Day 17. May Day.

Ginsberg's America is the final word on Russian and American relations. Everyone lost the cold war. In 1956 Ginsberg wrote:

"America when I was seven momma took me to Communist cell meetings they sold us garbanzos a handful per ticket a ticket costs a nickel and the speeches were free everybody was angelic and sentimental about the workers it was all so sincere you have no idea what a good thing the party was in 1935 Scott Nearing was a grand old man a real mensch Mother Bloor made me cry I once saw Israel Ampter plain. Everybody must have been a spy" (42).

I read that in Tynda. Ginsberg's nostalgia made me tear up a little. Everyone lost the cold war, but the honest communists in America took a hit so many decades before the wall came down...

"When will you be worthy of your million Trotskyites?" (39).

The Russian socialists got their chance and blew it. But, regardless, everyone here insists that the poor are worse off than they were in the USSR.

"America you don't really want to go to war" (42).

And so on.

"America I'm putting my queer shoulder to the wheel" (43).

"The Russia wants to eat us alive. The Russia's power mad. She wants to take our cars from out our garages" (43).

"This is the impression I get from looking in the television set" (43).

Ginsberg was already nostalgic for a workers movement back in 1956! In 2007 we must all be doomed!

A couple days of rest and then some Mongolian thoughts. I arrived a few hours ago.

Ulaanbaatar, 8:35 pm, Dave's Place