Saturday, July 22, 2006

War, Greed, and Hellstates

It is incomprehensible for such an intelligent, nay, wise, man to defend the bloody mess that this merciless and greedbased monstrosity, the war in Iraq, was from the start. And what a nightmare choice faces these Iraqi people. If they do, or can, manage to get an independent government, it will very likely be another openly hitlerian saddam. And if not, they are stuck with a bushpuppet gov, which might be even worse, considering that it would have a severely challenged man at the helm. The pres, bush, has a toddleresque view of the world, in "black and white" scenarios completely unrelated to anything like reality. That is one of the many factors that makes this politically uneducated amateur such a dangerous, unpredictable, and provocative leader. How is it that the history of world-leaders includes so many fools, idiots, and morons? Do we really choose the least competent for our leaders? Is there a factor that creates mutual attraction between politics and sheer stupidity?

By the time the invasionforce took over, it was pretty much a wasteland. The U.S. forces did great harm to worldhistory and worldculture by failing to protect the great artistic and cultural artifacts of the oldest civilization on the planet. (The guards were away from the priceless museums, guarding the oil, which is a clear revelation of what this war was and is all about.) This war was nightmarish in its absence of planning, and its execution was even worse. Clearly, it represented the very worst of wartime callousness, as its ghastly "shock and awe" campaign was the world's greatest act of terrorism, slaughtering at least a hundred thousand Iraqis, many of whom were women and children.

You could have a successful and peaceful nation-state if it were populated by good people. The cause of war is greed.

How lucky for you that you are not a member of this sometimes-hideous, and paradoxically subreptilian-mammalian species. It could only be wished that complete and utter dissociation from the human species were that easy! At times, it distresses the sensitive person even to identify herself as a member of this backwards and arrested species. The good news is that none of us is exclusively human. The human body is merely our latest costume.

What an odd and bizarre bigotry is often held by anti-abortionist groups. And what do these fanatics do with nature, which almost everyone sees as an expression of God? How do they justify the innumerable miscarriages that are part and parcel of the natural order? Do they accuse God of being a murderer? do they want to assassinate Him/Her?

Hypocrites can be very "courteous" on the outside, while hating you on the inside. But sincere and genuine courtesy should at least be acknowledged, even if it is not always rewarded. Compassion demands both courtesy and more substantial action to support others. Courtesy alone is not enough; it is insubstantial if not combined with respect.
Empathy, concern, or care demands follow-up. Still, expressions of courtesy should be acknowledged, perhaps gratefully. If it were,that could end conflict right there. I've a student who gave courtesy-courses that taught people the basics of polite behavior and conversation. They really had not a clue. Still, I find it dubious that there is not some
intrinsic, perhaps organic, contributor to the behaviors of kindness. And it is incredible that a person of average intelligence does not know when she is being rude.

Recently, the mind has become hyperaware, and somewhat sensitive, to the obvious fact that economics are the only and exclusive values held by our society as a whole. this has probably been influenced by the naked and unashamed greed of the administration. Americans yawn when thousands of people are murdered. But they scream when there is a one-percent rise in the interestrate. What is horribly wrong with this picture? Americans and others suffer from a terrible spiritual disease, which I have named "aphilosis," otherwise known by its common name, "bucksmind." It is terrible, pathological greed.

These same descriptions certainly marked the fascists of Italy and Germany. They also identified every stupid, violent group in history who has ever had "god" on their side. Cruelty (absence of Love) births arrogance, and arrogance, cruelty. It is a dismal and selfsustaining cycle, until the entire system selfdestructs. Deep down, the Power of justice works, deeply unconsciously, even within the shameless and immoral. It is stronger than their greed, more powerful than their obscenities. and It has a way of catching up with them; this creates hell-agony in their minds.

Buddhists wisely say, "All hells are selfcreated." Certainly, the idea of a "hell" as a saddamic torture-pit run by the Lord of Love is insane. But "hells" do clearly exist, in mind. They are unavoidable adjustment-mechanisms of Mind. Evil creates pain, even when it is not acknowledged, and Love creates pleasure. And this is psychological law: It applies to the most ignorant, the stupidest, the cruelest. Bush and cronies do not sleep well at night. Deep down, their higher Self torments their lower (ego) self.
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