International Day of Peace

Today, September 21st, is the International Day of Peace , and I am grateful for being asked this very important question so that I can reflect on how I can become a better instrument of peace in this very troubled world we live in.
The main opposing force to peace in our communities, schools, cities, country and world is the same, it is lack of democracy and misinformation. Luckily the worst of the misinformation, and those that propagate it and also work to undermine democracy, have become easier to see as the national and international situation has fallen victim to these forces of propaganda, fascism and destruction to an increasingly high degree.
I have recently become infatuated with the myth of Adam and Eve, and particularly with the details regarding the Tree of Life, which brought forth the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Isn’t it strange that such knowledge would be forbidden? Wouldn’t knowing what is really good and what is really wrong actually help humanity rather than harm it? This myth serves as a cultural subconscious backdrop supporting status-quo conformity and suppression of any questioning of what is claimed by “authority”.
With the ongoing conflict in Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Israel and Lebanon, there is a lot of discussion on whether these acts of mass violence are just, if they are serving the greater good or whether they are in fact making things worse. Our current illegitimate government that has stolen two elections (If you doubt this, read “Fooled Again” by Mark Crispin Miller for starters) would have us believe that the military invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan are doing the world good, and especially Americans, by protecting us from terrorists. The truth is that these are acts of imperial conquest, benefiting those in the military-industrial complex at the expense of the well being of the rest of the world’s citizens. The event that is constantly used as justification for these wars of aggression is of course the attacks of 9/11/01. The official story of these attacks has now been thoroughly disproven by many reputable officials and scholars, most notably by the nation-wide organization Scholars for 9/11 Truth (st911.org), the books and presentations of Dr. David Ray Griffin, and films like Terror Storm and Loose Change. Injustice is always supported by the blurring of what is really good and what is really wrong, it has been behind the greatest atrocities that have ever occurred.
To sum up the truth of America 2006, we have an act of state-sponsored terrorism, engineered by an illegitimate government, with ongoing and expanding illegal war where thousands more continue to die, while clean energy, universal health care, a national living wage, etc. are all put aside. When our government and tax dollars have been hijacked by fascists, how can we best be an instrument of peace? The answer is the building of a real democracy, where the will of the People is actually expressed in public policy and exactly what I and millions of others are doing: speaking the crucial truths that too many Americans are ignorant of thanks to our right-wing corporate media. I’m sure some of you reading this will think this is all ridiculous conspiracy theory. You believe everything Bush says about 9/11, and you could never believe that they are that evil. You think what I am saying here is too radical, too confrontational, because you have not looked into the massive evidence proving that these “conspiracy theories” are in fact true. And so the wars go on, more innocents die, the quality of life in America decreases further; this is the reality when misinformation and fascism rules the land.
We must eat of the apple of knowledge of good and evil, we must investigate the truth with open minds, and digest what is revealed to us and act upon it, no matter how disturbing and radical it turns out to be.
To quote George Orwell: “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act”. Indeed we are living in such a time, and the consequences of this continued deception are continued violence, suffering, tyranny and oppression. Speaking the full truth against the propaganda of the powers that be has always a crucial way to become an instrument of peace; to play a note that will actually bring change, rather then just get lost in sounds of half-truth filled dissent that has never, and will never, bring a lasting peace to our world.

Truth vs. Ignorance

Dr. David Ray Griffin on the BBC September 10, 2006



See the documentaries "9/11 Press For Truth" and "9/11 Mysteries"(both on youtube/google video) for more evidence that 9/11 was indeed an inside job, and then speak out, whether you're a Christian or not!

Revolution of Mind and Society, Conclusion

Non-Violence is the foundation of a revolution against a violent system. Fascism is inherently violent since it must suppress the will of the people. This can be clearly seen in recent history with the stealing of the 2000 election, followed by Bush, Inc. engineering the attacks of 9/11, the illegal Iraq war, increased police brutality against peaceful protestors, etc. and the stealing of the 2004 election, etc.

Some non-physical violence is very subtle and harder to be aware of, behavior in personal relationships for example. Other violence, like physical violence, is much easier to determine as being wrong in most cases. Or the fact the Bush Administration is comprised of war criminals: having executed a war of aggression against a nation that posed no threat, is very clear and straight forward. Or the fascist tactics that brought them into office in the first place, the 2000 Supreme Court installation, and the rigging of the electronic voting machines in the 2004 election, illegal torturing, detentions and domestic spying, etc. All of this is not debatable, it is just the facts, and yet because the media presents them to us as a legitimate government, many citizens go along with it and don’t rise up and demand their removal from power. Bush, Inc. people belong behind bars, yet they are given control of our tax dollars and military to use for their own selfish, destructive and misguided agenda.

So as Americans living in the year 2006 we have been presented with some very clear knowledge between good and evil, right and wrong. In all aspects of life, acting upon this knowledge is what brings personal, social and spiritual progress.

Many of those that believe the propaganda ridicule, or do worse, to those that speak the truth. If the typical republican knew that 9/11 was an inside job, would she/he still support Bush? Of course not. Most people don’t support mass murder for profit and power, that’s why they needed to “manufacture consent” through the 9/11 attacks. Its sad to me when I’m confronted by Bush supporters about my writing or even wearing an Impeach Bush pin, or for my bumper-stickers, and their entire viewpoint is based on lies and propaganda. The Corporate/Fascist State has furthered disunity and breaking up of community through disinformation or “counter-intelligence”, as I discuses in Part2 of this essay.

The saying “Its dangerous to be right when the government is wrong” holds true today, when war criminals are spying on peace activists, it’s a twisted 1984 reality we live in. Even worse perhaps is resistance to productive action and independent investigation by fellow activists. For example, some activists say those pointing out the massive evidence that 9/11 was an inside job are actually secret government officials (supposedly to distract us from the “real” problems, which are usually never expanded on), yet by discouraging 9/11 Truth research they are actually the ones serving the status-quo, since 9/11 truth holds the most promise for having the war criminals in out government put on trial. So we have a possible scenario of officials posing as activists calling real activists officials: in the 60’s this was done regularly by the FBI against activists through their Counter Intelligence Program (cointelpro), and is a tactic of the Bush Administration as well, referred to as “snitch jacketing” - the false accusation that a hard working activist is an agent provocateur. Knowing this is going on is enough to discourage even the most energetic and compassionate citizen. We are confronted with a world incomprehensibly insincere, undercover cops pretending to be activists, fascist murderers pretending to be public servants, gossiping slanderous low-level individuals pretending to be friends… All of this generates an environment that discourages unity, love and true friendship through distrust, confusion and desperation.

The main task remains to discover what is the actual truth, what is really good, what is really evil, to eat the apple from the Tree of Life, although the modern myth of Adam and Eve would have us believe this is the undoing of humanity (caused by a woman, of course). So if your unsure whether some idea, theory or piece of information is true or not, investigate and meditate. This was the strategy of Shakyamuni Buddha, which led to his enlightenment.

And as for friends, fellow activists etc., and whether they’re trustworthy or not I think the biblical saying that “you shall know them by their fruits” is very helpful. Do they act on the principles they claim to adhere to? Do they walk the talk? Do they bring negativity or positivity, do they encourage non-violence or violence? Unity or distrust? In making this evaluation we most also take into consideration that we all have faults, and if we were all living ideally we would probably all be enlightened. There is also the more common and probable situation that individuals in your life are simply unhealthy to your personal progress and happiness due to their habits, lifestyle, apathy, etc. They are not working for the CIA, they are just living off-target lives that are going to badly influence your own. This brings up the importance of being part of a positive supportive community of friends and neighbors (not restricted to one location of course), a Sangha, (not necessarily Buddhist in nature), as I discussed in part 2.

In wondering how to best deal with the problem of insincere individuals I often think back on the stories of the lives of Siddhartha Gotama and Jesus of Nazareth. Both were surrounded by many sincere friends and followers, but were also in the company of those insincere. Yet both Siddhartha and Jesus continued on with what they were doing, in their work for the bettering of humanity and promotion of selfless service and compassion for others. And so should we not become overly concerned about impious insincere individuals that may or may not exist. We should return to the root solutions for the tribulations we face: increased freedom and compassion, in all of their forms, and seek out and enjoy the company of others interested in the same.

Getting back to the year 2006, if you do not find the evidence overwhelming that 9/11 was an inside job, as I and millions of others do, that’s fine. But there must be some issue that you can stand up for, election system reform, living wages, universal healthcare, industrial hemp legalization, clean energy, drug law reform, independent media, wildlife habitat preservation, WTO/IMF/World Bank/ Federal Reserve reform, etc. I list many other policies and affiliated organizations in the Progressive Manifesto for this purpose. I still think that we must strike at the root of evil as Thoreau said, and the roots of this current evil empire are the stealing of the elections and the engineering of 9/11, so that’s what I focus on.

So in conclusion, if it increases freedom and compassion in our minds and/or society we should nurture and support it, if it does the opposite we should discourage and work against it. These principles can be the base of our decisions, ranging from diet, work, lifestyle, consumerism, relationships, etc. By always returning to them we can more often avoid the grey area that hinders progress, and instead eat of the apple of knowledge and begin our journey back to truth; living more conscious, mindful, aware, and happy lives in which we can more fully enjoy the fun and beautiful things in life: loving relationships, art, music, dance, nature… a return to the paradise that we have been kept from for far too long.

Revolution of Mind and Society, Part 2

We must evaluate, unforgivingly, what the personal and political truths are, so that we can support the progress of both. Politically, we get a very clear vision of fascism and the opposing force of democracy. Personally, we find a very clear theme of time wasted on foolishness, negativity and meaningless experience. The solution to both of these problems are the same: concise productive action of the crucial changes that need to made, based on truths and rights, and the abandonment of the rest. This is how we gain traction, and begin to realize greater possibilities, a more fulfilled, satisfying and dynamic life. The destructive status quo system fights this progress with many tools: terrorism, fascism, greed, materialism, superficiality and brutal competition.

It can often seem easier to go with the destructive establishment, to support tyrants rather than resist them, to live unconscious of your actions consequences. This sloth and torpor leads only to an unfulfilled life though, no matter how easy-going the individual believes they have made it for themselves. The Buddha spoke often of the need for strenuous effort in order to attain a higher level of existence, for a revolution in being to occur. "Those putting forth strenuous effort attain to Nirvana, the highest freedom and happiness." (Dhammapada) The opposing mindset I found encapsulated in a phrase on a keychain I saw for sale at a gas station: Eat healthy, get fit, die anyway. Others that fit into this are No good deed goes unpunished or Life sucks, then you die, etc. The defeatist mindset is common and often manifests for valid reasons, as I mentioned in Part 1 of this essay.

Having discrimination, seeking the truth and consequences of the actions of others also helps you see through your own illusions/wrongdoing. For example, Ive been very depressed lately as I have become more aware of how my past and continuing behavior has been off-target, negative, foolish, unproductive ,etc. Wasting my time on low quality entertainment, intoxicants, etc. all of which serve the status-quo destructive system as well.

I've had basically the same list of goals for a long time, Everyday: exercise & meditation, resistance/activism/education, Eight Fold Path living, eat only healthy foods, no intoxicants, etc. Consistency in living out these goals has been lacking, vigilance has fallen off. This lack of motivation, this laziness, may indeed be the most common human characteristic, as stated in the film Waking Life. And this may be why there have been so many "zeros" as said in the film, those that did not contribute anything significantly positive to the world. Why is this laziness, that I have myself as well, so pervasive? What can get rid of it? Reviewing your life up until this point, the process of elimination reveals what is left to be done, what has not been consistently acted on, what has not been committed to.

Having support from others, having loving relationships are certainly part of the answer. Although many independent people think we dont need anybody in order to progress, as I used to think, the reality is humans were not meant to live alone, we are not in a balanced life when we are isolated from positive interaction with others. The Buddhist term Sangha refers to a spiritual community to which on can take refuge, it is one of the Three Jewels that are taught as proper places of support and protection. Corporate/Fascist States discourage community in any meaningful sense, just blind patriotism/nationalism and sports/entertainment. Instead of the solutions, one should not be surprised, the destructive status-quo promotes isolation, distrust, etc. No community means no resistance, no grassroots democracy. Without community there is little to no positive reinforcement for individuals citizens. Living without loving friendships and relationships creates cynicism and lack of motivation, often coinciding with giving in to mindless entertainment, intoxicants and propaganda. Community not only benefits the members within in it, but the nation as a whole. Tyrants have always worked to undermine unity, to undermine community. A obvious example is the historical violent opposition to the formation of workers unions by the wealthy business owners and their government/military/police enforcers. American worker unions were established to confront the brutal exploitation and slave-like treatment of masses of Americans, and have now been greatly weakened by constant corporate undermining (read A Peoples History of The United States by Howard Zinn to learn about this phenomenon in more detail).

Much of American society is structured in a way that forcibly promotes isolation. This serves the status-quo through lack of organization, lack of resistance, independent thought and evaluation/criticism/dissent, lifestyles, etc. Instead the Corporate/Fascist State wants to control your life through the information, viewpoint and entertainment they disseminate. In America today are elections have been rigged as well, the ultimate act of control against democracy bringing its natural progress.

So the question is are we going to allow more hell on earth (If your confused think Iraqi civilians being killed in the tens of thousands, etc.) Are we going allow the possibility of another nuclear bomb being dropped and sickening casualties the multi-generation horror that brings? Why are we allowing the use of depleted uranium weapons in Iraq right now, resulting in thousands of deformed babies being born and soldiers retuning home with terrible illnesses? Are we going to allow more state-sponsored terrorism and rigged elections? Or are we going to make regular connections with our community members, share the solutions and the full truth of the problems and take back control of how our tax dollars are spent? Otherwise we are all financial contributors to mass murder, imperialism and the destruction of our planets ecosystem. Without politically active communities, we leave our treasury unguarded, and the power-hungry and wicked will always take advantage of that. If we do not unite and resist, we allow the few that have always caused so much horror and destruction in our world to continue doing so, hiding behind lies and propaganda. We allow the possibility of personal and social enlightenment to be destroyed along with all other things of value and beauty in this world.

Revolution of Mind and Society, Part 1

The best solutions to the problems in our society are probably things youve already heard of. Youve probably already heard of solar panels and windmills. Youve probably already heard of industrial hemp being used to make paper, fuel, plastics and clothing. Youve probably already heard of paper ballots being used to assure accurate democratic elections. Youve heard of organic and vegetarian foods, natural non-toxic cleaning and body care products, natural medicines, fair trade goods, etc. All of these things are not new technologies, products or processes, but pre-existing, fully functional ones, that are being purposefully and actively suppressed by a few very wealthy individuals in positions of political/corporate power that benefit from the suppression.

In fact, those that maintain the destructive status-quo system probably only number in the hundreds, while those that want positive change number in the tens of millions (a conservative estimate). The keepers of the status-quo know they are vastly outnumbered, as they have always been throughout history, and that is why their actions and the policies they support are distinctively fascist and violent.

Of the majority that are living reluctantly within a society designed by these impious individuals, most fall into two categories. The first would surely like dramatic positive change, but they are not aware, capable or compassionate enough to work for the change, and instead they usually carry a jaded and apathetic personality concerning socio-political change. The second category of people are aware, capable and compassionate enough to fight against the massive unnecessary suffering occurring in the world, but they think the situation is hopeless, and fall into despair, dejection and trepidation.

This second group will be the focus from this point on, since the first category will likely be uninterested in a revolutionary path of living.

The reasons for despair are many, and they are justified. When ones child is killed or maimed by weapons deployed by order of fascist war criminals, there is no silver lining. When compassionate human rights activists are tortured in the most cruel and painful ways, there is no positive counter-effect. When people suffer terribly from diseases caused by toxins and radiation that never needed to be spread, there is no good side to the situation. When a child starves to death or dies from a curable illness, there is no way in which it was the will of the Divine. These experiences are hellish, and there is no bright side to hell on Earth. These things should not be happening, they are not part of any cosmic balance or part of a perfect world that we just cant perceive. This world is far from perfect; socially, economically, politically and spiritually.

Therefore, despair is a natural and logical reaction to those that wish to live in peace, health and happiness, and wish the same for others. However, I believe this crippling despair can be greatly diminished by living in harmony with the positive, non-violent, justice-seeking energy that infuses our Reality.

This is achieved through living a revolutionary lifestyle. Living in a way that does not support a destructive status quo-system, becoming more self-reliant, more self-empowered, in a society whos rulers work daily to make the Public more dependent on the rich, more ignorant of the truth and solutions, more unhealthy, more apathetic, more isolated from others in their community, more paranoid, more fearful. Slander and ridicule are the most pervasive tools of disempowerment, but they become lese and less effective as you live more and more on target with a truly non-violent way of life. They want to destroy confidence, for alignment with the Will brings unshakable confidence. Resisting this system of control and violence is paramount in achieving social and spiritual liberation. This is done most effectively by manifesting the two opposing qualities of the status-quo, compassion and freedom. It means openly rejecting war-supporting propaganda and lies. It means not supporting industries that harm their employees and the environment. It means not killing/torturing animals for food when we dont have to. It means not spewing cancer and global warming causing exhaust into the air when we can run automobiles on alternative fuels, and so on.

Once youre aligned with the crucial work for justice your desire for the non-crucial, the superficial, the hollow, will fall away. You will be left with a sense of purpose and meaning that will give you energy and contentment as you move forward. You will want to associate with others and with work that is in harmony with this movement because it gives satisfaction, and the status-quo paradigm does not. It becomes not an issue of morality but one of enjoyment. The system is turned upside down, pleasure is found in destroying the hedonistic false materialistic system in favor of a lifestyle, work and action that rebels against it, and systematically dismantles it.

Seeing through the corporate/superficial gloss, the vanity in much desire and relationships, the lies of government, the distractions in entertainment, etc. to the violence, illusion and injustice they cover up, their hollow nature is known by negative consequences produced for the participants who never understood why their life continued in a mediocre and dissatisfying fashion and at a lower level existence, despite their normality. In a society based on destruction and violence, normal is not the ideal. The ideal is its antithesis, the ideal is a revolution in ones mind that has been conditioned by the backwards system, coinciding with a revolution of the framework of that system itself.