5. July 2009 by Da Fu.

I saw a t-shirt with “Never Say Never” written on it and it made me smile because of my personal truism. It is “My only intolerance is intolerance”. My other double take truth is “What we all have in common is that we are each unique.” Some say what makes us human is the ability to hold two contradictory ideas at the same time. The double take truths above are such ideas. Yet, many think that holding contradictory beliefs makes them human but instead it just makes them self-serving hypocrites.

For example, many Christians believe worshiping Christ (his mystical side) and ignoring his teachings (his ethics) is being a devout Christian. This is not true. It makes them a half Christian. Thomas Jefferson rewrote the Bible and took out the mysticism and left only the ethics. It is how Jesus wanted us to behave. Most Christians do not behave this way.

Many hate their neighbors because they hate themselves. They assuage this self hate by giving money to a church and preachers promote this giving and self enrichment through “prosperity ministries.” Today these preachers would be thrown out of their “Temples” along with their “money changers” supporters by Jesus himself. These churches and their teachings are an abomination of Jesus’ life and death.

Though good deeds alone cannot get one into heaven, being good enough to get into heaven means by nature doing good deeds. It is paradoxical to be heaven good and not do good deeds. It is consistent to be an evil doer and attempt “good deeds” to make up for the evil deeds. Unfortunately, the so-called “good deeds” evil doers do are not truly good deeds since they are self centered and selfish. So, evil doers delude themselves.

These delusion are not limited to Christians. Islamic “Jihadist” a.k.a, terrorist, suicide bombers, etc. delude themselves into believing they are doing “good deeds” when they are actually being selfish. Is it not selfish to want a harem of “vestal virgins”? Is is not selfish and self-enriching to impose ones beliefs on others?

If the leaders of these Jihad movement are so committed why do they have to convince others (usually the poor and ignorant) to die for their cause? Why are they not suicide bombers themselves? The answer is they have too much to gain by letting others die for their beliefs. Deeds for self-enrichment whether monetary or otherwise are evil even in Islam.

Double take truths make many of us human while double take beliefs make many self-serving hypocrites. There are worlds of differences.

Posted in Moral Values, Semantics, Politics | Print | No Comments »

29. June 2009 by Da Fu.

Feeling discriminated against doesn’t make it so. Being discriminated against is real. White men just don’t get that giving those who have been disadvantaged an advantage to make up the difference is NOT discrimination. It is just an attempt to level the playing field.

It is ironic that leveling the playing field whether schooling, admissions or job promotions feels like discrimination to white men who have always had an advantage. That means that being on an equal status regarding opportunity feels like discrimination to white men because the white male advantage is gone.

Will white men ever see that their advantage over minorities is unfair, unjust and illegal? I doubt it. Leveling the playing field is to their disadvantage (NOT reverse discrimination) and white men are not used to being on level playing fields. And now they may never have to be.

Paradoxically, these same men would claim golf handicaps to make up for personal golf deficiencies or would claim it unfair in a golf game against Tiger Woods played on even terms. Would Tiger call a golf handicap reverse discrimination? I doubt it. He is too much of a man to do so.

Posted in Politics | Print | No Comments »

26. June 2009 by Da Fu.

It is laughable (and pitiful) how some in Congress are against a Government Health Insurance Plan because they don’t want put a government bureaucrat between the patient and the doctor. What makes the current for-profit insurance administrator, i.e., for-profit bureaucrat, between the patient and the doctor any better than a government bureaucrat?

Once again personal (mis)understandings are leading to automatic political reactions before all the facts and plans for health care reform are fully vetted. It is time that our Congressional Representatives and Senators start thinking and individualizing responses to the question on hand rather than just give a political stance knee jerk jerk reaction.

Posted in Semantics, Politics | Print | No Comments »

23. June 2009 by Da Fu.

Do the Republicans have a clue? A hold on reality? Do they not realize that a Democratic President reacts and responds differently than a Republican President? What bizarre world are they living in?

This week Republican Senators criticized Democratic President Obama for not being as bellicose as a Republican President would be in response to the Iranian people’s election outcome demonstrations.

Duh!!! How did they ever get elected?

Posted in Politics | Print | No Comments »

22. June 2009 by Da Fu.

All conflicts are tribal. Even those conflicts within Tribes are about factions (’sub-tribes’) within tribes. How sub-tribes and minority Tribes are allow to participate in governing determines the way they are respected and how they survive.

Take Iraq for example. The major tribes are Shiite, Sunni and Kurd with many other minor tribes (e.g., Christian Iraqis). Since the majority of the country is Shiite and if they can come to vote as a block, the Shiite’s will control the country and the Sunni and Kurd Tribes are powerless. Even if the Sunni and Kurd Tribes could form a political alliance, they would still be in the minority. Is there any hope for Iraq as country then? The answer depends on their governing structure.

If a super majority such as 60, 66 or even 75% is need for major constitutional and oil revenue redistribution then the minority tribes could garner enough influence to demand respect and prevent a simple majority overwhelming them. As an alternative a majority of each tribe’s representative would have to support the measure. In these situations, the minority Tribes/Parties cannot be ignored.

Ironically, in the USA W. Bush and his VP Dick saw a 51% slim majority as a “mandate” to lead all the people the way this slim majority desired. They railroaded the other 49% and caused them enough pain to throw the Republican Tribes out of office and also take their ruling majorities away. The Bush Republican Coalition was made up of the Conservatives, Capitalists and Christian Tribes. This coalition fell apart due to the Conservative’s hegemony and Capitalists’ financial mismanagements.

Does this mean the Democrats can govern at will? No because the “60% filibuster rule” in the Senate allows a minority to maintain power by preventing the majority to act. Thus there is a mechanism for minorities parties (’tribes’) to be respected. Paradoxically, this minority power that the Republicans hold on to so dearly, is the same power they threatened to take away from the Democrats when they lead the Senate. Their “nuclear option” to get rid of the 60% filibuster would not be serving them well at this time. Republicans need to know that what goes around comes around.

Even the Democrats have sub-tribes. The Minorities (e.g., Hispanic, African-American), Liberal and Moderate Tribes. The Liberal Tribe’s Health Care Reform is garnering some resistance from the Moderate Tribe and will have to be changed to get passed. Compromise and accommodation (’two dirty words’ to Conservatives) will be required to have a measure passed.

Israel is a reverse example. Israel’s major Tribes are so evenly split that very, very small Minority Tribes (e.g., Ultra Orthodox Jewish Tribe) have garnered unprecedented control to make a majority. If a super-majority was required to bring down a government, then the power of very small Minority Tribes can be prevented from becoming controlling.

Successful governing is about including all tribes and balancing power. It is not about a majority takes all because this leaves out a significant number of citizens. It about inclusiveness, compromise and respect of all citizens.

Posted in Moral Values, Semantics, Politics | Print | No Comments »

21. June 2009 by Da Fu.

It is a perfect world. Our parents and children are unique and imperfect. They will never be the “ideal” figment of our imagination person we want them to be. But, they are the persons we do have and we need to deal with them.

Our hopes, wishes, aspirations, wants, etc., etc., etc. and so forth are intermingled with our father, mother or child. This is who we are. Yet, it is NOT who they are and that is the issue.

We must internalized our ideal (archetypical) relation and then deal in the real world with the person who is our parent or child. Accepting them for who they are is the basis of charity love … love that does not have expectations in return and is selfless and quiet.

Nothing hurts more than “I-would-love-you-more-if-you-would…” change message. The message heard is “you don’t love me now and there is no guarantee you will love me even if I change.” Since the other person can never be ideal in our mind, the latter heard message is the correct one and change is inhibited rather than encouraged.

Unconditional acceptance without putting our personal burdens on others is how we show our charity love for others, especially to fathers, mothers and children. And this should be done daily….not just on special days each year. Living charity love is living in the world in good faith to One’s Self and Others.

So, maybe we should be the ideal parent or child we want to our parents and children. We can than have our ideal by living it and thus being a example of who we are. Such a gift of the love is priceless.

Posted in Health, Semantics | Print | No Comments »

10. June 2009 by Da Fu.

Through duplicity and chicanery, the Republican Conservatives, in George W Bush, had political control of all Americans. Their “it’s our way or the highway” attitude made a lot of enemies across our country and in the world. As a result, the Republican coalition of Conservatives, Capitalists and Christian Fundamentalist has fallen apart, probably never to be reformed. So, can Conservatives ever play a major role in politics again?

Christian Fundamentalists are seeing the light and getting out of politics. They have figured out that Christian values cannot be enforced and forced on the unwilling through political action. They need to work to take care their brethren that has come to worship prosperity more than charity love. Capitalists are on the ropes. They have mismanaged themselves out of being considered serious leaders. It will be a while before capitalists will have enough credibility to lead again. That leaves the Conservatives.

The Republican Conservatives need to form coalitions with conservative, largely Democratic Minorities like the Cuban and African American Christian Communities. This is not going to happen unless the Republicans Conservatives learn tolerance and accepts other for who they are like the Democrats do. It doesn’t seem likely that the Republican Conservatives are able to do this, but until they do, they will mainly be a fringe group. After their last leadership debacle, this may be for the best.

Posted in Politics | Print | No Comments »

5. June 2009 by Da Fu.

Fear is a major factor in life today even though we are the safest society that has ever lived. Fear of the unknown is the major cause of this fear and for the most part this fear leads to irrational behaviors. “What if…” paralyzes action and causes more missed opportunities than other current fear. And there is nothing to fear.

“Dare the dark” is a Matthew Fox mantra from his book Creation Spirituality that challenges the person to overcome his or her fear take action. This liberating mantra helps one rid themselves of the paralyzing fear because daring the dark becomes an adventure with rare if any dire consequences. Thus, the thrill of the strange (i.e., new and intimate) makes the experience worthwhile.

Posted in Health | Print | No Comments »

26. May 2009 by Da Fu.

Social Security is going to run out of money soon. The best way to save them is use them for what they were intended, that is a pension not a welfare fun. The following is my reasoning.

Social Security was developed as a Pension fund. Unfortunately, it pays out a lot more than is funded by the participant. This makes Social Security a Welfare Fund. Most do not have a problem paying Social Security Welfare for those who fail a means test. This does not happen so that many with good incomes receive Social Security Welfare even though they do not need welfare.

Social Security Pension money should repay according to the person’s investment in the fund. Once this runs out, a means test (e.g., income less than 200% poverty level) should be used to exclude those who do not need social welfare.

I imagine many would be eliminated from the SS roles with a means test after their Pension runs out. Many like me would probably even donate our SS Pension as long as it was matched by Congress to avoid having Congress continue to pillage the SS Pension.

Posted in Health, Politics | Print | No Comments »

16. May 2009 by Da Fu.

Since Primeval Tribal members can conceive and hold only one ideology at a time (their own!), the cannot accept anyone else with differing thoughts. Thus, they attack the person with the differing ideology rather addressing (’attacking”) the different ideas. These attacks are a successful way to divert the attention from the ideas to the person; thus, leaving the ideological controversy unaddressed. These Primeval attacks are getting old and remain unfruitful in the Modern era. Basically, the autocratic leader of the Primeval Tribe, Rush “Limpbag” Limbaugh, ought to resign and lead a monastic life of sllence and solitude. This should lead to the Enlightenment of some of his ideological automatons.

Speaker Pelosi’s statement that the CIA mislead her is her personal belief. The Primeval Tribe should know better than anyone else the political value of ‘faulty’ recollection. W. Bush, Cheney, Rove, Gonzalez and may other W. Bush Regime cronies purposely used ‘faulty recollection’ as means to excuse their misgoverning. There is no proof that Pelosi’s recollection is faulty yet.

Yet, the Primeval Tribe men like Rush Limpbag call for Pelosi’s resignation because she doesn’t remember like they think she should and they frequently don’t. This is a double standard, i.e., faulty memory is OK for Conservatives/Primeval Tribal members but not for Modern Tribal members.

It is ironic that even if Pelosi had known about water-boarding in 2002, if she had tried to do anything about it she would have been pilloried and mercilessly attacked and even called a traitor. Limpbag would have called for her resignation. No one outside the Primeval Tribe can ever be right! Peolsi and any Modern Tribal member can NEVER be right unless they adhere to Primeval Tribal ideology.

The era for the Conservative ideal for universal mono-ideology is passed. W. Bush and his Dick were their chance to govern and they failed miserably. Diversity of culture and socio-economic statuses will forever prevent the return of Conservative hegemony. Thus, Limpbag take a hike….your ideas are passe. Then again, I don’t expect Limpbag to walk away from a cash cow since it’s really about Conservative money not the Conservative agenda.

(addendum: For clueless Republicans, it is with tongue-in-cheek that I write this using Republican methodology)

Posted in Politics | Print | No Comments »