This anonymous post about anti-China perceptions in the West is viral on the internet. I found it fascinating and thought-provoking. I think you will too.... What Do You Really Want From Us? When we were the sick man of Asia, We were called the yellow peril. When we are billed as the next superpower, we are called "the threat." When we closed our doors, you launched the Opium War to open our markets. When we embraced free trade, you blamed us for stealing your jobs. When we were falling apart, you marched in your troops and demanded your fair share. When we tried to put the broken pieces back together again, Free Tibet, you screamed. It was an invasion! When we tried communism, you hated us for being communist. When we embraced capitalism, you hated us for being capitalist. When we had a billion people, you said we were destroying the planet. When we tried limiting our numbers, you said we abused human rights. When we were poor, you thought we were dogs. When we lend you cash, you blame us for your national debts. When we build our industries, you call us polluters. When we sell you goods, you blame us for global warming. When we buy oil, you call it exploitation and genocide. When you go to war for oil, you call it liberation. When we were lost in chaos, you demanded the rule of law. When we uphold law and order against violence, you call it a violation of human rights. When we were silent, you said you wanted us to have free speech. When we are silent no more, you say we are brainwashed xenophobes. Why do you hate us so much? we asked. No, you answered, we don't hate you. We don't hate you either, But do you understand us? Of course we do, you said, We have AFP, CNN and BBC.... What do you really want from us? Think hard first, then answer... Because you only get so many chances. Enough is enough, enough hypocrisy for this one world. We want one world, one dream, and peace on earth. This big blue earth is big enough for all of us.    more »

2/10/10 – We can help others best by recognizing that we don’t know how to—but God does. We can be fully present, accepting and loving. We can ask to see clearly, allow God to work through us appreciatively, encouragingly and forgivingly, and not interfere. 2/9/10 – When we limit the number of times we turn to our guiding spirit for insight, inspiration and help, we limit the number of daily problems, large and small, that we can resolve. 2/8/10 – Our happiness and strength arise from our undivided efforts to see, accept and lift ourselves and all others as God’s one perfect, unconditionally-beloved, eternal creation, to whom he has given everything, and with whom he is well-pleased. 2/7/10 - All apparent angry attacks and defensiveness conceal fearful pleas for healing and help. When we ask for God’s grace and vision, he lifts every imagined illusion and barrier to the love that sees only goodness and unity, and sets all things right. 2/6/10 – We get angry at others because we feel guilty about what we’ve done to them, not the other way around. And so we try to make ourselves feel better by dumping our guilt feelings on them, imagining we can rid ourselves of our guilt that way. We can’t. 2/5/10 – Human culture projects its fearful interpretation upon everyone’s actions, while spiritual guidance leads us to a more peaceful, loving vision. Thus, we can reactively interpret behavior as aggressive, or we can ask to see it as offering—or requesting—love. 2/4/10 – When we notice someone who frightens us—someone apparently sick or sad or desperate or angry—we can ask our guiding spirit for another way of seeing that person, not let our fear interfere, surrender the encounter to peace and inspiration, and relax. 2/3/10 – When we ask for clarity and guidance, we find out that what we need and want the most, but may have temporarily lost sight of, is exactly what God wills for us too. We are wholly supported in accomplishing this shared will—surely, safely, serenely, joyfully. 2/2/10 – We don’t understand our own needs. Our guiding spirit does, and will supply them, when we let go of our own ideas of what they are, and stop hurrying to fulfill them. Instead, we can be willing to ask, and receive. 2/1/10 - Gifts given resentfully, guiltily and fearfully, without loving thoughts, are unwelcome sacrifices, angry attacks, tradeoffs, payments for something. We imagine someone is demanding sacrifices of us, but we’re demanding them of ourselves.    more »

Excerpt: Will some brilliant programmer please step up and design a google-type software program that can linguistically analyze and determine a speaker/writer’s cooperative tone and intent? Your new program could identify and distinguish among those writers/speakers whose communications promote a sense of division, partisanship, negativity, polarization, blame, attack, incivility, rudeness, destructiveness, unfriendly competition, bickering and hate—and those promoting a sense of positivity, creativity, life-affirmation, support, harmony, acceptance, forgiveness, productivity, civility, courtesy, equality of opportunity, caring, cooperation and unity. Excerpt: Your software would have endless useful and profitable applications. For immediate profitability, please consider using your product for security purposes, to helpfully ward off unfriendly attacks and attackers (of whatever kind) upon individuals and enterprises (of whatever kind.) Excerpt: Your software will stimulate lively dialogue; increase the impact and number of creative, thought-provoking, and controversial-but-civil exchanges; reduce (by virtue of indifference and neglect) the quantity and influence of divisive communications arising anywhere in the world; universally improve facility in verbal and mental processing of complexities, innuendo and nuances; and inspire us all to pull together cooperatively to resolve our common personal, local and global problems.    more »

I wrote this little poem in my head as I tried to fall asleep beside my dear husband (who rises at 4 a.m.) unfortunately rather too early for me on this night, since I'd just attended a funny, charming and inspiring poetry-reading by Claudia Emerson, the 2006 Pulitzer Prize winner in poetry (won for her book, LATE WIFE--a delightful collection of, among other things, her metaphorical musings about not only being someone else's late (ex) wife, but also her experiences "living with" the presence of her new husband's late wife.... ) Anyway, since I couldn't sleep, I tried to pray, and when I found myself still too excited to pray, but only able to play metaphorically with the idea of my praying--with how my prayers come to me very abstractly, then swell pregnantly, taking gradual form, then, as in defiance of their weightiness, struggle and rise in softly articulating bursts, then lift off like tiny helicopters into the ether, to float, one with me, in white infinite light.... After a wrestling match between my better angels and my wish for sleep, I got up and wrote down this "poem"....   more »

Excerpt: The heartrending recent news coverage about the ghastly deaths of defenseless civilians, mostly children, in Qana, Lebanon, tells the real story of the mideast wars: random slaughter, and the relentless ruin of the loves, livelihoods, work, and hopes of thousands of innocent civilians on all sides. Nevertheless, true believers in the necessity, efficacy, and morality of war still churn out article after article arguing war's fairness and positive aspects ("Israeli Military Service Unites Generations;" "'Disproportionate' in What Moral Universe;'" "For Troops, A Sense of Moral Clarity.") For, in order to sustain the important illusion that war is moral, and to divert public attention away from war's inevitably bloody means and ends, pro-war propagandists shamefully exploit every one of the heart-swelling, toe-tapping, chest-beating moments which arise in the midst of horrific wars—all the gentlemanly charitable acts, the selfless patriotism and bravery, the beauty and idealism of youth.... Excerpt: Every soldier who ever shot, tortured, or pushed a captive out of a plane in order to obtain information necessary to protect his own knows that the cruel reality of war makes a mockery of the prettified versions held up for public viewing, the ones giving lip service to human rights, morality, and a rule of law which rests on due process, presumption of innocence, the right to legal counsel, and a fair and speedy trial. Excerpt: Any soldier who ever fought in a real shooting war knows that legal and moral niceties are suspended during the life-and-death situation that is war, hauled out only as convenient for public viewing. Snipers, for example, act instantaneously as judge, jury, and executioner to their random, anonymous suspects. Bombardiers, and missile and rocket launchers unleash hell, raining fire down equally upon all their anonymous, hapless victims.... Excerpt: To hear tell, war crimes are rare aberrations perpetrated by atypical rogues, stray criminal elements within otherwise pristine organizations. The truth is, crimes against humanity happen all the time, on both sides, during all wars, a direct result of the bloody training, means, conditions, and ends of war....   more »

WHAT WE DO /// Women in black / Witness violence / Everywhere / In vigils of / Silent solidarity / Mourn all victims / All of us // Light candles / For the attacked / Abused abandoned / Tortured murdered / Lift / All who hurt / Within / / A circle of peace / Illuminating night / Leaving / No one / Not one / Outside alone / In darkness /   more »

(Two) Scenes We'd Like To See....

 

 

(Excerpt): Both George Bush and Osama Bin Laden are vilified in various cultures as inhuman heartless killers, while other cultures hero-worship them as charismatic and patriotic leaders whose just causes “force” them to manfully take up arms—whether by terrorism or military force—to achieve their political aims. (Excerpt): Popular media in all nations dehumanize public enemies, then often turn around and just as thoroughly and miraculously restore them to dignity and respectability during political détentes. I recall my astonishment, moral conflict, and deep embarrassment, when the evil Russians I’d been so carefully taught to indignantly and self-righteously hate and fear, magically became our homeboys overnight. The same thing happened, of course, with the “Krauts” and the “Japs,” who, just as we were assured by our government after a terrible war, turned out to be, really, just like us. I’d like to think the same thing will happen, sooner rather than later, between Islam and the West. (Excerpt): I wish these two particular men could learn to resolve their differences without violence. They remind me of unsocialized playground children, throwing sand in each others’ faces, playing with their war toys, acting like swaggering thugs and cowards in turn, always foolish and hurtful to all around them. I wish they would grow up and solve their problems like civilized adults. (Excerpt): So many innocents have endured so much tragic death and destruction, on both sides, for so many years. For what…?! (Excerpt): I abused the current popularity of Brokeback Mountain to make my political points. However, while I’m sure that a week of roughing it alone/together in the mountains would create dialogue, understanding, and maybe even camaraderie between these two men, I’m confident that they’re both firmly and happily set, by now, in their hetero ways. Although, to be sure, nothing surprises me anymore. Maybe someday we really will see these two happily mountain biking together in Afghanistan.... You may call me a dreamer, but I’m not the only one….    more »

Sing this song to the tune of "Jesus loves the little children...." (Click "more" below for a more organized look....) We’re so sick of all the fighting/ Sick of wars around the world/ Red and yellow black and white/ Stop the fighting, it’s not right/ If you love the little children of the world/ Won’t you put away your weapons/ They just hurt our moms and dads/ All our friends and family too/ 'Til we don’t know what to do/ If you love the little children of the world/ Won’t you try to solve your problems/ Please take turns and share your toys/ You don’t have to fuss and fight/ ‘Cause it hurts us most, that’s right/ If you love the little children of the world/ Let us play with other children/ Go to school and sing our songs/ If you let us learn and play/ You’ll be glad you did, some day/ If you love the little children of the world/ Please believe in one another/ Trust that others are like you/ Everybody needs a hand/ All together we can stand/ If you love the little children of the world/ Please remember all are brothers/ Doesn’t matter where we’re from/ Different people can be one/ Let’s be friends with everyone/ If you love the little children of the world/ Won’t you stay at home and raise us/ Don’t go marching off to war/ We need help and we need care/ Need to know that you’ll be there/ If you love the little children of the world/ Won’t you try to keep your temper/ Doesn’t matter, wrong or right/ Please be gentle, please be mild/ Then you’ll never hurt a child/ If you love the little children of the world/ Hating hurts the little children/ Children all around the world/ Suffer day and suffer night/ Stop the hating, it’s not right/ If you love the little children of the world/ If they start a war tomorrow/ Please just tell them you won’t go/ Please stay home and care for me/ Oh how happy we will be/ If you love the little children of the world/ Never hurt another person/ Even though life seems unfair/ Even when your heart is blue/ We’ll hold hands and see it through/ If you love the little children of the world/ Please don’t be one of the bad guys/ Never let that guy be you/ All the guys who blow things up/ How we wish they would grow up/ If you love the little children of the world/ Please don’t ever hurt another/ Sad things happen when you do/ Find a way to end the fight/ Find a way to make things right/ If you love the little children of the world/ Won't you please just solve your problems/ Talk them over till you do/ Take your time and stay up late/ There’s no hurry, we can wait/ If you love the little children of the world/ Fighting only makes it harder/ Try to share and share alike/ There’s enough for all, it’s true/ When we do what we should do/ If you love the little children of the world/ Won’t you stop all of the hurting/ All the crying and the pain/ Help us keep our eyes and hands/ Let us live in our own lands/ If you love the little children of the world/ It’s not really so confusing/ You can do it if you try/ Do as you would want them to/ It’s not really hard to do/ If you love the little children of the world/ Hold your ears and never listen/ To the mean things people say/ You don’t have to be afraid/ We’re a family God has made/ If you love the little children of the world/ Help us build a world for children/ All the children of the world/ Build a world of peace and joy/ Safe for every girl and boy/ If you love the little children of the world/   more »

Excerpts: Bushie and Harrie were pardners/Oh lordy, how they cleared brush/They swore to be true to each other/Then Bushie gave her the brush/He was her man/But he done her wrong.../I couldn't tell you no story/I wouldn't tell you no lie/Ol' Georgy Porgy ain't studyin' no justice/He just wants his puddin' and pie/He done kissed that girl/And now he's makin' her cry....   more »

Excerpt: I lifted up my eyes to see four buzzards circling high above me, puzzled as to whether this hapless human below them--obviously writhing in her final death throes--would meet her demise sooner or disappointingly later....   more »

You'll have to shout louder;/I don't want to know./Experts and eggheady wonks,/Will you go?/I really can't hear you./I'm waiting to sup./I don't care to listen./My mind is made up./I long ago tuned out/All facts that don't fit./Your smartypants theories/Don't matter a whit./You'll have to yell louder./Sorry, I'm noddin'./I'm just not impressed./Enter, bin Laden.... (I wrote this a year ago and forgot about it. Too bad it's still just as relevant today....)   more »