From Ralph

03/21/03

Scar Strangled Banger

SCAR STRANGLED BANGER is my book of America in retrospect, and now, strangely, of its future. I have always loved America- 'the screaming lifestyle of my nightmares'. In fact, I damn near took American citizenship, but my friend Hunter S Thompson, told me that he would 'fight to the death' to prevent such a prospect, being as he is, a proud and wild American, whose written Constitution is his Bible- and his Belt too- I told him, or how else would such a raddled old reprobate keep his pants up? 'You don't belong', he said, 'because you are Welsh!' It was a strongly reasoned argument, so I declined.

In so many ways, since 9/11, America has changed irrevocably, as it did in Vietnam, and yet in so many ways the complexity of the 'melting pot' experiment of humanity forging a kaleidoscope of diverse cultures into Americans with one unifying American Dream, limps a little, leaving in its wake, a nation bruised, and in doubt. No bad thing really, for there is much hidden strength in human kind.

Before 9/11, Americans thought that they could forge this great experiment into Utopia, isolated from the rest of the world within the fractal geometry of its own shores, and they damn near succeeded, and those outside believed it too, and indeed, tried to emulate it, welcoming its flawless optimism with open arms. But, it has become quite clear that the rest of the world is still a part of the same planet. Everyone of us is subject to the same natural laws, and everyone needs help from everyone else.

The realization of the Real Dream is yet to happen. Whether the Real World joins America, or America concedes and joins the Real World- and we can celebrate our differences in all its forms, as virtues- that still remains beyond our reach. 9/11 has not changed that fundamental joyful hope. In the midst of this wretched war, we all realize that so well.