| |
 |
|
|
Friday, May 14, 2004
Friday, May 14, 2004
Freedom is not a limited vision. What good is it to say we stand for freedom if we are not willing to free the great masses of the world from the shackles of hunger and malnutrition? What meaning does our stand for freedom really have if we are unwilling to free the millions of poor people with HIV from an almost certain death sentence, even while we have more than all the resources that we need to do so? What meaning does political freedom have if people don't have the freedom to their health and well being and if half the world's children are chained to a future without an education. It is not enough to stand for freedom when a despot makes an easy target. We must stand for freedom in all its forms and at every level of its meaning, even when it is difficult or the possibility seems overwhelmingly against us - in fact, that is especially when we must stand for it.
Add Comment
Read Comments (0 comments)
Thursday, May 13, 2004
The cost of the war in Iraq at this point is estimated to be about $113.600,000,000. We could have given a $20 check to every man, woman and child in the world instead. That probably would have gone a long way toward stopping terrorism.
Add Comment
Read Comments (0 comments)
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
The illusion is that the system works. This is why we keep giving more money to the system. If the system didn't work, we wouldn't give it more money, right? If you had an investment account that kept losing more and more money, would you keep putting new money into it? No. The only reason you keep investing in something is because you are under the impression that it works.
So the illusion is that the system works.
The reality is that an American was beheaded today, the Iraqi people have been humiliated, American soldiers are acting out repressed sexual fantasies with detainees, 70 - 90% of whom, according to the L.A. Times today, were arrested in chaos and by mistake, the Chechen leader was blown to bits day before yesterday, and Israel and the Palestinians keep getting further and further from peace. What on earth about this system is working?
Add Comment
Read Comments (0 comments)
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
"I always wanted to be somebody. I see now that I should have been more specific." - Lily Tomlin
So many of us are afraid to be what we know we could be, either out of a fear that we are being too big for our britches, or out of fear that our power will piss someone off. So many of us settle to be the ones pissed off instead by the power of others. So long as we can use our power as servants, in the service of something larger than ourselves, and not in the service of our egos, God wants us to go for it.
Add Comment
Read Comments (0 comments)
Sunday, May 09, 2004
Monday, May 10, 2004
Well here's a powerful thought: "We would rather be ruined than changed; We would rather die in or dread than climb the cross of the moment and let our illusions die." This is W. H. Auden. Somewhere in these words is an answer to the world's problems. Instead of the right railing against the left and the left railing against the right, we have to begin to make America conscious of its illusions. When an alcoholic becomes aware that the idea that drinking makes him feel better is an illusion - that it actually makes him feel worse - he becomes motivated to do something about it. Lights start to go on and bells start to go off and transformation occurs. There is a famous thought in zen that what you resist persists and what you allow to be disappears. So long as we resist those who believe that military might is the answer they will have only one option - to fortify their position. But if we appeal to the common sense of people, without vitriol and without moral superiority, then perhaps people will begin to see the truth and the illusions. The idea that more spending on defense makes us safer is pure illusion. It is not supported by the facts. In fact, the facts support the opposite idea. Americans are not a stupid people. But we are being blinded by our fear right now, and it is getting in the way of our common sense.
The idea that sending money overseas to help people starving in other parts of the world deprives us of something here at home is illusion. The idea that paying teachers higher salaries hurts the middle class is illusion. The idea that war will preserve the peace is illusion. The idea that easing protections on the environment will help the economy is illusion.
Americans are ready to listen to common sense. They always have been. But they are not ready to listen to raving maniacs in the face of their fear. We must set about the compassionate task of showing people the illusions. When they realize that there is no water in the desert they will stop going there to look for it. This must be the role of the new leadership.
Add Comment
Read Comments (0 comments)
Sunday, May 9, 2004
"Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something."
Thomas Edison
Add Comment
Read Comments (0 comments)
Saturday, May 8, 2004
I have often thought that instead of sitting around waiting for the world to end we should get busy making sure that it doesn't. I love these wonderful lines by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:
"Tell me not in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
and things are not what they seem.
Life is real!
Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art; to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul."
Add Comment
Read Comments (0 comments)
ARCHIVES
09/28/2003 - 10/05/2003 10/12/2003 - 10/19/2003 10/19/2003 - 10/26/2003 10/26/2003 - 11/02/2003 11/02/2003 - 11/09/2003 11/09/2003 - 11/16/2003 11/16/2003 - 11/23/2003 11/23/2003 - 11/30/2003 11/30/2003 - 12/07/2003 12/07/2003 - 12/14/2003 12/14/2003 - 12/21/2003 12/21/2003 - 12/28/2003 12/28/2003 - 01/04/2004 01/04/2004 - 01/11/2004 01/11/2004 - 01/18/2004 01/18/2004 - 01/25/2004 01/25/2004 - 02/01/2004 02/01/2004 - 02/08/2004 02/08/2004 - 02/15/2004 02/15/2004 - 02/22/2004 02/22/2004 - 02/29/2004 02/29/2004 - 03/07/2004 03/07/2004 - 03/14/2004 03/14/2004 - 03/21/2004 03/21/2004 - 03/28/2004 03/28/2004 - 04/04/2004 04/04/2004 - 04/11/2004 04/11/2004 - 04/18/2004 04/18/2004 - 04/25/2004 04/25/2004 - 05/02/2004 05/02/2004 - 05/09/2004 05/09/2004 - 05/16/2004 05/16/2004 - 05/23/2004 05/23/2004 - 05/30/2004 05/30/2004 - 06/06/2004 06/06/2004 - 06/13/2004 06/13/2004 - 06/20/2004 06/20/2004 - 06/27/2004 06/27/2004 - 07/04/2004 07/04/2004 - 07/11/2004 07/11/2004 - 07/18/2004 07/18/2004 - 07/25/2004 07/25/2004 - 08/01/2004 08/01/2004 - 08/08/2004 08/08/2004 - 08/15/2004 08/15/2004 - 08/22/2004 08/22/2004 - 08/29/2004 08/29/2004 - 09/05/2004 09/05/2004 - 09/12/2004 09/12/2004 - 09/19/2004 09/19/2004 - 09/26/2004 09/26/2004 - 10/03/2004 10/03/2004 - 10/10/2004 10/10/2004 - 10/17/2004 10/17/2004 - 10/24/2004 10/24/2004 - 10/31/2004 10/31/2004 - 11/07/2004 11/07/2004 - 11/14/2004 11/14/2004 - 11/21/2004 11/21/2004 - 11/28/2004 11/28/2004 - 12/05/2004 12/05/2004 - 12/12/2004 12/12/2004 - 12/19/2004 12/19/2004 - 12/26/2004 12/26/2004 - 01/02/2005 01/02/2005 - 01/09/2005 01/09/2005 - 01/16/2005 01/16/2005 - 01/23/2005 01/23/2005 - 01/30/2005 01/30/2005 - 02/06/2005 02/06/2005 - 02/13/2005 02/13/2005 - 02/20/2005 02/20/2005 - 02/27/2005 02/27/2005 - 03/06/2005 03/06/2005 - 03/13/2005 03/13/2005 - 03/20/2005 03/20/2005 - 03/27/2005 03/27/2005 - 04/03/2005 04/03/2005 - 04/10/2005 04/10/2005 - 04/17/2005 04/17/2005 - 04/24/2005 04/24/2005 - 05/01/2005 05/01/2005 - 05/08/2005 05/08/2005 - 05/15/2005 05/15/2005 - 05/22/2005 05/22/2005 - 05/29/2005 05/29/2005 - 06/05/2005 06/05/2005 - 06/12/2005 06/12/2005 - 06/19/2005 06/19/2005 - 06/26/2005 07/10/2005 - 07/17/2005 07/17/2005 - 07/24/2005 07/24/2005 - 07/31/2005 07/31/2005 - 08/07/2005 08/07/2005 - 08/14/2005 08/14/2005 - 08/21/2005 08/21/2005 - 08/28/2005 08/28/2005 - 09/04/2005 09/04/2005 - 09/11/2005 09/11/2005 - 09/18/2005 09/18/2005 - 09/25/2005 09/25/2005 - 10/02/2005 10/02/2005 - 10/09/2005 10/09/2005 - 10/16/2005 10/16/2005 - 10/23/2005 10/30/2005 - 11/06/2005 11/06/2005 - 11/13/2005 11/13/2005 - 11/20/2005 11/20/2005 - 11/27/2005 11/27/2005 - 12/04/2005 12/04/2005 - 12/11/2005 12/11/2005 - 12/18/2005 12/18/2005 - 12/25/2005 12/25/2005 - 01/01/2006 01/01/2006 - 01/08/2006 01/08/2006 - 01/15/2006 01/15/2006 - 01/22/2006 01/22/2006 - 01/29/2006 01/29/2006 - 02/05/2006 02/05/2006 - 02/12/2006 02/12/2006 - 02/19/2006 02/19/2006 - 02/26/2006 02/26/2006 - 03/05/2006 03/05/2006 - 03/12/2006 03/12/2006 - 03/19/2006 03/19/2006 - 03/26/2006 03/26/2006 - 04/02/2006 04/02/2006 - 04/09/2006 04/09/2006 - 04/16/2006 04/23/2006 - 04/30/2006 04/30/2006 - 05/07/2006 05/07/2006 - 05/14/2006 05/14/2006 - 05/21/2006 05/21/2006 - 05/28/2006 05/28/2006 - 06/04/2006 06/04/2006 - 06/11/2006 06/25/2006 - 07/02/2006 07/16/2006 - 07/23/2006 07/23/2006 - 07/30/2006 08/06/2006 - 08/13/2006 08/13/2006 - 08/20/2006 09/03/2006 - 09/10/2006 09/10/2006 - 09/17/2006 09/17/2006 - 09/24/2006 10/08/2006 - 10/15/2006 11/05/2006 - 11/12/2006 11/12/2006 - 11/19/2006 12/03/2006 - 12/10/2006 02/04/2007 - 02/11/2007 03/04/2007 - 03/11/2007 03/25/2007 - 04/01/2007 04/15/2007 - 04/22/2007 04/22/2007 - 04/29/2007 04/29/2007 - 05/06/2007 05/13/2007 - 05/20/2007 06/03/2007 - 06/10/2007 06/10/2007 - 06/17/2007 07/08/2007 - 07/15/2007 07/15/2007 - 07/22/2007 07/22/2007 - 07/29/2007 08/05/2007 - 08/12/2007 08/12/2007 - 08/19/2007 08/19/2007 - 08/26/2007 08/26/2007 - 09/02/2007 09/02/2007 - 09/09/2007 09/09/2007 - 09/16/2007 09/30/2007 - 10/07/2007 10/07/2007 - 10/14/2007 10/14/2007 - 10/21/2007 10/28/2007 - 11/04/2007 11/04/2007 - 11/11/2007 11/11/2007 - 11/18/2007 11/18/2007 - 11/25/2007 11/25/2007 - 12/02/2007
|
|
|
