give a fuck), don't really delve into too much.

Anyhow, enough talk...the ship be sinking...and here is the how, what, why and where of it...to steal a phrase from Betty Davis, buckle up, it is going to be a bumpy ride...

FP