vanity

"For you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

Genesis 3:19 [Bible, Revised Standard Version, 1952]


"I have seen everything that is done under the sun,
and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind."

Ecclesiastes 1:14 [Bible, Revised Standard Version, 1952]

 

keep on truckin'

It is the history of America and the many crises that almost destroyed us, and the stories of the heroes that led us out of the darkness, that give me hope and strength, not anger or despair. Whatever the consequences of the current economic disaster, we will emerge a stronger nation, though it may be not apparent in terms of economic or political might. I really do place my trust in the minds of those who are working to navigate us through the next few years. No doubt there will be less than perfect decisions. Whether or not we like it, we all must accept it; that the course of events is not now within our purview, at least not mine. All the hand-wringing and debate, all the gurus, prophets,and armchair wizards will fade in the ever changing realities of the situation at hand.

We will endure and we will survive and we will emerge with integrity.

What Is Truth ?

The old man turned off the radio, said:
"Where did all of the old songs go?
"Kids sure play funny music these days.
"They play it in the strangest ways".
Said: "It looks to me like they've all gone wild.
"It was peaceful back when I was a child."
Well, man could it be that the girls and boys,
Are trying to be heard above your noise?
And the lonely voice of youth cries:
"What is truth?"

A little boy of three sittin' on the floor,
Looks up and says: "Daddy, what is war?"
"Son, that's when people fight and die."
A little boy of three says: "Daddy, why?"
A young man of seventeen in Sunday school,
Being taught the golden rule.
And by the time another year has gone around,
It may be his turn to lay his life down.
Can you blame the voice of youth for asking:
"What is truth?"

A young man sittin' on the witness stand,
The man with the book says: "Raise your hand.
"Repeat after me: I solemnly swear."
The man looked down at his long hair.
And although the young man solemnly swore,
Nobody seemed to hear anymore.
And it didn't really matter if the truth was there:
It was the cut of his clothes and the length of his hair.
And the lonely voice of youth cries:
"What is truth?"

The young girl dancing to the latest beat,
Has found new ways to move her feet.
The young man speaking in the city square,
Is trying to tell somebody that he cares.
Yeah, the ones that you're calling wild,
Are going to be the leaders in a little while.
This whole world's wakin' to a new born day,
And I solemnly swear that it'll be their way.
You better help that voice of youth find:
"What is truth."
And the lonely voice of youth cries:
"What is Truth?"

Written by John R. Cash.
(© Songs of Cash/Bughouse.)
Single release: © 1970, CBS Records.

poetry in motion

unrequited

how much longer must i squat

before i submit

the spirit rot

beneath the bar

chained to the pain

addicted to the quest for perfection.

its a dead end my friend

alas in vain

muscle and might i will not gain.

o god of iron yes set me free

let me go

its not me.

Changing of the Guard (written 2005, un-revised)

The only thing I would say differently today is that I have no idea whether I will vote for a Democrat, Republican, or something else in next year's election. I'm hoping that John McCain can rise from the dead.

`The two-party system has flourished in the United States for as long as anyone alive today can remember, for well over a century. Between 1901 and 2005, a Republican has occupied the Office of President for a total of 56 years, and a Democrat for 48 years. Since 1941, It has been an even split at 32 years each. Here is the breakdown.

1901-1913 Republican
1913-1921 Democrat
1921-1933 Republican
1933-1953 Democrat
1953-1961 Republican
1961-1969 Democrat
1969-1977 Republican
1977-1981 Democrat
1981-1993 Republican
1993-2001 Democrat
2001-2005 Republican

The two parties have dominated because each was able to develop and maintain an entrenched power base largely impenetrable by any other political party. Over time, ideologies and voter constituencies have changed, but each party has been able to energize a substantial chunk of the "party faithful" every four years. The pendulum swings one way, then the other. The change-over is usually brought about by a defining event, a culmination of excesses, or dearth. Wars, depressions, recessions, inflation, scandals are a few. To win, the challenging party must convince the electorate that something is wrong, and that they can do better. Election campaigns today are carefully formulated marketing efforts, targeting specific segments of the populace which can tip the balance.

It is interesting to note that the Republicans and Democrats, repectively, have supported widely varying policies over the years, and rarely could one be neatly characterized as being either "conservative" or "liberal". Abraham Lincoln, the "Great Emancipator", was the first Republican President. Teddy Roosevelt (also Republican), the "Trust-Buster" and great conservationist, was considered progressive. Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat, lead us into World War I. Prior to World War II, isolationists had the upper hand in the Republican Party. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the New Deal and the War President. Truman(Democrat) dropped the atomic bomb. Kennedy and Johnson(Democrats) mired us in Vietnam. Although the Democratic "Solid South" was the great bastion of racial segregation for decades, Kennedy and Johnson ushered in racial integration and the social reforms of the "Great Society." Bill Clinton was pro-business: he "grew the economy" and balanced the budget.

Geore W. Bush claims to be a compassionate conservative. Today, instead of the "tax and spend" democratic liberals, we now have the "borrow and spend" Republicans who have created by far the largest budget deficit in history. The Bush administration seems to want to change everything, and spend more money. Is this what one calls conservatism? I think not.

I agree with Ross Perot, Jesse Ventura, and Ralph Nader: The Republicans and Democrats are more alike than they are different. They both thrive off the same system which is self-perpetuating.

I don't consider myself a Democratic party faithful, though I don't remember ever voting for a Republican candidate, so I am as close as one gets. I would like to think that I vote for the candidate whose character, record, and platform best represent my ideals. However I am a pragmatist and must consider also his or her electability, leadership potential, experience, and ability to get things done.

The point of this lengthy dissertation is that it will be the Democrat's turn in 2008, if they don't blow it. They must present an electable candidate, a platform, and get out the vote. Assuming that such a candidate is selected and an identifiable platform is presented (these are big IF's), then victory will depend upon persuading and mobilizing the masses, and getting the swing vote.

I do believe that Howard Dean is the right man in the right position (DNC) to do this. The seeds of the next campaign have been sowed and are growing. But we must do a better job of reaching the people than the opposition. We must get the country to open its eyes so we the people can "take back" the country.

Assuming the political landscape remains about the same between now and 2008, I will probably vote Democrat in '08. I am not happy with our current leadership or the direction they our taking our country. So lets get going!

Get off your butt. Speak out. Write. Organize. March. Get involved!'

Posted by t.h.e. Brig at 6:20 PM

0 comments:

Polarity

Why must so many people divide persons and things into categories (i.e. stereoyping). Is it the simplest way to view "the rest of the human race?" Does it arise from a psychologic need, or is it simply the easiest way to avoid mental exertion?

Liberals are ..., Conservatives are ...., Religious people...., Muslims are ..., Jewish people ...., College professors ..., The media ..., and ad infinitem. How about "He's a pretty nice guy, except he's a communist"; or "stay away from him, he's a born-again."

All stereotyping stems from prejudice, based on prior teaching(often mythology), formative environment, and maybe specific experiences. Most people, it seems to me, use personal anecdotes to reinforce previously held beliefs.
Wouldn't it be more respectful to give each human being the dignity of being an individual who can think and act for himself?

The thinking is similar when it it comes to situations or ideas in pertaining to life in general. Most people [it seems to me] initially see solutions in terms of polarized trains of thought: we must do this(extreme measure), or do that(other end of spectrum). Some follow this train to the bitter end, others proceed to find a solution somewhere between the poles.

One example is Darwinism vs. Creationism. In today's world, the two can coexist in harmony; with the understanding that neither the terms [Darwinism(evolution), or Creationism] represent a coherent or unified set of principles or beliefs. The more accepted theory of evolution today does not equate to Darwinism as postulated around 1850. Nor does Creationism necessarily equate to a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis (in the Christian Bible). Theories evolve over time, and an individual can develop his own theory which contains elements of different theories. Once again, the naming of a theory usually just serves to establish a broad category which may be convenient but also serves to polarize people's beliefs. After all, a theory is a unified set of principles that purports to describe some aspect of reality; thus by definition does not represent a set of proven facts.

These simple thoughts represent a plea to all to strive for a truly open(and active) mind. This entails the willingness to temporarily discard all predjudices and examine a subject objectively using something akin to "the scientific method."

End of Today's Lecture

The Wisdom of Will Rogers

"You know horses are smarter than people. You never heard of a horse going broke betting on people."