Israel Starving Gaza

This story is both beautiful and horrible at the same time. Beautiful in the sense that thousands of desparate people from the Gaza strip are flooding Northern Egypt to replenesh critical supplies. The scene that has unfolded is a triumph of humanity over military might. I greatly applaud the Egyptian government for allowing this to occur.

The tragedy is that this had to happen in the first place. Israel has systematically been starving the Gaza strip of critical supplies in retaliation for missile attacks. The problem is that the Israeli approach is non-discriminating between the perpetrators and the innocent majority. Indeed, this borders on "passive" genocide. I don't pretend to know the solution to the Israeli-Palestenian conflict, but I can guarantee that Israel's current approach will not achieve their own goals (peaceful border), but rather strengthen and embolden their enemies. Shame on Israel.

Red arrow shows location of breach.

Wasting Time

One thing we Americans hate to do is "waste time." Whether it is in the check-out line at the grocery store, during our morning commute, or running errands on the weekend. It seems that we spend the vast majority of our waking hours getting things done as efficiently as possible. Implicit in the fear of wasting time is the notion that certain critical "things" won't get done. I wonder how often this assumption is accurate?

For instance, fifty years ago we had far more limited transportation, no internet or cell phones, little in the way of fast food, and the term "multitasking" hadn't even been coined yet! Yet somehow people managed to work a job, raise a family, and have some hobbies or pastimes. I don't mean to paint American society idealistically fifty years ago, indeed I do not think that is the case. Instead I am raising the question of how much our increased speed and activity has really benefited our quality of life?

A number of thinkers such as Eckhart Tolle, have proposed that by being so busy, we actually miss out on experiencing what is happening right now. In other words, we are effectively living outside the moment by focusing on accomplishing things in the future (or alternatively obsessing over the past). By living outside the moment we are literally not allowing ourselves to experience real life as it is unfolding, so in a very real sense we are wasting time!

Stopping to experience what is happening right now is often much harder than it appears. For example, walking to my car after work is a great excuse to lose myself in thought, instead of being present to my surroundings. Why would you want to be present to a parking lot you ask? Good question indeed. For one thing, it is real life occurring around you. You are a physical body located in space and time, which currently happens to be a Friday afternoon in an asphalt covered parking lot. Escaping this reality into mental abstraction is terribly tempting, but is it really beneficial to you and your quality of life. Something worth thinking about (no pun intended there!).

I wonder if we stand to learn a lot from other cultures that do not have this deeply ingrained fear of "wasting time?" For instance, during my summer stay in the impoverished country of Mozambique, I noticed that many inhabitants were content to allow the day to unfold at a leisurely pace, to respond to needs and situations as they arise, not obsessing over them in advance. I can't pretend to understand the Mozambican mindset, but I might offer that in a country where the life expectancy is a mere 47 years, that living "in the moment" becomes all that more critical then working toward the future. We have all heard stories or seen films regarding someone who found out that they only have 1 week to live, thus setting them on a fantastic journey to experience as much of life as possible in such a short time. Can you imagine someone who only had 1 week to live spending an inordinate amount of time working toward future goals? It would be silly, as at that point your only goal would be to live as fully as possible.

In the overall scheme of things, is 47 years (or 85 for that matter), really that much different than a week left to live? Of course no one can live all the time in the moment, some planning and working towards the future is inevitable. But will anyone lay on their deathbed and bemoan that they had not spent more time planning and working toward the future, or rather that they had not "wasted" more time in relationship with people and nature?

Huckabee Scares Me

As the results of the Michigan primary come in, I am very satisfied to see Mike Huckabee is a distant third place. His rapid rise to become a front runner for the Republican nomination has been very disturbing, as he holds many unusual, if not downright frightening ideas. For one Huckabee favors amending the income tax to represent a flat tax, instead of a progressive tax. This would be a huge boon to upper middle class and above, as the "tax brackets" would be disposed of. The entire premise of the tax brackets are that low income people cannot give up as large a percentage of their income without directly impacting their ability to provide for basic needs. The progressive tax has been away to bring equity to the system, and it certainly hasn't impoverished the rich, as the gap between the upper and lower classes continues to widen.

However, perhaps the scariest thing about Huckabee is his "faith based" form of politics. We have seen the results of this type of politics before, and we should be extremely wary to even consider going down that path again. Indeed, Huckabee is even more brash than Bush with regards to his religious views, stating that we should "amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view." Folks, this is scary shit. At a time when we are trying to somehow rectify the animosity felt in the middle east toward perceived (or real) religious persecution, we have a presidental candidate who thinks this is a theocratic war, where it is us or them!

So it is with a great sense of relief that I see what appears to be early signs of the Republican core turning away from Mike Huckabee.

Truth is Useless

Jeb Bush: "The truth is useless. You have to understand this right now. You can't deposit the truth in a bank. You can't buy groceries with the truth. You can't pay rent with the truth. The truth is a useless commodity that will hang around your neck like an albatross all the way to the homeless shelter. And if you think that the million or so people in this country that are really interested in the truth about their government can support people who would tell them the truth, you got another thing coming. Because the million or so people in this country that are truly interested in the truth don't have any money."

Spoken by Jeb Bush in conversation with Retired Naval Intelligence Officer, Al Martin, and Cited in Bushwhacked, by Uri Dowbenko, September, 2002

Ron Paul

I don't know that much about Ron Paul and his ReVolution movement, but I have to admit I am very intrigued by his message as relayed in the following video clip. The man talks a lot of sense IMHO. Even though I am most likely to vote for whichever Democratic candidate wins, I would sure like to see Ron Paul do well. New Hampshire's primary on Tuesday appears to be his best chance to get national recognition, lets hope he gets voters out!

Freeganism

I just recently encountered the term freeganism, used to describe a movement of people committed to reducing waste. From wiki, "Freegans embrace community, generosity, social concern, freedom, cooperation, and sharing in opposition to a society based on materialism, moral apathy, competition, conformity, and greed." Wow, doesn't that sound wonderful! Indeed, while it is a cool new term, it is an idea that is rooted in the founding works of many of our religious traditions. It has become much easier to be a freegan with the social networking provided through sites such as Freecycle or FreeAlert. People are empowered to share quality used items with other individuals, and since everyone can both give and receive, the desire to make a profit is removed. In my experience it is actually a cleansing feeling to give something away!

Another aspect of freegan life is dumpster diving, an activity that I have had recent encounters with, following the lead of two professional dumpster divers, Dee and Becky. Dumpster diving is a rare win-win for the individual and the environment, as "waste" food is used to feed families, reducing the impact on both the pocketbook and the environment!

A great introduction to freeganism can be found on GroovyGreen's blog, check it out. I certainly do not qualify as a freegan, as I am still stuck in the consumer model our economy is built around, but as I continually deconstruct my own consumerist mentality, I hope to begin my freegan novitiate.

MIT Offers Free Course Materials

This is pretty amazing, MIT is now offering free course materials as part of their OpenCourseWare initiative. This is way, way cool! Check out their course material offerngs HERE. Particularly for someone like myself, who has a penchant for continuing studies for self-edification, this is a much cheaper alternative than enrolling in an online degree program (this doesn't mean I will drop out of my MA in Org Leadership though...!).

HT: BS

Eve of Iowa Caucus

On the eve of the Iowa caucus and with politics very much on my mind, I thought I would post an interesting electoral map from the 2004 presidential election. It shows how population density plays a major role in determining which party an individual supports.

click to see larger image


HT: ESRI

Brett Dennen on War and the Holidays

Brett Dennen is a breath of fresh air in today's commercialized music industry. He writes his own music and lyrics. His message in this song is fantastic. Be sure to check out his Aint No Reason and I Asked When songs as well. A few days late, here is his YouTube live performance.

I hope that 2008 will be a much better year for our world than 2007.



Lyrics

Pilgrims in the parking lot
Arteries clogged with blood clots
Pushing through the aisles of department stores
Neon crosses and Christmas lights
Credit card debts and brand new bikes
The holidays are here and we're still at war

The rabbi reads from the testament
The banker gazes at the year's investments
Salvation Santa's solicit for the poor
Deception of democracy
The philanderings of faux foreign policy
The holidays are here and we're still at war

Smoggy skies and fixed elections
Injustice strikes from all directions
People with their backs against the floor
Looking for someone to set us free
A king with fists like Mohammad Ali
The holidays are here and we're still at war

A mother knows what is best for you
Even though it's hard to listen
Your father knows he can count on you
Though you couldn't count on him

Christopher Columbus knew
Vasco De Gama and Magellan too
The profits of oppression grow like never before
All hail to the captalist thief
And mourn your lost ones and covet our grief
The holidays are here and we're still at war

Hurricane waters ravage southern towns
And black and brown people are left to drown
While the White House and the emergency management agency ignores
Victims seek shelter in the Astrodome
And the National Guard says "Don't go home"
The holidays are here and we're still at war

Police officers hassle the homeless
Domestic disputes, alcohol and violence
The jailhouse opens wide its door
A corporation cuts a million employees
And the factory is moving overseas
The holidays are here and we're still at war

A mother knows what is best for you
Even though it's hard to listen
Your father knows he can count on you
Though you couldn't count on him

Jesus sheds another tear
Into a sea of two thousand years
Into the eve of a new year once more
Tears of joy, resolutions of sorrow
Toast to health and wealth tomorrow
The holidays are here and we're still at war

Religious wars and domination
World trade and globalization
The prices of petroleum soar
Lonesome churches are packed with sinners
Non-believers and new beginners
The holidays are here and we're still at war

Say a prayer for the less fortunate
Prisoners and soldiers you never have met
Understand what it is they're fighting for
Say a prayer for your enemies
Say a prayer for the victims and their families
The holidays are here and we're still at war

Yes, the holidays are here and we're still at war