... sorry. Actually, not sorry. Went to the Bowl instead. The Hollywood Bowl. Sat with friends. Drank champagne and a good Spanish burgundy. Noshed on hummus, stuffed grape leaves, Saint Andre and sharp Cheddar cheese. Listened to Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff. "Under the stars." Forgot about politics. All in all, a lovely evening. So, not sorry at all.
To judge from subsequent reports, however, it's clear by now that we have two very different John McCains to choose from: the one who prides himself on being his own man, who promises to "reform" his own party, who speaks quietly and the appearance of reason; and the other who kowtows to the extreme right wing of that party and stands by with tacit approval, as their anointed leader, while they yell out the same, tired old lies about the other party's policies and serve up the familiar Rovian political venom in the place of actual ideas. The pieces of the convention that I watched--along with everything I heard--added up to a depressing spectacle of poisonous mockery and mindless hoots and jeers, all in the name of "Country First." "U.S.A! U.S.A!"
Please. Isn't it time for us all to become adult enough to see ourselves in the context of a threatened planet, where millions starve and nationalist and resource wars already abound; where the very future of the planet is at stake--thanks, in part, to our own country's insatiable and self-indulgent consumption? And isn't it time for us to take a hard look in the mirror, instead of charging blindly on into a morass of debt and social chaos? Do we really know who we are? Do we actually know how to think, or are we to allow ourselves to be merely driven by advertisement and hype?
I'm probably way behind you all in stumbling into this wickedly intelligent satirical site, How Insane Is John McCain. I know, I know, it's probably not Right Speech. But it IS funny, and it skewers the Republican ticket with merciless precision.
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9 comments:
I only saw a few minutes of it because I couldn't stand the "stand up and fight" mentality. I'm weary of words like "victory" and "fight". The whole "country first" nationalist blather really puts me off.
Ugh!
The thing is that John McCain might be the nicest guy in the world to sit and have a cup of coffee with - but that underlying philosophy of his feels like cancer.
~*
This is James from The Buddhist Blog. You might like my political blog linked to this profile called, "The Political Junkie."
Chani, by NYT count, her used the word "fight" 43 times!
Hello, Handsome! Thanks for letting me know about your "other site"! And good for you, to be doing it. We need a multitude of voices now, on the political front. The Buddha Diaries is likely to be heavily political for the foreseeable future.
Chani, I mean "he"... (typo)
I didn't watch a single second of the Republican Convention. I don't have the stomach or psyche for it.
Love that How Insane Is John McCain site. I read the Cindybot 3.5 post out loud to Roger. We had a good laugh, flesh vessels that we are.
You guys are the most frustrated bunch of buddhists I can imagine. None of you seem to be at peace, but very caught up in the tumultuous world. When you talk about sending good will and blessings, I don't believe you. I sense instead, you wish people were different. When you speak about delusion, I don't sense clarity, example, Chani saying, McCain might be the nicest guy in the world to sit and have a cup of coffee with." !!
How can you transcend, when you feel you need the 'stomach and psyche' to cope? When you laugh (rarely) it seems like a nervous laugh, a satirical laugh, a melancholy laugh. I could go on...but I know you don't like criticism, as if it mattered. How could criticism matter if all is dust?
I'm sorry, but you seem to me to be suffering alone and communally, in a mode for more, and leaning on each other for support.
Perhaps, I will learn more of these things when I go to Thailand this November.
Carly, I hope so... I must say I'm puzzled by the tone of your comment: I don't really understand what it is about Buddhism that riles you so. When I send out goodwill, despite your disbelief, I really do mean it. And I see no contradiction between that and wishing people were different. Not sure, either, where you get the idea that I don't like criticism: I've generally welcomed it, and learn a great deal when it comes my way. Remember your criticism of my bumper sticker? Ah, well... I do wish you all good things.
P: Let me give some thought to an explanation. You may find it interesting. or not. whatever. I will find my thoughts interesting either way.
P: I'm not riled. Just some observations. I won't belabor the points. Cheers.
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