Tag: politics

Pinched Feet

 

“The Shoe that Fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases”
— Carl Jung

 

2016 was both a year of growth and a year of confusion for me. In some ways I realized more of my ambitions than I have before. Yet I find myself with less definition of conviction than ever before. This was at least partially due to my reaction to the US Presidential election. It seems people were so polarized and had definite feelings of the rightness of their case. So many of these reactions seemed and still do unreasoned. I found myself growing more and more uncomfortable with the polarization that has been happening. People seem to be using their opinions to justify bad behaviour on both sides and there is little willingness to either challenge one’s own beliefs (something which is one of the few rules I have for myself) or be open to those of others. People justify their beliefs not because they have tested them and won out but because they can find them mirrored in the beliefs of almost all of their friends and social media acquaintances. I regret having to say this but if all of your friends agree with your political views no matter what they are, you need to widen your circle of friends.
Blessings,
G

 

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reflecting-inner-skies-reduxReflecting Inner Skies (Redux) by G A Rosenberg

 

manifesting-the-elks-spiritManifesting the Elk’s Spirit by G A Rosenberg

 

Creating Absurdity

 

“Envision possibility. Don’t worry who else believes in it; the universe is only looking for instructions from you.”
— Marianne Williamson

 

Creating the world I live in
breaking the chains I’m given
freeing myself for living

 

I have to admit tho I keep getting pulled in by all the political bread and circuses. It may be easier this year since they’ve added so many clowns. Take the latest news from the south for instance. Supreme Court Justice Scalia died of a hard attack yesterday. He was 79 and not particularly in the best of health so it probably did not feel totally unexpected. Yet immediately the radical right jumped in with conspiracy theories about how he was murdered (by Obama in at least one reported theory no less). Putting aside the absurdity of this claim for a second one has to ask the next logical question. If he was going to be murdered, why would it be now. The timing is already causing a shit storm due to the fact that President Obama is in his last year in office and the republicans don’t want him to do his appointed job. If it was that easy to assassinate Scalia would it not have been wiser to do it a year ago before several of the most controversial and closest decisions to come down the pike in a while? One has to wonder.
Blessings, G

 

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InsightInsight by G A Rosenberg

 

A Successful WorkingA Successful Working by G A Rosenberg

 

Political Nonsense

 

“Thinking is difficult, that’s why most people judge.”
— Carl G. Jung

 

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h4>It seems lately that everyone in the states or who follows the circus that is United States election 2016 has decided to pick a side. For many that means picking one candidate and sticking to them through thick and thin, extolling the positives and getting angry at whomever would suggest that there are any negatives.
“Negatives, that belongs to those other guys who are totally evil.” Strange enough when people acknowledge the opposite’s party candidates as having no good points or justifications. When they burn in effigy those whose views are the most similar to their own candidates, it makes you wonder. Case in point, the Democrats since there are only two. Both of the candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have stated that they would prefer each other to win by a large factor over any of the Republican candidates. Yet people are defending each other on social media and virtually coming to blows against those who have the temerity to prefer the other candidate.
This tendency to go “all out” jingoistic towards a candidate without any willingness to look at the downsides seems to come down to at least two increasing tendencies I have perceived.
1) People, encouraged by the media, public education systems and most private ones, seem to be using less and less critical thought these days. They either love or hate the candidate without seeing the flaws (and both Bernie and Hillary have some weak points). I have yet to notice anything or anyone so perfect in any situation that that have no flaws yet this inability (unwillingness) to look at it will in the long run have consequences.

2) Many people seem to be over identifying with their candidates so anything critical said about the candidate gets taken as a personal insult.
So much of human thought and philosophy has been built around being able to see and even argue from more than one side of a proposition that to abandon this ability or not develop it in the first place seems to me to be a manifestation of the dumbing down of society.

I don’t know that either Bernie or Hillary can ultimately benefit this country. At this point I would be happy with whoever getting in not furthering harm.
Blessings, G

 

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A Location DreamedA Location Dreamed by G A Rosenberg

 

ContactContact by G A Rosenberg

 

My Dogma is Running From My Karma

 

“Every dogmatism, whether ecclesiastical-political or state-political, necessarily takes each thought and deed that seems to deviate from it, or that actually does deviate from it, to be in essential agreement with what is inimical to the dogmatism—whether it be the pagans and the godless or the Jews and Communists. A peculiar strength lies in this kind of thinking—not a strength of thinking—but the power to make one’s own gospel prevail.”
— Martin Heidegger

 

It is difficult for me to avoid being political these days. I have gotten caught up in the soap opera of the Republican debates and indeed what a show it’s been. I have also been watching the comments on social media and for an ex-patriot American living in Canada things back home look mighty confusing. So much fear is being spread about Islam and there seems to be confusion for many about whether to be afraid of the terrorists who call themselves the Islamic State or just any follower of the religion. Some people have such a strong knee-jerk reaction to the concept of Islam that they can’t handle when it is discussed in their children’s social studies classes. A few months ago the same people were up in arms about gay marriage and how allowing it would either piss off God or cause moral implosion everywhere. There is fear about being forced to give up their guns and fear of people who are indiscriminately shooting at others. It must be pretty uncomfortable to live somewhere where people are constantly told what they need to be afraid of.
I have been told that the reason why Canadians can be so relatively care-free and liberal about these subjects is because we know that the United States will protect us against any attack. If that is true, then shouldn’t people living in the States feel even safer? It makes the mind boggle.
Blessings, G

 

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She Carries ForthShe Carries Forth by G A Rosenberg

 

Life-Death in aRainbow RockLife/Death in a Rainbow Rock by G A Rosenberg

 

I Offer My Confusion

 

“In my experience, everyone will say they want to discover the Truth, right up until they realize that the Truth will rob them of their deepest held ideas, beliefs, hopes, and dreams. The freedom of enlightenment means much more than the experience of love and peace. It means discovering a Truth that will turn your view of self and life upside-down. For one who is truly ready, this will be unimaginably liberating. But for one who is still clinging in any way, this will be extremely challenging indeed. How does one know if they are ready? One is ready when they are willing to be absolutely consumed, when they are willing to be fuel for a fire without end.”
— Adyashanti

 

Once again I offer you my authentic confusion. I’ve been somewhat obsessively watching the news from the U.S. and I feel dismay, anger and frustration. I am not surprised that Donald Trump revealed himself to be a bigot who would take the United States down a draconian path but that so many people would read and hear his ideas about immigration and not only find them reasonable but agree with them? Wow! A victory has been won for fear, uncertainty and doubt.
For those of us that fear the other, the internet must come as an cultural shock. Constantly we are bombarded with people who follow different religious beliefs and or lifestyles. If I lived happily in a rural area and never wished to travel and interact with different demographics I would find it difficult to be online at all. If I believed that my way of life was the only ‘correct’ one I would find myself beaten down by the realization that so many others had ‘gotten it wrong’.
Instead I have always had this intense need to understand others and try to see life from their point of view. I don’t believe that there is a wrong way except perhaps to limit myself to one viewpoint at a time.
Yet I don’t have answers and I keep discovering more questions and paradoxes as I go. I might find it comforting to stick to one point of view and eschew all others and the people who hold them. Yet that would not be being my authentic self.
Blessings, G

 

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Shaping StarsShaping Stars by G A Rosenberg

 

VigilVigil by G A Rosenberg

 

Night Phoenix AbstractNight Phoenix Abstract by G A Rosenberg

 

Many Blood Sucking Parasites

 

“The word ‘politics’ is derived from the word ‘poly’ meaning ‘many’, and the word ‘ticks’ meaning ‘blood sucking parasites’.”
— Larry Hardiman

 

So I’ve talked a bit about religion and a bit about sex so let’s finish the trilogy of things we aren’t supposed to talk about with politics. Where sex is about the physical relationships between two (or sometimes more) people on an intimate level and religion is about the spiritual relationship between us and the universe, one of the definitions of politics according to Merriam-Webster is ” the total complex of relations between people living in society”. In other words all these beings are here with me, how are we going to deal with each other? Everybody has different ideas on how to answer this question and everybody is sure they are right and equally sure everyone else is wrong. We elect the people whose answers we are convinced are the closest to ours to govern us and then deride them when we find out that they lied. We have office politics, relationship politics, family politics and even personal politics. Believe me quite often the decision to not tear someone apart either verbally or physically is based totally on political considerations.
If something is this important than why shouldn’t people discuss it in polite conversation? Partly as with sex and religion, it involves the fear of the different. If someone has a different idea about how to relate to people than I do than his might be better and I might have to rethink things. I would show myself to be wrong in front of other people and be embarrassed. To avoid this, I either need to not talk about it or be able to make my opponent look bad. This normally ends up with someone feeling bad or foolish and again it comes from fear.
Why can’t people admit that when it comes to Sex, Politics and Religion, no one has the perfect way of doing things? We can all learn from each other and come up with an integrated approach that incorporates all views. Barring that we can stick to our guns and say “Maybe this doesn’t work for everyone but it works for us. Learn from us or leave us alone.” Yet it seems we can’t be left alone. Too many people need to impose their views on everyone in order to feel that their way is the right way. In S P & R fear makes us either Tyrants, Slaves or Isolated. Following our own paths and decisions, learning from others as we choose makes us happy. This might not be politically correct to say, but for me it feels like a truth.
Blessings, G

 

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Forest QueenForest Queen by G A Rosenberg

 

DistortionsDistortions by G A Rosenberg

 

Sex, Religion and Politics.

 

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
— Aristotle

 

I used to laugh at a quote that I came across several times in my youth. “The three things that should never be mentioned in polite company are sex, religion and politics” What I found funny about the quote and still do is that most conversations outside of those three, I find hopelessly banal. Perhaps it was the way I was raised. My mother was a very intelligent opinionated woman who was far from shy at expressing herself. Her sense of humour was quite bawdy and a lot of my communication skills come from her.
I can’t help it. I find sex religion and politics all to be fascinating subjects. What can be more interesting than the ways in which we interrelate as people, as cultures and as spiritual beings each with their own outlook on the universe. Yet without Sex, Religion and Politics there would arguable be no war. I can’t think of any conflict that is not a result in some way of at least one of the three. Yet what else is there to talk about? Health at its best is a subject that hopefully becomes exhausted quickly otherwise degenerates into rather lurid and tedious descriptions of bodily functions and operations. The weather also gets very tired very quickly. I don’t know that its possible to discuss one’s job without talking about how people relate to each other which quickly becomes politics on a smaller scale. There is a reason why these three and any other topic except S, R or P is known as small talk. What ever happened to larger talk. You know the questions that we all carry around inside of us that when shared offer us insight into ourselves and the world around us.
Are there subjects that should never be brought up? Is there any topic that is too socially unacceptable that two adults cannot and should not address it? I have always believed the answer to this question is no but increasingly I find that for many this is not the case. Mention certain subjects and large segments of the population will either turn and attack or lose all cognitive function as their limbic buttons are pressed and they go into a mindless rage. Ask someone to explain their beliefs and why they believe the world works in certain ways and they often quickly become defensive. Express a different world view then theirs and immediately too many scramble to justify why their belief or practices or culture is better. Nothing is wrong with that except that all too often people tend to take a challenge to their beliefs or practices as a personal attack rather than an honest inquiry to understand and integrate their thoughts with our own. How can we arrive at truth and understanding if we are unwilling to accept our differences. It is puzzling. Luckily not everyone is quite so insular.
Blessings, G

 

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Royal WelcomeRoyal Welcome by G A Rosenberg

 

Beyond the EntranceBeyond the Entrance by G A Rosenberg

 

Quote of the Day – September 28 2012

“…an optimistic mind-set finds dozens of possible solutions for every problem that the pessimist regards as incurable.”
― Robert Anton Wilson

 

Most people see this world as hurting badly. Anyone can point to any of a dozen or more really dire problems and dire they would appear for sure. Could they be growing pains of a species in its adolescence? Could this with all of its problems be the path that we set ourselves? True villains appear plentiful but any story needs its antagonists, it’s problems to solve. Ultimately I will always be a hope fiend because I see hope as a necessary ingredient. I see it as being a will to continue even in the face of insurmountable odds. We may lose this planet. We may not survive as a species tho I believe that our spirits will continue.. Energy can’t be created or destroyed but beyond the constructs of time and space, we are eternal… The universe like the dude abides.

Blessings, G

 

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Cosmic Dance by G A Rosenberg

 

Jade Ray Mandala by G A Rosenberg

On Asking Questions

Asking questions of ourselves, or others and the universe seems to be a vanishing skill. Not surprising governments seem to like to keep their populaces dumbed down and unquestioning. In public schools, as classes get larger and larger there is greater and greater emphasis placed on learning the ‘facts’ as presented and kids are told there is only limited time at best for questions.

 

 

We are told which questions are ok to ask and which ones aren’t. News conferences and interviews with politicians and celebrities are vetted beforehand to make sure nothing unexpected comes through that there may not be a ready answer to. If certain questions get asked about government policies even in countries that are supposedly ‘free’ and ‘democratic’, they don’t get answered. Instead the questioner becomes lambasted, called unpatriotic or self-hating. The rhetoric grows louder and louder and becomes more and more repetitious until the original question becomes lost or forgotten.

 

 

In today’s world, the child who points out the Emperor has no clothes becomes silenced before he can utter four words. He, tho at least has the willingness to ask. Please ask questions and demand answers of your government, your organization, your teachers, your friends and your self. Don’t settle for canned responses, open your eyes to what goes on around you. After all, can’t we learn as much from questions as we can from their answers?
Blessings G

 

 

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Mindstorm by G A Rosenberg