In Search For An Answer
I have been chastised for coming out against Extremism. I find it difficult to change that position. I reason that extremism genders fear. Fear seeks security as a remedy. Notwithstanding FDR’s “You have nothing to fear except fear itself”, fear is being used by the Bush administration as an excuse for a myriad number of questionable acts. It also is an easy cover for incompetence and corruption beyond anything in recent memory.
We don’t need extreme acts as much as we need clear, comprehensible proposals as to what to do with the problems we face. Iraq, Afghanistan, Health Care, Oil-dependency, War, Terror, the new Apocalypse horsemen DeLay, Abramoff, Rove and Reed; NSA wiretaps, FEMA, Cronies, the Porter Goss CIA, mis-Packing the Supreme Court, Constitutional Crisis, Infrastructure, Education, Theocracy, Global Warming, an outraging Deficit, ‘Signing Statements’ (Bush betrayal of McCain).
Would you like to continue? There are I am sure many other items you would add to the list. But the point is, what is our side, the Opposition proposing? They are just complaining and many are indulging in extreme acts. No wonder so many people say politicians are all the same. K Street owns the lot. The Reds get the loot and the Blues want it.
While I really can’t forgive the Gang of Four (Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice) for putting us in such plight, I question the effectiveness of extreme attacks against their acts. Why not continued Rove-like broadcasting of our positions without extremism or crudity? Recently I have received satirical poster casting Bush and Cheney as the two “Brokeback Mountain” cowboys. I laughed and then I was sad. Here was a great love story being lampooned by two who have show so little compassion or love.
I am certainly not a bleeding liberal. I feel much at home in the Libertarian camp of the socially progressive and fiscally conservative. I also believe that the Hippy philosophy continues to offer something to our time. I was the only person named twice on the Nixon Enemies List when it was finally published in the Congressional Record . You can see why I am horrified by the Bush administration lack of compassion and fiscal irresponsibility.
I spent five years working on the Liberty Tour of HAIR with the slogan “Freedom, Peace and Love”. If those three principles are the foundation of a political platform today, we would have something that would give people Hope.
Hope is what our world needs. Not fear. At a time when fascism threw the world into global war, FDR gave us Hope. When world-wide violence again threatened JFK, RFK and MLKJr., gave us Hope. That is why their assassinations are so for us to endure, still today.
It is not Fear which will turn our scene around.
It is Hope.
This entry was posted on Sunday, January 15th, 2006 at 3:53 PM and filed under Articles. Follow comments here with the RSS 2.0 feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback.
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Posted on 16-Jan-06 at 9:42 pm | PermalinkMichael,
I whole-heartedly agree with every point you have made.
I want to thank you on behalf of the youth and ‘old Hippies’ who will never forget what you brought to the World.
Liberty tour, how enlightening, and sad that it never materialized. Nevertheless, you gave it your all. That appeased my sensibilities unlike the HAIR film which I did not like what they did to Claude-but you already know that.
There is the point that you made that “It is not Fear which will turn our scene around. It is Hope.” True up to a point…
Frankly, it is fear from those that are silencing us that creates the situation we’re in.
Those that dig for the unethical truths tirelessly, deserve our kudos. Because we understand the assassinations of King, the Kennedy’s, Kent State and the utter neglect of the African continent health situation we are feared.
We are portrayed as you know, unfit for habitation on this planet-how ironic.
We know about peace, love and forgiveness. Yes-we all want it fully realized, perpetuated and embraced.
But, because we understand the fifth dimension, we are feared. Fear we must take to out bosom, reason with it - for change.
Those that want to change will also understand-only from understanding can we fully live in a country of Liberty, Peace and Love.
Hope is powerful, a catalyst.
They are those that fear us-Peace is feared, just like Justice and Liberty for the People.
Love by all means is the most feared. Too bad-if we only knew that LOVE is more powerful and comes about more often than WAR and Hate.
Love is the foundation which we raise-till all can see its marvelous work and wonder.
Still Michael, we will always be feared even when we are as innocent as a child, once again in our thoughts, when we reach that true, bright-light of countenance here upon this Earth.
I don’t hope for these things because they come. I do HOPE the Power of Peace leaves ALL to reason.
To continue the Peace, we must be feared, if you and I are not, we don’t exist and our cause is torment, pain, hell on earth, slavery and injustice.
Lyle
Posted on 16-Jan-06 at 9:50 pm | PermalinkIt is not the rhetoric of, “Peace-Freedom-Love” that needs to be embraced (althought it would be mind blowing if it appeared!), but the understading of the New World Global Economy, which is orchestrating how decisions are made today at all levels to promote profit and business expansion! Until we understand the “Flat World” and how BIG business is pursuading decisions in their favor (govt. by lobby), we will not even come close to over-coming the evil of what is happening in the world!!
Posted on 19-Mar-06 at 1:41 pm | PermalinkGordon