( – promoted by buhdydharma )
I’m a lurker at heart, commenter, a non writer a visual left brain artist type, no wonk, no lawyer. I came to the net for some semblance of truth, and/or satisfaction or vague ideas of bringing reconciliation to the divide I saw between reality and what i was told was reality. The cooked up culture war being a symptom of nothing more then the manipulation of a vast and varied continent that long ago started a dream. A dream borne from discontent with an ‘inevitable’ Empire, by men (sorry for the sexist remark here) who while privileged had the vision to move this colony to self determination and a concept that has propelled the concept of governance to heights never before established. A dream that while always contained the seeds of human evil also had a thread of human possibilities. I just can’t get over the “We the People” part. It is the thread that hooks me and saves me from despair. Where is the “We the People” part? I cannot believe that technology and marketing can kill the impetus that started this organic process towards self governance.
The divides I see are not larger then the original intent, and while some will argue intent original was always divisive not progressive, I see it, it’s called human progress. I see it daily in peoples lives, not the distortions of the dream, but in the realization that something basic is wrong here. This essay is just a reminder that the divides we share, although polarizing and personal should not overshadow the united part. Not united by our silly politics but united in progress. Lets move towards a destiny that is not defined by the forces of tyranny who assume the shape of our discontent and offer us strings of beads for our hard won birthrights. ‘We the people’ is now a global force not just our tallying of momentary gain personally, you me all of us face a reality we must shape beyond the great divide. Political reality is made by people who face fear and do not accept it. The only way out of our great divide is to remember that we the people determine reality. What do you want for the real world? If your answer is peace, prosperity, equity, justice, reach out and take it is there and you make it real.
I’m so old that the song that inspired this essay by The Band is not on You Tube. this sad version is it.
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there’s this nasty overlay on reality, defined by those who profit from it, that hopes to convince us that life is a simple “us versus them” and nothing more. If “we” could only get rid of “them” our lives would be so much better.
But it’s a false front. Thanks for reminding us!
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what we fight for. History, politics, the elite of every time and moment all obscure our right as humans to self determination. The future is not determined we make it. Nothing is inevitable or insurmountable, even fear.
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All morning going here and there on the blogs, this song kept rolling around in my head. We all want and need the same thing , courage is required. I gain my strength here, across the great divide, into the future.
Thanks. Hope to see more of them. Three cheers for lurkers!
Me, neither! Thanks for putting this all into words, Shaharazade. 🙂
Glad you see the beauty thru the pain, I don’t. We were never “the people,” not if we were Black, female, or landless. We never have had anyone from those 3 groups become president–and no, Lincoln was no longer poor when he became president–neither was Bill Clinton. This time around we might get one from this group, and the media is trying to brew a sexism vs. racism contest to show the world that we ain’t “we.”
The US has been a failure by many counts–last to eleiminate slavery–had lynchings 50 years ago, never had a woman leader, worst healthcare of all industrialized countries. And with the recession/depression in the wings, things will get worse. Last time our stupid leaders gave us guns and butter, the shit hit the fan when Carter took office–and he got the blame and “we” got St. Ronnie. Next president will be sitting in the same broth, and “we” will get blamed.
I love this part. I’ve been thinking all day that this “playing the race card” issue we keep hearing about is just so bogus. If someone wants to say that someone is a racist or has made a racist remark, then say it. Don’t say so-and-so seems to be playing the “race card.” What is that? This whole thing is being played up and so overblown. I think to get us to stop thinking about the Republicans. I’ve heard people recently make the argument that Hillary (and Obama) need to focus on the Republicans and specifically wrongs of GWB. I agree with that.
Honestly, my feelings about the Obama “drug use” question is not that it is playing the race card so much as it is touching on the age or generational difference between the Clintons and Obama. Where Bill felt barely comfortable enough admitting to not inhaling, Obama has come out and admitted like most in his generation he had experimented with drugs somewhat. Unsaid is that it was the Clinton generation that opened the door to drug experimentation to the younger generation. But, we don’t want to fight over the 60s anymore.
I actually think it is cool that Democrats are struggling however awkwardly with these issues. The Republicans don’t seem to argue about race and gender. I guess they don’t have any questions, and nothing to figure out. That is not better in my opinion.
I like the utube version of the song, too.
Video about the cognitive science of politics and the human thought process itself. A quantum leap above the simple presentation of the link to Strategic Communications Laboratories, I give you this long but informative link.
http://www.linktv.org/programs…
daughter in law, my eleven year old grandson, my 9 year old grandson and one extra for the family – 5 DVD’s. One was The Band, Martin Scorcese’s fabulous and brilliant film and my best of the generation pick from the 70’s: The Rose, Bette Middler’s thinly disguised paean of praise to Janis Joplin,the production managwr Ira Loonstein was my best friend, he died shortly after completion of cancer, far too young to die. heavy metal Mettalica and Rap Around the Clock for the young boys, for the family en masse it was Borat.
So, since i rarely check out You Tube videos whichever song you played was surely because you are never too old to be young at heart, Keep on rocking and keep on righting the wrongs through your writings.
You asked and said in your concluding paragraph: “What do you want for the real world? If your answer is peace, prosperity, equity, justice, reach out and take it is there and you make it real.”
I’ve always thought that there is nothing in our world that doesn’t begin with and is created from an idea. And that itself is a concept that runs through many cultures and teachings. Don Juan Matus’ teaching described in Castanedas books that we literally create the physical reality we find ourselves in comes to mind as one example.
I also often think there is an “idea space” in which all thoughts that can be exist, and that we all are connected to it.
For some reason, I don’t know why and don’t remember putting it there – I must have done it unconsciously one day – on my google personalized page I have a feed for a Buddhist Thought of The Day from amidabuddha.org.
Today the thought was this:
Lilly, btw, wrote in 1972 “The Centre of the Cyclone: An Autobiography of Inner Space ” – a great book if you have the chance or time to read it.
Then you wrote this:
I have no idea where I’m going with this comment, you just sparked a bit of free associating in me with your essay, but maybe I was going to this thought – one that I think a lot of other people feel also:
There may be something basically wrong with the world these days, as you say, but I think there is also much more that is basically right… no?
Thanks for your essay, Shaharazade… 🙂
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Just needed to do them justice. A great band.
On the Front Page! Good job lurker!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. You’ve made some great quotes – this is the one I particularly liked:
That’s a key to what I see being wrong with society these days. Too many people telling us what reality is and not enough looking within ourselves. Conformity is encouraged and individualism discouraged. Mainstream America is all too willing to be spoon-fed by the media, politicians, academics etc. and are too lazy to cook for themselves.
btw, The Last Waltz was my first boyfriend’s favorite album. Haven’t thought about him in a loooong time. Ah, sweet memories!
deserved to be heard as much as anyone else.
“To lurk or not to lurk, that is the question.” William Shakespeare
“That’s one small step for a former lurker, one giant leap for everybody.” Neil Armstrong
“Power to the lurkers, power to the lurkers, right on!” John Lennon
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it’s hard to write when your surrounded by such great writers. on the other hand it’s inspiring and you can learn from them. Do wish the Democrats would pay attention to the candidates that actually see and talk about the real issues. The fear of the right wing noise machine just empowers the status quo! The pols use it to cover their complicity and weak opposition.
Bigotry, unfortunately, is most often learned through one’s own parents, thus, self-perpetuating, or their particular community or State, depending on which sort of bigotry one is speaking of at a given time. I saw it when I was a kid point blank — for example, if you didn’t have money, you’re pretty much on the outside of things, unless you had super good looks — really, a very Republican trait, IMV! But, of course, I’ve seen it all my life in various “shapes” and “forms”
Bigots enjoy being bigots — it makes them feel superior to others. Also, this society needs to have a need to “hate” for one reason or another.
Well thought out for a “lurker.” 😉
Thank you for sharing, Shaharazade.