I am sick to death of people talking about "morals" without further defining exactly what they are talking about. I have morals, but they may not be your morals. And to say I disagree with part of your moral system does not make me amoral. Stop proselytizing about absolute morality and assuming the Judeo-Christian definition is the only definition. I think it's high time for a discussion on absolute vs relative morality. Luckily, I didn't have to reinvent the wheel on this one, because Adam Kemp already said exactly what I was thinking. I want to post this for now and hope to discuss it further.
Absolute vs. Relative Morality
By Adam Kemp
http://adamkemp.newsvine.com/_news/2006/04/23/175591-absolute-vs-relative-morality
The basic definition of absolute morality is that there is some set of moral rules which are absolute and universal. Relative morality takes the other stance: that morals are not absolute; they depend on the situation.
A problem arises when one tries to define exactly what morals are. After all, by explicitly defining what you believe is moral and immoral, you are deciding for yourself whether someone else is moral or immoral, according to your choices. I could declare that eating broccoli is immoral and that you are immoral if you eat broccoli. You wouldn't have any choice in the matter. This is hardly a useful method of determining morality.
This, in essence, is the problem with the belief in absolute morality. If one believes that there is a global set of absolute morals which everyone must follow, then the immediate questions arise: what are those morals, and how do we know? Since no religion in history has every agreed on a set of absolute morals, and even members of the same religion often disagree as well, we think that the concept of absolute morality is useless. Since anyone could declare that their particular moral beliefs are absolute (and many do), and no one can demonstrate the validity of those claims, the whole thing is arbitrary. Anything goes in that system of belief, for any rule can be declared absolute.
The alternative to absolute morality is relative morality. Unfortunately, this phrase is often mischaracterized and misunderstood. Relative morality does not mean that "anything goes"; it does not mean that any action may be justified; it does not mean that you can't judge anyone for their actions just because you don't know that they're wrong. Rather, relative morality simply takes the stance that no single set of moral rules can possibly account for every situation. Instead, moral decisions should be made rationally, taking into account the consequences of each potential choice.
Relative morality, which I prefer to call rational morality or reason-based morality, can be used to derive a set of basic moral guidelines, such as "don't kill" or "don't steal" or "do unto others as you would have them do unto you". The difference, though, is that each of these morals must have a rational basis. They must, in other words, be shown true in most cases, either logically or perhaps from past experience.
Another important difference is that these morals are general guidelines, but not one-size-fits-all mandates. This is the part of relative morality which bothers many people, but this is usually due to a misunderstanding in what is meant when we say that the rules can be broken. Relative moralists do not arbitrarily choose to break the rules to suit their needs. The rules are broken when the positive effects of breaking the rule outweigh the positive effects of following it. For instance, killing a man may be justified if it would save the lives of other people.
This is what is meant when we say that the morals are not absolute. Morals are tools to help us make decisions which will improve our lives and society. An inflexible mandate would fail to serve that purpose, especially when that mandate is arbitrary and irrational.
Relative morality is often accused of being arbitrary or allowing for anything, but in reality the opposite is true. It is absolute morality which is arbitrary. Sure, absolute moralists have a definite, unchanging set of moral rules, but those unchanging rules change from person to person, religion to religion. One person's mortal sin is another's harmless act. That shows the brutal truth: there is no such thing as absolute morality. All morality is relative. Once we acknowledge this, we can start the real debate about what the rules should be, and that debate can be properly based in reason and fact.
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So, the moral of the story is, all morals are relative.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Saturday, September 29, 2012
17. Mr. Obama Goes to Washington
If you are feeling, as I have been, disenfranchised by our political system and the state of our country and its economy, please reflect, as I have, and realize that whether we choose to participate in it or not, it WILL continue to function (in some degree) and produce an elected president in November.
If you fail to make a choice between the candidates and cast your vote, your lack of participation does have an effect. Plato said, “The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” And in The Republic, he also said, “One of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”
Additionally, you must agree that change takes time. Our country did not wind up in an economic crisis overnight and it will take some time to effect change. “Never discourage anyone...who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.” ...Plato again. But how about this: "No president -- not me, not any of my predecessors -- no one could have fully repaired all the damage that he found in just four years." That was Bill Clinton, arguably one of our better leaders, defending Obama in a speech he made to the DNC (9/5).
I don't much care for the current political system and I have no deep love for Obama. I was pleased that he was elected, but deflated when I discovered some detestable people from the Bush regime retained their positions in the Obama administration...it seemed like "business as usual", or "new president, same BS". I'm not even really stumping for Obama here as much as against Romney/Ryan.
I don't agree with everything the Democratic Party pushes for, but I have to say that the idea of being governed by a group of people who actively pursue limiting our personal freedoms is something I cannot abide. Mitt Romney seems out of touch with what most Americans are dealing with on a day-to-day basis, and Paul Ryan is pretty much the opposite of everything I personally believe in. But here's where Ryan and I differ the most: I respect his beliefs and viewpoints and his right to have them and act upon them. However, he wants his view made into laws that would affect others' rights to pursue their own happiness.
I can't be the only person who feels that creating legislation based on religious principles is contrary to the intent of our constitution and the opposite of why our founding fathers ever even came to America! Our country may not be perfect, but one thing we have that is special is the way our citizens have protected rights. This means that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan get to say and do whatever they want in any consensual situation...burn books, teach creationism to their children, dislike gays and women, glorify war, practice Mormonism or Southern Baptist or any other religion, or pretty much do anything else they want that they both consent to doing (secretly boffing each other after political strategy sessions?)...because our laws protect their freedom to choose what they decide is best for themselves. It does NOT give them the right to decide what's best for ME or anyone else.
Why they want to change that is beyond me. Why they even care who's having sex with whom or why anyone wants to get married anyways is just crazy. Let the gays be as miserable as the straights!
And c'mon folks, didn't we learn anything from Prohibition? Do you have ANY idea how FAST we'd get out of an economic crisis if we legalized drugs and taxed them instead? A drop in crime (no drug murders or gangs) and a spike in revenue (stop sending all that illegally obtained cash to drug lords) would be exactly what we need. Plus, all the money we'd save from releasing all non-violent drug offenders from the penal system could help fund awareness, education, and rehabilitation programs instead. And all the money we spend on the DEA could be used to help enforce regulations that make sense instead of wasting taxpayer dollars. And I don't even do drugs! But dammit, I took Economics 101and even I understand the basic concept of supply and demand. And PS: by the way, prisons for profit creates a demand for prisoners.
Right now, I demand that my rights be upheld. I demand that my president tries to understand what I'm dealing with and cares enough to try and help me. I demand that my leaders protect my rights even if they disagree with how I choose to live my life because that is my right as a citizen and their duty as my elected official. I demand accountability for the way my tax dollars are spent and I demand a president I can believe in and trust to have my best interests in mind every time he makes a presidential decision. I don't expect my president to be perfect, I expect him to be human...just like me.
That is why I am casting my vote for Barak Obama. I hope you will join me in supporting his campaign, because I think we make a difference even with just $1.00 donated towards his campaign. If you would like to join me and Bill Clinton in supporting Barak Obama, please click here to donate to his campaign in my grassroots fundraiser.
Oh yes, we can! Again.
If you are not sure what to believe or who to agree with, please do a little research on some facts and don't listen only to sound bites delivered by talking heads on the news. Every news agency has a slant, nobody is unbiased anymore. To find facts you have to use some critical thinking skills, and I have faith in you. If you're going to be lazy and listen to someone else instead of doing the work for yourself, then listen to me and vote for Obama. If you don't care who wins, then vote for Obama, because I care. And whether you believe in our political system or not, you will continue as a citizen to be subjected to the outcomes of its elections. It is your civic duty to cast your vote. So whether you choose Red or Blue, please, just VOTE!
At least that will give you the right to complain about whoever winds up in the Oval Office.
...and, if you are the enterprising sort, I invite you to read my Blog #12, about politics and fascism, which I wrote almost exactly four years ago.
If you fail to make a choice between the candidates and cast your vote, your lack of participation does have an effect. Plato said, “The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” And in The Republic, he also said, “One of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”
Additionally, you must agree that change takes time. Our country did not wind up in an economic crisis overnight and it will take some time to effect change. “Never discourage anyone...who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.” ...Plato again. But how about this: "No president -- not me, not any of my predecessors -- no one could have fully repaired all the damage that he found in just four years." That was Bill Clinton, arguably one of our better leaders, defending Obama in a speech he made to the DNC (9/5).
I don't much care for the current political system and I have no deep love for Obama. I was pleased that he was elected, but deflated when I discovered some detestable people from the Bush regime retained their positions in the Obama administration...it seemed like "business as usual", or "new president, same BS". I'm not even really stumping for Obama here as much as against Romney/Ryan.
I don't agree with everything the Democratic Party pushes for, but I have to say that the idea of being governed by a group of people who actively pursue limiting our personal freedoms is something I cannot abide. Mitt Romney seems out of touch with what most Americans are dealing with on a day-to-day basis, and Paul Ryan is pretty much the opposite of everything I personally believe in. But here's where Ryan and I differ the most: I respect his beliefs and viewpoints and his right to have them and act upon them. However, he wants his view made into laws that would affect others' rights to pursue their own happiness.
I can't be the only person who feels that creating legislation based on religious principles is contrary to the intent of our constitution and the opposite of why our founding fathers ever even came to America! Our country may not be perfect, but one thing we have that is special is the way our citizens have protected rights. This means that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan get to say and do whatever they want in any consensual situation...burn books, teach creationism to their children, dislike gays and women, glorify war, practice Mormonism or Southern Baptist or any other religion, or pretty much do anything else they want that they both consent to doing (secretly boffing each other after political strategy sessions?)...because our laws protect their freedom to choose what they decide is best for themselves. It does NOT give them the right to decide what's best for ME or anyone else.
Why they want to change that is beyond me. Why they even care who's having sex with whom or why anyone wants to get married anyways is just crazy. Let the gays be as miserable as the straights!
And c'mon folks, didn't we learn anything from Prohibition? Do you have ANY idea how FAST we'd get out of an economic crisis if we legalized drugs and taxed them instead? A drop in crime (no drug murders or gangs) and a spike in revenue (stop sending all that illegally obtained cash to drug lords) would be exactly what we need. Plus, all the money we'd save from releasing all non-violent drug offenders from the penal system could help fund awareness, education, and rehabilitation programs instead. And all the money we spend on the DEA could be used to help enforce regulations that make sense instead of wasting taxpayer dollars. And I don't even do drugs! But dammit, I took Economics 101and even I understand the basic concept of supply and demand. And PS: by the way, prisons for profit creates a demand for prisoners.
Right now, I demand that my rights be upheld. I demand that my president tries to understand what I'm dealing with and cares enough to try and help me. I demand that my leaders protect my rights even if they disagree with how I choose to live my life because that is my right as a citizen and their duty as my elected official. I demand accountability for the way my tax dollars are spent and I demand a president I can believe in and trust to have my best interests in mind every time he makes a presidential decision. I don't expect my president to be perfect, I expect him to be human...just like me.
That is why I am casting my vote for Barak Obama. I hope you will join me in supporting his campaign, because I think we make a difference even with just $1.00 donated towards his campaign. If you would like to join me and Bill Clinton in supporting Barak Obama, please click here to donate to his campaign in my grassroots fundraiser.
Oh yes, we can! Again.
If you are not sure what to believe or who to agree with, please do a little research on some facts and don't listen only to sound bites delivered by talking heads on the news. Every news agency has a slant, nobody is unbiased anymore. To find facts you have to use some critical thinking skills, and I have faith in you. If you're going to be lazy and listen to someone else instead of doing the work for yourself, then listen to me and vote for Obama. If you don't care who wins, then vote for Obama, because I care. And whether you believe in our political system or not, you will continue as a citizen to be subjected to the outcomes of its elections. It is your civic duty to cast your vote. So whether you choose Red or Blue, please, just VOTE!
At least that will give you the right to complain about whoever winds up in the Oval Office.
...and, if you are the enterprising sort, I invite you to read my Blog #12, about politics and fascism, which I wrote almost exactly four years ago.
Friday, August 17, 2012
16. The End of the Affair
A wise man once said, "I don't know, ask a girl."
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That's what it says on my favourite t-shirt. It's a great shirt. I love it so much... I'm wearing it in half the photos from my travels; it looks like I did everything in one day. Well to be honest, I only brought 5 t-shirts with me...but somehow I always ended up choosing the green one. It's my favourite color, and it has a kick-ass slogan on it.
I kept trying to buy a new shirt, but I just couldn't find anything I liked as much as that one. It's not really wearable anymore, but right now it's akin to Linus' blanket (from "Peanuts") - I can't go anywhere without it. Didn't you ever have something like that which you loved it so much? Someday I will have to dispose of the beloved green t-shirt, and I hope that day is many moons hence. Until then I will continue to drape myself in its soft and comforting folds whilst proudly declaring my feminisim.
I think I like that shirt because when I feel down, it helps me remember that I'm okay, that the answers I'm seeking are contained within me already and I just have to be patient and let them rise to my consciousness. I'm so grateful for the support of my friends when I'm down, but there are moments when I'm alone and I have to rely on myself for support...and any port in a storm, right?
The last year has been full of feeling down, so I guess I needed anything I could find to feel better. It's so difficult to deal with the end of a relationship, even if you are ultimately happy with separating from the person whom you once loved. Admittedly, I was decidedly not glad when first faced with the reality that I had to walk away from my marriage, but over time I came to realise I married someone with problems I was not equipped to handle. The truth is, I was in love with a mirage...upon closer inspection, the man I was in love with didn't exist.
It's a little easier to take now that I don't feel so completely FUCKED UP...I had to sincerely question my ability to recognise reality, and wonder if I had somehow lost the plot...?? I mean, I thought I knew what I was getting into. You have no idea how embarrassed I feel for having made such a destructive choice. I keep asking myself, a YEAR later, "what was I thinking?" Well-meaning friends tried to talk to me before the wedding and I recall distinctly not only thinking "well, they don't know him like I do," and even feeling somewhat annoyed that they didn't trust me to make the right decision for myself. And to have to admit that they were right brings me so much shame and self-doubt.
The worst part is how long the divorce is dragging out. We were together for only 106 days, but it's been over a year and It's still not final. We have reached an agreement and I'm just waiting to approve and sign final docs...the insane irony is that the current delay is because my attorney got married last weekend and she is on her honeymoon.
Actually, the worst part is the expense. The bill so far is $18,000 for the wedding, $30,000 for divorce attorneys' fees (still climbing), and $10,000 settlement to E (oh yes, sports fans, I'm having to PAY the man who assaulted me to go away), totalling $58,000...or $547.16 for each day of marriage. The insane waste of it all is so incredibly offensive to me, I want to just spit. Try to think of all the things that could have been done with that money...even if I just gave it away to a random stranger, that would be preferable.
On the plus side, I am finally feeling like I can think about Pepper without trying not to cry or feeling abject despair, grief, and guilt that has to be vomited out like a bad meal. The last year has been pure torture: the date when she would have been born, my wedding anniversary, the date I concieved, all those milestones I should have been celebrating were like time bombs exploding my emotional stability. I don't think I could have gotten through it without the kind patience of my freinds who always listened, while inside I was torn between needing to express my sadness, my shame at not being able to talk about something other than my dead baby, wondering if there would ever be a day that would come or a conversation I would have where I would be able to not talk about it because I might actually be thinking about something else, and trying not to vomit when I see or hear about other families and their child's development.
The one thing that seemed to just kill me every time was when I would see a woman with the same stroller I had purchased. I had just bought it right before everything went utterly to shit, and then had to return it a week later when I didn't need it anymore. The situation was just so uncomfortable and painful, and it was like a slap in the face every time I would see that stroller (apparently it was a popular model).
As the anniversary of her death approached, I tried to plan activities to keep me distracted and keep me from self-isolating, expecting an avalanche of grief. And no doubt, I was sad. But strangely, the avalanche didn't come. Somehow, just being open to dealing with it and talking about it every day since it happend had actually lessend the grief, and the activities I planned kept me focused on the present instead of idealising the past.
And one more blessing came that really helped: one of my favorite friends and her husband, both of whom I love dearly, became pregnant. Strangely enough for me, their child was concieved one year after mine and will be born with almost the same birthday Pepper would have had. Because of this coincidence, I had to consciously separate my feelings about my baby from my feelings about their baby. I did not want to deal with inappropriate projection, or ruin their joy, or my own joy for them, with any crazy misplaced emotions. This meant I had to really get a lid on the past in order to enjoy my present. I found I was truly happy for them, without any bitterness. And I have experienced a lot of happiness in sharing their journey. It made me feel a lot better to give my baby books, baby blankets, baby toys, and baby carrier to someone I love instead of returning or craigslisting them. It was almost as if that small act could somehow negate the huge sucking waste of the last year. I guess I was finally ready to move on. And I feel really good about it; the fog of greif has lifted and I'm not feeling guilty about feeling good.
Anyhow, I hope that my need for this t-shirt will pass before the shirt itself disintegrates. I finally had to retire it to my drawer since it's not fit for much besides yard work now. I just have to keep reminding myself that I'm OK. I'm actually a most hopeful cynic and I don't feel bitter anymore. It's true, ignorance IS bliss, but you can't un-eat the apple. You can't re-enter the Matrix. But you can let go of attachment to outcome and know that sometimes, our plan just isn't going to work out the way we think it will. Anicca! Change is the only constant, and like REO Speedwagon, I've got to just roll with the changes.
One good thing that came out of this is that I am insanely happy to have my life back. I truly appreciate everything I have now and have lost all angst relating to whatever it is that I don't have. I really feel ready for whatever comes next, and I know that I will have the answer for whatever question life throws at me. So go ahead, ask this girl anything.
.JPG)
That's what it says on my favourite t-shirt. It's a great shirt. I love it so much... I'm wearing it in half the photos from my travels; it looks like I did everything in one day. Well to be honest, I only brought 5 t-shirts with me...but somehow I always ended up choosing the green one. It's my favourite color, and it has a kick-ass slogan on it.
I kept trying to buy a new shirt, but I just couldn't find anything I liked as much as that one. It's not really wearable anymore, but right now it's akin to Linus' blanket (from "Peanuts") - I can't go anywhere without it. Didn't you ever have something like that which you loved it so much? Someday I will have to dispose of the beloved green t-shirt, and I hope that day is many moons hence. Until then I will continue to drape myself in its soft and comforting folds whilst proudly declaring my feminisim.
I think I like that shirt because when I feel down, it helps me remember that I'm okay, that the answers I'm seeking are contained within me already and I just have to be patient and let them rise to my consciousness. I'm so grateful for the support of my friends when I'm down, but there are moments when I'm alone and I have to rely on myself for support...and any port in a storm, right?
The last year has been full of feeling down, so I guess I needed anything I could find to feel better. It's so difficult to deal with the end of a relationship, even if you are ultimately happy with separating from the person whom you once loved. Admittedly, I was decidedly not glad when first faced with the reality that I had to walk away from my marriage, but over time I came to realise I married someone with problems I was not equipped to handle. The truth is, I was in love with a mirage...upon closer inspection, the man I was in love with didn't exist.
It's a little easier to take now that I don't feel so completely FUCKED UP...I had to sincerely question my ability to recognise reality, and wonder if I had somehow lost the plot...?? I mean, I thought I knew what I was getting into. You have no idea how embarrassed I feel for having made such a destructive choice. I keep asking myself, a YEAR later, "what was I thinking?" Well-meaning friends tried to talk to me before the wedding and I recall distinctly not only thinking "well, they don't know him like I do," and even feeling somewhat annoyed that they didn't trust me to make the right decision for myself. And to have to admit that they were right brings me so much shame and self-doubt.
The worst part is how long the divorce is dragging out. We were together for only 106 days, but it's been over a year and It's still not final. We have reached an agreement and I'm just waiting to approve and sign final docs...the insane irony is that the current delay is because my attorney got married last weekend and she is on her honeymoon.
Actually, the worst part is the expense. The bill so far is $18,000 for the wedding, $30,000 for divorce attorneys' fees (still climbing), and $10,000 settlement to E (oh yes, sports fans, I'm having to PAY the man who assaulted me to go away), totalling $58,000...or $547.16 for each day of marriage. The insane waste of it all is so incredibly offensive to me, I want to just spit. Try to think of all the things that could have been done with that money...even if I just gave it away to a random stranger, that would be preferable.
On the plus side, I am finally feeling like I can think about Pepper without trying not to cry or feeling abject despair, grief, and guilt that has to be vomited out like a bad meal. The last year has been pure torture: the date when she would have been born, my wedding anniversary, the date I concieved, all those milestones I should have been celebrating were like time bombs exploding my emotional stability. I don't think I could have gotten through it without the kind patience of my freinds who always listened, while inside I was torn between needing to express my sadness, my shame at not being able to talk about something other than my dead baby, wondering if there would ever be a day that would come or a conversation I would have where I would be able to not talk about it because I might actually be thinking about something else, and trying not to vomit when I see or hear about other families and their child's development.
The one thing that seemed to just kill me every time was when I would see a woman with the same stroller I had purchased. I had just bought it right before everything went utterly to shit, and then had to return it a week later when I didn't need it anymore. The situation was just so uncomfortable and painful, and it was like a slap in the face every time I would see that stroller (apparently it was a popular model).
As the anniversary of her death approached, I tried to plan activities to keep me distracted and keep me from self-isolating, expecting an avalanche of grief. And no doubt, I was sad. But strangely, the avalanche didn't come. Somehow, just being open to dealing with it and talking about it every day since it happend had actually lessend the grief, and the activities I planned kept me focused on the present instead of idealising the past.
And one more blessing came that really helped: one of my favorite friends and her husband, both of whom I love dearly, became pregnant. Strangely enough for me, their child was concieved one year after mine and will be born with almost the same birthday Pepper would have had. Because of this coincidence, I had to consciously separate my feelings about my baby from my feelings about their baby. I did not want to deal with inappropriate projection, or ruin their joy, or my own joy for them, with any crazy misplaced emotions. This meant I had to really get a lid on the past in order to enjoy my present. I found I was truly happy for them, without any bitterness. And I have experienced a lot of happiness in sharing their journey. It made me feel a lot better to give my baby books, baby blankets, baby toys, and baby carrier to someone I love instead of returning or craigslisting them. It was almost as if that small act could somehow negate the huge sucking waste of the last year. I guess I was finally ready to move on. And I feel really good about it; the fog of greif has lifted and I'm not feeling guilty about feeling good.
Anyhow, I hope that my need for this t-shirt will pass before the shirt itself disintegrates. I finally had to retire it to my drawer since it's not fit for much besides yard work now. I just have to keep reminding myself that I'm OK. I'm actually a most hopeful cynic and I don't feel bitter anymore. It's true, ignorance IS bliss, but you can't un-eat the apple. You can't re-enter the Matrix. But you can let go of attachment to outcome and know that sometimes, our plan just isn't going to work out the way we think it will. Anicca! Change is the only constant, and like REO Speedwagon, I've got to just roll with the changes.
One good thing that came out of this is that I am insanely happy to have my life back. I truly appreciate everything I have now and have lost all angst relating to whatever it is that I don't have. I really feel ready for whatever comes next, and I know that I will have the answer for whatever question life throws at me. So go ahead, ask this girl anything.
15. How To Get Seven Years of Good Luck
So... I'm sitting on the toilet, peeing. I hear a crack and look up in time to see the bathroom mirror falling forward off the wall. With no time to think, I jump up mid-stream to catch it with my hands. It happened so fast, I was unable to stop the "flow" and I peed all over myself and the floor!
Well, I may have made an embarrassing mess, but at least I avoided a huge broken mirror! So there I am, pants around my ankles, covered in pee, holding this big-ass mirror up with one hand while trying to figure out how the hell I got in this position. I manage to get the heavy mirror off the wall, set it down, and clean myself up. It was truly hysterical, so I took a picture for you to properly appreciate the situation. I am sitting on the toilet and you can see my reflection in the mirror which is leaning against the sink in front of the wall it fell off.
Well, I may have made an embarrassing mess, but at least I avoided a huge broken mirror! So there I am, pants around my ankles, covered in pee, holding this big-ass mirror up with one hand while trying to figure out how the hell I got in this position. I manage to get the heavy mirror off the wall, set it down, and clean myself up. It was truly hysterical, so I took a picture for you to properly appreciate the situation. I am sitting on the toilet and you can see my reflection in the mirror which is leaning against the sink in front of the wall it fell off.
The mirror is intact, now how do I get the bastard back on the wall??? See the black blobs on the wall? That's the old glue. I have to get a putty knife, scrape it off, and re-affix the mirror with new glue.
I lead an exciting life, yes?? It seems very inconvenient that the mirror chose to fall whilst I was seated on the throne, but hey, what if it fell while I wasn't peeing? Shit, can you imagine the mess of the broken mirror everywhere? And I have HAD IT with bad luck!!! Since I just saved a huge mirror from breaking, does that mean I'm entitled to 7 years of good luck? Oh please, Oh please, Oh please!!
If that is the case, I will happily pee on myself in both of my remaining bathrooms.
Well I decided that I didn't want to risk glue, so I got a framed mirror and hung it. My friend J. helped me repaint the bathroom and this is the end result:
Only one question remains:
What do I do with the old mirror???
Sunday, April 29, 2012
14. Lumpy Humor
Not everybody faces adversity with humor. Sometimes this actualy pisses people off. They think I'm not taking whatever it is "seriously" and they can't understand my reaction to unbearable situations. Well, in a sense, they are right. I'm not gonna get all frowny-face about anything if I can help it...life is too short for that. They don't understand that to smile in the face of adversity is a choice. I've had a rollercoaster of a life and I've overcome enough adversity to learn that it doesn't matter what happens to me, it matters how I respond to it. It may not be my fault, but it is my problem. Especially if I have cancer.
Which I don't know if I do yet or not, but isn't it funny that my doctor found a mass in my right breast the day after I volunteered to be team captian for the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure? I'm having a diagnostic test this week to find out what's going on. But it got me thinking, how would I react if it was the big C? What would I do?
I have tried to make light of hardships because hardships are hard enough without wallowing in negative feelings. Last year, I lost a baby and a lot of people didn't understand my dead baby jokes. Yeah okay, poor taste, whatever...but the alternative was despair and I CHOOSE LIFE! I choose to smile. When you realise that you DO have that choice, then it doesn't matter what happens to you - you can always choose how you will react and how you are going to feel. I wasn't happy for my baby to die and I certainly won't be happy if I have breast cancer, but I am not going to cry and just lie down and die. I am going to smile and fly and bounce around with joy at every moment I have on this earth, cancer or no cancer.
I've already spent so much time this last year thinking about how my life would be different if my baby had not died, grieving over her and the life I would have had. Now to be thinking that I might not have much life left at all has crystallised my thinking...I don't want to waste any time wallowing in sadness. There is only one point to life and that is to enjoy it, so I will do whatever I can to keep positive energy flowing through me. So if that means dead baby jokes and lumpy boob jokes, then that is how I choose to face my fear of death and laugh in its face. I'M STILL HERE!
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
As far as I can see, the only choice is to live the hell out of my life. I finally realised that there is no destination, it's ALL journey. This is just the next part of it.
Like the phoenix, I've resurrected myself from the flames of my old life more than a few times. I'm good at that...evolving and burning away the deadwood (evolve or die!). My career is finally on fire now and I am burning with enthusiasm for what I do, but a great career does not make me a whole person. There are many more fires to build. And I am pretty sure I am not going anywhere just yet.
Boba Fett, Elicia, Candace, D.V, Princess Leia, and me at the Susan G Komen 5K
Saturday, March 3, 2012
13. Eating My Religion
I recently saw an article about an image of Jesus that was found on a piece of baked naan bread. It got me thinking about how many images of saintly figures in food might have been consumed without comment because the diner was somehow less observant or less devout, or possibly just too hungry to notice. Kinda makes me want to start looking more closely at my meals. And the I wondered, why is it always Judeo-Christian figures in food? How come we never see news articles about the image of Buddha on a bun or Krishna on a knish? Why does Jesus want to be eaten all the time? Isn't once a week at communnion enough?
Apparently this is so common, there is a term for it: simulacra, or more specifically, pareidolia. I had no idea this was an actual thing, I just got curious and googled "religious images in food". I suppose since I am totally areligious, I see this type of phenomena as completley ludicrous and I would probably not notice the appearance of Jesus' visage in my cuisine. But apparently, the human mind easily percieves familiar patterns or images, and devout people probably look a lot at depictions of Mary, et. al. and therefore recognise these patters in everyday places like scorch marks on a tortilla. And since these people are more devout, they ascribe meaning to such imagery and it becomes "a sign". And I was wrong about it only being Christian imagery; the word in arabic for "Allah" is seen so often in food that is has become fairly commonplace.
This made me wonder, have non-secular images also appeared in food? Perhaps discovered by someone with some other type of visual fixation? And lo and behold, turns out that the image of Elvis has been seen quite a bit in food, as well as various US presidents. A knot in a tree trunk that looked like a monkey nearly caused a riot in Singapore in 2007.
This investigation has led me to beleive that the reason I have never percieved any images in my food is because I am not fixated on any particular imagery...I don't have any strong beleifs about a particular person or idea and I don't frequently view any kind of imagery, except maybe South Park. I'm probaly more likely to see Stan Marsh on a marshmallow...if I ate marshmallows. Which is kind of a releif, actually.
I'll leave you with my favourite image of Jesus, though I hope it's not something you would eat:
Apparently this is so common, there is a term for it: simulacra, or more specifically, pareidolia. I had no idea this was an actual thing, I just got curious and googled "religious images in food". I suppose since I am totally areligious, I see this type of phenomena as completley ludicrous and I would probably not notice the appearance of Jesus' visage in my cuisine. But apparently, the human mind easily percieves familiar patterns or images, and devout people probably look a lot at depictions of Mary, et. al. and therefore recognise these patters in everyday places like scorch marks on a tortilla. And since these people are more devout, they ascribe meaning to such imagery and it becomes "a sign". And I was wrong about it only being Christian imagery; the word in arabic for "Allah" is seen so often in food that is has become fairly commonplace.
This made me wonder, have non-secular images also appeared in food? Perhaps discovered by someone with some other type of visual fixation? And lo and behold, turns out that the image of Elvis has been seen quite a bit in food, as well as various US presidents. A knot in a tree trunk that looked like a monkey nearly caused a riot in Singapore in 2007.
This investigation has led me to beleive that the reason I have never percieved any images in my food is because I am not fixated on any particular imagery...I don't have any strong beleifs about a particular person or idea and I don't frequently view any kind of imagery, except maybe South Park. I'm probaly more likely to see Stan Marsh on a marshmallow...if I ate marshmallows. Which is kind of a releif, actually.
I'll leave you with my favourite image of Jesus, though I hope it's not something you would eat:
Friday, August 5, 2011
12. On Fascism and Elections
WARNING: This is a looong rant. But you should read it.
Armaments, universal debt and planned obsolescence — those are the three pillars of Western prosperity. — Aldous Huxley
fas·cism (fash'iz'?m) n. (often Fascism )
A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.
According to various sources, fascism is a government that achieves power through political assassinations or rigged elections; initially poses as the champion of democracy even as it undermines democratic principles; is so nationalistic and excessively patriotic that disagreements with government policies are viewed as treason; controls the media so the people will support the government; coarsens the national dialogue with inflammatory rhetoric; relentlessly attacks the messengers of alternative points of view until they are silenced; uses secret police to spy on the population and eliminate opposition; undermines constitutional rights so the government will have absolute control over the people; stresses the superiority of one's country; promotes internal and external enemies as the sources of evil; sacrifices public interests to corporate interests; funnels a nation's wealth into the military and weapons-producing corporations; keeps the people in a permanently warlike state of mind; and eventually centers all power in a single party headed by a dictator with absolute power over the people.
Does any of that sound familiar??? If not, you might want to begin paying closer attention.
Russians are wondering how and why the people in America are allowing the same thing to happen in the US that Stalin perpetrated in Russia. That what the current US administration is doing is surreptitiously taking away individual freedoms, through stirring up fears in the people, very similar to what was happening in pre-WWII Germany.
Now, consider this:
At about the time our original 13 states adopted their new constitution, in the year 1787, Alexander Tytler (a Scottish history professor at The University of Edinborough) had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior:
"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship."
"The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:
From Bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage."
Supposedly, this is a quote from one of Tytler's lectures, as this text cannot be found in any book that he has written, as documented by snopes. Snopes claims this quote is a fraud. Here's what I think: who cares who said it or when? I still think the analogy is valid. Do you think that discrediting the authenticity of the author invalidates the sentiment of the argument? I do not.
Despite whether the thoughts came from Tytler, an anoymous writer, Plato, or God himself, do you not think it merits consideration? Haven't you ever wondered why the people of Germany didn't try to stop what was happening in their country before the Third Reich? Many of those who could simply left Germany. I know several Americans who have or are planning to leave the US.
But not me. I agree with Plato:
"Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber."
I'm tired of "minority rule" and being governed by idiots I can't respect. If you agree, please take a more active role in politics and government, and remember, it starts at a local level. Please Vote. Stop fascism from taking over America!
Where are we now on this timeline? Sound familiar to you at all???
Now I wonder, if these cycles perpetuate themselves regularly, is it human nature or can we change it? Does it matter that I care? Should I just give up caring, if it is ineviatble that our society should destroy itself??
But what about other countries, societies, nations, who have sat by and watched the US as if we think we know it all, having been around for our 200 years, (we are like the annoying (and dangerous) 18 year old teenager who, having just graduated from high school, is certain he knows it ALL) while they have developed over countless more centuries and doubtless have more experience dealing with these problems (yet as a country we belittle other nations' attempts to govern themselves). What about a country like Denmark, which has virtually no homeless, jobless, or obese people, where most of the citizens enjoy all they need to be happy and constructive, and they have quietly been doing it for a thousand years? It makes me question the validity of democracy as a legitimate governing system (commie pinko that I am, right?). I mean, think about communism...as a system it's perfect, but it failed because of human error. I think democracy is the same, but the oppositte end of the spectrum...after all, it seems our country is having all these problems due to human error again. No human is perfect yet we hold our leaders up to perfection and they constantly let us down because it is impossible not to.
To get you started, please check out the Pew Forum to educate yourself on our next presidential election, and educate yourself on local elections so you can take part in them as well. The site has links to all the candidate's websites, explaining their platforms, beleifs, and vision for America.
It's sad to me that while I sometimes wish we had more reasonable choices than what our two-party system offers, I don't think more political parties are the answer (see Duverger's Law), but I'd like to see one party that made sense. What we have is one party that is fiscally and socially conservative, and one party that is fiscally and socially liberal. I'd like to see a party that is fiscally conservative and socially liberal. It is absolutely shocking to me that our country, which was founded by people seeking freedom from religious persecution, and has provided in its constitution that its citizens have freedom of religion, has now gone 180 degrees in that it now attempts to legislate a morality based on religious concepts. We're going from freedom to chains in 200 short years. You think I'm exaggerating? Just think about it, please.
And vote.
"To initiate a war of aggresion. . . is not only an international crime, it is the supreme international crime, differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." - Nuremberg Tribunal
"The US-led invasion of Iraq was an illegal act that contravened the UN charter." UN Chief Kofi Annan - -September 2004. Source BBC (read the book "The Dark Side" by Jane Mayer)
"When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law." Frederic Bastiat - (1801-1850) French economist, statesman, and author. Source: The Law, by Frederic Bastiat, 1850 (who doesn't feel this way these days? Don't get me started on prohibition!)
Today someone asked me to sign a petiton to end the war in Iraq. I said No. You might think I am crazy, but I, unlike the sound-bite obsessed politicians and the American sheep they govern, have actually thought about the war and its ramifications. Having lived in an international community has given me an outsider's view on the US and it's not a pretty picture.
I agree that the US should bring the war to a speedier resolution, but I do not agree that resolution should consist of us picking up and just leaving the country (which WE invaded/destabilized) to break up in civil war. Just removing our troops is not the solution. I beleive that if we were to do that, it would destabilize the nation to the extent that it would be ripe for takeover by some other dictator a la Saddam, and then we are exactly where we started 10 years ago, or worse. Shall we create another Uganda or Afghanistan or Ethiopia or Somalia or Lebanon? Remember, Osama et. al. were created by the United States who trained and armed them and then pulled out of their revolution (Afghanistan 1978-1989 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan) at last minute - that is one reason besides "Islamic jihad" they hate us so much - we abandoned them in their hour of need after we promised to help. The US created its own enemies - and evacuating Iraq prematurely will certainly do this again. You think that will "save American lives"? Ever hear the phrase "penny-wise but pound-foolish"? I am opposed to the way the "war" is being waged, but I do not think leaving is the solution. Otherwise, for what did all those who have already perished give their lives? We can validate their sacrifices if we stay the course. And I do not mean to use Bush terminology because I think he has mismanaged every single aspect of his presidency, including Iraq (God, if only he was just getting blowjobs in the Oval Office - Bush made me long for Clinton!).
Don't tell me the strongest military organization in the world cannot CRUSH any opposition, including Iraq. Our military & political leaders just don't want to use the forces needed to achieve the goal (see "war gulit", below). What is the difference between sending in the full extent of our capabilities and taking a percentage of losses versus losing the same, if not greater, amount of collateral damage during extended wishy-washy warfare and dragging it out to the same denoument? Is it a matter of not pissing off the other nations of the world? (Don't let US politicians fool you into thinking they care. Many countries the US has invated in order to "protect democracy" in the last 50 years have ended up worse for the wear). Yeah right, these are the same nations who were against the invasion to begin with (this was NOT a UN-sanctioned event - and for those that say the UN has no teeth and nobody listens to what they say, well how can we expect anyone to when the very country that CREATED the UN eviscerates its power by just doing what it wants to do?). In this instance, I am NOT proud to be an American, I'm embarrassed about our government's rampant hypocrisy...we parade around the world moralizing other countries and assuming we are better than them because we have "democracy" and we want to "make the world safe for democracy" - well take a look at "our own backyard"...who says democracy is the best/only way to go??? (who says this is actually a democracy anymore?) Who are we to judge how others live or how other countries condct their affairs? How would Americans feel if other countries imposed their moralities or political systems on us?? We say we want freedom but we just want everybody to be like us so we can control them. We aren't the greatest power because we are 'the land of the brave & home fo the free", we're just the biggest bully on the block and everyone's afraid we're going to take their lunch money. I say we stop pushing other nations around. And as far as how that applies to Iraq, if we just pull out now we will leave that poor country worse than it was to begin with. Let's finish what we started, with the forces that are necessary in a resonable time frame, and be done with it. And let's learn to mind our own damn business from now on.
Some intersting References:
(war guilt) http://www.lewrockwell.com/rockwell/war-guilt.html
(Foreign Policy) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_the_United_States
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/usinterventionism.html
A good one: http://adbusters.org/media/flash/hope_and_memory/timeline.swf
FOR SURE READ THIS http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110008318
For those who liken our current war with Iraq to the Viernam war, I invite you to take a closer look at the FACTS, which is something our news services oversimplify or "sound bite". The US created the situation in Vietnam and mismanaged it the same way by indecisiveness. I just spent six weeks in Viet Nam being educated about the history there. 20 years of warfare could easily have been avoided. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War
** * * * * * * * * * * * *
Well I digress. I don't know who I am going to vote for this fall, but it damn sure won't be a Bush or a Bush lackey...a trained monkey would do a better job, because at least a trained monkey wouldn't be such a devious liar who abused his office, and the wealth and power of his familty to connive and cheat and cover it up. He's responsible for killing people that did nothing to us, for god's sake! When did Congress vote to declare war on Iraq? John Yoo and David Addington did amazing damage to our country and no one seems inclined to reverse it. Someof the key players in the Bush administration responsible for eroding the moral fortitudeof our government (and create things like waterboarding) maintain positions inthe Obama administration! What did Iraq do to us? Hey nobody likes Saddam but we can't just invade some country because we don't like them! Bush led our country in to doing the EXACT SAME SHIT we hate when other countries do it, and that my friends, is the biggest hypocrisy out there ans we refuse to acknowledge it. For example, when Iraq invaded Kuwait, the US went in and said, hey you cant just conquer another country like that (yeah the US had ulterior motives of course and I know it's not that simple). But when we invaded Iraq, the rest of the world said, hey you cant do that, and we said FUCK YOU, who's going to stop us? What are we trying to do, start a new world war? Nobody wanted to do that and nobody rallied to Saddam so we just got away with it. AND not only does Saddam not have WMDs, but BUSH has been funding the development of NEW WMDs for the US!! What a bunch of hypocrites!!! I am ashamed to be a part of what we as citizens are allowing to happen. Aren't you? If you aren't appalled then you aren't paying attention. It's easy to be overwhelmed when our so-called news agencies present trivialities as news to dostract us or just downright don't even mention the atrocities our own goverment is perpetrating. You have to really try and get the information for yourself.
And allow me to pre-empt anyone who thinks I am not a patriot or that I don't support our troops. Supporting our troops is different from disagreeing with the reasons they are deployed. Some of my closest friends are active or retired military - of course I support them. But I don't want their efforts and our tax dollars to be in vain! As far as patriotism goes, it is OUR CIVIC DUTY as Americans to educate ourselves on the issues and act as we see fit. That was the whole damn reason for the American Revolution! I consider myself to be VERY patriotic: I love my country and my fellow citizens and I won't stand idly by whilst they are abused.
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin
Say NO to American Hegemony and the "McDonaldization" of world culture!
And...check out the RAND Institute's "America's Role in Nation-Building: From Germany to Iraq"; PDF at 192.5.14.110/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1753/MR1753.pref.pdf
I feel like a crazy broken record but nothing will change until we all say, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!"
Armaments, universal debt and planned obsolescence — those are the three pillars of Western prosperity. — Aldous Huxley
fas·cism (fash'iz'?m) n. (often Fascism )
A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.
According to various sources, fascism is a government that achieves power through political assassinations or rigged elections; initially poses as the champion of democracy even as it undermines democratic principles; is so nationalistic and excessively patriotic that disagreements with government policies are viewed as treason; controls the media so the people will support the government; coarsens the national dialogue with inflammatory rhetoric; relentlessly attacks the messengers of alternative points of view until they are silenced; uses secret police to spy on the population and eliminate opposition; undermines constitutional rights so the government will have absolute control over the people; stresses the superiority of one's country; promotes internal and external enemies as the sources of evil; sacrifices public interests to corporate interests; funnels a nation's wealth into the military and weapons-producing corporations; keeps the people in a permanently warlike state of mind; and eventually centers all power in a single party headed by a dictator with absolute power over the people.
Does any of that sound familiar??? If not, you might want to begin paying closer attention.
Russians are wondering how and why the people in America are allowing the same thing to happen in the US that Stalin perpetrated in Russia. That what the current US administration is doing is surreptitiously taking away individual freedoms, through stirring up fears in the people, very similar to what was happening in pre-WWII Germany.
Now, consider this:
At about the time our original 13 states adopted their new constitution, in the year 1787, Alexander Tytler (a Scottish history professor at The University of Edinborough) had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior:
"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship."
"The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:
From Bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage."
Supposedly, this is a quote from one of Tytler's lectures, as this text cannot be found in any book that he has written, as documented by snopes. Snopes claims this quote is a fraud. Here's what I think: who cares who said it or when? I still think the analogy is valid. Do you think that discrediting the authenticity of the author invalidates the sentiment of the argument? I do not.
Despite whether the thoughts came from Tytler, an anoymous writer, Plato, or God himself, do you not think it merits consideration? Haven't you ever wondered why the people of Germany didn't try to stop what was happening in their country before the Third Reich? Many of those who could simply left Germany. I know several Americans who have or are planning to leave the US.
But not me. I agree with Plato:
"Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber."
I'm tired of "minority rule" and being governed by idiots I can't respect. If you agree, please take a more active role in politics and government, and remember, it starts at a local level. Please Vote. Stop fascism from taking over America!
Where are we now on this timeline? Sound familiar to you at all???
Now I wonder, if these cycles perpetuate themselves regularly, is it human nature or can we change it? Does it matter that I care? Should I just give up caring, if it is ineviatble that our society should destroy itself??
But what about other countries, societies, nations, who have sat by and watched the US as if we think we know it all, having been around for our 200 years, (we are like the annoying (and dangerous) 18 year old teenager who, having just graduated from high school, is certain he knows it ALL) while they have developed over countless more centuries and doubtless have more experience dealing with these problems (yet as a country we belittle other nations' attempts to govern themselves). What about a country like Denmark, which has virtually no homeless, jobless, or obese people, where most of the citizens enjoy all they need to be happy and constructive, and they have quietly been doing it for a thousand years? It makes me question the validity of democracy as a legitimate governing system (commie pinko that I am, right?). I mean, think about communism...as a system it's perfect, but it failed because of human error. I think democracy is the same, but the oppositte end of the spectrum...after all, it seems our country is having all these problems due to human error again. No human is perfect yet we hold our leaders up to perfection and they constantly let us down because it is impossible not to.
To get you started, please check out the Pew Forum to educate yourself on our next presidential election, and educate yourself on local elections so you can take part in them as well. The site has links to all the candidate's websites, explaining their platforms, beleifs, and vision for America.
It's sad to me that while I sometimes wish we had more reasonable choices than what our two-party system offers, I don't think more political parties are the answer (see Duverger's Law), but I'd like to see one party that made sense. What we have is one party that is fiscally and socially conservative, and one party that is fiscally and socially liberal. I'd like to see a party that is fiscally conservative and socially liberal. It is absolutely shocking to me that our country, which was founded by people seeking freedom from religious persecution, and has provided in its constitution that its citizens have freedom of religion, has now gone 180 degrees in that it now attempts to legislate a morality based on religious concepts. We're going from freedom to chains in 200 short years. You think I'm exaggerating? Just think about it, please.
And vote.
"To initiate a war of aggresion. . . is not only an international crime, it is the supreme international crime, differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." - Nuremberg Tribunal
"The US-led invasion of Iraq was an illegal act that contravened the UN charter." UN Chief Kofi Annan - -September 2004. Source BBC (read the book "The Dark Side" by Jane Mayer)"When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law." Frederic Bastiat - (1801-1850) French economist, statesman, and author. Source: The Law, by Frederic Bastiat, 1850 (who doesn't feel this way these days? Don't get me started on prohibition!)
Today someone asked me to sign a petiton to end the war in Iraq. I said No. You might think I am crazy, but I, unlike the sound-bite obsessed politicians and the American sheep they govern, have actually thought about the war and its ramifications. Having lived in an international community has given me an outsider's view on the US and it's not a pretty picture.
I agree that the US should bring the war to a speedier resolution, but I do not agree that resolution should consist of us picking up and just leaving the country (which WE invaded/destabilized) to break up in civil war. Just removing our troops is not the solution. I beleive that if we were to do that, it would destabilize the nation to the extent that it would be ripe for takeover by some other dictator a la Saddam, and then we are exactly where we started 10 years ago, or worse. Shall we create another Uganda or Afghanistan or Ethiopia or Somalia or Lebanon? Remember, Osama et. al. were created by the United States who trained and armed them and then pulled out of their revolution (Afghanistan 1978-1989 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan) at last minute - that is one reason besides "Islamic jihad" they hate us so much - we abandoned them in their hour of need after we promised to help. The US created its own enemies - and evacuating Iraq prematurely will certainly do this again. You think that will "save American lives"? Ever hear the phrase "penny-wise but pound-foolish"? I am opposed to the way the "war" is being waged, but I do not think leaving is the solution. Otherwise, for what did all those who have already perished give their lives? We can validate their sacrifices if we stay the course. And I do not mean to use Bush terminology because I think he has mismanaged every single aspect of his presidency, including Iraq (God, if only he was just getting blowjobs in the Oval Office - Bush made me long for Clinton!).
Don't tell me the strongest military organization in the world cannot CRUSH any opposition, including Iraq. Our military & political leaders just don't want to use the forces needed to achieve the goal (see "war gulit", below). What is the difference between sending in the full extent of our capabilities and taking a percentage of losses versus losing the same, if not greater, amount of collateral damage during extended wishy-washy warfare and dragging it out to the same denoument? Is it a matter of not pissing off the other nations of the world? (Don't let US politicians fool you into thinking they care. Many countries the US has invated in order to "protect democracy" in the last 50 years have ended up worse for the wear). Yeah right, these are the same nations who were against the invasion to begin with (this was NOT a UN-sanctioned event - and for those that say the UN has no teeth and nobody listens to what they say, well how can we expect anyone to when the very country that CREATED the UN eviscerates its power by just doing what it wants to do?). In this instance, I am NOT proud to be an American, I'm embarrassed about our government's rampant hypocrisy...we parade around the world moralizing other countries and assuming we are better than them because we have "democracy" and we want to "make the world safe for democracy" - well take a look at "our own backyard"...who says democracy is the best/only way to go??? (who says this is actually a democracy anymore?) Who are we to judge how others live or how other countries condct their affairs? How would Americans feel if other countries imposed their moralities or political systems on us?? We say we want freedom but we just want everybody to be like us so we can control them. We aren't the greatest power because we are 'the land of the brave & home fo the free", we're just the biggest bully on the block and everyone's afraid we're going to take their lunch money. I say we stop pushing other nations around. And as far as how that applies to Iraq, if we just pull out now we will leave that poor country worse than it was to begin with. Let's finish what we started, with the forces that are necessary in a resonable time frame, and be done with it. And let's learn to mind our own damn business from now on.
Some intersting References:
(war guilt) http://www.lewrockwell.com/rockwell/war-guilt.html
(Foreign Policy) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_the_United_States
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/usinterventionism.html
A good one: http://adbusters.org/media/flash/hope_and_memory/timeline.swf
FOR SURE READ THIS http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110008318
For those who liken our current war with Iraq to the Viernam war, I invite you to take a closer look at the FACTS, which is something our news services oversimplify or "sound bite". The US created the situation in Vietnam and mismanaged it the same way by indecisiveness. I just spent six weeks in Viet Nam being educated about the history there. 20 years of warfare could easily have been avoided. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War
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Well I digress. I don't know who I am going to vote for this fall, but it damn sure won't be a Bush or a Bush lackey...a trained monkey would do a better job, because at least a trained monkey wouldn't be such a devious liar who abused his office, and the wealth and power of his familty to connive and cheat and cover it up. He's responsible for killing people that did nothing to us, for god's sake! When did Congress vote to declare war on Iraq? John Yoo and David Addington did amazing damage to our country and no one seems inclined to reverse it. Someof the key players in the Bush administration responsible for eroding the moral fortitudeof our government (and create things like waterboarding) maintain positions inthe Obama administration! What did Iraq do to us? Hey nobody likes Saddam but we can't just invade some country because we don't like them! Bush led our country in to doing the EXACT SAME SHIT we hate when other countries do it, and that my friends, is the biggest hypocrisy out there ans we refuse to acknowledge it. For example, when Iraq invaded Kuwait, the US went in and said, hey you cant just conquer another country like that (yeah the US had ulterior motives of course and I know it's not that simple). But when we invaded Iraq, the rest of the world said, hey you cant do that, and we said FUCK YOU, who's going to stop us? What are we trying to do, start a new world war? Nobody wanted to do that and nobody rallied to Saddam so we just got away with it. AND not only does Saddam not have WMDs, but BUSH has been funding the development of NEW WMDs for the US!! What a bunch of hypocrites!!! I am ashamed to be a part of what we as citizens are allowing to happen. Aren't you? If you aren't appalled then you aren't paying attention. It's easy to be overwhelmed when our so-called news agencies present trivialities as news to dostract us or just downright don't even mention the atrocities our own goverment is perpetrating. You have to really try and get the information for yourself.
And allow me to pre-empt anyone who thinks I am not a patriot or that I don't support our troops. Supporting our troops is different from disagreeing with the reasons they are deployed. Some of my closest friends are active or retired military - of course I support them. But I don't want their efforts and our tax dollars to be in vain! As far as patriotism goes, it is OUR CIVIC DUTY as Americans to educate ourselves on the issues and act as we see fit. That was the whole damn reason for the American Revolution! I consider myself to be VERY patriotic: I love my country and my fellow citizens and I won't stand idly by whilst they are abused.
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin
Say NO to American Hegemony and the "McDonaldization" of world culture!
And...check out the RAND Institute's "America's Role in Nation-Building: From Germany to Iraq"; PDF at 192.5.14.110/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1753/MR1753.pref.pdf
I feel like a crazy broken record but nothing will change until we all say, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!"
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