I am troubled this week. Troubled about war and needless death. But troubled all the more by the “civilized” world’s lack of any new perspective on what to do when we have major conflicts. I see us acting out ancient and very fundamentalist reactions on a global scale, that still don’t work. Recently the notion … [read more]
Political / Social
More powerful than any president…
J Edgar Hoover was one of the most divisive and anti-American figures in our history. It would be difficult to find someone who did more to subvert the Constitution, break the law at the highest governmental levels, and strip citizens of their rights, than Hoover. Don’t take my word for it. Read his story. It … [read more]
Can We Blame Them?
What motivates individuals and groups is much simpler than we often portray. Our choices and biases, goals and fears are often right at the surface of risk, reward and aversion. Sometimes, because of those motivations, we as individuals or groups have an additional motivation: to try to mask what really is driving us, while contriving … [read more]
Manifesto for warm-hearted bi-ped earth-walkers- Nikki Hodgson
Friends, Many of you know Michael Hodgson. Some know his daughter Nikki. Nikki has followed in the little guy’s footsteps, and made a real mark for herself as a writer. Her pieces from Palestine a few years ago were among the best writing from there I have seen: human-scaled and visceral, leaving the reader with … [read more]
The People
Gary Snyder’s conclusion of “For The Children” is a complete prescription for humanity:“Stay together, learn the flowers, go light.” Nothing is left out. I see us, through the restaurant window, together and not, going here and there, going on. There are no other politics. The People Rain slick streets of Shanghai lie worn but resolute … [read more]
The Ship Graveyards of Chittagong
The Ship Graveyards of Chittagong We flew from Shanghai to Bangkok then on to Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital city. The airport was alarmingly small and shabby for a city of nearly seven million. I wondered if we were in the right place. Armed military were ever-present and customs barely moved, in step with the sweltering heat … [read more]
