8.20.2009
Progressive work is HARD. Repug work is EASY. Why? Ever build a sand castle?
Ever watch someone destroy another's sand castle? Takes seconds, costs them nothing and gives them an opium high, for nothing!
But that's only part of it. Rethuglicans, and their mob of mercenaries, aside from being sand castle destroyers by personality (disorder) ARE Thugs, ARE the Mob, ARE Mercenaries - it is how they make their Living! Really! They don't create wealth, they steal it through bullying, intimidation, cheating, cronyism.... EASY! Profession: Sand Castle Destroyer - and Paid for it.
Progressives (if there WERE True Progressives) bear two HUGE COSTS (although to the True Progressives, hmmm, remember the Joy of BUILDING a Sand Castle?): 1. The orders-of-magnitude-greater-effort/cost-of-building/creating, and 2. THE PERSONAL FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITY COST! Rethugs are PRIMARILY motivated toward ill gotten $$$ Financial Gains (Corp favors at all levels, the "rape and pillage" awarded the hordes.... Progressives that Stay-the-Coarse FACE $$$ FINANCIAL PENALTIES / COSTS!!!!
A. Opportunity costs - hey, they could join the Rethugs and get $$$ returns on their time!
B. Unrewarded $$$ Time!
C. Penalties - the Rethug bullies will take it out on you, retribution, for opposing!!!
You get the idea.
This is a profound, fundamental difference that has a huge discouraging impact on Progressive investment (on BEING a True Progressive), in part because it goes on unrecognized.
Oh, would I that someone smart(s) would give visibility to this massive differential.
Pres. Obama is too moral for the simplistic politics as usual. Too moral for the "simplistic" answer "Public Option." Too moral...
Pres. Obama is too moral for the simplistic politics as usual.
Too moral for the "simplistic" answer "Public Option."
Too moral to not hold to the Higher Goals of 1. Coverage for All;
2. Becoming financially sustainable;
3. Paid for NOT on the backs of the middle class.
And we would want him to stand for what beside this?
He's been consistent all along in his core principles.
We've lacked the vision to see that.
Too moral for the "simplistic" answer "Public Option."
Too moral to not hold to the Higher Goals of 1. Coverage for All;
2. Becoming financially sustainable;
3. Paid for NOT on the backs of the middle class.
And we would want him to stand for what beside this?
He's been consistent all along in his core principles.
We've lacked the vision to see that.
"I'm a Human Being," Start answered to the Pastor's question at the Vigil - "Are you a Quaker?" "The likes of Jesus died and were killed to Save us with this Truth; this Teaching," Start added.
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8.19.2009
"family love," love for one's own group(s), is not Love, but rather the most malignant descrimination and segragation. Universal Love is Love; Or Gandhi, King, Jesus... were wrong in what they taught, and how they Lived.
"family love," love for one's own group(s), is not Love, but rather the most malignant discrimination and segregation. Universal Love is Love; Or Gandhi, King, Jesus... were wrong in what they taught, and how they Lived.
Talking with Zionists (a truly "nice" Israeli Zionist family) at the Vigil taught me this: as Human Shields - how we use our "family" and "affiliation groups" so we can justify our negligent, and overt manslaughter of our Human Family.
as Human Shields: how we use our "family" and "affiliation groups" so we can justify our negligent, and overt manslaughter of our Human Family.
'The problem is not the absence of love, but rather the presence of "Tribal love." Ashley Montague
King, Gandhi, Jesus... killed not for preaching their Beliefs, but for Living them. Hypocrisy would have saved them; but they would rather have died.
8.18.2009
8.17.2009
Hypocrisy is a Mental Disease; and the greatest killer of Life on the planet. Jesus knew this.
Hypocrisy: The malevolent embrace of a favorable image of self that is NOT what in fact we live out.
NO RADICALS - NO CHANGE.
[Comment on the article: Half are Crazy; Half Smart-AND LAZY; ... & ZERO RADICALS!!!]
1. A conservative fights to the death to prevent change;
2. A liberal TALKS change and "FIGHTS" (risks his life) FOR NOTHING;
3. A radical PUTS THEIR LIFE ON THE LINE for CHANGE.
NO RADICALS, NO CHANGE.
Aragorn should have done what if the Elves, Hobbits, Dwarfs and Humans turned on him, abandoning him to the hoards?
What will Pres. Obama do?
8.16.2009
Issues rased by my email: "True Muslims, DEEPLY, DEEPLY OFFENDING (without so intending)..."
http://jesusgodgoodetcnjay.blogspot.com/2009/08/true-muslims-deeply-deeply-offending_16.html ,
my friend responded as follows:
"Thanks, Start, for starting our day with provocative thoughts. In reply (and w/o asking that you
necessarily take the time to respond) I'll rattle off a few words over which I tend to stumble:
I. "True" and "True Believers"
II. "NOR EVER APOLOGIZE"
III. "Reasonably perceives..."
Below is my response to my friend. I share it with you just in case similar questions
came to your mind.
My friend -
Deeply honored and delighted to hear from you.
Truly, I don't know if my response is intelligible. But responding, and "thinking
through" was real useful for me! Thanks.
In response to the email I received from you, I'm really, really, really pleased
to have the opportunity to share my thoughts on the following I, II, III:
I. REGARDING "TRUTH," AND "TRUE BELIEVERS" (in my early morning email)
Two weeks ago I placed the following in the most prominent (upper left) position of
my YouTube Chan ( http://youtube.com/StarLoving1 that is up to about 540
subscribers now, growing by about 1 per day thanks to the support of a few Angels):
""True Religion subordinates EVERYTHING ELSE to, and values ABOVE EVERYTHING
ELSE the practice, spread and maintenance of Universal Love. Today there are no True Religions.
There ARE a few INDIVIDUALS (1 in a million) who are OF the True Religion -
Universal Love - including some of you. :-)" SL "
The following, friend, is an expansion of this quote above relative to my email sent to you earlier today,
and your email to me. Please feel no obligation to either read this lengthy response, nor to comment back.
But Thank You. You stimulated extremely useful thought within me. Thank you for that.
And if you DO wade into the following, "sorry" in advance for not being more concise, and a better
communicator. I have so very many limitations.
Friend - I believe that there IS ONE Truth about the "physical" laws of the universe -
from the macro, down to the micro,
by whatever name, in whatever language, as taught by whatever school! And further,
as humankind strives to grapple with the underlying Truth, we Humans will forever
be in a position of merely APPROXIMATING the truth; but generally getting closer. Now, staying within the
realm of scientific pursuit for a moment (is there Truly any other?) most people would
agree that some "schools," and CERTAINLY some individuals pursue the Truth
more effectively than others (an Einstein being toward the top)! For example,
a "school" (high school or university for example) that is controlled by "Fundamentalist
Christians" probably would do a far inferior job of ascertaining / approximating the Truth,
year in and year out, than would a secular university - Harvard for example, particularly
if the "science" in question has to do with Evolution. Right?
As an aside, can we imagine
how ludicrous it would be, how impossible it would be to hear from a great Truth Seeker
like Einstein - 'I am great, I am of superior competence BECAUSE of the "School" I am affiliate with!'
(In Einstein's case his affiliation, his "school," his "religion" would be in Truth not some man-made edifice but rather -
BELIEF IN, PURSUIT OF, PRACTICE OF TRUTH! (Same exactly with Gandhi, King, Jesus....)
Well, as respects the concept (and NOT what is the common usage, arguments, dogmas, etc) of the phrase
"True Believer" - what I, SL, mean by "True Believer" is a person that is a devoted "Believer in Truth"
(one who deeply believes that in fact THERE IS A "TRUTH" TO BE PURSUED - A "SOLUTION" THAT
IS BY AND LARGE MORE HELPFUL TO HUMANITY THAN ANY OTHER (FOR EXAMPLE THAT
"BREATHING" IS BETTER THAN NOT BREATHING), EVEN IF WE CAN ONLY EVER KNOW
THAT "TRUTH" APPROXIMATELY!!!).
Also by "True Believer" (I wish I had used a different term, because I rarely if ever use it;
I can't recall EVER using it before) SL means in the email of early this morning - one who Believes there
IS A TRUTH ABOUT HOW HUMAN BEINGS CAN BEST LIVE AMONG ONE ANOTHER.
And further, friend, SL has for the last 5-10 years, after exhaustive study which continues, concluded
that this one, best way is UNIVERSAL LOVE as the preeminent guiding faculty.
(Universal Love being that part of the Human nervous system that
others have defined as Empathy / Compassion / Wisdom / Humanity, or Supra-consciousness,
or The Highest Form of Human Intelligence, or (by the likes of King, Gandhi and Jesus as) God / Truth / Love.
To SL these are all, exactly the same Truth, dimly grasped as of yet, by different words; and that
for which the likes of great, Healthy Humans that we revere hold to be of the highest value, even more
valuable than their life itself; because it IS Life itself.)
Many people mistakenly believe that what "defined" Teresa of Calcutta, or MLK Jr, or Gandhi,
or Jesus... was their "Religion" - Catholic, Baptist, Hindu, Jew.... NO!!!!!!! Absolutely not!!!!!!!!!!!!
Their "religion," that which they were True Believers in was Universal Love, Universal Brotherhood,
Family of Humanity, Truth (capital T)... by whatever name. For them, their "Christianity," or "Hinduism..." they
would describe as "a" MEANS by which they pursued attainment their True Belief; the MEANS by which
they Actualized Universal Love - but THEY, unlike the masses, never confused, NEVER confused
their True Belief - Universal Love - with their means ("religious" practice, in part) of arriving there.
[My personal belief is that a Gandhi, King, Jesus... if alive today, with the benefit of today's scientific,
and other knowledge... would fully agree with me, that although the word and concept "God" is an
indispensable, man-made construct, that with virtual certainty "God' IS two things, and two things
ONLY:
1. A man made construct, like "math," or "north" indispensable in navigating Reality to best advantage for all; and
2. Absolutely TRUE, in the sense that "hearing" is true, or "sight' is true. That is "God," which
is best understood as, and called "Universal Love,' is a feature, a segment of our Nervous System that
IS the Highest Form of Human Intelligence, that is Divine (Indescribably wonderful in its Humility,
Wisdom, Brilliance, Constructiveness, Creativity, Otherishness...);
that Universal Love is the ENTIRE and ONLY "solution" to the
Human condition (in the same sense that "keeping our eyes open" is the indispensable solution
to human navigation and movement day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute. EXACTLY in
this way is our mental faculty of Universal Love / God indispensable.)]
And my friend, if there should come a time that I imagine that King,
Gandhi, Einstein, Jesus, Dave Delinger... were here with us today,with all of our learning and science, that
they would NOT passionately agree with me in the above, THEN I will consider these Beliefs by which I now Live -
probably WORTHLESS.
And, those few, those 1 in a million (including Atheists; ESPECIALLY Agnostics! :-) ) that with all of their
Being seek True Belief (Universal Love / Truth ), they are the MOST "OFFENDING of creatures" to we clinically
sick masses - and that is why we Crucify them, kill them, drive them out, with all of our fury.
II. REGARDING "NOR EVER APOLOGIZE" (in my early morning email)
Hmmmmm. Really, the purpose of the email of early this morning, couching it in the notion of a True Believer,
arbitrarily, a True Buddhist, was to articulate my resolution to a struggle I've been in
often throughout my life, and very recently due to a specific
incident. Are there times to "apologize?" Oh my goodness YES!!
But when that which one does to
OFFEND, is out of ones Truest, Most Other-centered Belief System, most Responsibly held, one's
"Being" if you will, THAT is NOT a time to Apologize; to do so would be a Lie! How can we in good
conscience, morality and accountability "apologize" for who and what we are?
My dad, the most wonderful person I've ever known, died at the hands
of a surgical team. For all I know if he had had a different team, or if he had had no operation at all, he might have
lived another 15 years or so. An operation that pre-op had a prognosis of 98% success and 3 hours duration, went
12 hours, and he died; he never came out of the O.R. alive.
The team did not apologize to us, but my dad died in their care. Profoundly "Offensive!!!!!" But I did not
take offense, and should not have. They, in my eyes were, and are "True Believers." They, with their Lives
"worshiped" the Truth - they were among the top rated teams for such surgery in the world - I had and have every reason to
believe that they were doing to my dad what they "Believed" to be what he needed. And I am so grateful that they did!
Were they sorry for my dad's death? My guess is, they were almost as sorry as I; feeling almost as much pain as
I did, and do.
But "apologize?" For doing their best? For "being" the best they could be?
My early this morning emails said "Nor EVER apologize" meaning to imply the rest from the context of the email -
for doing your best, being the best you can be, being what your are... in service of others, ON BEHALF OF others. To be"Sorry" and to
express the same? Yes. "Apologize" in that circumstance? No.
Permanently remove yourself from the situation? Maybe!
Avoid INFLICTING yourself in the future. Accept banishment? Maybe!!!
But "apologize" for being who you are and delivering the best service you can possibly deliver? No. Right?
III. REGARDING "REASONABLY PERCEIVES" (in my early morning email)
Hmmmm. I don't know how to explain that except with the following: 'Anyone that is not mentally impaired almost
certainly "reasonably perceives" that Einstein was an extremely proficient scientist.'
Love you my friend, and grateful for you.
Your brother,
Start
True Muslims, DEEPLY, DEEPLY OFFENDING (without so intending) by Living their beliefs, should NEVER INFLICT them unnecessarily...
intending to offend) should not inflict themselves unnecessarily on anyone...
to the point of removing themselves regardless of whether this means extreme extreme
personal inconvenience, sacrifice, suffering... for themselves.
True for the True Muslim, but also for the True Christian, True Atheist, True Devote of Extreme
Tough Universal Love, True Jew.... This is the way of ALL True Believers.
We are all brothers and sisters and must CARE to avoid causing unnecessary
suffering of others, even for practicing what we believe. No, it is not that the True Believer
should cease Living their beliefs, NOR EVER APOLOGIZE for doing so!!!! But they
should likely, immediately remove themselves.
For example, a scorpion has every reason, right AND OBLIGATION to be a scorpion and should always
do so, but should not make his home among deer, regardless of what personal pain,
suffering or inconvenience that might cause the scorpion, unless by some miracle the
deer are tolerant of his occasional, unintended sting, which is unavoidable by virtue of
Living as a True Scorpion.
Now, there can be important exceptions; for example, a skunk, much offending of all
other creatures, seeing his beloved lambs threatened by circling wolves MUST INFLICT
HIMSELF among the lambs that they not be devoured, but upon the threat being removed,
and the lambs rediscovering their deep offense, the skunk must promptly remove himself.
Or, a chemo therapy drug, must never inflict himself upon a body, for all the pain and
discomfort that brings, even upon a cancerous body, UNLESS or UNTIL that drug reasonably
perceives that by inflicting himself at that time on that cancer he can likely bring about health,
or the elimination of needless suffering. At the point its job is done, or its theory disproved
(that it can bring health to THAT body, at THAT time), this cancer drug must avoid inflicting
itself further if it is bringing about ongoing pain, suffering, sickness..., regardless of what
consequences it faces personally.
And there are a few other exceptions along those lines.
This is the way of True Belief.
That is the way of Universal Love.
8.14.2009
MUST READ: Republican Death Trip PAUL KRUGMAN NYT
"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke
My friend Rick and I constantly battle (with deep mutual respect) over the importance of the public opinion polls that state, for example, "the public is in favor of:" Closing Guantanamo, Prosecuting Bush and Cheney, Ending the Iraq War....
The point I try to make is - YES, WITH OUR LIPS WE-THE-SHEEPLE FAVOR, but when it comes down to fighting, for it, RISKING FOR IT, SACRIFICING EVERYTHING FOR IT?!!??!?! Nah.
We are surrendering this Country to the Death Mob, the Hate Mob without moving from our comfortable chairs, without putting our lives on the line, WITHOUT PUTTING EVERYTHING ON THE LINE we nice, reasonable, "blue state," American sheeple.
Gandhi was totally against "violence" ["hostility" is what he meant], BUT ABOVE ALL ELSE, GANDHI MOST ABHORRED "COWARDICE," responding timidly, or not at all, or without total self-commitment in the face of impending atrocity; that EVEN VIOLENCE WAS PREFERABLE TO PASSIVITY.
[!!! NO, I AM NOT ADVOCATING VIOLENCE !!!! But I am ADVOCATING COURAGEOUS, COMMENSURATE, UNSTOPPING ACTION. NOW.]
What "atrocity?" The impending takeover of America by the Mob.
READ:
Republican Death Trip
New York Times - Paul KrugmanThe Civil War of 2009 has broken out (or is it to be one-sided Civil Rout? In 1930's Germany it was a Civil Rout.)
Sarah Palin Wins HuffPost
8.13.2009
Start's just barely keeping his head above water. Not complaining, but rather aching that he can't do more to help.
But if I were, this would be an indictment of me; it would
be a clear indication I was staying on the sidelines and not pushing myself to the absolute
limits for my "family," Humanity, as is called for from all of us at such a pivotal, desperate time...
I would not be Waging Love with all of my might. But I am making the attempt. "Soldiers" that
dearly love their comrades, when in the midst of battle, are likely to be a bit,
unintentionally "rough;" or they are not responding appropriately to the REAL emergency.
Sorry, in advance, or in arrears, as the case may be. Distance yourself from me,
or drop me altogether when you must.
I need 10,000 of me right now to achieve what needs to be achieved!!!!!!!!!!! At least. Soon, it will be too late.
This is such a crucial time for Humanity. Such crucial, ultimate, for-all-time
decisions on the direction of America and therefore the world ARE BEING DECIDED, NOW
including...
- Whether we completely crucify President Obama or fight alongside him, shield him, and win; unlike
how we failed in the opportunity presented by JFK, RFK, King, Gandhi, Romero, Jesus.... - Whether we once and for all cede America to the Corporations forever or, using Healthcare
as a pivot issue, rise up and take America back from their bloody grasp. - Whether we win Climate Change legislation BEFORE COPENHAGEN IN DEC (7th)
and: 1. literally begin saving Humanity from destruction; and 2. Thereby avoid
ceding domination of the renewable energy industry to China, if it is not already
too late for that. - Whether we suffer the fate of 1920's Germans and through our cowardice, timidity,
delusion, indecision... allow the Brown Shirt Mob to take utter and final control
of this country, dooming the world to horrors never seen before.
maintain the 28 Year Peace Vigil, but of course that constrains what else I can do. So,
thanks to the blessing of a laptop and wifi, and a place to sleep
(thanks Angel Ellen) I spend all waking hours per day, when not speaking with folks at the vigil,
combing the country's newspapers - and where I think it might help, I post comments -
these are the pseudo "town hall" meetings I can "reach," and speak up within! And of course I research, comb hundreds
of articles on Climate Change, and post, and blog, and facebook, and youtube.... The youtube.com/StartLoving1 site
is up to 545 subscribers and receives up to several thousand viewings per day, and many comments.
But, this is wwwaaayyyyy tooooooooooooooo inadequate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I need to:
- Be AT these town meetings on the American-Soul-determining Healthcare fight.
- Attending, hosting, supporting, executing, funding every action I conceivably could
at http://barackobama.com and moveon.org - two EXCELLENT organizations today. - Be Reading and Mastering "The Family" to grasp, and formulate a reaction to the
deeply Demonic threat these folks constitute. [MUST SEE DN! segment yesterday] - Be Reading and Mastering Chip Bartlet's work about the Right Wing in America
that is SOOOO CLOSE to re-emerging and finishing the destruction reeked on
this land these last 40 years. [MUST SEE DN! segment today] - Be down in West Virginia getting arrested with the heroic activists standing against
Mountaintop Removal. - Etc.
- Etc.
- Etc
- Etc.
- Etc.
- Etc....
be a clear indication I was staying on the sidelines and not pushing myself to the absolute
limits for my "family," Humanity, as is called for from all of us at such a pivotal, desperate time
Waging Love with all of my might.
Your brother,
Start
"For all the scare tactics out there, what is truly scary is if we do nothing." President Obama
8.12.2009
8.10.2009
8.09.2009
"Peace Activists"steadfastly ignore Start. The Secret Service ask if they can help, and offer comradeship. Hmmmm. "Give me a military man any day. Don't give me any cowards." Gandhi
"I consider myself a soldier;" and
[paraphrase] - 'If to prevent some atrocity you find yourself unable to do so by non-violent means,
be violent if you must, but do not just stand there.'
Gandhi.
Last night was the anniversary Japan time for the Nagasaki bombing. About 20 activists showed up for a brief commemoration, inches in front of where Connie and I spend our lives commemorating Hiroshima and Nagasaki - 7 days per week, 52 weeks per year.
So these activists were really appreciative of our commitment, right? Of the 20, 16 scrupulously made neither eye contact nor voice contact with me, nor contact or acknowledgment of any kind. Had it been Connie, I suspect it would have been different. Had it been Thomas, it would have been different, however all but two or so in the group never really helped Thomas or Connie when they really needed it. I do NOT take it personally.
With the exception of Thomas, then Ellen, Liz, Gael and a few others, this has been my experience with the so called "Peace Activists" in DC - they don't like me and they certainly do not support the work I do. And I am totally OK with that; and under the circumstances I would not want it to change. But it is interesting.
BUT START!!!! you stupid fool! Don't you understand how antagonizing, intimidating, etc. they find you?!?!?!? Well, yes I do, not that this is ever my intent. But what is interesting is, there is another group that SHOULD find me just as distateful, or more so, but they do not; they never have - The Police in DC.
This is in stark contrast to the support, respect and encouragement I've received from many in the Secret Service, Capitol Police and Park Police in the 5-6 years I've been doing Peace Work here in DC. "Hey Start, it is awfully cold out there, if you need to come into the cruiser, let me know." "Hey Start, it is too hot out there. If you need some cold water, or to come into the cruiser to cool off, let me know." They stop by to talk - genuine mutual respect and camaraderie. "Hey, if anyone gives you any trouble, just let us know." Etc.
Yes, BOTH groups have reason to shun me. But one, instead, recognizes something we hold in common - Commitment, Self Sacrifice, Courage, Dedication to a Cause.... The other finds these characteristics of mine suspicious, offensive, antagonistic, threatening, intimidating, "violent" .... Gandhi would not find them so.
I wonder if the rather stunning shunning I was treated to last night was a result of the following email of mine published in the Washington Post yesterday in response to an article a week ago on the Secret Service that made me cry: "The Making of an Agent," July 26 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/17/AR2009071701785.html .
My original email spoke of how Gandhi said, "Give me a military man to work with any day; don't give me any cowards;" and "I consider myself a soldier." The portion they published http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/31/AR2009073102017.html was:
Jay "Start Loving" McGinley of Washington e-mailed:
"I man the 28-year Peace Vigil outside the White House, nine hours per day, 365 days per year.
I observe these Secret Service officers all day long. I love these guys.
Yes, I am totally committed to nonviolence.
But I also am totally committed to courage, honor, duty and service --
and these [agents] are among my heroes."
And they are among my heroes, right along side of Thomas, Diane, Ann, Liz, Ellen....