Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
American Hypocrisy
I just read an interesting blog:
http://www.zeropartypolitics.com/2011/02/bill-maher-using-lara-logan-sexual.html
The author was very critical of Bill Maher and his "bigotry"*.
It was interesting to me because the author is very intelligent. He is an Arab American man and was obviously deeply hurt when Bill Maher implied that Middle-Eastern Theocracies were not ready for Democracy because of their poor treatment of women. In addition, Maher said Americans treat women better than Arabs, which the above blogger took as a personal insult.
I, of course, agree with Maher. I think he spoke too generally, though, and wasn't clear enough about what he meant. I too saw Lara Logan's gang rape as evidence of Arab hatred of women, especially American or Jewish ones. Logan is neither an American or Jew, but apparently a chant of "Jew", "Jew", was yelled by her attackers during the rape.
Does this mean all Arab men hate women? Of course not. I would venture to guess most don't. I don't think that is what Bill meant.
Gang rapes occur all over the world, and that only the individuals who committed the crime should be admonished, not an entire culture. When an All-American football team commits gang rape, aren't there actions too, driven somewhat by culture? A culture that aggrandizes sports heroes and makes them feel above the law?
It is not crazy at all, or racist, to say Islamic culture has some "issues" with women. Just like Americans have "issues" with materialism and addiction to money and oil. Americans need to be willing to look in the mirror, but so do people living in Islamic Theocracies.
I am not so sure the revolutions in the Middle-East are a move away from Theocracy, but I hope the blogger above is correct that they are.
That said, I can see how Americans also treat women terribly. The debate over which culture treats women worse, seems ridiculous, as in many Middle-Eastern Theocracies the term "women's rights" is an oxymoron. In most Western Democracies, or in our case a Republic, equality of the sexes supported by the laws of the land. In this sense, Maher is correct, Western Democracies and Republics are morally superior to Middle-Eastern Theocracies in their support of women's rights.
Cultures, races, and religions don't commit sex crimes...people do. All humans carry within the ability to do good or do bad. I really do not believe Maher meant that all men of Arab or Middle Eastern descent treat women worse than all American men. I think he meant that the governments, laws, and cultures in the Middle East are more oppressive to women than the laws of Western Democracies. This would be true.
What if we make a statement like: Americans are hypocrites. Well, as the above blogger points out, this is true if we are referring to our thirst for oil and our support of a brutal theocracy (Saudi Arabia). We are putting economic gain first, at the expense of supporting human rights.
But by that logic we should not trade with China at all. Their human rights abuses are horrendous.
http://www.zeropartypolitics.com/2011/02/bill-maher-using-lara-logan-sexual.html
The author was very critical of Bill Maher and his "bigotry"*.
It was interesting to me because the author is very intelligent. He is an Arab American man and was obviously deeply hurt when Bill Maher implied that Middle-Eastern Theocracies were not ready for Democracy because of their poor treatment of women. In addition, Maher said Americans treat women better than Arabs, which the above blogger took as a personal insult.
I, of course, agree with Maher. I think he spoke too generally, though, and wasn't clear enough about what he meant. I too saw Lara Logan's gang rape as evidence of Arab hatred of women, especially American or Jewish ones. Logan is neither an American or Jew, but apparently a chant of "Jew", "Jew", was yelled by her attackers during the rape.
Does this mean all Arab men hate women? Of course not. I would venture to guess most don't. I don't think that is what Bill meant.
Gang rapes occur all over the world, and that only the individuals who committed the crime should be admonished, not an entire culture. When an All-American football team commits gang rape, aren't there actions too, driven somewhat by culture? A culture that aggrandizes sports heroes and makes them feel above the law?
It is not crazy at all, or racist, to say Islamic culture has some "issues" with women. Just like Americans have "issues" with materialism and addiction to money and oil. Americans need to be willing to look in the mirror, but so do people living in Islamic Theocracies.
I am not so sure the revolutions in the Middle-East are a move away from Theocracy, but I hope the blogger above is correct that they are.
That said, I can see how Americans also treat women terribly. The debate over which culture treats women worse, seems ridiculous, as in many Middle-Eastern Theocracies the term "women's rights" is an oxymoron. In most Western Democracies, or in our case a Republic, equality of the sexes supported by the laws of the land. In this sense, Maher is correct, Western Democracies and Republics are morally superior to Middle-Eastern Theocracies in their support of women's rights.
Cultures, races, and religions don't commit sex crimes...people do. All humans carry within the ability to do good or do bad. I really do not believe Maher meant that all men of Arab or Middle Eastern descent treat women worse than all American men. I think he meant that the governments, laws, and cultures in the Middle East are more oppressive to women than the laws of Western Democracies. This would be true.
His dating comment was over- the- top and hurtful. I think he was in pain and grieving for his friend. We all say things we don't mean sometimes when we are hurting.
What exactly are racism and bigotry?
If I say, many Jews are wealthy, this may be true. If I say Jews love money, you might call me a bigot.
If I say, many Middle Eastern men treat women poorly, this may be true. If I say Arab men are misogynistic, I am making a generalization, and being unfair to all who are not.What if we make a statement like: Americans are hypocrites. Well, as the above blogger points out, this is true if we are referring to our thirst for oil and our support of a brutal theocracy (Saudi Arabia). We are putting economic gain first, at the expense of supporting human rights.
But by that logic we should not trade with China at all. Their human rights abuses are horrendous.
It gets very complicated.
I think of racism not as noticing how a certain individual of some race behaves, but believing they behave a certain way BECAUSE of their race.
Or sexism as...that human being is unable to hold a job down BECAUSE she is a woman, and we all know that women aren't smart.
So, was Bill Maher just making an observation? One of: Women are treated worse in the Middle East than they are in the West.
Or, was he saying Middle Eastern men are predisposed to treating women badly because they come from the Middle East? Or more specifically, Arab men treat women badly BECAUSE they are Arab.
You can say, wow, most of the people in this poor neighborhood are black. That is an observation. If you say they are poor because they are black, and black people are lazy, that is racism. Ironically, many Liberals fall into this category. They don't even realize they are being racist.
The men that treat women badly are white, black, brown, etc. They don't treat women badly because of their race.
They treat women badly because they believe in ideas about women that are false. In the Middle East, oppression of females is supported by the laws of many of the governments.
In the West, many people still believe is misogynistic ideas, but the law punishes them if they act on them.
So is Bill Maher a bigot? I certainly don't think so. I don't think he cares what race, religion, or sex his friends are. I don't think he believes anyone is "bad" because of their race, religion, or sex. But he does express powerful opinions, his show is set up for this.
And I am sure, sooner or later he will say something to personally offend me, that's free speech. And maybe if I was the Arab American man he offended I would quit watching too...but hasn't he ever made a mistake, or a generalization about a group of people when he was in a fearful state of mind? We all makes mistakes, and I think Bill's is forgivable.
*One definition I found of "bigot" was: forming opinions without just cause. Another: intolerant of others positions and views. Another: prejudice against the views of others.Saturday, March 5, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Caution Liberal Revolutionaries...
Caution...ahead...
Do you understand they are getting ready to march on Jeruselum? That is what they are chanting...LISTEN UP!
Do you understand they are getting ready to march on Jeruselum? That is what they are chanting...LISTEN UP!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Glenn Beck (I know...I know)
Look, I know, Glenn Beck can seem a little nutty at times. However, you must listen...nuts and all. The man is speaking the truth about the Middle-East. Recovered alcoholics tend to put their passion for alcohol into something else, as Glenn has.
Glenn is a Libertarian, not a Republican, or a Democrat.
I have laughed at many parodies of Glenn, and as funny as they are, I can't help but know, he is right on the Middle-East.
Crazy or not...the man has his facts straight. Perhaps we should be careful about who we call crazy...
He who sees is often reviled...
Nevermind...just watch.
Glenn is a Libertarian, not a Republican, or a Democrat.
I have laughed at many parodies of Glenn, and as funny as they are, I can't help but know, he is right on the Middle-East.
Crazy or not...the man has his facts straight. Perhaps we should be careful about who we call crazy...
He who sees is often reviled...
Nevermind...just watch.
Niall Ferguson On Obama's Mideast Policy
Yeah, they look pretty free...
Listen to Niall...he is correct.
Listen to Niall...he is correct.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Big Layer & Brave Fireflies
They say that when your are healing (emotionally and spiritually speaking), it is like peeling an onion. Well, I began my journey of healing about 10 years ago.
The initiation into a state consciousness I had not experienced before, felt more like someone cutting an onion in half, than a gentle peeling back of layers. My core was exposed, and it was raw, painful...made your eyes burn and tears flow. Flow they did, for months on end...until they stopped.
The gift that evolved out of this pain was a deep peace. I actually couldn't shake it for a few years. (Though the worse half of me tried.) I was able to feel my emotions directly and the world appeared in vibrant color. At times it was as if no negativity could penetrate my space, as if the light emanating from my soul had the capability to ward off the forces of darkness.
It didn't matter how lost or in pain people I encountered were. I could see the good in them, shining underneath the surface. I had developed a kind of compassion that united all people, a compassion I had known nothing of a decade before....except perhaps in the presence of animals.
I began to write; spiritual things mostly. I had a few children's stories come to me, and even started a book I intended to call, "Conscious Parenting".
I never had anything published, though I submitted a children's story to a few publishers:
The Brave Little Firefly:
Once there was a very brave little firefly.
He lived happily in the forest with his mother, his father, his sisters and brothers, his aunts and uncles, and his many, many cousins.
One afternoon there was a large storm. The thunder roared and the wind blew and he was separated from his family.
The brave little firefly became very frightened.
He thought he may get eaten by a bird, a bat, or another forest creature if he didn’t turn his light off.
So…. he turned it off.
For a while, he felt safe. But soon, he began to feel sad. He began to believe he couldn’t truly be himself and be safe at the same time. After all, he was a firefly.
He yearned every day to light his fire and be his true Self. It seemed like forever that he was in the dark.
But he was too afraid.
Finally, one day, the brave little firefly made a decision.
He decided to turn his light on even if it meant he would get eaten.
It was better to turn on his fire than to be afraid forever, he thought.
So he took a deep breath and turned on his light.
It felt so good he couldn’t believe it!!! He wasn’t afraid at all.
Suddenly…. In the far off darkness he saw a….a….a…..a… a…
A light! Not just one light, but many lights.
It was his family.
“Why didn’t you turn your fire back on earlier?” they asked him.
“I was afraid,” said the brave little firefly.
“But you did it anyway,” said his mother.
“We love you,” said his father.
And they lit up the night sky until dawn.
I actually received a response from one house, a denial, but they didn't even have to take the time. I took this as a sign my writing must have some merit.
Around six months later, I was reading Eckart Tolle's, "A New Earth" and was not surprised to see a chapter called, what else..."Conscious Parenting".)
You see, truth is tapped into, it exists in the Universe independent of us, and the vehicle it uses to express itself is irrelevant. Obviously, Tolle was more ready than I to express this truth, and it found its expression through him. This is not at all a judgement of myself, just an observation.
My ego is simply not ready to let go. It is hanging on with desperation, and my attachment to it has not yet been completely severed. Like a parasite, it is afraid it will die without me and I am not sure I can deal it the final blow.
I am not aware of when this inner peace began to fade, though I still experience it for at least a week or so a month. It is painful, almost worse (than never having it al all), to have experienced it only to watch it fade. (Of course, my ego is surely convinced this is my own fault, and I deserve whatever suffering ensues.)
That, however, is not the truth. I may have just hit the next big layer, the MOTHER of all layers. Or perhaps the other half of my personal onion is in the process of being quartered.
Either way, I feel I must move forward.
Bring on the Demons, I am ready for my final battle.
The initiation into a state consciousness I had not experienced before, felt more like someone cutting an onion in half, than a gentle peeling back of layers. My core was exposed, and it was raw, painful...made your eyes burn and tears flow. Flow they did, for months on end...until they stopped.
The gift that evolved out of this pain was a deep peace. I actually couldn't shake it for a few years. (Though the worse half of me tried.) I was able to feel my emotions directly and the world appeared in vibrant color. At times it was as if no negativity could penetrate my space, as if the light emanating from my soul had the capability to ward off the forces of darkness.
It didn't matter how lost or in pain people I encountered were. I could see the good in them, shining underneath the surface. I had developed a kind of compassion that united all people, a compassion I had known nothing of a decade before....except perhaps in the presence of animals.
I began to write; spiritual things mostly. I had a few children's stories come to me, and even started a book I intended to call, "Conscious Parenting".
I never had anything published, though I submitted a children's story to a few publishers:
The Brave Little Firefly:
Once there was a very brave little firefly.
He lived happily in the forest with his mother, his father, his sisters and brothers, his aunts and uncles, and his many, many cousins.
One afternoon there was a large storm. The thunder roared and the wind blew and he was separated from his family.
The brave little firefly became very frightened.
He thought he may get eaten by a bird, a bat, or another forest creature if he didn’t turn his light off.
So…. he turned it off.
For a while, he felt safe. But soon, he began to feel sad. He began to believe he couldn’t truly be himself and be safe at the same time. After all, he was a firefly.
He yearned every day to light his fire and be his true Self. It seemed like forever that he was in the dark.
But he was too afraid.
Finally, one day, the brave little firefly made a decision.
He decided to turn his light on even if it meant he would get eaten.
It was better to turn on his fire than to be afraid forever, he thought.
So he took a deep breath and turned on his light.
It felt so good he couldn’t believe it!!! He wasn’t afraid at all.
Suddenly…. In the far off darkness he saw a….a….a…..a… a…
A light! Not just one light, but many lights.
It was his family.
“Why didn’t you turn your fire back on earlier?” they asked him.
“I was afraid,” said the brave little firefly.
“But you did it anyway,” said his mother.
“We love you,” said his father.
And they lit up the night sky until dawn.
I actually received a response from one house, a denial, but they didn't even have to take the time. I took this as a sign my writing must have some merit.
Around six months later, I was reading Eckart Tolle's, "A New Earth" and was not surprised to see a chapter called, what else..."Conscious Parenting".)
You see, truth is tapped into, it exists in the Universe independent of us, and the vehicle it uses to express itself is irrelevant. Obviously, Tolle was more ready than I to express this truth, and it found its expression through him. This is not at all a judgement of myself, just an observation.
My ego is simply not ready to let go. It is hanging on with desperation, and my attachment to it has not yet been completely severed. Like a parasite, it is afraid it will die without me and I am not sure I can deal it the final blow.
I am not aware of when this inner peace began to fade, though I still experience it for at least a week or so a month. It is painful, almost worse (than never having it al all), to have experienced it only to watch it fade. (Of course, my ego is surely convinced this is my own fault, and I deserve whatever suffering ensues.)
That, however, is not the truth. I may have just hit the next big layer, the MOTHER of all layers. Or perhaps the other half of my personal onion is in the process of being quartered.
Either way, I feel I must move forward.
Bring on the Demons, I am ready for my final battle.
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