Category: 2016

Until when shall the people remain asleep?

Until when shall they continue to glorify those

Who attained greatness by moments of advantage?

How long shall they ignore those who enable

Them to see the beauty of their spirit,

Symbol of peace and love?

Until when shall human beings honor the dead

And forget the living, who spend their lives

Encircled in misery, and who consume themselves

Like burning candles to illuminate the way

For the ignorant and lead them into the path of light?

These are words from the last page of “The Treasured Writings of Kahlil (not a typo, just a different spelling) Gibran,” a book that I read and continue to refer to for it offers all of Gibran’s incredible philosophy of life. And isn’t it a shame that world leaders, whether they are politicians, military commanders, corporate executives or media lapdogs do not listen to such philosophies anymore? That instead of lighting the path of humanity, they seem to be leading us slowly, surely and surreptitiously into a dismal abyss?

Here is just one startling illustration that was recently and fleetingly announced by the mainstream media: It seems that the Military Commanders at CENTCOM (US Central Command) “cooked their books” and painted a rosier picture of the US progress in Iraq. Seriously? My question is why? To make themselves look better? To continue to drag this war out? To enable the arms manufacturers to sell more weapons thus ensuring for themselves a lucrative post-military career in one of these companies, and more “collateral damage” of innocents? To impress upon Obama that he was correct in listening to them and continuing this senseless bloodbath? I don’t know the answer. I just know that this should be classified as criminal.

However, what I do know is what I have been continuously shouting from the rooftops: There is no Truth anymore. There are just personal and institutional objectives that are predominantly corrupt, greedy and selfish, that twist and mangle the Truth to their advantage. It cannot get more depressing than this! And, it seems, that Perceptions have become much more important than the Factual Truth. Also, for those who tell me: It has always been so, my answer is: Yes, it has, however, we did not have such a massive amount of nuclear weapons, drones, chemical weapons and all kinds and sorts of very lethal military hardware! So, while yes, we have throughout history been at one war or the other, it has never, ever been as dangerous! Wake up, Sheeple!

The most flagrant Perceptions are, of course, on your mainstream media in all of its aspects: television, print etc. etc. You might believe that you are seeing, listening to, or reading facts when those items are simply touching the surface of facts. The actual, real news that concerns our life and other lives is hardly ever mentioned lest it enlighten us and turn us into informed citizens rather than the “Sheeple” that the political and corporate leadership wants us to be, and wants us so to remain.

This reminds me of my grandson when he was around eight years old. He asked a classmate to come home with him. The classmate said that he couldn’t because they had a lot of homework. “Don’t worry,” says my grandson confidently, “my grandmother will help us. She knows everything!”

Sweetheart! That was his Perception of me at the time. I hope he still thinks so now that he is an adult! In any case, of course, I don’t know everything. But that was his Perception of me.

Which brings me to another lighthearted illustration that was posted on Facebook. So this couple move into their new home and every morning while they’re having breakfast, the wife looks out of the window at her neighbor’s wash drying on the line. She comments to her husband that their neighbor does not know how to wash as her sheets and towels did not look clean enough. A week later, she looks out of the window and comments that the neighbor must have bought a new detergent, or washing machine, or something, as her linens looked very clean that morning. “It’s because I woke up very early and washed our windows,” the husband answers cryptically. Perceptions! The woman had obviously jumped to the wrong conclusion, blaming the supposedly sloppy neighbor while not seeing the dirt on her own windows!

Recently talked about also was the scandal enveloping Fox News and Roger Ailes whom many female employees at that television station had named as a sexual predator who had abused many women. That scandal rocked and shocked Washington, DC (Just for a few hours, as attention spans are miniscule)! The main reason, of course, was that Fox News had been passing itself off as the conservative, traditional, “holier than thou” entity that was the only principled voice of truth and decency out there. Perceptions! They were totally shattered at that moment! The Emperor had no clothes! The Emperor has no clothes in Most of our Institutions, and amongst many in our political, corporate and media worlds! Fox News is not an exception. They were only outed!

And, just in case you might think that we don’t All fall for Perceptions, let me tell you that this is a myth! We do. At this age, I still do! And looking back, here are a few perfect examples of my Perceptions:

I thought the Oslo Agreement at the time was going to bring on the liberation of Palestine. Oh, and wasn’t that a totally naïve, idealistic Perception!

I thought General Eisenhower was a great political leader. So did many Middle Eastern people. It turns out that he was the one (not the only one) who laid the foundations for much of the bloodbath occurring today in the Middle East by designating the region as being of “strategic importance” to the United States. Look where that got us!

Jimmy Carter wasn’t any better either, in that regard. He, too, believed that our oil resources were not to be messed with, and here we are all those decades later! Did he (or Eisenhower) foresee where his assessment and policy would lead us to, I wonder, or are these merely unintended consequences?

And let me not get into Obama and his disasters! What a disappointing choice that was! He traded his integrity for a white-washed legacy!

Experience and facts have proven to me, and to millions of Middle Easterners, that our Perceptions regarding any US political leaders are mostly wrong, irrelevant of what they say, the a la Obama speeches that they make, the rosy picture that they like to paint. The Perceptions they want us to see and believe are only a façade hiding the reality of their sordid intentions, such as: when they say Jobs, they mean more of the lucrative business of Wars. So we can analyze and parse as much as we like, pundits can spout off from inside their stuffed shirts, and the so-called journalists can voice their hypocritical words. At the end of the day, the reality seems to indicate that the US would prefer an annihilated Middle East rather than enforce Justice, Freedom and Equality. This is in direct contradiction to the advertised peace-promoting propaganda that the US advocates. In this instance, nothing could be farther from the Reality on the ground, and the bloodbath that is enveloping the region. And it’s not over yet! In fact, it looks to many that the trajectory is leaning towards a “newer, better” Sykes-Picot conspiracy taking place with the ultimate goal of, once again, redrawing the map of all the countries around Israel. Is that the original intent, or did matters just get out of hand? Is it a conspiracy, or ineptness? Whatever it is, it has created a human tragedy of untold consequences. Very tragic!

My only consolation these days is that I am not as naïve anymore (most of the time), and I know that Perceptions are not the Reality. Alas, what a small and very sad consolation that is! Nevertheless, there is more and more awakening happening every day. And, that awareness would have, could have, been more rapid if we had a political, corporate and mainstream media that was honest, not corrupt. So please enjoy watching this video. One of my favorites! (And just because it is on RT – Russian Television – does not make me a Communist! Since Bernie ran for office, throwing this McCarthy-ist description around has become just another idiotic Washington slur! In any case, should it turn out that RT is Putin’s Station, I’ll have to choose whether to believe Putin’s Propaganda, or Obama’s? Frankly, not a hard choice anymore!)

Those of you who know me will be quite surprised (maybe even shocked) to find me quoting the Bible today. Perhaps it is merely a symptom of these unstable times, as they say? However, do read on.

Genesis, Chapter 11 1-9:

And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to the other, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime they had for mortar. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man builded. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one and they have all one language; and this they begin to do; and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth; and they left off to build the city. Therefore, is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth; and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

Most archeologists and historians have determined that the city and tower mentioned were indeed Babel (Babylon), which is near the city of Hillah in Iraq. Moreover, Biblical Scholars seem to agree that the leader of the people at that time was Nimrod, who had decided to build that city and its tower as a defiance and an uprising against God (not the only Biblical uprising against God). Incidentally, the Arabic word: Namrood translates to Defiant. Fascinating, how ancient languages continue to find so many similarities amongst the Hebrew and Arabic. Tragic, how the people who speak those languages cannot find common ground!!

Now, please continue to read the following excerpts from an interesting parsing of Genesis 10:

What Happened at the Tower of Babel?

by John D. Morris, Ph.D.

Genesis 10 has come to be known as the Table of Nations, for it documents 70 nations/language groups migrating to fill the earth, prodded on by their lack of ability to communicate with the others. Archeology has confirmed these basic details, identifying major locations and people groups, although some have been obscured or lost in time.

Ever since then, human history has been marked by the conquest of uninhabited lands and by the wars between tribes who spoke different tongues.

With the one language, all genetic traits were originally shared among humankind, but once the break-up occurred, ethnic traits began to be expressed, quickly leading to today’s “races.” Natural selection would match traits to an environment.

The Ice Age was occurring during the centuries following Babel, resulting in harsh climates in Europe, a well-watered Egypt, and a lower sea-level allowing global migration across land bridges such as between Siberia and Alaska.

Without Babel and the dispersion, in our thinking, we would be hard pressed to devise a coherent view of human history. With it the facts fall into place and our appreciation for Scripture increases.

Cite this article: Morris, J. 2003. What Happened at the Tower of Babel? Acts & Facts. 32 (10).

My first reaction upon re-reading the Biblical story of Babel was: This God, who is apparent throughout the Old Testament, is really a cruel and heartless cynic. From turning people into stone, to sending them plagues, floods, fires and pests, He comes across as a vengeful deity and not as the Loving, Forgiving, Compassionate image that He was later on – especially in the New Testament – depicted as being.

My second reaction was that this is such a neat, concise, precise, perceptive way of describing why and how we humans have come to speak all those different languages and to be unable to understand, or communicate with each other in a non-belligerent and peaceful way.

Makes one think, how could they have known that this would occur thousands of years ago? Hmm! However, and since I believe that the Old Testament was merely a book of myths and lore that was meant to provide humanity of that age with a moral compass, I generally tend to have a skeptical eye. Nevertheless, this is such a plausible (and, maybe, inadvertent?) depiction of our current world, where we are all simply Babbling (origin of the word: Babel) away at each other!!

It makes it even more conceivable for this skeptic when every day there is more and more horrid news and tragic events occurring across the globe; more and more idiotic statements, decisions and behaviors by a political and corporate class who, like Nimrod, seem to be defying and challenging God and any interpretation of Godliness and Decency.

This does not bode well for a world that is either in a deep coma, or totally delusional. I think that the latest nauseating propaganda spectacle of our American Political Conventions, and the illusion of democracy they imparted, is only more proof that the political, corporate and mainstream media class, in the US (and across most of the world) is high on its own powers and riches, and that by electing either one of our two party candidates we would deserve what we would be getting due to our arrogance, selfishness, lethargy and unprincipled buying into the dangerous hallucinations that the powerful choreograph in order to bewilder and brain-wash us even more.

We are in the throes of experiencing a planet that is groaning with anguish, inhabited by humans who have consistently been opting for the lesser of two evils and the superficial hype rather than betting on upsetting a war-mongering, selfish, arrogant system, turning it on its head, creating an insurgency of thought that just might pull us away from the precipice that we are teetering upon and into a new social contract that could save us from the abyss we are certainly headed for, as well as a continuation of the Tower of Babel saga that has been confounding us for eons.

Quite Mystifying!