The World Exhales
Is it an exaggeration to say the global village's heart is opening up?
I've been accused of giving light poles the benefit of the doubt, so despite the occasional appearance of my snarky writing personality (I am Gen X, after all), I tend to be an optimistic person. So what follows is coming from a space I have never felt in my short but long Republican dominated life: a totally joyous frickin' feeling. Yeah, joy. I said it.
It won't be a surprise, then, when I tell you that when I discovered yesterday morning that Obama had won (I'm in Italy so I didn't know until 6:00 am), I wept. And wept. Never in my life have I cried as a result of the political process (no doubt, when Bush won his second term, my feelings were equally strong, but on the morbid end of the scale).
As I watched reactions and celebrations on the net I felt like I was witnessing something unprecedented in American history, as if a war had ended. I don't want to analyze too much people's reactions, because everyone has different reasons for feeling what they are feeling right now (I can't imagine what those on the right are going through, but maybe a little taste of their own medicine will do them good), but there is little doubt that the spontaneous nature of these public outbursts (such as college kids dancing in front of the White House, or Kenya declaring a national holiday) is reminiscent of those situations when you are released from an oppressive relationship, like quitting a shitty job, or divorcing your business partner, or leaving an abusive spouse.
These are tears of connection and opening, not of mourning or loss.
I think for Americans this is a bit like our Berlin Wall moment. In the end all historical analogies are false, but what is pertinent here is that some kind of bottled-up oppression and fear has now been dissipated (for the moment). And for that I can say wholeheartedly that I have never been happier to see the genie of hope freed from its bottle, to scurry about and do its mischief.
We may end up being disappointed, or find that business as usual will prevail. But I feel as if the evil empire's illusion of control is melting like the Wicked Witch of the West under a pail of Dorothy's water. Evidence for such a claim comes from the fact that negative and fear-based election ads backfired on the Replicans. Even if it/they choose to reassert themselves at a later date through some nefarious means (I don't want to imagine that right now), for now I think all the conspiracy nuts can eat some crow for Thanksgiving and be grateful that we still have a modicum of democracy to emerge with; democracy, after all, is always unfinished business. It's a process and architecture for change.
This moment is genuinely the first time in my life I have felt good about my country, it has restored my faith in people to take charge when it's truly necessary. This doesn't make me a patriot or nationalist, just hopeful that our "newness" is an asset that enables us to innovate and reinvent ourselves, which is particularly important at this crucial juncture in history. The fact that the Internet was so important for getting Obama elected should give us a sense that we are moving in the right direction. In Italy, with its current rebirth of fascism, it's nice to see hope on the other side of the world energize the opposition here in Europe.
Godspeed the next four years. Now it's time to do the real work of democracy and to change our culture of separation and destruction one heart at a time.
Photo by mdumla98, courtesy of Creative Commons license.
Tweet- 11-6-08
- Antonio Lopez's blog
- Login or register to post comments
- Printer-friendly version
Comments
Amen, brother
Even if on some cynical level the political process is just window dressing designed to distract the masses from the corporate-ocratic, business as usual, dystopic nature of things, on another level if there is in fact some kind of evolutionary shift in conciousness going on right now, and assuming the interconnectedness of all things, it would be naive to assume that the shift is not also manifest in the positive global reaction to this election.
Yeah!
I'm in Canada and wow, the day of the election, the evening, the victory and onwards has been so charged up. It feels great and thanks for describing it as you have Antonio.
Yesterday evening I was in some nasty traffic (yes, driving, things need to change...) - people and cars everywhere and I thought "Everybody here, all stuck in traffic knows. They all know this same news and most, if not all, have some degree of smile on their face and in their soul because of it."
It felt a lot like September 11, except it was the opposite kind of feeling. A huge global yes!
So much, so much energy had been blocked, was built up, and then released through this victory - it has already transformed America and, by extension, the planet. Of course, there is real rollupyoursleeves work to be done. But now, we're all charged up and ready to go.
Thankyou America for what you've accomplished. And thankyou for the supercharge to accomplish even further.
Now...
Hey Nihonbryan,
I felt it too.
Despite the fact that our attention must sometimes be filtered through crass conduits like corporate news stations, the collective focus of millions of people is a palpable phenomenon.
There was a huge sigh of relief (that was much bigger than me) when Obama secured enough electoral votes to clinch it, and, like you said, when he actually took the stage, the universe was buzzing!
True, true; this is the first step in a long process of transformation--a process that must be shared by every human being, never mind a single politician, but evolution must happen on all levels. The political context has been dashed open. It is now possible to discuss truly progressive (transformational!) ideas that have been heretofore cloistered away.
On election night, it felt like it was happening NOW. Now it's happening nownownownownownownownownownownownownow...
-Josh
Layers
It is hard for me to fully trust this situation based on the reality of elitism and the deep roots of corruption that have an esoteric agenda underlying these institutions. How do you stay in power?-You create the illusion of an opponent. What if its all a show... a giant dance upon a stage... But then again Obama could be real.
He could be it. And if so pray for his protection. His connections with jfk and lincoln are strong. My Girlfroend and I had this fear that Biden is the one thats in the pocket of the corrupt and we became concerned for the life of Obama.
Essentially the unifying energy of hope and positivity that washed over the planet from this election is powerful. The question is, can that be nourished. Thats what we need... We need love in the hearts of man.
I don't think that one man can solve all the problems and I see the potential for passivity now that Obama is Elected. I feel the potential for the agenda of the elites to carry out now that there is a president that can relate to the masses of inteligent people, minorities and youth, making it easier to allow a police state etc. Imagine Obama re-assuring the population in a marshal law situation... rebels would be passified b/c of their trust in him. Compared to a situation where McAin was president ;any policies that took away freedoms would be met with riot and REAL change. This is speculation and we will indeed see what unfolds.
We are in an accelerated time of expansion and revealing. Regardless of my conspirital roots I stay positive and trust in the greater universe. Change is coming regardless. I just encourage all of you to be your own president. To be the master of YOU and the kingdom of your heart. Resonate with the movement of consciousness less so than the movement of politics and economics.
I feel raising ones vibration, purifying the mind, transmuting the negative emotions, ego-masks and defense paterns; releasing the negative karmic patterns; are what add up. Of course there is the practical in the world changes to make. Essentially a grounded coupling of the esoteric with practical sustainability is that we need.
Blessings to all of you here in the RS network, I am grateful.
Om Shanti
-Aloka
"When the power of LOVE overwhelms the love of power, the world will know peace" - J.H
On Toes
I don't want to rain on anyone's parade so don't get me wrong, I'm VERY glad that the GOP will be out of office soon. However, I too am concerned with the red-team/blue-team charade.
Another election has run its course and most voters were completely unaware of the other 10 candidates, most 'news' didn't even acknowledge them. On top of that, many candidates weren't even included on most ballots. Overall, I feel like we've elected another politician; the significance of this statement is in the deliniation between a politician and a statesman.
For all my preference of Obama to McCain, I can't shake the memory that neither of them really seem to care about the real foundational problems within the country. I'm not saying that I don't think women's rights are important, moving towards green energy, or shifting our military forces out of an imperialist mindset, but shouldn't those really be the no-brainers we take for granted? What about the habitual judical enforcement of the illegal, personal federal income tax? What of the religious/cultural war occuring within our own country, which result in the arrests of over 100 citizens an hour? What about the lack of accountability that allowed at least one of the last two elections to be verifiably rigged, without consequence?
Maybe if John Walters' office is eliminated, or the Patriot Act is nullified, or the local war criminals are tried, I'll let the optimism sink in, but for now, I'm going to hold on to the hard learned reality about the nature of governance. I suspect we've traded a devil in a red dress for one dressed in blue...at least it doesn't appear to be walking backwards.
Rhetoric of Hope
As much as I think Obama is just another politician, his victory felt good after living through 8 years of Bush.
If he is feeding us BS with his eloquent speeches, at least he is feeding us hopeful BS, not the fearful divisive BS we have experienced under bush. America needs an attitude adjustment and changing the manner of our discourse can go a long way, even if the president is compromised by special interests, or otherwise unable to push through real change.
In the end we must not look to leaders, but instead ourselves. If our system can be reformed, it must happen because we hold our elected officials accountable.
Now On
Naga Raja: "must not look to leaders, but instead ourselves"
From my perspective here outside of America, the victory, the inspiration, the hope, the energy, is largely generated by the people. The people who made it happen. Obama is one of those people, sure, but also the millions of others too. So even in these early stages of Obama's presidency, it is really something done "by the people" - and that is a nice thing to see.
Among the first step here, has been for Americans to say "damn, we need to change things and Obama seems a good start, okay, so Obama is prez. check. next item..."
What's it going to be? Economy, let's change it. check. Ecology, let's clean it. check... and so forth and so on, transforming the world in healthy and astonishing ways every day from now on.
So, good work, bravo, now let's keep goin'
;)
what is that ripping sound?
Too funny...
LOL. As a Canadian I
LOL.
As a Canadian I might just be wearing an American patch. :P
hehe :) Americanada.
hehe
:)
Americanada. That's a whole other ball o' wax.
Amexicanada
Don't get it twisted. ^_^
"You must *be* the change you wish to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi
i can't be positive about this
Fear not my friend, but fear itself
Cesar Chavez
I agree
I agree with you to a certain extent. The charade which is the left-right paradigm is a false one. Both parties use different means to achieve the same ends. See Obama's recent vote on FISA-this man should not be treated as a messiah. Is he going to repeal the Patriot Act? Pardon non-violent drug offenders? Say the War on Drugs has failed? Pull all troops out of all situations which no longer qualify as protecting national security interests? Will he address the fact that we are nearly 11 trillion dollars in debt, 40% of which China and Japan owe? Will he recognize the failure of our monetary system? Will he recognize that a policy of bailouts is socializing the losses and privatizing gains? No, probably not; these and other issues which are fundamental and the discussiong thereof should be overriding all of this loose "hope" hogwash.
Basing a campaign on change was the most brilliant marketing campaign ever. Of course people wanted change after Bush, but, do they realize what change they are getting? Do they realize the end goals are the same but the means in achieving them are the only thing which differs? Fact of the matter is YOUR CIVIL LIBERTIES AND FREEDOM WILL CONSTANTLY BE DEGRADED AT THE EXPENSE OF THE GROWTH OF GOVERNMENT. It always have, it always will. This is factual, the government will NEVER relinquish power autonomously. I did vote for Obama, but at the same time, realizing it is all a farce. Ever go back to revisit Bush's thoughts in 2000 about respecting other countries sovereignty and not invading other countries? Yes, he actually said those things. Eight years later, look where we are.
I really hope this website begins to transgress the traditional and illusionary left-right political paradigm instead of parading Obama around like he is going to save humanity and "open up the hearts of the populace" or whatever new-agey term will be associated here with him.
As McKenna once brillianty said ...
"Business as usual is no longer an option. There is no middle way. There is no Ozzie and Harriet third millenium scenario. The choices are either a hideous, nightmarish world, a Soylent Green kind of world. A world where people of privilege defend that privilege with tremendous establishments of armament and propaganda and the rest of the world slips into poverty, starvation, desparation and death. This is the kind of world that rationalists fear, and it's also the only kind of world they can imagine because they are bankrupt of inspiration and ideas. So the entire effort of the Establishment has become one of holding down panic, keeping the ball in play, keeping ordinary people and ordinary populations quiescent through drugs which are not psychedelic, through forms of media which are not transcendental and inspiring, but which are narcoleptic and deadening. This is the fiction that we live in. This is why our situation feels so schizophrenic. Of course as we go through this presidential election the contradictions are heightened almost to the point off nausea because what is under discussion is what manner of fine-tuning shall be applied to the social machinery in order to make it possible to hold together the illusion of business as usual - and the answer is there is no such fine-tuning, it's all finished. Instead what is needed is a radical openness to new ideas of all sorts."
Regardless of the next four years, I will predict that:
The Federal Reserve will remain unaccountable to nobody, the military industrial complex that Eisenhower warned us about will continue to thrive, 40% of our federal income taxes will support the miltary and military portion of national debt, our sovereignty will continue to be ceeded to supranational organizations, morality will continue to be legislated, candidates will continue to pander to the religous/evangelical zealots and make decisions based on what a bearded invisible man in the sky tells them, we will still have troops in 170/200 countries, we will still act like the policeman of the world, the surveillence society will continue to grow in the name of the threat of terrorism, we will continue to support Israel as our 51st State, we will never look into the causes of our foreign policy disasters, our foreign policy will continue to be financed through China and Japan, our financial system will continue to become more socialized, we will continue to see the world as moral black and whites, ridiculous thought crime legislation like hate crimes will continue to be on the books, laws against consuming plants will still exist, the War on Drugs will continue despite American's growing weariness of this...I could go on forever, but you get my point.
Have fun tinkering with the existing social machinery if you still want to be boxed in to believing you are creating change solely by hitting a button every 4 years! I'll be trying to figure something else out - and we all should do the same.
" If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."
A Sad and Sorry Statement. . .
~Aydra Jenson~
. . ..Keeper of the StarSix.
Dear Qthal-al-blah-Your cynical and fearful response has caused my neck to clench up in confusion. How could you possibility continue to endorse the gloomy, 'skull and bones' agenda at such a time of collective success and happiness?This goes for all you downers out there.
Heres a little pre-election story- My dear friend was over for a dinner party back in February and we were discussing the candidates, (at the time Hilary was still in the race) and he was convinced it would go to her due to the 'agenda' and the clintons involvement. He couldn't even conceive of Obama taking office because he was so convinced by his seemingly informed sources that all was plotted out and that we, the tribal Jedis were going to have to build new cites, and fast! its all coming to an end!!!
Because enough people in this world Believed in the VOICE of Barrack Obama and his concepts as president, he was elected. I don't care what anyone says. This should be enough for many of us who were living in doubt and darkness to step into the sun and begin to fell the rays of a better day. Obama is a man of family, education and intention. Anyone who does not see this in some way had been BLINDED BY THE EVIL!
My heart and compassion goes out to those still convinced that their making lists and building camps for us. Try to imagine that the universe has something in mind bigger and better than the reptiles could have ever conceived, it is now up to us to come forward be willing to re-build our country and world, to become leaders in our hearts and trust this brave new leader Barrack Obama, who, is not only the new voice and face for america, but for the world at large. Perhaps you are afraid of Obama because you could never be the Man he is...sorry, but your fear is pathetic.. . .
http://www.starsix.tumblr.com
.....
.......
Fear is the mind killer
Qthalquaquahaha: "I can't understand how anyone can celebrate Obama's victory and how a supposedly cutting-edge intellectual website can be so mesmerized by the false left-right paradigm."
Later in your comment you call Obama evil, which to me seems just as overly simplistic and dualistic as the left-right paradigm. Although Starsix's comments might have been a little too harsh, I have to agree with her that you sound overly paranoid. This adds little to the discourse and probably contributes to your feeling that you can't effect any kind of change. I speak as someone who has been there digesting all manner of conspiracy theories.
When we deride someone as evil, no matter how appropriate it may seem, we give up hope on ever understanding the situation. This is exactly what Bush does with Islamic extremists. Instead of trying to understand why they hate us, he dismisses them as evil. I don't believe Obama is evil anymore than I believe Bush is. It does not benefit anyone to call someone evil. Instead, try and understand why they do what they do and try and direct your energy towards making them see the light, or organize outside their power structure.
I have a long list of things that make me think Obama will serve the powers that be, but I also know that he has a mandate and a majority if he truly wants to change things. Now is the time for people to make their voices heard and not go along with this moment blindly. At the very least, it seems like he listens. Let's see if he really does.
Qthalquaquahaha I share your frustrations.
Starsix I share your optimism. We need it if we truly want to create change.
from change to sacrifice
Hi Naga,
thanks. I appreciate hearing this from someone who is also well informed. Its easier to accept a positive outlook from people who aren't arriving at it by denying negativity. Its not my intent to rain on anyone's parade. I just want to express my own feelings and views and add my own flavor to this reality sandwich. If our views are in discord, then hey, why not celebrate that?
I'd like to point out and clarify that I am not saying that I think Obama is evil. What I actually said was just implying that it appears to me as though he will act a pawn of evil--and a particularly effective one given the massive appeal of his charisma and personality--and that the people who are placing their hope and faith in him are, I feel, doing so blindly and thereby may be unknowingly feeding themselves into an evil that is uncaring of what it means to be a human being and to carry the cumulative suffering of history, which of course is not the fault of any one person and certainly not Barack Obama, and at times I do find it paradoxical that it seems as though I can sense the presence of caring in him... so I don't think he's evil, but that doesn't mean he can't SERVE it.
However, since he hasn't yet acted as president, I suppose I still have to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he will afterall prove his meddle and stand up and stand strong with the american people despite all appearances to the contrary and prove himself worthy of the people of the world having placed their precious faith and hope in him. Yes, part of me hopes that and even thinks it might be possible, and for what its worth, I hope my fears here are proven wrong, and if so, at that time, I will celebrate with everyone else... but for now, it doesn't look too good to me and I don't think denying that does any good at all.
Notice how he subtly has changed his emphasis from "change" to "sacrifice". I dont' like the sound of that one bit. LIke, "oh whoops I guess the change won't come too soon, now we need to all just nobly sacrifice ourselves... because that's good, and if we all just unify into sacrificing ourselves more and more, somehow it will magically change maybe not today maybe not tomorrow but some day."
Well people are and have been sacrificing themselves to terrible evil all down through history often in hope it would change something, but so far it hasn't ever changed anything. Its just made the evil grow bigger and bigger. How much has his own people sacrificed already to this unlovingness for generations? When will it begin to pay off?
Maybe what would bring REAL change would just be stopping that and just allowing everyone to just BE, and maybe governments only valid role is to preserve and uphold people's right to BE, not demand that they sacrifice themselves to it or to tell them how they *should* be.
and that's right too
fear
I didn't notice the first time, but rereading your post, I realize you are *actually* saying my post adds nothing to the discourse. That's your opinion. I beg to differ.
what i don't understand is why are you so down on fear? To me it seems like you are afraid of fear and when it shows up you deny it quite quickly, or like star six does attack it outright. Can't ever allow yourself to feel any fear cause its "unspiritual". That's the real problem, imo. People who deny their fear of what's happening until its too late and I think especially those who are operating at a more spiritual level have a greater responsibility here.
all that charge of denied, unconscious fear that you are pushing out of your consciousness with "positive thinking" is then easily manipulated by the shadow puppet masters, and that's the whole game of politics; manipulating the fear that people habitually deny and won't allow themselves to feel. Nothing empowers them more than that. by doing this you actually allow the fear of fear itself to dictate your thoughts and reactions from an unconscious state cause your fear is never allowed to vibrate. That famous quote, there is nothing to fear but fear itself is frankly nothing but a load of nonsensical propaganda mind control. I don't fear fear, nor feel it is to be feared. Its a natural helpful emotional vibration, and very enriching, and I think people who actually feel their fear are the ones who can come up with real solutions, because doing otherwise doesn't mean you don't have fear it just means you are blind and blindly reacting in negative response to fear you have but don't even know is there. All you people who are so down on fear need to get a clue and stop repeating that tired old trash.
You have a point
OK, so let me say something about fear. Once a mugger put a gun to my head and I thought it was over. For weeks later I experience post-traumatic stress, which I was able to deal with via therapy and my mindfulness practice. What I learned from Buddhism was to embrace the fear as it came, because I noticed that in my body if the fear was coming, the fear of that fear made it worse. So I just observed the sensation and it usually went away quickly.
Fear is a strong motivator indeed, such as fearing that we as humans are on an unsustainable path. But I also feel like fear in the conspiratorial kind of way is disempowering. Because if you think a secret group of power brokers has control over your destiny, then what are you to do? All this talk of marshal law paralyzes people, I do not find it motivating at all. I would like to know in what way does the fear you speak of empower you? Does if fill you with energy and motivate you to do something good today? I'm not trying to be snarky. I'm curious, because maybe there is something for me to learn.
My experience as an educator has taught me that fear does not motivate students in a good pedagogical way. Either it freezes them up, or they just repeat what they think you want them to know. Inspiring them through empowerment, such as DIY and feeling part of something successful gives them tools to succeed in life.
But this is all moot when it comes down to this: what kind of energy to you want to put into the world? Because every thought and gesture is a boomerang. This doesn't mean not being critical, but being mindful of the quality of the energy of words, actions and deeds one puts into the world is a projection of the kind of world one wants. One's life is a pedagogical instrument.
For what it's worth, there's an ecologically oriented school of cognition that argues that most human perception is 80% predetermined by the biological architecture of the brain as a result of evolution. The remaining 20% can be "disturbed" but not directed, which means that people don't do things unless they are invested or believe they should, not because they were told to do so. Often manipulation can create a greater "disturbance" when the individual has less education or critical thinking. Studies show that religous fanatics are more likely to believe untruths and lies than educated people. But one thing is for sure, propaganda works much better in a climate of fear, hence the free reign Bush and co. post-9/11. There is a qualitative difference in the world when you create an environment that is not dominated by fear.
For me the bottom line is whether or not a process opens my heart. Conspiracies just shut it down. I can't play that game anymore. It's soul destroying. As the Dali Lama said (I'm paraphrasing), "The Chinese destroyed my country, I won't let them destroy my mind."
re; how does it empower you?
"I would like to know in what way does the fear you speak of empower you? Does if fill you with energy and motivate you to do something good today?"
At times, yes, feeling the fear does fill me with energy and motivate me do something good today, though not always.
I see your point also that fear in the conspiratorial kind of way can be disempowering, but there are good things about that sort of knowledge too. I personally do like to be informed about what's going on in the world; about where we are and how we got here. I guess it all comes down to personal choice.
in some ways, yes I do think knowing that the history train has been hijacked can feel disempowering. The fear it evokes realizing the control grid and its existence can be quite paralysing, but realizing that it is in fact built of frozen fear lets you know that moving that fear within yourself into the safety of your inner presence has the power to actually change things.... As you experienced for yourself it sounds like to me.
I could give more anecdotal information about how being connected with the vibration of fear has actually helped enrich my experience, but i feel like its all very personal, and I wouldn't want to colour your experience with preconceived notions of how it should be, should you choose to explore it further for yourself, and besides that, I already feel somewhat like I barged into something here. Thanks for your openness and curiosity.
~Q.
yeah, i hear you
I too am alarmed by the shift in emphasis to sacrifice. I don't understand who is supposed to sacrifice and what we are supposed to sacrifice, i don't mind sacrificing or giving up shit i don't want anyway. Like I wouldn't mind sacrificing having a car to drive if I had some other better way to fulfill the need of getting from point A to point B.
But... i think its bullshit to ask people to abdicate their destiny paths in favor of someone else's vision and that's really what it comes down to with the NWO. they have a vision for humanity, but they don't seem to get it, that you can't impose your vision on everyone else from the top down. that's like trying to grow a plant by squishing it for not growing to some exact specifications you've laid out ahead of time.
Better to just let have access to adequate light and water and let it do its thing with a little love and encouragement now and then, and that's all I want and I think that's all most people in the world want, and its all such a weird paradox how that's what I think people are REAlly saying by electing someone such as Obama, but is that what we're getting? i guess we'll find out. Even though he does appear in many ways to be a corporate schill, i do want to try to be optimistic because he also seems to emanate some sincerity too. Not everything is always as it seems.... seems like t that's the overall feeling...
intention, openness, flexibility,co-evolution, cooperation
child-like vs. child-ISH
antonio,
I hear you. I think that there's something to be said for the shift that Obama's election symbolizes, and even if he's not actually the agent of change he proclaims himself to be, that's not to say change (for the better) won't come and I do feel what you are talking about here too along with my fears and trepidations. I don't feel I'm being purely intellectual about this, and i certainly didn't mean to use the world "child" in a pejorative sense (if i had i probably would have said "childISH")... I feel the full spectrum of emotions around this event (including those of the child that wants a loving caring parental figure leader). Its practically my full-time job.... maybe I am coming off as being one-sided, but that's partly because the other side has already been so well spoken for by yourself and others.
I am certainly not asking you to give your power away... wouldn't dream of it.
First RS Post
It's up to Us
Propaganda Anonymous
Thanks for the piece Antonio. I too was moved by the whole night. I felt a giant sigh of relief throughout NYC that night. Right after Obama walked off stage I went and met some friends at a nice little spot and the whole night was very celebratory.
At 3 in the morning, on a Tuesday night, I was walking over to Niagra, where the mural of the late great Joe Strummer rests, and heard commotion down the way. I walked over to 8th between A and 1st and saw the block was closed off by the police and there was a huge party going on in the street. Kids were jumping around, while Bob Marley blasted out of an open window. I've never seen this before. And this stuff was going on every where.
IT was great!
Today, during Obama's press conference, my skepticism came creeping back into my mind. With good cause!
I see Obama, like JFK was, as a Symbolic shift more so than a the cat who is going to turn everything around. That, I believe, is up to each and everyone of us. The Symbol of Obama can kick start many things. And I will not take that away from our future president at all.
This is a great thing. And it is also just politics as usual.
I think we all still have our work cut out for us. But let us not fall victim to the erroneous thought that everything is peachy just cause Obama is in the White House.
Let's Stay Focused
PEACE
PRop!
P.S. If ya'll would be so kind as to please chack out my interview with Michael Muhammad Knight on the main page. I think what he has to say adds a lot to dicussions we have on this site. Thank You
wasn't jfk some kind of an asshole
before MLK got his ear?
maybe we will have some modern day version of that ? some present day version of MLK to help obama see the light, like maybe cynthia mckinney could gain some influence with him...
God that would be nice...
(sans the assasinations of course).
I am so disappointed
There is no reason for you to feel good about your country. You continue to be mass murderers, end of story. But I guess it doesn't matter because you don't "care what anyone says"...
Your emotional reaction is pathetic. You feel "as if a war had ended" so you don't feel like asking it really to end. You have been fed your medicine so you may slip deeper into your comfortable American ignorance.
Whatever, brother/sister.
Whatever, brother/sister.
I'm glad that whatever country you are from has, with a clear majority, elected a minority race into the top position of national power; and has collectively shown that it wishes to take a direction different from what it has been following. Not to mention those that were/are pretty violently opposed falling in line with the election results.
I have even overheard a number of very racist persons (from everything else they said in the conversation) then say, "Well, that was their decision to make." when referring to those persons that voted for Mr. Obama.
You guys must rock -- be so completely without flaw -- for you to just leave this 'bomb' here for us to marvel at...with absolutely *nothing* (except a very cute and sad looking kitty-cat) to back it up.
I'm sure we could all take a lesson from La-la-land. Please give us more quantitative info about how where you live is better than here, that we may learn to reproduce the unsaid magnificence; nay, the untold splendor of your land!
Or at least give us the credit we deserve along with the blame we have earned.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single freakin' step, my friend. Start expecting people to teleport, and you are setting yourself up to be disappointed.
"You must *be* the change you wish to see in the world." Mahatma GandhiPathetic and proud
um excuse me, but maybe this
um excuse me, but maybe this person just means that murder is being done in our names all around the globe and has been for decades?
while i don't agree....
...that we have *no* reason to feel good about our country, i don't think your charges of comfortable ignorance are unwarranted. it really sucks in some ways living here, and I don't know if you can wrap your head around this (if you're here there's a good chance you can), but we are the victims of our own ignorance too. They spend millions of dollars here in the u.s. in their media monopoly to keep us in a drugged zombie-like state of ignorance and very few people are going to actively strive to overcome that, but it is undermining us in a very destructive way.
Maybe you think that's no excuse, but humans are humans everywhere and everywhere just as susceptible as here. If you don't think it could happen to people in your country, I think you have another think coming, and I would guess in some way it probably already has. It is a huge problem, and I share your frustration and pain over it. It majorly sucks. I for one sure as hell dont want the wars we are fighting or the ones I fear are coming. I hope and pray that they will be stopped and further wars averted. Even the most brainwashed of us are getting tired of it, but unfortunately many still believe the lie that its somehow 'necessary' because people all over the world want to take our freedom away from us. Meanwhile of course, they are taking our freedom away from us more and more every day. We must give up our freedoms in order to protect them, so they say. How does that work? Its enough to drive a person crazy.
to black cat box
a little honey and some cuteness sometimes works wonders, especially when you wanna wake someone up to a nightmare.
Foolish Statement
Propaganda Anonymous
That's one of the more foolish things I've seen posted on this site. Sometimes I wonder if there are agent provocateurs that troll this site just to ruffle feathers and seek to cause confusion.
Obama, California, and Prop 8
California: wher same sex marriage is now banned. The crazy thing is, all the gay people here are complaining about it, yet they voted for Obama, who says he's against it!
In my neighborhood (The Castro), people were literally dancing in the streets when Obama won, but then the party died down when gay marriage was banned by Prop 8.
The whole conflict screams to me of the problem of voting for a "lesser of two evils". We are so brainwashed by "relief" from Bush that we vote for someone who publicly states he is against our interests, cheer in the streets for him, and then are shocked when the nation follows his principles.
This hope is insane. We cheer for a man who we hope will be a kind, compassionate and gentle president. There is absolutely no evidence - historical or otherwise - that he will be. We have fallen prey to a spell.
Much love,
Conner
Here we go again
As opposed to not voting at all, and letting 'those who show up' direct our fate.
At least if more people were voting, and the politicians were going against their will, we would have a foundation to fight against. Something to give us some ammo.
As it is, the majority of us not voting just makes it seem like we don't care; like we are the slackers they say we are -- like we are nothing. No one tallies the non-voters; at least, no one that makes any changes in this society.
If you want to make it obvious that the people 'above' us are not doing what we ask, then please -- for God's sake -- become an actual constituent. Otherwise, they will contine to say that the 'silent majority' (a.k.a. those who don't vote) are on their side. And no one can say anything to prove them wrong.
"You must *be* the change you wish to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi
JFK and the rest
A@J
~=---0/`
the devil you know
Actually, I would have rather had McKain/Palin.
I agree with what connerhabib said, that the tyranny we don't see is much less dangerous than the overt variety. If you look at Obama's Berlin foreign policy speech (youtube), you will see that he is endorsing Bush's foreign policy and asking the world to support it, and people are just eating it up! With McKain they would have been booing and jeering, which is exactly the response it ought to evoke, not to mention a few rotten tomatos.
I suppose that its true, business as usual isn't an option anymore, that's why I think this administration will prove to be much worse than business as usual and people will finally have to wake up and take matters in to their own hands, which is ultimately why its probably the right outcome, but pardon me for acknowledging that its just a bit scary, and for feelign like I might have preferred safety and familiarity of a devil I know. I'm only human after all.
I think many peope here can
I think many peope here can agree with this. It isn't Obama, himself, that I am excited about, or that really incites the pride in my country. It is the display of the ability of the populace itself to change. Their intense desire to put the country on a different track. This is what most of us are on about, I think.
As for the rest of your fear, all I can say is to be vigilant and to do what you can to hold the administration accountable for its promises and its actions. Organize, come together, all that.
I concur with you that some very non-pretty things may be about to come about, the more I hear Obama himself come up with solutions.
One victory does not win the war. The time to relax is not now.
"You must *be* the change you wish to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi
JFK
Thanks Antonio. Your article resonated wih me because despite my reservations about Obama, I feel very relieved. I voted for the first time in the 2000 election (for Nader) so I have a very jaded view of American politics.
I think JFK is a good comparison to Obama. He presided over what many consider a golden age for America, even though he supported the same neoliberal agenda as everyone else. He inspired people to take action even if it is not the action JFK would have taken. Again he instilled hope instead of fear.
It is like the kid who goes to a religous school and does not take up the dogmas, but instead fully digests the real knowledge and becomes more of moral force than the priests. Like the people who didn't care that the people who wrote "all men created equal" did not have them in mind and held them to their promise and demanded to be considered equal. Like the hacker who knows the designers did not intend their product to be used in a particular manner, but did it anyway because it just works better.
Change WE can believe in
I took a look at Obama's new president elect website. If someone clicks on one of the issues there is an option to give him suggestions. I think an organized effort to take advantage of this would be a worthwhile attempt at trying to sway his positions (I sent a suggestion to move on).
We should start with the issue of healthcare. We should demand universal single payer health care. The same system they have in every other wealthy industrialized nation in the world. If they can hand out a trillion dollar bailout they have no excuse why we can't have a real healthcare plan.
Can we really sway him towards a more populist agenda? My answer to that is of course
YES WE CAN.
A shot in the dark, but worth trying for sure.
good luck with that
Perhaps
Then again, perhaps it's the presence of charismatic "symbols" that slow down or stop us from acting. Their presence is a COUNTER to our will and actions, not a symbol that things are changing for the better. Furthermore, their success could be a deliberate and planned counterpunch to uprising.
It may be the appeasement of JFK, Bill Clinton, or Obama that actually halts our actions. The overt tyrant brings about change more swiftly than the smiling one, because the enemy is clear. Presumably, our government knows this as well and is taking action accordingly.
See also: Leo Tolstoy and Guy Debord.
Thanks for considering this,
Conner
It's undoubtedly an
But, let us not forget that Barack Obama has pledged to keep 50,000 to 80,000 American troops in Iraq and has repeatedly voted to fund the occupation. He talks about putting more resources into the “right war” in Afghanistan, where US troops are responsible for around 10,000 civilian casualties so far. He has pledged to continue bombing Pakistan. He supports the Israeli apartheid and illegal occupation of Palestine. A constitutional scholar, he supports telecom immunity and thus illegal wire-tapping of American citizens. Obama opposes national or “single payer” healthcare. On environmental issues, he advocates non-solutions such as more nuclear power plants, off-shore drilling, and mountaintop removal required for coal plants. He lies to the American public about a technology that doesn’t even exist: clean coal. Barack Obama helped to hand the banking industry nearly one trillion taxpayer dollars to encourage bank consolidation and to shore up “confidence.” Obama sides with the US embargo on Cuba. He was elected with no demands from labor, from women, from lesbian/gay/transgendered groups, nor from environmentalists. He recieved more money from Wall Street than any other candidate in the whole history of the United States.
Who knows what Joe Biden was exactly talking about when he said, “It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We're about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don't remember anything else I said. Watch, we're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy… I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate," The senator continued. He spoke of Russia and the Middle East. "And he's gonna need help. And the kind of help he's gonna need is, he's gonna need you - not financially to help him - we're gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it's not gonna be apparent initially, it's not gonna be apparent that we're right.”
With such an overwhelming victory what worries me is the idea that Obama supporters might become the very ones to put the breaks on real progress and change. What if Biden was alluding to extensions of Bush's doctrines, thus making Obama a war criminal as well? What if, he's pointing to a Martial Law scenario? I'd like to hope that he might be talking about demilitarizing foreign policy and "giving peace a chance," but either way, we need to pay close attention to Obama's presidency and hold his administartion accountable. If we want change, it's up to us. Let us view Obama's victory as a mandate for that change, as permission to make demands.
People of the world have an opportunity at this time of global crises to reconnect with our ancestors, to remember what it means to be human, to live responsibly and in harmony with the rate of creation, to denounce all forms of violence, to dismantle all prejudiced belief systems, to be accountable, to be empathic, to be healthful, to build sustainable communities, and to love one another unconditionally. The more this is accomplished, the more the shadow will recede to the light. Keep your eyes wide open.
If you're jaded stay home because we're building it.
myspace.com/alanpatrick
Fessing up...
~Aydra Jenson~
. . ..Keeper of the StarSix.
http://starsixprofile.blogspot.com
Hey Qezetal-You know, I must say I totally see the harshness of my response, and am sorry. It was like you pulled me so abruptly back to the 'reality' flavor of fear that I have eating for too long.
I'll admit I'm not uber informed, but I've done my best and over the years have listened to countless stories and seen/read enough to have a firm understanding of the dark side. I don't deny my fear, but rather have embraced it with courage and turned it back over to the Universe so that, for what its worth I can try to live in the Sunlight since after all, its what the Divine intended, for us to discover the good stuff within ourseves and break free of the EGO. you know, Everybodys Got One.
Everyone on this site is entitled to their view, but no matter 'what anyone says' we did this, together, and as consciousness is on the rise I have no doubt that enough people will wake up in time. (let us pray)
Besides, we have alot of new dreams ahead of us, new technology and new history to make, lets do it together.
Thanks ya'll.Stay Alert.
hi thanks
for the apology starsix,
you know there are many good points being made in this thread. I think its rather amazing. I guess I need to fess up too, that when i came in here I was coming down with a little harshness myself towards the general climate, because i wasn't sharing in the joy at the moment... and maybe feeling a bit left out.
anyway, thanks for the apology. i appreciate it. takes courage to do so and it definately takes the sting out.
as far as being uber-informed. I guess there is more to life... its just something i've felt some drive to do for whatever reason... I think one thing about conspiracy theorists is you do have to take them with a grain of salt. I mean in many cases there *is* an conspiracy, like JFK, for example., but as to what exactly the details of it are there are no proofs, just suspicions. Its a matter of studying the overall arc of history and extrapolating from the patterns, but no one really knows for sure. So anyway, i don't think its necessary to be an 'expert'. I think many so-called experts have a tendency not to bother making a careful distinction between known facts, and conjecture and opinion and all have their own little hidden motivations and agendas. but for better or for worse, there are no other ways to come by the information than having it filtered through the brains of the people we call "conspiracy theorists". that is why i say you have to take it all with a grain of salt, and consult your own inner truth as the ultimate authority as i gather most of the people here do.
Anyway, I do agree now with the over all climate of this thread think that the intense desire for change that electing Obama symbolizes is a good thing and I have to admit it does feel somewhat cathartic to me too, and i am seeing an overall consensus here that although that is true we still have to remain vigilant as a people and a nation in demanding accountability from our leaders and whatnot, which I think is good too. ~Q
More Layers
-Yes Obama could be an elitist pawn
-Yes Obama could be a real person with an honest drive that a movement for change manifested.
Either way, the point that came up in all these debates was abandoning fear. We will find out in due time where he fits in to "agenda" or doesn't.
Its not going to stop the momentum of natural change and novelty that is occuring as the quantum shift is materializing.
As the rate of change and the rate that we manifest increases. In the meanwhile, all the elitists are bringing all their tricks to the surface. They are losing their power b/c we are discovering OURS. As powerful, beautiful and loving beings. This is more about consciousness shifting. ITS really happening. I Know you feel it deep down. Regardless of the Obama phenomena, that election happened to occur within a major astrological shift. A movement in consciousness manifested something in people, a shift occured that i'm noticing in alot of ppl. Many brothers and sisters are making huge shifts in their process. WE are stepping more fully into our roles as planetary healers. NOW is the TIME. Live your Truth fully. Let it be a TRUTH of love, meditative awareness and compassion. Don't get lost in the hype. Pay attention to your ego-defense patterns and release them. Purify your mind by choosing what you feed it. -blessings -Aloka
"When the power of LOVE overwhelms the love of power, the world will know peace" - J.H
obama; my final analysis
Well its been a few days now since i've jumped into this thread and I've been doing quite a lot of checking out for indications of who Obama is and where he stands....
It seems to me as though his administration is falling into a similar pattern as Bill Clinton's. Essentially out of one side of his mouth promising "change", out of the other side of his mouth its an entirely different thing that just suggests nothing but further expansion of the anglo-american globalist empire, and the reduction of our personal freedoms here at home. The pattern here is pacification and appealing to popular liberal biases. promising to fight for the middle classes for one thing, but then out of the other side of his mouth its, "sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice", which to me suggests policies of increasing economic austerity along the lines of what we've already been seeing, though I would hope he would keep at least some of these promises, I am afraid that it will be the case that some sort of situation arises "by accident" which preempts such good intentions.
Going on Obama's real history of policy-making and his concrete political connections it seems to me that his promises will very likely be broken or only fulfilled in token ways, but he will try to sail through solely on the basis of his charisma to impose much less popular policies 'necessitated' by the events manufactured to justify them, following exactly the trend of his predecessors.
There is even a further danger that legions of essentially brainwashed followers will be used to act on his behalf and largely against their own best interest, as most will be poor minorities (and since more and more people will be poor now due to the economic collapse there will be more and more potential recruits). The lure of such empowerment is a strong one and an attractive alternative to hopelessness, depsite being ultimately an oppressive and destructive force. I know this sounds critical, but being critical has its place, and I am trying only to be as honest and realistic as possible here, hopefully, without fearmongering.
I have to restate my original position on entering this thread; which I is critical of liberally-biased sentimentality. I feel it is essential to recognize the falsity of the paradigm of left and right as a Hegellian dialectic which holds this country in a what is literally a death-grip.