Watching the wheels of the world go round and round I see my pile of wood diminish relentlessly. Sometimes I think I have found someone to share fires with but I am wrong. It seems to always end because of me. I am just not the kind of person others want. Ce la vi, I guess.
The US. stimulus bill goes into effect amid the usual party lines. The hypocrisy on all sides gives me pause. Civilization is doing what it has always done. Flying blind. Billions of dollars are being gambled at the least, our lives, and our children's lives, at the most. No new thinking from anywhere. This flaw in civilization might be rectified by enlisting and listening to voices of people traditionally kept out of the loop of power.
The use of the death of someone as a reminder of that person may serve a useful purpose, it may not. Not my call. But all to often I see a death used in an effort to rally people's emotions for or against a cause. This too may be a good thing, but many times it is used in a cold, calculated way to get us in a frenzy. Making decisions when all worked up may not be the best way to see and act upon the truth. Mob mentality is why we have the rule of law, in most cases anyway. Yes, there must be times when the rule of law is wrong or misapplied. A good reason not to have a death penalty, don't ya think?
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Don't think twice, it's alright
Alright. I have tried to get educated on women's rights but it seems I will never know what's what. So for now I will rest my brain and wander. I know wandering is not the way to gain readers so I will look for a focus as I travel.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Staying on the path is not easy
Being of a mind that equality belongs to all it behooves me to listen. But listening is only half the journey I have in mind. Speaking out about injustice can be met with intolerance. Though I fully believe in the feminist cause, sometimes I find myself in a no win position. A critical examination of things sometimes reveals flaws. The passion people bring to a subject can cause them to be defensive or intolerant. In most cases this kind of behavior can be understood by looking for the cause. In the case of women's rights it is easy to see why. For millennium men have enforced a stereotypical, male-centered order in the world. IMHO, this view was always far short of the truth.
The sometimes radical posture of change can morph into a single-minded pursuit and leave behind objective reasoning. "I'm always right" is false, no matter the person or the cause.
The ability to flow, to change, to be flexible seems all too often what we want from others, but pride ourselves in not being so. I'm not saying one should not stand up to injustice, I'm saying one should ALWAYS stand up to it. This would include when it flows from ourselves.
Telling ourselves that we have the right to treat others as bad as they treat us breeds a battle that no one wins.
In other words, lead don't push. If some don't follow, examine your path. Be your own harshest judge, not the most lax. If your path is true, leave the non-followers to catch up when they wake up. And remember, "This above all, to thine own self be true. Then it must follow, as the night the day, thou cans't not be false to anyone." Or some such wisdom. Tell yourself the truth always. Self interest is not always the truth. Revenge or retaliation seldom is.
Be strong but fair in all things if that is how you wish to be treated.
The sometimes radical posture of change can morph into a single-minded pursuit and leave behind objective reasoning. "I'm always right" is false, no matter the person or the cause.
The ability to flow, to change, to be flexible seems all too often what we want from others, but pride ourselves in not being so. I'm not saying one should not stand up to injustice, I'm saying one should ALWAYS stand up to it. This would include when it flows from ourselves.
Telling ourselves that we have the right to treat others as bad as they treat us breeds a battle that no one wins.
In other words, lead don't push. If some don't follow, examine your path. Be your own harshest judge, not the most lax. If your path is true, leave the non-followers to catch up when they wake up. And remember, "This above all, to thine own self be true. Then it must follow, as the night the day, thou cans't not be false to anyone." Or some such wisdom. Tell yourself the truth always. Self interest is not always the truth. Revenge or retaliation seldom is.
Be strong but fair in all things if that is how you wish to be treated.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Confession
The time comes in most people's lives when one must be honest with oneself, and thereby others. I am not a real BLOGGER! I just play one on TV. My only claim to fame is my Fozzy bear PEZ dispenser and my pet triceratops skeleton named Franky.
Please don't hate me because of this deception. I never set out to be a charleton, but, Damn, it felt so good!
Please don't hate me because of this deception. I never set out to be a charleton, but, Damn, it felt so good!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Have you ever seen the rain coming down on a sunny day?
As the days of a new administration tick into the past we see a lot of bickering in D.C.. It seems nobody is right cause eveybody's wrong.
Over at Dissenting Justice the posts and comments, although civil, represent the huge divide that exists. Dissent is a good thing as long as it acknowledges that, it to, may be wrong. Or maybe incomplete in the evaluations and conclusions employed.
The intellectual approach to politics is a somewhat novel facet in the world. The human need for power trumps most attempts to do the right thing. People equate being wrong with a position of lesser power, and thereby are reluctant to compromise. Of course, the battle for control is nothing new.
Dems, Repubs, Green, Libertarian, et al, vie for control not real justice.
Moving around The Netz, one sees, if one cares to look beyond the end of one's nose, the schism that has flourished since the dawn of humanity given it's loudest voice to date. The use of ubiquitous communication is a window into our souls much as language is but farther reaching, and at first glance, more anonymous.
Over at Dissenting Justice the posts and comments, although civil, represent the huge divide that exists. Dissent is a good thing as long as it acknowledges that, it to, may be wrong. Or maybe incomplete in the evaluations and conclusions employed.
The intellectual approach to politics is a somewhat novel facet in the world. The human need for power trumps most attempts to do the right thing. People equate being wrong with a position of lesser power, and thereby are reluctant to compromise. Of course, the battle for control is nothing new.
Dems, Repubs, Green, Libertarian, et al, vie for control not real justice.
Moving around The Netz, one sees, if one cares to look beyond the end of one's nose, the schism that has flourished since the dawn of humanity given it's loudest voice to date. The use of ubiquitous communication is a window into our souls much as language is but farther reaching, and at first glance, more anonymous.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Freedom to be free from others' views on freedom
It has been a long and winding road. As far back as I can remember (which for me, luckily, is quite far) the road ahead of me was different. Many times I didn't know where I was or where I was going. I just knew the road was the one I should take.
The fact that others would follow me was a great burden for me. "Don't follow me" I would say, "I may just be wandering". Which, of course, was mostly true. And I didn't feel that, if I made a mistake, (which I often did!) anyone should suffer with me. I must admit though, sometimes, I succumbed to the leader thing. It was a heady experience, at Ten, to have an army of kids at ones command. Having a General's privileges was very seducing.
The last 40 years have been both an advancement in some ways, and a stagnation in others. While technology pursued a path of increasing wonders, much of human interaction seems to be happy with a plateau of status quo. War, oppression, ideology, religion, economics, politics, and so on are locked into a battle of privilege and dominion that is prehistoric in stature and purpose.
Many of the people I talk to believe that the end of times is upon us and that their religious beliefs must be followed to reach a heavenly outcome. Some see doom as the consequence of all human efforts. There are also those that see no end in sight. What I see from these views is the abdication of responsibility.
We may continue, we may not. But, it seems to me, if we wish there to be a posterity we must take it upon ourselves to create the opportunity for it to exist. That would mean that all things must reach their outcomes naturally, without the arrogant attitude that only we know best. Unless we are the creator of all things, in which case why not end all injustice and suffering now.
But, in our heart of hearts, we all know, we are not the creator of all things, we all want to live as long and happy as possible, and none of us knows the truth of creation or the end. In that context, I suggest we act and think as if time will be eternal, and judgement will come, right or wrong, from our neighbor. Not ourselves, not God.
An example of our ability to be at once, at the mercy of nature, complicit in catastrophe, and compassionate beyond measure, I recommend the well publicized picture of the firefighter and the Kuola bear from the disaster in Australia. Gives me hope for the future.
The fact that others would follow me was a great burden for me. "Don't follow me" I would say, "I may just be wandering". Which, of course, was mostly true. And I didn't feel that, if I made a mistake, (which I often did!) anyone should suffer with me. I must admit though, sometimes, I succumbed to the leader thing. It was a heady experience, at Ten, to have an army of kids at ones command. Having a General's privileges was very seducing.
The last 40 years have been both an advancement in some ways, and a stagnation in others. While technology pursued a path of increasing wonders, much of human interaction seems to be happy with a plateau of status quo. War, oppression, ideology, religion, economics, politics, and so on are locked into a battle of privilege and dominion that is prehistoric in stature and purpose.
Many of the people I talk to believe that the end of times is upon us and that their religious beliefs must be followed to reach a heavenly outcome. Some see doom as the consequence of all human efforts. There are also those that see no end in sight. What I see from these views is the abdication of responsibility.
We may continue, we may not. But, it seems to me, if we wish there to be a posterity we must take it upon ourselves to create the opportunity for it to exist. That would mean that all things must reach their outcomes naturally, without the arrogant attitude that only we know best. Unless we are the creator of all things, in which case why not end all injustice and suffering now.
But, in our heart of hearts, we all know, we are not the creator of all things, we all want to live as long and happy as possible, and none of us knows the truth of creation or the end. In that context, I suggest we act and think as if time will be eternal, and judgement will come, right or wrong, from our neighbor. Not ourselves, not God.
An example of our ability to be at once, at the mercy of nature, complicit in catastrophe, and compassionate beyond measure, I recommend the well publicized picture of the firefighter and the Kuola bear from the disaster in Australia. Gives me hope for the future.
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