safety pin

Can two things that don't belong together really ever become attached?

War and Peace are two things that don't belong together and yet we can attach them in ways that can prevent one from happening to the advantage of the other.

Today, War is attached to peace in many minds around the world. War has the advantage, we are led to believe, by those ascribing greatness and valor to the accomplishments of war. But does war have an advantage or is it a delusion we are all having rained upon us?

Safety pins attach things together that don't belong together.

Safety pins, according to a description in Wikipedia, can "remedy the arse of your pants from falling out".

Well the "arse of our pants" fell out a long time ago and we need safety pins to plug up the tear.

What exactly are we getting out of our invasion of Iraq?

It isn't increased security, for Iraq is a breeding ground for terrorists that will in the future attack us.

It isn't more petroleum.

It isn't freedom and democracy in the Middle East...for the region is degenerating into more chaos with Turkey bombing Northern Iraq.

We, the little people here in the US aren't making money out of this, in fact it is costing us our prosperity.

What exactly, I'm asking, are we getting out of this?

I sent out a few e-mails asking these very questions.

A friend wrote back and said we are getting "An appreciation of nationalist jingoism by adherents to Transnational progressivism".

Translated, this means "some are appreciating extreme patriotism in the form of aggressive foreign policy". Also translated into extreme profits at the expense of the taxpayers of the United States of America.

In practice, nationalist jingoism refers to sections of the general public who advocate the use of threats of actual force against other countries in order to safeguard(safeguard corporate interests) what they perceive as their country's national interests(economic interests), and colloquially to excessive bias in judging one's own country as superior to others.

While the made up adherents of "transnational progressivism"? WHAT IS THIS YOU SAY?

Look on?

"Transnational progressivism" appears to be a construct by the neoconservative think tank "The Hudson Institute" to combat the leveling of the playing field. The think tank coined the phrase(transnational progressivism) and set out to define it in a manner that would detail negative repercussions if this type of policy were to dominate US internal politics. The think tanks author John Fonte reflects upon the internal public policy it promotes called "liberal democracy" but leaves out the economic aspect of "liberal democracy's" sometimes negative impact around the world, and instead chooses to rip apart "transnational progressivism" which is a term they coined.

An interesting tactic. Define a new ism then prove why the neo conservative view is more valid.

But it fails to investigate how politicians have created demand for war based technologies, how politicians have created a new economic bubble using the "War on Terror" and disaster capitalism. Iraq and Afghanistan are the disasters that supply the new economy using your taxpayer dollars. Border control, wiretapping, surveillance cameras, web surfing, phone logs, homeland security, prisons, detection devices, pharmaceutical developments for biomedical attacks, new weapons, industries to support the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines....everything that was once controlled given over to the private sector to run and make obscene profits off of.

There is a booming economy that is war based and entirely underwritten by taxpayer dollars, YOUR MONEY flowing into the hands of corporations who want more and more of it, but will make you pay in return. The United States government has shelled out millions and millions and millions to private companies to develop and install detection equipment etc. to guard YOU against an unproven threat.

War and peace....we have been had by war.

Now we need to institute peace, so get out the safety pins before your entire "arse" is on the ground.

Sampat Devi Pal

The 'pink' gang has staged protests against corrupt officials

In India a group of women finally had it. Led by the feisty Sampat Devi Pal the "gulabi gang" or "pink gang" as we would call it, fights for justice.

Devi claims the gang is not a gang in the usual sense for they don't work with "political parties" or NGO's because they don't want to pay kickbacks. Devi, according to a BBC article , wants to uproot corruption and be self reliant.

Devi claims that village society in India marries women off too early, sometimes as young as nine, won't educate them, and uses them in exchange for money. She wants education for women and the right for them to work and become self reliant.

Recently the electrical company was holding hostage the local village, not supplying electricity for two weeks, but sending bills for that lack. Devi and a group of a few hundred women stormed the utilities offices and demanded the electricity be turned back on. Then locked up the offices with officials inside and took away the key claiming they would not return to release the officials until the electricity was turned back on. An hour later the power was on.

The group was formed two years ago and have become heroes in the Bandar district of India. The group fights injustice, they target corrupt officials and violent husbands.

i would call Sampat Devi Pal a Speaker and invite you to read more about
the gulabi gang
a different kind of speaker

Sampat Pal Devi says nobody helps the poor

don't stop talking

What is a Speaker?

The primary defining characteristic of a speaker is one who speaks.

Toddlers speak, children speak, even those pesky adolescents speak so i guess all those who are over the age of two can be called speakers can't they?

A successful speaker is one who delivers an eloquent speech that is well received, remembered and transmitted far and wide. Two year olds do have their moments, but transmitted far and wide, does screaming count? No, probably takes someone with a command of the language to be a successful speaker.

Today's technology allows many to become speakers instantly. Creating a YouTube video can be done in the home, planted on-line, and transmitted all over the world.

But what does a speaker speak about?

The topics are endless and the choices for viewers are endless as well. In this little world, called Humanitysquared a simple message of peace and prosperity for all, transmitted by many different kinds of individuals, repeating the same message over and over could be the answer we need to reduce the belief that war and poverty are inevitable.

Propagandists always use simple talking points to get their message across. They repeat the message over and over until it becomes embedded in the popular psyche. Most who have been recipients of propaganda don't stop to consider where the idea came from they just repeat it on cue.

Most of us here in the Western Hemisphere are blind to the results of our actions upon other nations. We fail to comprehend the bad that comes with the good we think we are spreading. We block out all our ill effects upon others and concentrate on tangible good. Unfortunately, the tangible good isn't always enough and the bad we have created can outweigh the good with blowback for us.

Some have called 9/11 blowback.

i am aware that many American citizens can't accept the idea that any of our actions overseas could be considered a reason for anyone to do such a heinous act. Keeping the blinders on does not make a peaceful world.

To change that mind set local speakers can be developed to broadcast the news that most of us function outside of our governments. We have no real say or power over what a few choose to do to the rest of us. We have no real control over our military or the leaders that find it necessary to send our boys off to war.

We are brainwashed to believe that one man one vote solves everything and gives us power, but does it? What happens to the desires of those that lost the contest? Have they lost completely and are now required to stand aside while everything they desired is put on the back burner?
To watch while the other side tears apart everything they believe in. This goes both ways with both sides equally looking on in horror while the other side rules.

Sometimes i think the old tribal groups had it right. It wasn't one man one vote, it was leadership through consensus. When issues arose amongst the tribe, communal events were scheduled to clear the air and try to bring everyone on board. Sometimes there was no action until everyone had their say. The issues were hashed and rehashed until the chief had finally convinced the whole tribe that whatever action he wanted to take was a good one.

We don't talk about the issues. Someone has brainwashed the populace into believing that talking about politics or religion in groups is a no, no. Do you think it could be so reason can't play a role.

So, getting back to the topic of speaker.....i believe speakers are necessary to level the playing field. To bring to the spotlight both sides of the issues in a non-emotional safe environment in order to advance peace and prosperity for all.

To start this moving i'm looking for speakers all over the world to showcase here.

Bill Gates delivered a very passionate speech at the Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland January 28, 2008.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql-Mtlx31e8





i see this type of media being more and more relevant in our daily lives. Acceptance of this media, which is subject to wide dispersal and the video expertise of the creators, is a function of accessibility. As we become more interconnected
Speakers that branch out all over the world can and will resemble a virus that won't stop until the job is done. i hope this makes you so ill all you will want to do is get healthy by listening to the Speakers i hope to find.

Please send recommendations for Speakers.

you are far far greater than you know

i have a vision of very smooth perfectly shaped rocks of all sizes and shapes, dark, gray, even sand colored rocks being tumbled together constantly by wave action. The sound, when they tumble together, is beautiful. They are in concert with each other.

The symphony starts with the thunder of the wave rolling in, it builds until it crashes upon the shore where the rocks reside. Then, as the water recedes, all the rocks tumble against each other creating this orchestral sound, it is a sucking, rolling, crackling and crashing together of stone, dominating the hearing threshold and demanding pause in the rush to proceed on with life.

Knock two pieces of stone together and that is but a very tiny aspect of the overall crescendo that occurs when thousands and thousands of stones are rolling against each other.

Tumbling stone.

Can all human beings resemble tumbling stone?

All humans are beautiful in their own special way, they sound good, they have faith, they work with others and have families, but are some cold deep down? Are some stony in their beliefs? Do they reject supporting common goals, do they appear cold towards peace and eradication of poverty?

Why?

Is it that they believe it can't happen.

Is it because they have been raised to be self-interested?

Are the self-interested the ones that believe violence is the only arbiter of change, the ones who perpetuate aggression.

The self -interested are the ones that don't realize that peace, and peaceful people are in the majority, daily.

Take a city. New York. New York is bustling with people all going about their daily business. Millions move about the city twenty-four hours a day. They eat, sleep, go to work, purchase food, entertain themselves and have fun. While all this happens, with alarming regularity, somewhere on a city street a violent act occurs. Out of all those millions of people conducting their peaceful existence the act of violence gets attention even though it is a minor occurrence in the overall scheme of things.
The majority of the city has been enjoying peace, peace was ruling, but New Yorkers have been conditioned to believe that violence is what is happening more often, that it is what is making change occur.

Why I ask?

Why are we conditioned to think violence rules when peace is the activity that is actually ruling all over the world?

Take a moment to look around as you move through your day, your week, a month, a year. Notice peace prevailing in the world around you. Take a moment to observe everyone you encounter, how often do you see violent acts? Peace is king, everywhere, we just have to encourage all of us notice it. We have to wake up to the reality of Peace as a daily occurrence.

When those rocks knock together, over time they eventually break down the cold stony identity of the self interested individual pieces and become sand. Although still individual they are now part of a whole working together.

We already practice peace every day, we just need to focus more of humanity on its daily dominance.

some billboard humor

The comedians out there do some great stuff at youtube and myspace....so while looking for a laugh i came across this little gem called dueling billboards by a guy named mario digiorgio...i wonder if that is his real name?

We all notice those billboards and i'm one who shouts back while buzzing past. Well our boy mario has put together a little piece i sure hope makes you laugh.


Dueling Billboards

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Some may find this offensive....especially when this blog is about humanity, but that is why i posted it. There are many, many offensive things about mankind. i'm completely offended by war(death and destruction) while others are offended by words and think war is a necessary evil. That old adage:

"Sticks and stone may break my bones but words will never hurt me."

should be everyone's mantra. For words only hurt if you let them. But weapons, when utilized by mankind, kill and that is a far worse fate than being offended by dueling billboards.
so if i haven't offended you yet.

Check out this blog.
http://bildungblog.blogspot.com/

bad thing

U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld once shrugged off the turmoil and looting in Iraq as signs of the people's freedom, he said.

"It's untidy, and freedom's untidy," he said, jabbing his hand in the air. "Free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things. They're also free to live their lives and do wonderful things."

Some believe that when bad things happen it is because of some action we took in our daily lives. The action caused the bad thing to happen. We sinned, we have bad Karma, we did someone an injustice.

Most people don't seem to focus on the fact that bad and good things happen on a daily basis.

Buddhists and Hindus believe that your conduct in a past life could be affecting the outcomes in this life. Cause and effect maybe causing and effecting your life with adverse outcomes.

Unfortunately, since we have no control over this aspect of ourselves in this life, that which we have done in past lives comes back to bite us in the present. Karma (that which is) from the past life is something we just have no control over. But, if we lead exemplary lives, we can create some good karma for the next life.

Christians, Jews and Muslims believe that bad things happen because you have sinned in this life. You are being punished when the bad things occur. You are told amends can be made in this life and the sins can be absolved so the unlucky things will stop happening. You will eventually be blessed if you just admit to the sin and express regret. You can be saved, you will be enlightened.

Can you believe that if you lead a moral life you can mitigate past Karma?

Can you believe that if you don't sin nothing bad will happen?

Can you believe any of this?

What if none of this is true?

What if bad and good things happen more as a result of the daily choices that are made rather than some sin or bad karma.

What if bad and good things are just a fact of human life? Can we really blame bad karma or sinful actions on unlucky outcomes? Or is this all superstition to keep you morally upright?

Morality, historically, has been tied to religious fervor all over the world. For some reason secularists are depicted as morally tainted and can't be looked upon as reliable guides in this life.

They are morally tainted because they believe in a few common concepts.

1. They believe all human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives.
2. They believe in the spirit of reason and free inquiry.
3 They believe in the spirit of compassion and affection.

So i wonder,
does fear always bring what one fears?

Does our fear bring us closer to the calamity(bad thing) we anticipate while our hope for a better outcome remains elusive.

Do we anticipate discord?

Does this anticipation actually make the (bad thing) happen?

Maybe those bad things happening are more a result of our fear than our reason?

Like Rumsfeld says, "free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things."

So did we make a bad thing happen?

Maybe it is time to admit to making a bad thing happen and cleanse the country.

Like Rumsfeld says, i'd like all people to be "free to live their lives and do wonderful things" and i'd like to add, without our interference.