Returning to Eden

 As the wheels appear to be coming off the bus of human existence and countries of the world experience extreme opposing attitudes among their citizenry, the question arises when did things go so wrong between us? Scanning through the annals of time, we can find many examples of similar episodes between the two-leggeds repeating over and over, extending back in time to the story of Adam and Eve.

According to the myth, Adam & Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden at the dawn of human time.  It was a garden of perfection and general harmony abounded.  That is until the day the talking serpent showed up to convince Eve that there was more to be gained if she but took a bite of the forbidden fruit. Once she and her mate, Adam, had partaken of it their eyes were opened.  Their arrogance grew and they soon waltzed from the Garden to seek their fortunes on their own terms. The rejection of their place in the ecosystem they had enjoyed was just the beginning of humanity's problems.

To this day humans view themselves as "higher" than all other lifeforms and believe in their own god-like powers and capabilities. Some have taken their superiority so far as to denigrate other humans, attempting on numerous occasions to wipe "those vermin" off the face of the Earth. Leaping over all the genocide, wars, slavery, hoarding of resources, and poisoning of sea, land, and sky, we discover this arrogance of self-aggrandizement is squeezing the Earth into a potentially desperate corner. Only just now have we begun to collectively begun to wonder, "What have we done to ourselves?"  And how do we get out of this mess?

The good road back to Eden depends on the human coming-of-age realization that Eden existed because of the Love that created it and the homeostasis maintained by the peaceful coexistence of all lifeforms found therein. In Eden, there was no dominance of one species over another. Each one had its place and part in maintaining the balance.  The danger crept in when the temptation to control a single resource (the forbidden fruit) overpowered their appreciation for the love on which the Garden was based. 

To return to Eden is to return to Love.  Love for the built-in diversity of lifeforms - plants, bacteria, reptiles, mammals.... and humans.  It requires appreciation for each of the contributions those fellow occupants have in the balance needed to power the gift of life that the whole enjoys. Life depends on being willing to share, to be sensitive to the needs of "the other," and to be conscious of how and why others might be struggling to hold up their end of the balance. 

The animosity generated from this abandoned principle is the seed for ultimate destruction.  It is far past time to return to Eden values.

Governance by the Few or the Many?

The recent sharp bend toward authoritarian rule in the United States by what was called the Republican Party is cause for a brief historical review of why this movement is a dangerous repeat of a long failed political system.  Dictators, Kings, Emperors, and all national leaders who are not answerable to the people (e.g., Putin) arise from the same ugly human sin. It is an usurpation of the people's power that benefits principally only the ego of an individual with a small cadre of supporters holding fantasies of getting a share of that power and wealth if they are loyal. 

This egoistic authoritarian rule through history can be blamed for millions of deaths, the sick drive for ever more powerful weapons of destruction, and untold tons of the earth's resources squandered pursuing militaristic solutions for one goal: amassing as much wealth and power in the hands of as few as possible.

To begin someplace - take Rome around the turn of the 1st millennium CE.  A string of emperors, having subjugated the largest geographical area in human history, became increasingly drunk on power to the point of true insanity.  That insanity and corruption were helpful in the dissolution of the Roman Empire, but as it broke up, it was essentially only restructured into other empires. Tribal chiefs, warlords, kings, and emperors were humanity's only model of governance. The rule of natural law was the brute survival of the strongest leader who could dominate the population through subjugation into poverty or military prowess.

It wasn't until a spate of revolutions in the 18th century (e.g., French, American) that a new concept of governance arose - government by the people. The idea was simple: economic progress was possible only through the concerted labor of the people, so the people should have control of the governance structure to provide for the needs of the people.  Hence, democracy was born.

The United States of America was established on the principle that the Law was king.  The law could establish the equality of human beings and respect the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Given the history from which humanity came, it is unsurprising that holding on to those idyllic principles has been an ongoing struggle.  The few, who have always clamored to garner more unto themselves, have never relented. An underlying ethical question remains bubbling under the surface of all collective human endeavors: how much is enough? 

From its inception, the United States government has held its want for "more" on the one hand and, on the other hand, the theoretical hope that one people could live under the law with liberty and justice for all. Sadly, examples of the breakdown of that speculative hope have littered US history while the forces of the few wanting more and more have consistently won out.

The indigenous peoples of North America were the early losers as their lands were taken by bribes, corruption, and force. Tycoons and corporations harvested and reaped the largess of resources in the new land with the support of governance structures, including the rule of laws made to their benefit. The wheels of governing have always been vulnerable to occupation by those with the money to buy them. The all too familiar "glove over the fist" has been to convince the working poor that the fruit of their labor was being stolen by scapegoats (slaves, immigrants, miscreants, and perverts) to hide the haul being made out the back door by the tycoons. US Corporations continue to this day around the globe raking in the wealth of land and labor belonging to others. Once tycoons were (somewhat) satisfied with millions, they now want billions, with their eyes glassing over at the thought that being the first trillionaire is within reach.  Again the question: how much is enough?  And, at what cost to the people?

Somewhat understandably, the desire of the tycoons today is a form of governance that they can control, and the ancient example of dictators and emperors stand out as the form that accomplishes the largest centralization of power in the fewest pesky hands. Today the United States finds itself in the tycoons' bowling alley.  They have been setting up the pins -- the fomentation of dissatisfaction of different groups against each other (i.e., scapegoats) to fracture unanimity.  Now with the buying of the U.S. Supreme Court, the undermining of election/voting laws, and a loud minority of Congress giving the appearance of being the ones popular among the people, the bowling ball is poised for an entirely different kind of shot that will be heard around the world: the death of democracy. Are there still enough revolutionary hearts beating for the freedom humans have longed for without tyrants stealing it all? Stay tuned.  

     

Politics I

Politics is frequently thought of as "dirty business."  Words such as corruption, graft, greed, fraud, etc., are commonly associated with it. The term is also associated with conflict, divisiveness, animosity, and cheating. A folk axiom in the United States defines politics (along with religion) as two topics that should not be discussed, implying that doing so can raise conflict and divide even the best of friends.  I posit that this attitude reflects the possible result when clear rules and boundaries for discussions have not been predetermined or when there is only a presumed understanding of the "rules of engagement."

Politics, more broadly defined, is little more than the process used within a group to make a joint decision. As such, there are family politics, church politics, and local politics in addition to state or federal. Who hasn't experienced the family politics of children against parents deciding curfews, bedtimes, or vacation spots?  All social interaction requires an adjudication of power.  Who makes the decisions?  How are decisions going to be arrived at?  Who gets a say in the decision?  Who implements the decision?  There is much that politics determines about inter-human relations.

The more clearly defined (political) rules, the less potential conflict there will be when a decision has to be made.  Whether we are talking about domestic politics or the politics of the United Nations, having some common understanding that the individual parties have agreed to can go a long way to avoiding contentious/harmful conflicts that can sink relationships. A few of the questions to find agreed answers for might include the following:

• How are we going to decide things that affect us? (e.g., consensus, vote, leaving it up to one person, flipping a coin, mediation by an outside party....)
• Who and how do new issues get brought up?
• What is to be done when discussions/debates get intense?
• What behaviors are considered unacceptable? (e.g., threats, violence, withdrawing/shutting down, cursing...)

You might sit down with a significant someone(s) and see if you have a shared understanding of the above questions.

Politics II will introduce morals & ethics in politics.

 

Ruth Bader Ginsburg - Our Guiding Star - 1933-2020

September 18, 2020

A Jewish teaching says those who die just before the Jewish new year are the ones God has held back until the last moment because they are needed most and are the most righteous.

And so it was . . . our Ruth Bader Ginsberg died as the sun was setting last night which marked the beginning of RoshHashanah.

Jewish tradition says that people who die that day are called Tzadiks, people with human frailties but who have superhuman abilities to make the world a better place.

She was Tzadik.

The root of the word ṣadiq, is ṣ-d-q, which means "justice" or "righteousness". When applied to a righteous woman, the term is inflected as tzadeikes/tzaddeket.

She stayed with us as long as she could. Let’s hope and pray her righteousness continues its influence on our actions and that her memory will forever guide our nation.

Possible Answer to the Biggest Question

One of the largest questions frequently lifted is how is Trump still able to garner 40-ish percent approval with all that he has done and is doing?  It is a puzzler.  How often do we hear (former?) friends and family members singing the Trump accolades for how much he has done?  Often in response to our incredulous come back, "What has he done," we get fuzzy mumbled answers that frequently make no sense or have no connection to the reality we see.  To find an answer we have to remove our caps and gowns and put on special glasses to peer into the minds and emotions of those in the 40%. 

Ali Breland, a reporter for Mother Jones, in August of 2019 wrote an excellent piece (https://tinyurl.com/y6l9rvdt) entitled, "Why Are Right-Wing Conspiracies So Obsessed With Pedophilia?"  They brought to the surface some realities about the history and pattern of conspiracy theories that reveal a lot about the deeper social disturbance through which we are living.  Breland says, "Conspiracy theories of all kinds draw their energy from social anxieties." What social anxieties do we have at present?

So many conservatives start out their discussion of Trumpian politics by saying, "After enduring 8 years of the horrors of Obama..."  Liberals are left mystified by this statement because so many positive things happened with the Obama Presidency.  Big red-letter issues that stick in the craw of social conservatives are gay marriage, transgender protections, freely available contraception, and an expanded social safety net (especially Obamacare.)  In addition, there has been a 400-year history of white majority/dominate rule, which came to a screeching bump in the road with the election of a Black man for president. Unresolved agreement on "border security" is perceived by conservatives as an "open border," which allows the Hispanic population to further erode and threaten the white power majority.  All of these "social anxieties" for conservatives raise fear and foreboding about their further loss of influence, structure, stability, and power. Trump has capitalized on magnifying these fears to the point that many on the right react with "lizard brain" white-knuckled rage and the fight side of their stressed fight-flight-freeze reaction fully lit up. A Facebook meme has circulated that says, in effect, "It's not what Trump has done, but who he hates that his supporters love." His supporters genuinely believe their very way of life is under siege and they feel they're at risk of losing everything.   All this to the point that our democracy is seriously threatened. 

In order for our democracy to be saved, what do we do?  The present mind set is basically a classic military approach.  To any invasion we apply a greater force to repel it.  The primary focus is on "getting out the vote."  Get so many out to vote that the minority loses and then we can put our progressive agenda back on track is the commonly held belief.  This strategy may be effective when the side being fought against is only in the 10-20% range.  But we are at 39-42%.  Forcing a change at this level, without addressing the social anxiety, is likely only going to increase the disturbing trend toward militias, armaments, violence (and conspiracy theories.)  And a side note: whether the source of the anxiety is "real" or not is immaterial.  To a person experiencing anxiety that is real and you will not get anywhere telling that person to just "calm down."  Life feels threatening.  The person (group) have a primordial built-in response to fight the aggressor for their life. 

What can be done to change this hostile frustrated division in our country?  Both sides are supremely frustrated, some even rage-filled to the point of murder, with the other side not being able to hear "reasonable arguments."  Reasonable arguments that press the "logic" of one's red or blue position are not going to cut it.  Why?  Mainly because there's an inherent dynamic in the world of debating that you're on a side that has to win and very often that doesn't allow the other to hear.  In this author's humble opinion, we need to be willing to put down our sword and shield and step across the lines and start asking the question (with a sincere interest in the answer) like "What frightens you the most about the course the country is on?"  "What makes you anxious about where our country is right now?  "On what are you basing your assumptions?"  If we engage in the more vulnerable, emotion-laden conversations from a caring place we are liable to get further along and build the relationships better than arguing, fighting, and retreating into separate bunkers.  World War I lasted in the trenches a God-awful destructively long time. I don't think anyone really wants to go there.  So, let's start the one by one by one.... conversations and see if it doesn't bring down the levels of frustration with each other a bit?

  

What's This Election About?

What’s this election about?  It’s NOT about Democrats and Republicans. This  election is fundamentally a referendum on our history.  The question this election must answer is:

Are we going to continue down a 500-plus year history of genocidal mania so rich, racist, misogynistic, greedy overlords can continue to rape the land, exterminate the sacred diversity of this planet, and subvert freedom into their on-going rage against the planet and its peoples?

OR,

Are we going to grab the last window of opportunity through our vote to blast us off the extinction course they are blindly pursuing and claim the Original Blessing with which we were endowed at the beginning of creation where all was declared good and all were told to be fruitful?

Since white European monarchs first rose and stifled humanity, they have spread their duplicitous colonizing murderous ways across the face of the earth in their insatiable quest for more wealth.  They’ve spewed their disingenuous lip-service about “liberty and freedom for all” while they’ve killed or shackled 90% of the world’s population with poverty, disease, hunger, and misery. Across the plains of North America, they poisoned, shot, hung, infected, rounded up and sequestered the entire race of Native Americans.  In our own lifetimes, they have continued this madness of digging, chopping, exploiting, stealing, warring their way across Viet Nam, Cambodia, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Chile, Iraq, Iran, Africa and with subterfuge and our tax money overthrown sovereign governments and assassinated leaders.  They have cowed all US citizens with their filthy lies about inter-racial hatred and sowed suspicion against all who don’t bow and worship their privileged white plantation-owning lives.  This year, THIS YEAR, what is on our ballots is: Will we allow this to continue?  Beyond this year it is not at all clear whether we, the people, will get the opportunity again to get this right and say “No” to this infernal massive planetary abortion of humanity and creation.

We are living in a post-modern feudalism where rich overlords are manipulating the levers of power to sow animosity throughout the population, turning us against one another, convincing us of the smallness of the economic pie.  They do this so they can steal our livelihood through unfair one-sided taxation, keep the focus off their corruption, and mollify us with false measures of our economic viability.  Ending this con game is what this election is about. Free-market capitalism was supposed to harness the human impulse toward greed and domination.  It was supposed to present opportunity to everyone that if they took hold of the reins of their destiny and worked they could thrive and achieve economic security for their families.  People wake up.  This is not happening.  The greedy have taken everything they can and they are now no different than the Sheriff of Nottingham – they’re burning towns & villages, they’re sponsoring outright gun battles in our streets, and they are taking all our hard work and turning it into hate, vindictiveness, and anger with our fellow citizens when it is them with whom we should be angry.

This election, this referendum, is do the rich monarchs of power get to keep throwing us in the gutter while they continue to burn down the planet? Do they get to continue bastardizing Our Constitution by eliminating the checks and balances that were built into this unique experiment and brief foray into democracy of, for, and by the people?  If you do not vote you are saying, "Go ahead. Throw me into debtors prison, I don’t care."  If you vote for corporate shills – Trump & Company-- you vote for more animosity, anxiety, noise, and planetary annihilation.  If you vote for Bloomberg, Buttigieg, or Biden, you vote for the same only with a softer, gentler chloroform so you sleep through a slow-motion demise of America.

I don’t like Bernie.  He’s abrasive, he’s old, his rabid followers are stubborn, mule-headed and are not kind or gentle.  But, policy-wise he’s putting people back in power in place of the rich oligarchs who are scared to death he might succeed for us.  Elizabeth Warren is a softer version of Bernie.  I think one or the other of them, or both, have the prescription our democracy needs at this junction in history.  If they are just too scary revolutionary for you – then go with Klobuchar, who at least talks about the common people’s plight and appeals to our higher angels to unify.

This is a true existential fork in the road. Humanity cannot continue to exist under feudal overlords whose only interest is owning the world. They do not care about one single person besides themselves – as epitomized in their present leader in the White House; they have moved full on into eliminating anyone who comes between them and their exploitative ways. Our only chance is to stand united.  Our masses can take back the planet, put in place a rational reset for the past 250 years of environmental degradation and human suffering. There are bitter pills we all have to swallow.  We can’t afford to be picky about who we like.  Unlike past elections, it’s not a matter of which candidate’s hair we like or who gives a better speech or even about the “lesser of two evils.” Extinction is on our ballot here and now!  This is about our children’s future.  Please don’t mess it up.    

How Much Do You Know?

Questions Like:

If both the President and Vice President cannot serve, who becomes President?

1. Speaker of the House
2. Secretary of Treasury
3. Secretary of State
4. President Pro Tem

What are two cabinet level positions?

1. Secretary of Weather and Secretary of Energy
2. Secretary of Interior and Secretary of History
3. Secretary of Health & Human Services and Secretary of Navy
4. Secretary of State and Secretary of Labor

Name a state that borders Canada.

1. Oregon
2. South Dakota
3. Rhode Island
4. Maine

Who does a U.S. Senator represent?

1. The people in a state who voted for them
2. The people who belong to their party
3. All the people in their state.
4. Only the people in the town they're from.

More sample questions can be found on the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration website.

Correct Answers for above questions: 1, 4, 4, 3