Political Immorality, Incompetence, and Hells

A tripartite separation of Iraq into three countries-- one for the Kurds, one for the Shea, and one for the Sunis-- is the best solution to end the civil war and to establish a gov acceptable to the Iraqis. And it will very probably be the solution that they finally discover. For, together, they are like wildcats and wolves, and plan never to get along.

"Power attracts idiocy" is perhaps the most succinct version of this great truth that has ever been seen.:)

Perhaps the redeeming value of this truth is that "the shrub" cannot transform his less-than-sane peregrinations into national policy. Also, he is quite a bit too dense to do so. At any rate, he is clearly in everyone's debt, especially the large corporations who bought his office for him. The shrub has not a chance ever to speak an independent word or create an independent action. Not that he could ever create one, anyway. He has sold every micropsychon of his personal freedom-- and for nothing but mere bucks. One criterion of the value of a man is whether he will sell himself for mere money. He who does shows that he has no selfesteem or social value.

This attack on the innocent moves, in my book, beyond mere irony into hypocrisy. You cannot effectively fight terrorism by becoming an even bigger and meaner terrorist. It is simply the wrong policy based on the wrong attitude, and in it, human life has no value.

I do not want to be a simplistic reductionist in the complex fields of psychology and psychosocial change. But I do honestly believe that, without greed, wars would not have appeared in history, and would still not appear today. Arguably, of course, some wars are fought in "self-defense," which is the primary rationalization of the latest attack on Lebanon by Israel. But even here, greed lurks just beneath the surface. The Israelis have historically been greedy for land. And, of course, surrounded by enemies, this is not an unmixed motive. And further, it is completely understandable, especially in view of a need for a bufferzone.

The recognition of hypocrisy is a necessity if you are realistic. For hypocrisy is a major element in almost all religion, but it has no place in spirituality.

There are no permanent hells in Buddhism. Still certain states of mind are regularly recognized as "hellstates." The difference between a "hell" and a "purgatory" seems to be in the mind. If one is suffering and has no idea why, this is hell. But if one is suffering the same torment, and knows why, this is purgatory. For in the latter case, one is being "purified" by her redeeming knowing and understanding.
*******