The “War on Terror”* is Over…and We’ve “Lost” *(so far)

              First, some ground rules.  This blog is for the compulsively intelligent, excessively contemplative, and pathologically literate. If it’s a Roman gladiator entertainment you want, try channel 739.  I think tonight they are doing a pay-per-view cock fight special with lessons on how to sharpen the teeth of your pit bull.

                Second, some boundaries.  This blog is about terror and terrorism.  It is NOT about war.  War and terrorism have as much in common as a Model T Ford and a Ferrari Enzo.  Both have similar parts and can get you from one place to another – but that’s where the comparisons stop.  War and Terrorism are used to secure political objectives through hostility, but so are polar exploration, space flight and ice hockey; yet nobody calls those things into play when talking about geopolitical aims, though.

                Such as they have been, modern wars have had relatively quantifiable beginnings, objectives, strategies, participants, boundaries and resolutions.  For Germany and Japan to be such strong US allies, there obviously has been a before and after period relative to the Second World War.  Since 1989, though – things have changed precipitously.

The general pretexts and dispositions of modern war began at about the time of the Crusades, and ended with the fall of the Soviet Union.  Much is made of the military industrial complex and the maintenance (even to this day) of massive stockpiles of genocidal and globally destructive forces (both nuclear and otherwise), but each news cycle makes the employment of such force less likely.  One could even argue that the use of such force by any industrialized country would be tantamount to commercial suicide in the post bi-polar world.

                The 21^st Century landscape is one in which power is transferred through market fluctuations and the perception of strength.  As any good trader of commodities will tell you, the greatest influential factor on the trading floor is fear.  When a group perceives a future condition fearfully, the resulting panic makes that group susceptible to a wide variety of wild market influences.  Terrorists simply seek to foment unrest and fear.  The results are actually of small import to them.

                When the “War on Terror” began is about as vague as what Joan Rivers’ face really looks like.  For many Americans, it might be 9/11/01.  For British, it might be 7/7/05.  For Spaniards, it might be 3/11/04.  For Austrians it could be 12/21/75.  For Germans, it might be 9/5/72.

                In practical application, terrorism has been around as long as one force has had a (real or perceived) marked advantage over its opponent.  As far back as Sun Tzu, military minds have stressed that winning is a function of aims, preparations, and will.  If you begin a conflict with certain aims, do what is necessary to prepare, and keep to the task longer than your enemy, victory is assured.  Nowhere does it state that you need to be alive at the end.   You simply need to achieve your objective(s).

                For those engaged in terror against the powers of the West, victory might be close at hand.

Posit:

ter·ror- [ter-er] - noun

1. intense, sharp, overmastering fear: to be frantic with terror.

2. an instance or cause of intense fear or anxiety; quality of causing terror: to be a terror to evildoers.

3. any period of frightful violence or bloodshed likened to the Reign of Terror in France.

4. violence or threats of violence used for intimidation or coercion; terrorism.

On 9/10/2001, the price of an ounce of gold was about $272.00. On 8/26/2011, it was about $1820.00 (an increase of 669%).

In 2001, the average price for a barrel of crude oil was $23.00, in 2011, it is $90.33 (an increase of 392%).

In 2001, the US National Debt was approximately $5.77 Trillion.  In 2011, it is approximately $13.562 Trillion (an increase of 235%).

In 2001, the World GDP was $32.009 trillion.  In 2009, it was $58.26 trillion (a growth rate of 82%).  During that same period, the US GDP grew from $10.234 Trillion to $14,119 trillion (a growth rate of 38%).

The total US defense budget in 2001 was $333 billion.  In 2009, it was $706 billion (an increase of 112%).  

We became great as a Nation of inspiration, innovation, industry, economy, and effort.  These processes resulted in waves of generational profit from the Westward Expansion to the Industrial Revolution to the New Deal to the Information Age.  Each of these segments of our time required a supreme effort from a dedicated, enthusiastic work force which saw greater opportunities for personal advancement and bold steps forward in social achievement.  This effort is only possible when the American worker sees promise and profit.

In economics, there is no stagnation; there is expansion or contraction.  The difference is usually to be found in how much you are spending, and what you are spending it for.  Are the expenses to purchase end-user items that have very little discernable benefit; or investments in infrastructure and industry which will bear the fruit of an expanded economic and tax base that perpetuates the cycle for the “General Welfare”?

Unending war has brought the latter.  It somehow became conventional to employ a cyclical equality between budgeting for conflict and bureaucracy after the attacks of 9/11/01.

The “War on Terror” may be one of the grossest mischaracterizations in human history.  It is not a war any more than buying a baseball bat makes you a hockey player.

There is no identifiable enemy force, as in a war.

There is no clearly cut and achievable goals, as in a war.

There is no specified field of battle, as in a war.

There are no measurable progress points, as in a war.

What you get in a situation where fear is used time and again as the motivating force is an ambiguous cloud which cannot be controlled.  In theory, an expense or encroachment on personal liberty which is done in the name of “security” is warranted.  Conversely, any objection to these acts is seen as “un-American”.

Thankfully, we have moved (almost completely past) the disgusting abuse of returning troops during the Vietnam Era.  On the other hand (and in a sick twist of irony), the troops are now being treated even worse!  Sending battle units to theaters of war that do not make use of their excellent conventional training has wrought hundreds of thousands of wounds and hardships for the next 50+ years of these brave young people’s lives.  Since anti-war is now seen as anti-American, the troops get shoveled into needless harm.  The resulting drain on the economy has also reared it’s vicious head in lower benefits for wounded veterans, sub standard conditions at Veterans Centers, and an absence of counseling and support for those whose psyche is permanently thrown asunder by the experience of conflict.

War?  War there a declaration of war?  No.  There wasn’t.  Nor can there be an absolute victory; only more imposition and needless expense of blood and resources.

If the aim of the terrorists on 9/11/01 was to conduct a significant terrorist attack, they may have had these goals in mind:

1)      An initial strike of damage disproportionately large compared to their resources.

2)      An initial and severe disruption of the US transportation system on which American rely so much.

3)      An increased level of turmoil inspired by ratings-driven media which stokes the prejudices and hatreds of the electorate.

4)      An irrationally large military advancement in troops, resources and ever-widening geographic regions (Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya) based on a “war” which paints the US in an ever-increasingly negative light around the World.

5)      A routine pattern of vague and unreal threats in the form of video and audio messages (costing but a few dollars to produce) that spin the US population around and around in their perceived spiral of defense against a never-ending aggressor.

6)      A heightened sense of angst and anger in the US population that results in a constant debate/contest over “patriotism” that expands the level of resentment and discord in every discussion from abortion to gay marriage to the school lunch program.

…all for the price of a few plane tickets and box cutters.

When George Bush equated a trip to the mall as necessary to ensure the “terrorists don’t win”, he was actually right (albeit in concept more than alliterative style).  A terrorist does not desire a pitched battle between hundreds of thousands of soldiers on a far off battlefield or sector of the seas.  He desires a disruption of the way of life in the enemy which is many, many times greater than the resources and scope of the original attack(s).

It is not unreasonable or anti-American to question where we stand in the “war on terror”, and whether or not we are behaving exactly as those animals might have hoped.  Is this a contest to see how many people we can kill?  Is that who we are?  No.  It is most assuredly not.

Consider the following:

A)     Driving down the highway, seeing signs encouraging us to “report suspicious activity”.  Do you know the phone number by heart?  No, you don’t.  You do get a little pang of fear, perhaps.  That’s the goal.

B)      The TSA.  Billions of dollars spent.  Not one arrest in one airport foiling one plot in almost a decade.  

      The World Trade Center is nowhere near complete, and the gruesome images are thrown in our faces whenever a budget needs to be passed.

D)     The “Patriot Act” has been renewed.  The largest infringement on the rights of Americans in history continues.

E)      Our standing in the Community of Nations may never have been lower, thus impeding our trade and diplomatic missions and stifling our progress.

F)      Afghanistan.

G)     Iraq.

H)     Libya.

I)        Both parties are now fully engaged in the war industry and profiteering has never been higher.

J)       Sunday, 9/1/11 will mark a terrible and ghastly anniversary.  It should be honored and remembered.  By the way, how many people celebrate victory in World War II?  What date is that?  You don’t know? 

Exactly.  The fear is perpetuated, but not the triumph.  This is not American, as far as I can tell.

There is only one way to “win” this “war”.  It is not to fight.

Maintain progressive, confident and free American life.  Respect the rights of each other and countries around the world.  Avoid foolhardy foreign expeditions which only maim our youth, reduce our stature and rob us of our commercial well being.  Stop looking for situations to disagree and disrespect the process and the people, and begin the work which (in the vast majority of cases) we ALL agree needs to be done.

Being free is about what you DO and how you ACT…not who you fight.

The eagle is facing the olive branch, not the arrows.  This is not a trivial fact.  The folks that chose these symbols were more detailing what they dreamed we would become and always remain.

Honor THAT on September 11, and every other day.

In that way, America wins.   

So does humankind.

Be blessed by blessing each other.

G-d bless America.

Amen.

A prayer in prose - for America. It's gettin' up time!

         Capitalism, Socialism, Facism…Communism.  It is crucial to the understanding of these varied systems to acknowledge their two differing arms.   The first is the level and mechanisms of governmental representation.  The second is the economic system which simultaneously feeds into and grows from that government.

The time has come to officially put the lid on the introductory phase of American history.  Beginning in earnest circa 1775, the USA moved like a mogul skier; from one cresting mound of fresh uncertainty to another, capitalizing (pun intended) on each conflict, period of uncertainty or cultural reshaping to develop new technologies, industries and opportunities from which the creative and earnest could derive a better standard of living if they desired.

Each geographic boom time has served our country well.  We moved from the Atlantic coast to the Ohio Valley to the Great Plains and Deep South, across the Continental Divide and the West Coast in huge chunks.  Though the pieces were acquired in large parcels, the settling took much longer.  Technology has made the miles as inches, and the country has no tangible frontier remaining over the horizon.  The Alaskan/Hawaiian expansions are now well over 50 years on.  What you see of America is pretty much what you’re going to get.

Each technological boom time has served equally well.  From the age of the cotton gin (and it’s onerous resulting slave need) to the railroads, industrial revolution, public works projects, post-war health care and transportation explosions, and suburban sprawl – each huge wave brought a galaxy of opportunity for innovation and exploration into areas that cost much, benefited much, and kept the wheel turning.

We spent 225 years in a marvelous back-and-forth of mostly proportional growth and prosperity out of which our grand experiment grew into the most wonderful standard of living known since the Renaissance…only on a much larger scale.

Then, things became a little dicey.  As my father (the great Jedi Master Barry Herman – almost a Nobel level economist) would say, “we got a little too cute”.

Like the old “towns” in a low-budget Western movie, we began pouring inordinately large chunks of our gross domestic economy into “industries” that had façades, but nothing behind them.  They benefited virtually no one, yet the puppeteers maintained the conviction that their continued expansion of wealth would eventually benefit all.  The number of people who still believe this is rather small.  This is not an indictment of wealth on any level; rather a question of how such wealth is obtained.  To say that each deserves the fruit of his labors is a wonderful axiom – except when used by a thief, con-man or crook (regardless of whether they use a six shooter or smart phone).  Bernie Madoff is not the disease.  He is an unapologetic symptom.

            In generations gone by, this disparity was mostly balanced (i.e. the age of Morgan, Carnegie, Rockefeller, Ford, etc.) by the collateral industries they spawned.  For every House of Morgan bond issue, there was a smaller company being financed and jobs being generated.  For every million in Carnegie steel fortune, there were hundreds of miles of trains and tracks to be built, along with the more modest “fortunes” of those who made those other firms prosper.  While Henry Ford built a magnificent empire on the back of the Model T, countless others built their own bedrock on the parts and labor of those assembly lines’ output.

            The entertainment of years past reflected our dreams and achievements.  They stood as a diversion from the hard work at hand.  These days, the work has become the diversion.

            As the 40 hour work week of one wage earner in a single family fades to yore, we trace its erosion and ponder its possible rebirth.

            Our heroes were always the leaders of rather uniform origin; politics, military service, sports, legend, scientific exploration and industry – to name a few.  Sadly (in some ways), the advent of 24/7/365 information has made it possible to dethrone, deconstruct, discredit and destroy any hero.  Would Abraham Lincoln or FDR even get through the primaries today?  I doubt it.  Would US Grant or George Patton rise past the level of Colonel in the face of their shortcomings?  No, they would not.  Would Babe Ruth survive one 24 hour ESPN cycle?  Hardly.  Would Paul Bunyan or Johnny Appleseed or Casey Jones be welcomed as warm reminders of pioneer values today as  100 years ago?  Ask a 10 year old and you’ll get your answer.  Ask that same 10 year old who Alan Shepherd or Neil Armstrong were.  Brace yourself for the response.  Eli Whitney, George Washington Carver, Marie Curie, Florence Nightingale…good luck with that.

            Today we have Steve Jobs.  Nice guy.  Cool toys.  So what.

            Today we have Richard Branson.  Flies Big Balloons.  Who does this help?  Oh, yeah.  Him.

            Today we have Donald Trump.  And his contribution to humanity is what, again?

           Since Truman, we have not had one President that is generally looked upon as a statesman, rather than a politician.  Regardless of party, they fall short of that title by the grandest of canyons.

            For all this – we THE PEOPLE – lose on an almost universal basis.

        If the rising tide does not lift all boats in some way, they ocean will not be worth ruling, even for Poseidon, Neptune and their pals.

         Accordingto the US government, the Gross World Product (GWP) is about 62.27 Trillion Dollars.  The debt of the United States is about 14 Trillion Dollars, or almost ¼ of the GWP – that’s the ENTIRE PLANET.

Make no mistake...to dig from a hole this large requires a paradigm shift (remember when that phrase was vogue?)  in personality, persistence and production not seen since 1942.

It is virtually inarguable that our current economic system of production and consumption curves cannot be sustained for very long.  If you were an economist and claimed as much, you would scarcely pass a freshman exam, much less be admired by your peers.

Examples:

1)       Fuel - As the price of fuel eats more of our individual worth on a regular basis, our freedom to move about, explore opportunities and expand our economic reach is crippled.  Our food and basic need become more scarce to acquire, and our standard of living wanes.

2)      Jobs – As we continue recycling the same old positions in the same old stagnating industries, our workforce (and population) continue growing.  The resulting increase in work load on those who do choose to work (rather than collecting from the welfare state - as some do) renders the work-to-pay equation more stressful.   A lack of new frontiers in industry and employment makes the job circulation about as healthy as the air that re-circulates in airline cabins.

3)      Safety – As companies look to cut corners wherever possible, they begin to blur the lines regarding what is acceptable in terms of safety and quality.  More auto recalls, safety violations at factories, power plant safety shortcuts, and understaffed air traffic towers are only a few examples.  How many mines must cave in to realize this?

4)      Public Services – Just as in #3, governments (especially local ones) seek to save where they perceive the chance(s) to do so.  Sanitation, public safety, road repair and education become sitting ducks in the shooting gallery of budget mania.  Sadly, once these services have been funded below a certain level, we become unclean, unsafe, and unintelligent.

5)      Health – As the choices for what to consume and what to do with our time become more dependent on what is possible in the face of declining revenue and leisure opportunity, we make choices as a population and culture that reflect expediency rather than wisdom.  The population gets unhealthier, putting tremendous strain on the already overrun health care system.  The boiling points of stress flare up in places like Columbine, Oklahoma City, Nickel Mines or Tucson. We attribute them to lone nuts.  Could it be the thankfully (relatively) infrequent rage of lunatics…or is it weakened souls pushed over the edge in a society which is seemingly overrun with gloom?

6)      Media – The media is supposed to serve the public trust and the public good by responsible, constructive and forthright reporting on matters or relative importance – not fan the flames of paranoia for the sake of sensationalism and higher as revenue.

A demoralized and downtrodden citizenry does not long for, nor will they be very likely to inspire and produce the leaders of tomorrow.

The special interests that have co-opted our governments have done so with our accord and blessing to the point where the only difference between our system and that of a banana republic is the size of our military and docility of our people.  Ezra Klein recently stated our government has become nothing more than “an insurance company with an army”.  If he is right, it is sad.  If he is wrong…how wrong is he?

The future in our country lies in what Morpheus (in the movie “The Matrix”) refers to as “the real”.   We need REAL innovations, inspiring REAL work, producing REAL leaders and REAL results.

Examples:

1)      Transportation – We need REAL commitment to mass transit.  Our population is growing too fast (MUCH too fast) to ignore this HUGE priority for one year longer.

2)      Locality – We need REAL local industry.  There is no reason our country should be importing so much of its produce and production from far away, causing harm to the environment AND the economy.

3)      Communication – Sensationalism should be cast aside, NOT rewarded.

4)      Creativity – What we need is more than 12 new ways to store our MP3 files.  4D TV does not enhance our standard of living in ways meaningful enough to sustain.  We need new forests planted, new water filtration systems created, and new green energy…not another new brand of Blue Ray player.

5)      Drugs – We need to stop throwing drugs at every tiny ailment, mood swing and panic that comes our way.  The drug resistant super viruses that will result from overuse of antibiotics may end this whole game sooner or later.  How sad that would be for our species.

6)      War – It used to be a last resort.  Now, it’s an opening in the negotiation process.  Mao Ze Dong said “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun”.  Not many people remember Mao as a role model.  Why, then are we following his advice so pointedly?  Reliance on military might to resolve disputes is endorsement of simmering genocide.

7)      Education – of these seven…easily the most important.  We need to LEAD the world with REAL masters of the sciences and humanities.  We need more mathematicians, cellists, poets, painters and environmental engineers.  We do not need to lead the world in 14 year olds who can master the latest “kill everything in sight” game on their mega box video system.

Thomas Paine wrote “that government governs best which governs least”.  I think he meant that the imbecility and inattentive laziness that leads a group of people to cast their entire fortune with the government will ultimately cause their destruction (especially if those people refuse to keep an eye on their representatives).  It is up to each citizen to embody their own vision of creativity and contribution to the public good and the general welfare.  One such person can become a movement.  One thousand such people can transform a city.  One million such people can transform a country. …and then the world.

This is the crossroads.  As a leader, I embrace the opportunity to do my part.

I have not inherited a finished PRODUCT called humanity.  I am simply adding my contributions to                the PROJECT that is the human race.

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

            -Dylan Thomas

O Me! O Life! – By Walt Whitman

O ME! O life!... of the questions of these recurring;

Of the endless trains of the faithless—of cities fill’d with the foolish; 

Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?) 

Of eyes that vainly crave the light—of the objects mean—of the struggle ever renew’d; Of the                      poor results of all—of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me; 

Of the empty and useless years of the rest—with the rest me intertwined;

The question, O me! so sad, recurring—

What good amid these, O me, O life?    

Answer.

That you are here—that life exists, and identity;  That the powerful play goes on, and you will              contribute a verse.

"Right now is not the fault of the Japanese" - Van Halen

             "Everything counts in large amounts" - Depeche Mode

Peas,

J

           

You want a hero? Here. I found one for you. He can even see Russia from his house...

Sometimes I'll post a blog that is almost entirely the work of another thoughtsmith.  If the writing as message are so pure and perfect, I'd rather just pass those words on and call it a day.

Today is such a day. 

The following story was taken from the book "Everything I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" by Robert Fulghum.  I must have given 50 copies of that book as gifts over the years.

Here it is:

          THE RUSSIANS ARE A ROTTEN LOT, immoral, aggressive, ruthless, coarse, and generally evil. They are responsible for most of the troubles in this world. They're not like us.

      That's pretty much the summary of the daily news about the Russians. But sometimes something slips through the net of prejudice, some small bit of a sign that is so clean and true and real that it wedges open the rusting Iron Curtain long enough for us to see not an enemy but fellow travelers, joined to us by membership in the Fellowship of Joy-and-Pain.

        See Nicolai Pestretsov. I don't know much about him, I don't know where he is now, but I'll tell you what I know.

           He was a sergeant major in the Russian army, thirty-six years old. He was stationed in Angola, a long way from home. His wife had come out to visit him.

           On August 24, South African military units entered Angola in an offensive against the black nationalist guerrillas taking sanctuary there. At the village of N-Giva, they encountered a group of Russian soldiers. Four were killed and the rest of the Russians fled„except for Sergeant Major Pestretsov. He was captured, as we know because the South African military communique said: "Sgt. Major Nicolai Pestretsov refused to leave the body of his slain wife, who was killed in the assault on the village."

            It was as if the South Africans could not believe it, for the communique repeated the information. "He went to the body of his wife and would not leave it, although she was dead."

           How strange. Why didn't he run and save his own hide? What made him go back? Is it possible that he loved her? Is it possible that he wanted to hold her in his arms one last time? Is it possible that he needed to cry and grieve? Is it possible that he felt the stupidity of war? Is it possible that he felt the injustice of fate? Is it possible that he thought of children, born or unborn? Is it possible that he didn't care what became of him now?

It's possible. We don't know. Or at least we don't know for certain. But we can guess. His actions answer.

            And so he sits alone in a South African prison. Not a "Russian" or "Communist" or"soldier" or "enemy" or any of those categories. Just-a-man who cared for just-a-woman for just-a-time more than anything else.

Here's to you, Nicolai Pestretsov, wherever you may go and be, for giving powerful meaning to the promises that are the same everywhere; for dignifying that covenant that is the same in any language "for better or for worse, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and honor and cherish unto death, so help me G-d. " You kept the faith; kept it bright„kept it shining. Bless you!

           (Oh, the Russians are a rotten lot, immoral, aggressive, ruthless, coarse, and general evil. They are responsible for most of the troubles of this world. They are not like us.) 

Peas,

Jason

Are you SURE?

Remember...the target IS the bulls-eye.

Should I take the job or not?

Is he/she “the one”?

Should we have attacked Libya?

Paper or Plastic?

In this latest, “greatest” modern age of ours, there is an awful lot of preoccupation with doing the “right thing”.  Have you noticed that?  It’s about “getting it right” all the time; inevitably, such short sightedness leads down some pretty dark paths.

This blog is about the laziness of indecision…the fine line between caution and impotence…the paralysis that results from over-analysis.

Life is not lived in the margins.  The world is not a “safe” place.  NOTHING is certain.  After all, plenty of people don’t pay taxes and there are 8 billion people right now disproving the theory that everyone dies.

For as many ways information has helped advance the human condition, it has hindered as much human ambition.  People won’t see a movie, frequent a new restaurant or check into a hotel unless their “favorite” web sites give them the thumbs up.

People are debating furiously about the decisions made by their leaders.  A healthy debate is always a good thing.  Conversely, a leader is only a leader when LEADING.  Engaging the thoughts of others does not absolve ANYONE…the President, religious leaders, a parent, a soldier – ANYONE from the galvanizing moment when you must take action.

Results are a carefully concocted mixture of conception, forethought, planning, practice, execution and determination…followed by reflection and observation.  Somewhere along this process in life, we are all confronted with the naysayers, curmudgeons, ne’er do wells and faux sophists who live life trying to steal second base with one foot planted on first.

The price we pay for this culture of slipshod attendance to the task at hand is second rate people in leadership positions, or first rate leaders who lose their boldness in the haze of desire for public acceptance.

The saying goes “do what is right, not expedient and forever wash your mind of all compromise”.  This rings so deeply and truly because it is MUCH more important to compromise with others than yourself.  After all, you’re the only “you” that you’ve got.

People agonize over dating, engaging and marrying the right person, yet the divorce rate grows ever higher each year.  They comb the ratings for the safest new cars, only to get the recall notices the year after.

As Jimmy Buffet so eloquently stated: “indecision may or may not be my problem”.

I would put these two questions to you – the reader:

1)      How much of your current life is a result of a preconceived plan of your own?

2)      How many of the plans you made in younger years actually came to be?

Exactly.  I thought so.

The real question remains…would you change it and have things any other way?

The ability to thrust yourself in to the unknown that is every breath in the gift of life is a direct reflection on your self-confidence…NOT your confidence in the environment, circumstances or fate.

You.

Just you.

So it is for a person, and so it should be for a group.

We (the USA) are now engaged in three major military conflicts halfway across the world.  More than half a century later, we are a major presence in German, Japan, Korea and a dozen other countries where we have made war of one kind or another.

Were those involvements “right”, “safe”, or “victorious”?  History alone may judge; and still we will never know.

Doing the right thing seldom comes with a medallion, certificate of achievement or promotion.  It is in those moments when we do what is right because we KNOW it is right to US…our OWN selves – that we take shape as individuals.  Yes, this shape will come with peaks and valleys as all life does.  Better to live the life of your own design and choice than one cobbled from the formless fog of public acceptance.

I keep up with the life choices of my friends and loved ones (ok, they’re the same people) through modern technology every day.  I am amazed at the diverse paths they have all taken.  Some have gone down the road they predicted in personal and professional affairs with scant apparent deviance from their designs of yesterday.  Others have zigged and zagged – tacking with the wind and riding the swells as the tide allows.

I wish all of them…and those friends I have yet to meet the best of conditions for their personal choices and the journeys which follow.

As Willie Wonka said “All I ask is a tall ship and a star to sail her by”.  That’s about as specific a map as I want.

Live it.

Own it.

It’s yours.

Decide.

Peas,

J

The gospel according to Pink Floyd...

I wasn't a Pink Floyd fan in high school.  I figured it was mindless druggie music and went back to my oh-so-harmless Billy Joel and James Taylor (since they were pure as the driven snow).  It's amazing the things you thought about as a teen ager and what those thoughts look like now.

A friend tricked me into listening to the song "Wish you were here" when I was in college - and I've never looked back.

Today's blog is not an ode to Pink Floyd, though.  It's about an idea that was explained to me by another friend a few years later.  The message contained in the song "On the Turning Away".

The fact that so many businesses are closing these days and that so many Americans are out of work is disturbing enough.  Virtually every statistical model points to this situation getting much worse before it gets better.  The more troubling idea is not the number of people affected...but the seeming indifference of those who are unaffected.

It also applies to the abused, the infirm, the disabled (if that term isn't PC enough I apologize) and the elderly.

When one of us suffers...we ALL suffer.

Here are some lyrics from "On the Turning Away":

On the turning away
From the pale and downtrodden
And the words they say
Which we won't understand
"Don't accept that what's happening
Is just a case of others' suffering
Or you'll find that you're joining in
The turning away"
 How many times do people walk past those asking for a few coins in the street, convincing themselves as quickly as possible that the person they've just ignored was "scamming", "going to use the money for booze or drugs", or "probably the richest guy on the block".  Chances are...they weren't any of those things.  What you can be 100% sure of is the fact that the person was just that...a PERSON.  With a STORY.  With a FAMILY somewhere.  Handing over a few cents won't change your life situation (most likely).  The lyrics explain that we "don't understand".  Most people are not too far from a situation where others have lost their means of support - how much do you really know about it, though?

It's a sin that somehow
Light is changing to shadow
And casting it's shroud
Over all we have known
Unaware how the ranks have grown
Driven on by a heart of stone
We could find that we're all alone
In the dream of the proud

We are in a condition nowadays where the segment of our society that has gone from "light" into "shadow" is growing faster than our consciousness will allow us to comprehend.  It's as if the people still above the waterline give now though to the hole in the hull of the ship simply because their feet aren't wet.  As some hearts grow harder, the pride that makes such indifference possible threatens us all.  The percentages being announced every so often aren't just numbers.  They are people.  Real people with real problems that are part of OUR experience.  OUR dna.  

On the wings of the night
As the daytime is stirring
Where the speechless unite
In a silent accord
Using words you will find are strange
And mesmerized as they light the flame
Feel the new wind of change
On the wings of the night 

Who are the flame lighters?  It has always been innovators with bottomless hearts that make America special.  When those hearts cease to feel the chill from the coldness in another person's life...we're in trouble from a philosophical AND actual standpoint.  How we treat others establishes our moral foothold.  1.35 million American children are currently homeless.  The collateral damage from this condition would astound you.  Since they travel so frequently, their school records don't get sent with them quickly enough to register in school.  They get deprived of educational opportunities which will hinder their ability to contribute later on.  This creates a work force of under qualified people which worsens the productive climate for us all.  This spiral has been going on for a couple of decades in earnest, and you see the result in clerks who cannot make change - just for a start.

No more turning away
From the weak and the weary
No more turning away
From the coldness inside
Just a world that we all must share
It's not enough just to stand and stare
Is it only a dream that there'll be
No more turning away?

Why must is be this way?  The answer is that it DOESN'T have to be this way.  You have holidays coming this season?  So do I.  My G-d sends a lesson along that we must help each other when we can with whatever we can.  The same lesson was also taught to me and driven home by my father, my Rabbi, my brothers and sister, my wife, my children, my friends, my neighbors (the one down the street with that snowblower really comes to mind) and my seventh grade teacher...just to name a few.

When asked about his communal village (the Hindi word is "Ashram"), Gandhi said that it's simply a place where we can look after each other.  He went on to explain the word "Ashram" can stand for a village, a home, or even the world.

This may be the season of miracles to many.  To me, every waking moment is a season of miracles, and every other person is a member of my village.  I will do what I can, where I am, for whoever needs it - to the best degree and depth I can muster.

"A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction" - John Stuart Mill

 

I've always believed what we do for ourselves provides momentary pleasure - but what we do for others extends the boundaries of the Universe farther into infinity.

Peas,

J

PS - Next blog will layout the corrective action needed to fix the entire world economy.  It's not really that complicated.