“To ask me to renounce what formed me, what I’ve loved so much, what has been my law, is to ask me to die. In this fidelity there is a sort of instinct for self-preservation. To renounce, for example, some difficult formulation, some complication, paradox, or supplementary contradiction, because it is not going to be understood,…that the reader or audience will not understand … is for me an unacceptable obscenity. It is as if I were being asked to capitulate or to subjugate myself – or else to die of stupidity.”
Jacques Derrida
Learning to Live Finally: an Interview
with Jean Birnbaum
Translated by: Pascale-Anne Brault
and Michael Naas (page 30)
This past year has given me cause to take an accounting of my life, to consider its purposes and its ends. Derrida seeks “to learn to live finally”; to be “taught” the lesson of living. It is the ongoing lesson that one does not hope to end but to learn by degrees.
My lesson thus far… is but a striving … to understand at last that the only thing I can control is within me. The only choices I have are my own. Through this understanding, through this acceptance more than I desire can be accomplished. I strive to be calm; to be still; to experience this moment without hope for the next; to exercise a faith that what I do might live into the future and to be content so that to breathe this cool air; to feel the warmth of this moment; to drink the good wine is enough – to know that to feel and to allow myself to feel – sad, happy, angry, grateful, is to open the door…
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
this election...
The first time I voted I was eighteen. I worked the polls. I embraced the political process as an emblem of my maturity – my voice equal to others.
I face the current state of our political system with nothing but gut wrenching disappointment. I understand now… we have no statesmen… not to say that we ever had an abundance of them… but somehow my eyes have opened. Those who seek to lead, those dedicated to some sense of purpose beyond short-term economic gains and a place in history, those also-rans, are certain to fail.
I could give a f**k who wins this election because not one of them could do any worse than the current administration – and I’m sorry dear friends, no thrill of history convinces me that any of the current viable candidates have a vision worth following.
We do not elect candidates on the basis of issues or abilities… but in response to who has the best “spin” machine and PR representatives. I am a republican with a little “r”. We should elect representatives we know and trust to choose the president. What we have now is a parody of democracy… the popular vote may or may not matter in either the primaries or the general election and any candidate without a “war chest” can pack it in. Power rests in the hands of the few and we are placated with the “Entertainment Channel” illusion of a process.
I wish as a nation we would turn our attention to the real issues. I wish we would consider the environment, a sustainable economy and what we’re going to do with the mess in Iraq and Afghanistan. Iraq is the greatest blunder since Vietnam…. but I cannot bring myself to agree with my political compatriots who feel we should “just leave.” I can’t tell you how it grieves me to come to that conclusion…
We elected and allowed to be elected George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. We allowed them, out of our own real fear, to take us places we should have never gone. Now will we take responsibility for what has been done in our name? How will we repair the damage? Can we change our presence in Iraq from war to building? I don’t know…
I face the current state of our political system with nothing but gut wrenching disappointment. I understand now… we have no statesmen… not to say that we ever had an abundance of them… but somehow my eyes have opened. Those who seek to lead, those dedicated to some sense of purpose beyond short-term economic gains and a place in history, those also-rans, are certain to fail.
I could give a f**k who wins this election because not one of them could do any worse than the current administration – and I’m sorry dear friends, no thrill of history convinces me that any of the current viable candidates have a vision worth following.
We do not elect candidates on the basis of issues or abilities… but in response to who has the best “spin” machine and PR representatives. I am a republican with a little “r”. We should elect representatives we know and trust to choose the president. What we have now is a parody of democracy… the popular vote may or may not matter in either the primaries or the general election and any candidate without a “war chest” can pack it in. Power rests in the hands of the few and we are placated with the “Entertainment Channel” illusion of a process.
I wish as a nation we would turn our attention to the real issues. I wish we would consider the environment, a sustainable economy and what we’re going to do with the mess in Iraq and Afghanistan. Iraq is the greatest blunder since Vietnam…. but I cannot bring myself to agree with my political compatriots who feel we should “just leave.” I can’t tell you how it grieves me to come to that conclusion…
We elected and allowed to be elected George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. We allowed them, out of our own real fear, to take us places we should have never gone. Now will we take responsibility for what has been done in our name? How will we repair the damage? Can we change our presence in Iraq from war to building? I don’t know…
Sunday, October 07, 2007
the war...
October the 2nd was the fifth anniversary of my father’s death.
Some things illicit a pause. Some things forcefully realign priorities. I cannot even yet imagine a world without my father in it – good, bad, or otherwise. There still remains this gasping grief, this yawning void that leaves me fearfully unfettered.
Watching Ken Burns’ “The War” – it is framed by my understanding of this sort of unassuagable grief. Burns does a fair job communicating the horrors of war – even that “good” war – a war that it was required we take up the challenge. Of course we cannot help but put that war next to this one and those other wars that we have fought since that “good” war’s ending.
The lesson… there’s always a lesson… maybe we can never learn it… the lesson though of this look back… no matter how just, how “good” we were, the horrors and the excesses cannot be excised. Our hands can never be made clean, our consciences spotless, when undertaking war… It is always a great evil. How great then must be the evil that war is lesser-than that we should go to kill and be killed?
Why are we at war? Why are we in Iraq? Not I think for some phantom terrorist that might have been given refuge there – Not I think for some over-riding fear of its despot ruler – but perhaps because that some of our leaders thought we could turn it toward our own ends. A Middle-Eastern country ready to turn to the Western way of doing things. A “ready-made” ally that merely required a freeing from its own fetters to free it and its people to see as “we” see -- and with enough oil to insure the strength of the American economy for generations to come. A dominion theory like that we saw in Vietnam – but instead of a fall to communism taking with it neighbors – a fall to democracy taking Middle-Eastern neighbors along the same path as the forcefully converted Iraq.
And so we sit here… hanging in the balance… Our environment being eaten away by a culture powered by fossil fuels; our economy held hostage by imported oil; and our reason directed by a politically-crafted distortion of a Judeo-Christian ethic…
In World War II we understood the risks of our failure… What are the risks now if we fail to meet the challenge before us? If we were willing then to redefine our everyday lives… to go without to help limit the suffering of at least our own soldiers… to accept the limits of what our culture, society, … economy could sustain … why can we not see those limits now and address them with the same understanding?
Some things illicit a pause. Some things forcefully realign priorities. I cannot even yet imagine a world without my father in it – good, bad, or otherwise. There still remains this gasping grief, this yawning void that leaves me fearfully unfettered.
Watching Ken Burns’ “The War” – it is framed by my understanding of this sort of unassuagable grief. Burns does a fair job communicating the horrors of war – even that “good” war – a war that it was required we take up the challenge. Of course we cannot help but put that war next to this one and those other wars that we have fought since that “good” war’s ending.
The lesson… there’s always a lesson… maybe we can never learn it… the lesson though of this look back… no matter how just, how “good” we were, the horrors and the excesses cannot be excised. Our hands can never be made clean, our consciences spotless, when undertaking war… It is always a great evil. How great then must be the evil that war is lesser-than that we should go to kill and be killed?
Why are we at war? Why are we in Iraq? Not I think for some phantom terrorist that might have been given refuge there – Not I think for some over-riding fear of its despot ruler – but perhaps because that some of our leaders thought we could turn it toward our own ends. A Middle-Eastern country ready to turn to the Western way of doing things. A “ready-made” ally that merely required a freeing from its own fetters to free it and its people to see as “we” see -- and with enough oil to insure the strength of the American economy for generations to come. A dominion theory like that we saw in Vietnam – but instead of a fall to communism taking with it neighbors – a fall to democracy taking Middle-Eastern neighbors along the same path as the forcefully converted Iraq.
And so we sit here… hanging in the balance… Our environment being eaten away by a culture powered by fossil fuels; our economy held hostage by imported oil; and our reason directed by a politically-crafted distortion of a Judeo-Christian ethic…
In World War II we understood the risks of our failure… What are the risks now if we fail to meet the challenge before us? If we were willing then to redefine our everyday lives… to go without to help limit the suffering of at least our own soldiers… to accept the limits of what our culture, society, … economy could sustain … why can we not see those limits now and address them with the same understanding?
Friday, September 14, 2007
the good fight...
The following is excerpted from a televised speech Jimmy Carter delivered on April 18, 1977. –When considered in the context of the Iraq war and the ongoing difficulties in the Middle East and the growing issues caused by global warming, it is remarkable Carter’s foresight and disappointing that we did not heed then what could have saved us so much now. I have to wonder when I watch documentaries dealing with World War II - "we" were fighting the good fight then... weren't we? We would have done anything. We were fighting for our lives. We were fighting to save the world. Now, like an addict or an alcoholic we just can't bring ourselves to see the problem. The only way the fighting ends in the Middle East is if there is nothing to fight over. The only way to save our environment is to actually make the hard choices. I for one will take my ration card now:
Tonight I want to have an unpleasant talk with you about a problem unprecedented in our history. With the exception of preventing war, this is the greatest challenge our country will face during our lifetimes. The energy crisis has not yet overwhelmed us, but it will if we do not act quickly.
It is a problem we will not solve in the next few years, and it is likely to get progressively worse through the rest of this century.
We must not be selfish or timid if we hope to have a decent world for our children and grandchildren.
We simply must balance our demand for energy with our rapidly shrinking resources. By acting now, we can control our future instead of letting the future control us.
Two days from now, I will present my energy proposals to the Congress. Its members will be my partners and they have already given me a great deal of valuable advice. Many of these proposals will be unpopular. Some will cause you to put up with inconveniences and to make sacrifices.
The most important thing about these proposals is that the alternative may be a national catastrophe. Further delay can affect our strength and our power as a nation.
Our decision about energy will test the character of the American people and the ability of the President and the Congress to govern. This difficult effort will be the "moral equivalent of war" -- except that we will be uniting our efforts to build and not destroy.
Tonight I want to have an unpleasant talk with you about a problem unprecedented in our history. With the exception of preventing war, this is the greatest challenge our country will face during our lifetimes. The energy crisis has not yet overwhelmed us, but it will if we do not act quickly.
It is a problem we will not solve in the next few years, and it is likely to get progressively worse through the rest of this century.
We must not be selfish or timid if we hope to have a decent world for our children and grandchildren.
We simply must balance our demand for energy with our rapidly shrinking resources. By acting now, we can control our future instead of letting the future control us.
Two days from now, I will present my energy proposals to the Congress. Its members will be my partners and they have already given me a great deal of valuable advice. Many of these proposals will be unpopular. Some will cause you to put up with inconveniences and to make sacrifices.
The most important thing about these proposals is that the alternative may be a national catastrophe. Further delay can affect our strength and our power as a nation.
Our decision about energy will test the character of the American people and the ability of the President and the Congress to govern. This difficult effort will be the "moral equivalent of war" -- except that we will be uniting our efforts to build and not destroy.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, March 01, 2007
a buck a song...
Put your money where your mouth is... We spend billions on Iraq... billions... we're protecting our future right? We're making for a better world... We're insuring our security...
How many people a day in the US die from lack of medical care... pre-emptive and all of that...? What's the reality on the ground? How much good will could we have bought with billions? How many could we educate?
and then there's my own democratic party... How many of you guys voted to support the war because it was political suicide not too?
Is there an American leader who has the political backbone to do what's right because it's right?
Sunday, February 04, 2007
now that I think of it...
It is all linked...
The oil:
our love of the car... our increasing obesity... the environment... war.
There is one root to our ills,
and there are those whose wealth and power are tied to it...
who would keep us bond as well.
The oil:
our love of the car... our increasing obesity... the environment... war.
There is one root to our ills,
and there are those whose wealth and power are tied to it...
who would keep us bond as well.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
on this day in history...
43 years ago John F. Kennedy was assassinated. It really doesn’t matter what you think of him as a politician; as a leader… his murder marked the beginning point of a trajectory that, in convergence with others, ultimately led to the political state in which we live today.
Pundits and right wing politicians periodically speak of liberals, “the left” as if such a thing exists as a viable force… True liberals are few and far between… What passes for the left is in fact the center. Labeling oneself a “liberal” is close to committing political suicide…
Changing the subject –
Here’s another thought… perhaps the litmus test for going to war should be whether or not the people would allow a draft in support of such a declaration… Only can a people united – motivated in a cause – can sustain such an undertaking. War should never be made because of a popular attitude of laissez faire…
Of course this is hindsight in regard to Vietnam and Iraq…and as for Iraq, we have only a few choices and possible outcomes before us…
Leave Iraq and its people to the ravages of a civil war.
Begin a gradual withdrawal following a predetermined time table in the hopes that the Iraqi people will “stand up” and provide for their own defense…
In both instances we risk the establishment of a terrorist state… one potentially dominated by al Qaeda … (wait wasn’t that what this war was to prevent?)
Increase troop deployment and plan for a long haul occupation…
Increase troop deployment and try to establish stability and then withdraw…
Perhaps some other course I cannot imagine…
At any rate, I am distrustful of anyone who has a clear and easy vision of what our course should be… It is complex and I am looking for a leader, not a politician, who understands those complexities and who possesses the political will to lead…
Pundits and right wing politicians periodically speak of liberals, “the left” as if such a thing exists as a viable force… True liberals are few and far between… What passes for the left is in fact the center. Labeling oneself a “liberal” is close to committing political suicide…
Changing the subject –
Here’s another thought… perhaps the litmus test for going to war should be whether or not the people would allow a draft in support of such a declaration… Only can a people united – motivated in a cause – can sustain such an undertaking. War should never be made because of a popular attitude of laissez faire…
Of course this is hindsight in regard to Vietnam and Iraq…and as for Iraq, we have only a few choices and possible outcomes before us…
Leave Iraq and its people to the ravages of a civil war.
Begin a gradual withdrawal following a predetermined time table in the hopes that the Iraqi people will “stand up” and provide for their own defense…
In both instances we risk the establishment of a terrorist state… one potentially dominated by al Qaeda … (wait wasn’t that what this war was to prevent?)
Increase troop deployment and plan for a long haul occupation…
Increase troop deployment and try to establish stability and then withdraw…
Perhaps some other course I cannot imagine…
At any rate, I am distrustful of anyone who has a clear and easy vision of what our course should be… It is complex and I am looking for a leader, not a politician, who understands those complexities and who possesses the political will to lead…
Sunday, September 17, 2006
online...
I've been offline for a while. I really can't think of anything worthwhile to say. I'm consistently flabbergasted by what I hear in the news. It's so frustrating...
So now I'll say it -- directly -- I've tried to avoid sinking into just bashing. I've tried to discuss, in a rational way, the decisions that are driving world events... but the state of things leaves me with one conclusion...
Bush is an idiot. A crafty, manipulative idiot. He has NO vision. He has NO empathy... He's a moron. I don't normally take to calling people morons... but he is one.
Later I'll post something more thoughtful and reasoned but in face of the civil war in Iraq, the handling of Katrina, my personal realization that Bush thinks that Nixon had the right idea about how the power of the U.S. government should be balanced... for now I only have this one thing to say...
BUSH IS AN IDIOT!!!!
So now I'll say it -- directly -- I've tried to avoid sinking into just bashing. I've tried to discuss, in a rational way, the decisions that are driving world events... but the state of things leaves me with one conclusion...
Bush is an idiot. A crafty, manipulative idiot. He has NO vision. He has NO empathy... He's a moron. I don't normally take to calling people morons... but he is one.
Later I'll post something more thoughtful and reasoned but in face of the civil war in Iraq, the handling of Katrina, my personal realization that Bush thinks that Nixon had the right idea about how the power of the U.S. government should be balanced... for now I only have this one thing to say...
BUSH IS AN IDIOT!!!!
Sunday, August 20, 2006
crashing on the shore...
Life is bizarre… things that I never could have imagined have come to pass…
It began with 9-11… That morning, it was incomprehensible… as a nation I don’t think we ever truly wrapped our heads around it … and then that grief was high jacked to serve other ends…
And then the war in Iraq…
And then, close to my heart’s home, Katrina and a diaspora that will forever mark the Gulf…
In my personal life… losses… strange losses and unexpected sadnesses…
And now…
I watch my hometown flashed across television and computer screens. People I’ve known all my life are giving interviews. Hamilton is infamous. An intense young man (when I knew him – not so young anymore) is now the subject of an even more intense media scrutiny.
John Karr’s confession and arrest and the resulting attention paid… I would like to turn it off… get some distance from it but until the DNA tests come back… I can’t. I knew John… not in some vague “oh yeah I’ve seen him around” kind of way but rather to say I knew him.
Shocked? It is impossible to articulate the contradictory emotions that surround this including my sense of unease… what should have been noted THEN? What could have been done to forestall this? He has crossed a boundary in the public’s mind. He has entered into the realm of the sub-human… He’s a monster now.
The truth is that he’s ill. So severely ill that the lives of others are wrecked and the greatest victims of that illness are the innocents who unfortunately capture his imagination … (Whether he is guilty of the JonBenet murder or not …) He is living in a dream that can only be a nightmare to those who fall into it.
Beyond this I think about the fact that there are so many missing children … so many not from “good” families that get lost from view. They don’t have the media eye… Amanda Berry and Gina de Jesus come to mind… there are so many others. How do we help them and their families? Can the suffering of the Ramsey family become an engine of helping others?
It began with 9-11… That morning, it was incomprehensible… as a nation I don’t think we ever truly wrapped our heads around it … and then that grief was high jacked to serve other ends…
And then the war in Iraq…
And then, close to my heart’s home, Katrina and a diaspora that will forever mark the Gulf…
In my personal life… losses… strange losses and unexpected sadnesses…
And now…
I watch my hometown flashed across television and computer screens. People I’ve known all my life are giving interviews. Hamilton is infamous. An intense young man (when I knew him – not so young anymore) is now the subject of an even more intense media scrutiny.
John Karr’s confession and arrest and the resulting attention paid… I would like to turn it off… get some distance from it but until the DNA tests come back… I can’t. I knew John… not in some vague “oh yeah I’ve seen him around” kind of way but rather to say I knew him.
Shocked? It is impossible to articulate the contradictory emotions that surround this including my sense of unease… what should have been noted THEN? What could have been done to forestall this? He has crossed a boundary in the public’s mind. He has entered into the realm of the sub-human… He’s a monster now.
The truth is that he’s ill. So severely ill that the lives of others are wrecked and the greatest victims of that illness are the innocents who unfortunately capture his imagination … (Whether he is guilty of the JonBenet murder or not …) He is living in a dream that can only be a nightmare to those who fall into it.
Beyond this I think about the fact that there are so many missing children … so many not from “good” families that get lost from view. They don’t have the media eye… Amanda Berry and Gina de Jesus come to mind… there are so many others. How do we help them and their families? Can the suffering of the Ramsey family become an engine of helping others?
Saturday, July 29, 2006
gray areas...
(first appeared on my MySpace blog...)
"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: and a people who mean to be their own governours, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."
James Madison to W.T. Barry, August 4, 1822
The news media, rather than bringing light to the current situations that face our nation, rather obfuscates our predicaments... Too often the media functions as entertainment and propogates the latest sound byte...
It is important that we seek to tease out the truth of things; that we do not attach ourselves to the easy, didatic, view but instead sort out events and cause and reason... This moment does not exist outside of history but rather is an extension of it...
All are wronged and all are guilty... we must find the way that represses/opresses least and we must lead...
The following is quoted from:
United Nations Resolution, November 28, 1947 #A/RES/181(II)(A+B)
PLAN OF PARTITION WITH ECONOMIC UNION
PART I
Future constitution and government of Palestine
A. TERMINATION OF MANDATE, PARTITION AND INDEPENDENCE
1. The Mandate for Palestine shall terminate as soon as possible but in any case not later than 1 August 1948.
2. The armed forces of the mandatory Power shall be progressively withdrawn from Palestine, the withdrawal to be completed as soon as possible but in any case not later than 1 August 1948.
The mandatory Power shall advise the Commission, as far in advance as possible, of its intention to terminate the Mandate and to evacuate each area.
The mandatory Power shall use its best endeavours to ensure than an area situated in the territory of the Jewish State, including a seaport and hinterland adequate to provide facilities for a substantial immigration, shall be evacuated at the earliest possible date and in any event not later than 1 February 1948.
3. Independent Arab and Jewish States and the Special International Regime for the City of Jerusalem, set forth in part III of this plan, shall come into existence in Palestine two months after the evacuation of the armed forces of the mandatory Power has been completed but in any case not later than 1 October 1948. The boundaries of the Arab State, the Jewish State, and the City of Jerusalem shall be as described in parts II and III below.
4. The period between the adoption by the General Assembly of its recommendation on the question of Palestine and the establishment of the independence of the Arab and Jewish States shall be a transitional period.
"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: and a people who mean to be their own governours, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."
James Madison to W.T. Barry, August 4, 1822
The news media, rather than bringing light to the current situations that face our nation, rather obfuscates our predicaments... Too often the media functions as entertainment and propogates the latest sound byte...
It is important that we seek to tease out the truth of things; that we do not attach ourselves to the easy, didatic, view but instead sort out events and cause and reason... This moment does not exist outside of history but rather is an extension of it...
All are wronged and all are guilty... we must find the way that represses/opresses least and we must lead...
The following is quoted from:
United Nations Resolution, November 28, 1947 #A/RES/181(II)(A+B)
PLAN OF PARTITION WITH ECONOMIC UNION
PART I
Future constitution and government of Palestine
A. TERMINATION OF MANDATE, PARTITION AND INDEPENDENCE
1. The Mandate for Palestine shall terminate as soon as possible but in any case not later than 1 August 1948.
2. The armed forces of the mandatory Power shall be progressively withdrawn from Palestine, the withdrawal to be completed as soon as possible but in any case not later than 1 August 1948.
The mandatory Power shall advise the Commission, as far in advance as possible, of its intention to terminate the Mandate and to evacuate each area.
The mandatory Power shall use its best endeavours to ensure than an area situated in the territory of the Jewish State, including a seaport and hinterland adequate to provide facilities for a substantial immigration, shall be evacuated at the earliest possible date and in any event not later than 1 February 1948.
3. Independent Arab and Jewish States and the Special International Regime for the City of Jerusalem, set forth in part III of this plan, shall come into existence in Palestine two months after the evacuation of the armed forces of the mandatory Power has been completed but in any case not later than 1 October 1948. The boundaries of the Arab State, the Jewish State, and the City of Jerusalem shall be as described in parts II and III below.
4. The period between the adoption by the General Assembly of its recommendation on the question of Palestine and the establishment of the independence of the Arab and Jewish States shall be a transitional period.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
history...
How will history judge this moment?
As the Middle East sinks into unrestrained warfare... what will prevent its spread?
Will future generations wonder why we didn't take this opportunity to work for peace? The U.S., we are the most powerful nation in the history of the world; to what ends will we use that power?
As the Middle East sinks into unrestrained warfare... what will prevent its spread?
Will future generations wonder why we didn't take this opportunity to work for peace? The U.S., we are the most powerful nation in the history of the world; to what ends will we use that power?
Thursday, July 13, 2006
tomkat and nuclear proliferation...
The news is entertainment. Only a segue separates the superflous from the profound.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Socrates disciples...
Reason and logic are rarely practiced in the public conversations of contemporary Western Culture. What is constructed through language, a sense of the truth, is often irreconcilable with empirical evidence.
The Earth is warming… Humans may play a part in this… “Junk science” and Al Gore attempting to resurrect a failed political career.
The art of specious argument; an illusion of reason…
(So how many angels can fit on the head of a pin?)
The Earth is warming… Humans may play a part in this… “Junk science” and Al Gore attempting to resurrect a failed political career.
The art of specious argument; an illusion of reason…
(So how many angels can fit on the head of a pin?)
the logic of it all...
Off the cuff...
One hears often debates concerning gay marriage, gay rights, the proper roles of women, etc., etc., etc. and all these issues that rightfully belong in venues relating to theology, morality, etc. are regularly trotted out into the political arena. These issues should not be debated in the context of the US constitution. The intent of the founders is clear... The rights, protections, and privileges extended by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are extended to all citizens equally. To abridge those rights in any way is to deny full citizenship and is a subversion of the founders' original intent.
Some would argue that embedded within these documents is an implied intent to submit to the will of "God." I would argue "Whose God and what theologian gets to interpret that will so that it might be applied to our governance?" It is clear that the founders intended all citizens to believe as they chose... whatever that belief. There is no mandate for a particularly Christian worldview. One has only to examine the lives of men like Franklin to know this. Further examination of our documents of charter make it clear that while a god is acknowledged, there is no clear specificity of the nature of that god... Further, while this reference may denote the personal beliefs of many of the early signators, the stipulation that there be freedom of religion provides for views other than the beliefs of those drafting said documents.
The individual is free to hold whatever religious beliefs she or he may see fit. This is clear. The fact that those beliefs should not be an impediment to citizenship is equally clear.
In sum... We do not have the right to legislate the morality of our fellow citizens. We get to make our own choices.
If Jesus or God wanted to control "the people" through the devices of government, he would have run for emperor...
One hears often debates concerning gay marriage, gay rights, the proper roles of women, etc., etc., etc. and all these issues that rightfully belong in venues relating to theology, morality, etc. are regularly trotted out into the political arena. These issues should not be debated in the context of the US constitution. The intent of the founders is clear... The rights, protections, and privileges extended by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are extended to all citizens equally. To abridge those rights in any way is to deny full citizenship and is a subversion of the founders' original intent.
Some would argue that embedded within these documents is an implied intent to submit to the will of "God." I would argue "Whose God and what theologian gets to interpret that will so that it might be applied to our governance?" It is clear that the founders intended all citizens to believe as they chose... whatever that belief. There is no mandate for a particularly Christian worldview. One has only to examine the lives of men like Franklin to know this. Further examination of our documents of charter make it clear that while a god is acknowledged, there is no clear specificity of the nature of that god... Further, while this reference may denote the personal beliefs of many of the early signators, the stipulation that there be freedom of religion provides for views other than the beliefs of those drafting said documents.
The individual is free to hold whatever religious beliefs she or he may see fit. This is clear. The fact that those beliefs should not be an impediment to citizenship is equally clear.
In sum... We do not have the right to legislate the morality of our fellow citizens. We get to make our own choices.
If Jesus or God wanted to control "the people" through the devices of government, he would have run for emperor...
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
nonsequitur...
There are people... uncomfortable, unhappy with passionate opinions differing from their own... how do we begin the conversation about _anything_ if we can't tolerate another position.
In art, it is the same... I think it would surprise people if they knew how closed many, if not most, artists are... a view other than my own... I cannot tolerate and I must wipe it out. It is our religion... I am... conceptual, perceptual, experiential... This is the only art there can be... my view is the right view. It must be human nature to be so intolerant -- but somehow it seems more interesting to me if we have it all.
(I have my own list of things I cannot tolerate... but of course my list is the right list to have.)
In the end -- at some point -- we still walk out that door for the last time, maybe with a watch in hand, maybe with angry words, maybe not meaning to leave at all -- and then the future overtakes all those things we fought for -- and the next generation will, of course, make the art they choose and usually it will be in spite of us and not because of us.
Still -- I cannot help but love that empty space waiting to be filled. It is my ultimate joy and if you think that I have any ambitions other than that, or helping others to that place, ... then you don't know me.
In art, it is the same... I think it would surprise people if they knew how closed many, if not most, artists are... a view other than my own... I cannot tolerate and I must wipe it out. It is our religion... I am... conceptual, perceptual, experiential... This is the only art there can be... my view is the right view. It must be human nature to be so intolerant -- but somehow it seems more interesting to me if we have it all.
(I have my own list of things I cannot tolerate... but of course my list is the right list to have.)
In the end -- at some point -- we still walk out that door for the last time, maybe with a watch in hand, maybe with angry words, maybe not meaning to leave at all -- and then the future overtakes all those things we fought for -- and the next generation will, of course, make the art they choose and usually it will be in spite of us and not because of us.
Still -- I cannot help but love that empty space waiting to be filled. It is my ultimate joy and if you think that I have any ambitions other than that, or helping others to that place, ... then you don't know me.
Saturday, April 29, 2006
crossing the line...
Events over take me… personal and work related… so I haven’t had much time to post.
I do have a number of thoughts concerning the immigration debate… I am interested in the need to maintain an inexpensive unprotected service class… It serves Capital's aims. If we had a system for workers to come in legally and a means for them to immigrate after certain criteria had been met, then laissez faire would be served… It would simplify monitoring the borders, fewer terrorists slipping over from Mexico… Oh wait, but that would mean that rights would have to be granted and protection extended to the workers… and that would make them more expensive… and where would their “otherness” go? We have an awful lot of encoded language that is about protecting the “whiteness” of the U.S.
So when does equality for all really mean equality for all?
I do have a number of thoughts concerning the immigration debate… I am interested in the need to maintain an inexpensive unprotected service class… It serves Capital's aims. If we had a system for workers to come in legally and a means for them to immigrate after certain criteria had been met, then laissez faire would be served… It would simplify monitoring the borders, fewer terrorists slipping over from Mexico… Oh wait, but that would mean that rights would have to be granted and protection extended to the workers… and that would make them more expensive… and where would their “otherness” go? We have an awful lot of encoded language that is about protecting the “whiteness” of the U.S.
So when does equality for all really mean equality for all?
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
one more time...
...and with feeling
Russ,
You and I have fundamental disagreements that cannot be reconciled...
I am infinitely concerned with the ethics of government. I find a particular evil to government by pragmatism. It fails to recognize what makes us human... It prevents us from becoming "the angels of our better natures"...
...but in a world ruled by pragmatism... why should we protect the innocent? (Culture of Life) Does that serve our best interests? The people of Darfur... are they more guilty? If we're concerned about threats, what about Korea?
"Meanwhile, I would like to note that you never seem to engage the central themes of my critiques… notably the conflation of Christianity with political and economic agendas. That Bush, and many other politicians, continually proclaim their religious devotion… yet their actions and their policies seem out of line with what they say they believe."
You know really... What would Jesus do?
Russ,
You and I have fundamental disagreements that cannot be reconciled...
I am infinitely concerned with the ethics of government. I find a particular evil to government by pragmatism. It fails to recognize what makes us human... It prevents us from becoming "the angels of our better natures"...
...but in a world ruled by pragmatism... why should we protect the innocent? (Culture of Life) Does that serve our best interests? The people of Darfur... are they more guilty? If we're concerned about threats, what about Korea?
"Meanwhile, I would like to note that you never seem to engage the central themes of my critiques… notably the conflation of Christianity with political and economic agendas. That Bush, and many other politicians, continually proclaim their religious devotion… yet their actions and their policies seem out of line with what they say they believe."
You know really... What would Jesus do?
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Capitalism, Marxism and other ideal states...
(The following is a response to a comment made by Russ on "the benevolence of the butcher post...")
Dear Russ,
The website you suggested presents an alternative definition of Capitalism (and there are many such definitions). The website’s definition is as idealized as any theory put forward by Marx and Engels -- and equally unrealizable. The website, http://www.capitalism.org, conflates the religious doctrine of “Free Will”, with a personal ideology of “Free Will” and uses the term(s), in what I find to be a rather odd jump in logic, as a synonym for “laissez faire…” which, as I’m sure you know, means “to allow to do” and is an economic ideology that is in opposition to government intervention in business (in other words, it is an advocacy for business free of regulation). At the same time the site argues for “objective laws” and a system of Capitalism which doesn’t require force or exploitation. – This would seem to imply that some sort of regulation would be in order to ensure the proper functioning of such an economic system… (Additionally who determines what are to be these “objective laws” and how do we ensure that all citizens, within a political system that privileges those with the resources to hire superior legal counsel, have the equal benefit of these “objective laws…)
My most fundamental disagreement with the website, however, has to do with the idea that there is this “absolute truth.” This post would stretch into far too many lines if I were to actually address this statement… Suffice to say that the only absolute truth that I know is that there is no “absolute truth.”
Still… if this is the definition of Capitalism for which you or others prefer to advocate… I am glad to hear it… any ideology which opposes force and exploitation I can find overlap with…
Meanwhile, I would like to note that you never seem to engage the central themes of my critiques… notably the conflation of Christianity with political and economic agendas. That Bush, and many other politicians, continually proclaim their religious devotion… yet their actions and their policies seem out of line with what they say they believe.
Just a few of the questions that these inconsistencies in action raise… Why, if we are committed to freeing the people of Iraq and bringing them Democracy, are we not equally committed to the people of Darfur…? How do we alleviate the suffering of others, including our own people? Why are our own children sometimes allowed to go without proper education or medical care? Why does our president, who promotes a “Culture of Life,” also support the death penalty? And how, by the way, does the Culture of life and the war in Iraq make sense together???? As caretakers of the “Garden” just how are we doing?
I am extremely critical of many of the decisions made by this Administration and the current Congress… I see no leaders currently that are up to the task of truly leading us. And on the anniversary of the war in Iraq… I am fearful of the path we are on as a people…
Dear Russ,
The website you suggested presents an alternative definition of Capitalism (and there are many such definitions). The website’s definition is as idealized as any theory put forward by Marx and Engels -- and equally unrealizable. The website, http://www.capitalism.org, conflates the religious doctrine of “Free Will”, with a personal ideology of “Free Will” and uses the term(s), in what I find to be a rather odd jump in logic, as a synonym for “laissez faire…” which, as I’m sure you know, means “to allow to do” and is an economic ideology that is in opposition to government intervention in business (in other words, it is an advocacy for business free of regulation). At the same time the site argues for “objective laws” and a system of Capitalism which doesn’t require force or exploitation. – This would seem to imply that some sort of regulation would be in order to ensure the proper functioning of such an economic system… (Additionally who determines what are to be these “objective laws” and how do we ensure that all citizens, within a political system that privileges those with the resources to hire superior legal counsel, have the equal benefit of these “objective laws…)
My most fundamental disagreement with the website, however, has to do with the idea that there is this “absolute truth.” This post would stretch into far too many lines if I were to actually address this statement… Suffice to say that the only absolute truth that I know is that there is no “absolute truth.”
Still… if this is the definition of Capitalism for which you or others prefer to advocate… I am glad to hear it… any ideology which opposes force and exploitation I can find overlap with…
Meanwhile, I would like to note that you never seem to engage the central themes of my critiques… notably the conflation of Christianity with political and economic agendas. That Bush, and many other politicians, continually proclaim their religious devotion… yet their actions and their policies seem out of line with what they say they believe.
Just a few of the questions that these inconsistencies in action raise… Why, if we are committed to freeing the people of Iraq and bringing them Democracy, are we not equally committed to the people of Darfur…? How do we alleviate the suffering of others, including our own people? Why are our own children sometimes allowed to go without proper education or medical care? Why does our president, who promotes a “Culture of Life,” also support the death penalty? And how, by the way, does the Culture of life and the war in Iraq make sense together???? As caretakers of the “Garden” just how are we doing?
I am extremely critical of many of the decisions made by this Administration and the current Congress… I see no leaders currently that are up to the task of truly leading us. And on the anniversary of the war in Iraq… I am fearful of the path we are on as a people…
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