Narrated by Eunice Wong Test Originally published July 30, 2023 Main Street America - by Mr. Fish MECHANIC FALLS, Maine – I am sitting in Eric Heimel’s barbershop in the center of Mechanic Falls. Russ Day, who was the owner for 52 years before he sold it to Eric, cut my hair as a boy. The shop looks the same. The mounted trout on the walls. The worn linoleum floor. The 1956 Emil J. Paidar barber chair. The two American flags on the wall flanking the oval mirror. The plaque that reads: “If a Man is Alone In the Woods, With No Woman to Hear Him, Is He Still Wrong?” Another plaque that reads: “Men have 3 hairstyles parted…unparted…and DEPARTED!” I can almost see my grandfather, with his thick gold masonic ring on his pinky finger smoking an unfiltered Camel cigarette, waiting for Russ to finish.
Chris, thank you for writing about your hometown and its people, how it once was and how it is now; an elegy for rural America, and for the whole world. Capitalism: killer of life and of souls.
Power structure of the Democratic Party: unreliable to the nth degree; war mongers.
Wars that should never have happened. . . . Men broken by what they saw and heard and, often, by what they did or were forced to do; those who love them or care about them broken too.
As always, thank you for your honesty, your good heart, and your beautiful writing.
“They would interrogate Vietcong and throw them alive out of the helicopters."
My old friend, Bill M. worked in Army Intelligence, during WWII.
He described that same standard "interrogation" procedure.
This is what men do, including Americans, in wars. Much behavior is less than noble. Bill was not necessarily proud of everything that he did in the "service" during WWII.
I think this moral chaos is a big part of what we call "PTSD". - gl
Thank you for reminding me that my maga neighbors are not the enemy. They are the unemployed or downsized loggers and paper mill workers whose jobs left the country now working at Walmart part time for minimum wages and exploitation. They do have a right to be mad as hell. But it scares the daylights out of me that if civil war breaks out, my county of Shasta will be in the thick of it. Everything is breaking and we had 110 for days and days.
I'm from Canada. This piece resonates very strongly with me. Chris's conclusion that we need to work together is very important. Ignoring and dismissing large segments of the country can only result in the deep seated resentments that we see today. Media and political elites need to get real and figure it out for a change.
I hear so much about unintended consequences in rightist critiques of leftie planning. These "unintended consequences", so well mapped out by Hedges, never, ever even register, being, economically inefficient, or something. The intellectual hypocrisy of mainstream economics is truly smothering in its effects. Thanks, Chris, for yet another poignant reminder of our position. And, allow me to commend your wife, Eunice, for the beauty of her recitals.
I'm with you, Chris. From the beginning. I came from middle of nowhere Idaho which has been changed by the fleeing California hordes. But now what? It seems to me that Trump is the battering ram we have, the only tool available to us, to hole the ship of the uniparty which we've allowed ourselves to be led by up to now. He's not pretty, but neither is the word picture you painted of your small town. I don't accept the current state of affairs.
Chris, thank you for writing about your hometown and its people, how it once was and how it is now; an elegy for rural America, and for the whole world. Capitalism: killer of life and of souls.
Power structure of the Democratic Party: unreliable to the nth degree; war mongers.
Wars that should never have happened. . . . Men broken by what they saw and heard and, often, by what they did or were forced to do; those who love them or care about them broken too.
As always, thank you for your honesty, your good heart, and your beautiful writing.
Be well.
It was the Republicans who started the disastrous Iraq war
“They would interrogate Vietcong and throw them alive out of the helicopters."
My old friend, Bill M. worked in Army Intelligence, during WWII.
He described that same standard "interrogation" procedure.
This is what men do, including Americans, in wars. Much behavior is less than noble. Bill was not necessarily proud of everything that he did in the "service" during WWII.
I think this moral chaos is a big part of what we call "PTSD". - gl
My grandfather charged $3.50 a cut when I graduated high school in 1986. One hour of labor at minimum wage would pay for a haircut (well…3.35/hour🙄)
Same shop today charges $32/cut…can’t earn that in one hour entry level pay today😶
Thank you for reminding me that my maga neighbors are not the enemy. They are the unemployed or downsized loggers and paper mill workers whose jobs left the country now working at Walmart part time for minimum wages and exploitation. They do have a right to be mad as hell. But it scares the daylights out of me that if civil war breaks out, my county of Shasta will be in the thick of it. Everything is breaking and we had 110 for days and days.
Thanks -- once again - a wonderful and so sad photograph of the reality. But, RFK-2 is "very controversial" and must be silenced... ?!?!
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - Let's Fight Censorship... -- Jul 28
https://rumble.com/v32tr74-robert-f.-kennedy-jr.-lets-fight-censorship....html
RFK Jr Is Asked, “Why Should Anyone Trust You?” His Answer Receives a Round of Applause
https://rumble.com/v32tvpw-rfk-jr-is-asked-why-should-anyone-trust-you-his-answer-receives-a-round-of-.html -- Jul 28
James O’Keefe interview with Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – Jul 27
https://twitter.com/JamesOKeefeIII/status/1684648594144403457?s=20
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - Is COVID A Bioweapon That Targets Specific Races? -- Jul 25
https://rumble.com/v32alf0-robert-f.-kennedy-jr.-is-covid-a-bioweapon-that-targets-specific-races.html
RFK Cancellation Attempt – Jul 25
https://rumble.com/v32am78-cancellation-attempt.html
We Need to REVIVE Our Middle Class - RFK Jr. on The Joe Rogan Experience – Jul 24
https://rumble.com/v324jiy-we-need-to-revive-our-middle-class-rfk-jr.-on-the-joe-rogan-experience.html
RFK Jr: The People Who Censor Speech Are Never the Good Guys, According to History – Jul 24
https://rumble.com/v322nb4-rfk-jr-the-people-who-censor-speech-are-never-the-good-guys-according-to-hi.html
False Accusations -- Jul 22
https://rumble.com/v31ofs2-false-accusations.html
The Art Of Democracy -- Jul 21
https://rumble.com/v31hke4-the-art-of-democracy.html
https://rumble.com/v314zq4-hearing-on-the-weaponization-of-the-federal-government.html
Jul 20 -- Hearing on the Weaponization of the Federal Government
Jul 20 -- Intro to RFK
https://rumble.com/v316gds-robert-f.-kennedy-jr.-opening-statement-hearing-on-the-weaponization-of-the.html
Become a Defender of Democracy -- Jul 20
https://rumble.com/v317thu-become-a-defender-of-democracy.html
2021 !! -- Previously Unreleased Recording: Bret Weinstein Interviews Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (From 2021)
https://rumble.com/v30ygxe-previously-unreleased-recording-bret-weinstein-interviews-robert-f.-kennedy.html
Connecting Youth With Nature -- Jul 18
https://rumble.com/v30n9jc-connecting-youth-with-nature.html
The Earth Is An Ark -- Jul 17
https://rumble.com/v30klac-the-earth-is-an-ark.html
We need to stop investing in war, and start investing in the American people. --- Jul 15
https://rumble.com/v307obe-we-need-to-stop-investing-in-war-and-start-investing-in-the-american-people.html
How To End The Polarization -- Jul 13
https://rumble.com/v2zvpkg-how-to-end-the-polarization.html
Our Food Is Being Poisoned -- Jul 13
https://rumble.com/v2zsp3m-our-food-is-being-poisoned.html
Fear Doesn’t Solve Climate Change -- Jul 12
https://rumble.com/v2zp6ou-fear-doesnt-solve-climate-change.html
The Remedy is Kennedy
https://rumble.com/v2z1pas-the-remedy-is-kennedy.html -- Jul 9
RFK Jr: I'm PROUD To Be Liked By Trump, I Want To Bring Americans TOGETHER
https://youtu.be/iD-cFQxDTPw -- ~Jun 30
RFK podcast -- Next Level Censorship with Aaron Maté
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rfk-jr-podcast/id1552000243?i=1000620164284
https://open.spotify.com/show/30DqNXrHLKzz4xzmoty6xf
E127: Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in conversation with the Besties
https://youtu.be/nA0OXZuaG0g -- ~May
The Hunger Precipice
https://rumble.com/v2yhmje-the-hunger-precipice.html -- ~ Jul 6
Our Campaign is Blasting Off
https://rumble.com/v2ywwts-our-campaign-is-blasting-off.html -- Jul 8
Bret and Heather 182nd DarkHorse Podcast Livestream: Gender Surrender — Atrozin
https://www.youtube.com/live/USF0A_fRlvk?feature=share -- Jul 7
RFK on Jordan Peterson podcast – Jun 5
https://open.spotify.com/episode/43bt1g25Ynce04GNbjGpMR?si=Aa9qyvl5QhCjtkEAWF72qw&nd=1
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FBI/CIA + DNC criminal cabal -- there are no limits for these corrupt criminals...
Vote RFK, Jr. and -- if Trump reappears -- demand that he makes RFK-2 his Attorney General.
The US bipartisan fascist uniparty MUST be destroyed and US politics disinfected.
Wow -- we need to bring democracy to the rest of world, though.
I'm from Canada. This piece resonates very strongly with me. Chris's conclusion that we need to work together is very important. Ignoring and dismissing large segments of the country can only result in the deep seated resentments that we see today. Media and political elites need to get real and figure it out for a change.
I hear so much about unintended consequences in rightist critiques of leftie planning. These "unintended consequences", so well mapped out by Hedges, never, ever even register, being, economically inefficient, or something. The intellectual hypocrisy of mainstream economics is truly smothering in its effects. Thanks, Chris, for yet another poignant reminder of our position. And, allow me to commend your wife, Eunice, for the beauty of her recitals.
Chris, you’ll need to prove to your readers that this is not just taken straight from a Springsteen song. 😉
Good essay.
I'm with you, Chris. From the beginning. I came from middle of nowhere Idaho which has been changed by the fleeing California hordes. But now what? It seems to me that Trump is the battering ram we have, the only tool available to us, to hole the ship of the uniparty which we've allowed ourselves to be led by up to now. He's not pretty, but neither is the word picture you painted of your small town. I don't accept the current state of affairs.