Voices and Candlelight

Yesterday was a very powerful day for me. I briefly wrote about it in my last post, but to follow up: there is a really large struggle going on in Tibet right now. The unfortunate thing is many people don't have any clue as to the size and measure of what has been going on for over fifty years. This last month, the Dali Lama spoke to the citizens of Tibet asking them not to outwardly celebrate New Years, because the Chinese government would take footage of Tibetans singing and dancing and use it as propaganda for their cause. Naturally, the Chinese government reacted by mandating the attendance of forced parades and celebrations so that the rest of the world will think that everything is okay. Well, I now know that it is not okay. Thousands of Tibetans die everyday, and even more are brutally beaten.

Standing in the temple courtyard last night, listening to a couple thousand people sing on behalf of their friends, family and countrymen was a very eye opening experience. I was listening to Tibet's voice. I was listening to the only cry and entire country has been able to mutter. Unlike Darfur, Uganda, Burma and nearly every other mass killing and ruthless attack, Tibetans do not have a spot on the world stage. There are very few campaigns advocating for a "Free Tibet." Sure we walk by the Free Tibet store when walking down Pearl Street, but what is happening deserves a response. During the vigil an English speaking Tibetan stood up and asked any of the foreigners to take their message of hope, perseverance and non-violence back to their countries as best they know how. He asked anyone to use their hobbies or their gifts to help support the largest non-violence campaign ever. At one point he said, "Non-violence did not die with Martin Luther King, it did not die with Gandhi and it was not taken to prison with Nelson Mandela... Non-violence is alive and an integral part of EVERY Tibetan's struggle for freedom and autonomy!" It is true, every single Tibetan I have met these past couple of days was so tranquil, so loving and so very humble. I have had many conversations that rocked me to the core, and in leaving Mcleod Ganj I can only hope that I too become more peaceful, more loving and more humble.

I suppose this post is an attempt to share Yeshi, Tenzin, Schuy and every other Tibetan's struggle. I know that this blog does not have a large audience, but maybe the truth about what is happening, to a very beautiful culture and people, will spread.

Politics Blog #2

If you come to this website to find out how I feel about the upcoming election, or potential policies, than you have been disappointed time and time again. I don't typically write about politics or the thoughts and feelings that they inspire. Only one other time have I written about politics, and it was written with a much different mindset than I have now. After I wrote this I stumbled across a video put together by Lawrence Lessig, who is a Professor of law at Stanford Law School, and has been a long standing advocate for a less corrupted congress. It is really fascinating, you can find it here.

I have never taken part in politics, I do not agree with what politics do to people. In the past, politicians have tried to stratify the voting pool into those who will vote for them and those who will not. Historically, this may have been an effective way to campaign, but as the approval ratings continue to plummet and a recession looms ahead, a new kind of campaign is necessary. Barack Obama presents the American public with a new and refreshing campaign mentality, unity and hope.

I support Barack Obama’s policies, but the truth is that Obama and Clinton’s policies are not very different. They both want a form of universal healthcare, or healthcare for all, both of which emphasize preventative medicine, increased research and decreased transfer payments to keep costs low. They both have similar immigration policies, which may be described differently, but operate, on the same levels. And, their economic stimulus packages both put money into the hands of consumers, hoping to increase spending and consumption, rather than lowering price levels from the top down like McCain is planning on doing. The most striking difference between the two candidates however is character.

Many have written on the recent surge of Obama supporters, who have packed the gymnasiums, stadiums and meeting halls during his recent travels. They are described, as Obamaniacs and they are passionate and united in their drive. Sure, this may be an emotional reason to support a candidate, but emotions are the fuel for our behaviors. I believe that an economies emotional environment is one of the most important determinants of our economic standing. Our behaviors at work, with our families, in our homes, and with our health are all influenced by the emotional states we find ourselves in. If we are dissatisfied with what we are doing or how much we are being compensated to do it, we will be less productive. If one is stressed because they cannot pay their mortgage payments and risk losing their home, they are more likely to get sick, and their ability to produce and contribute to this economy diminishes. If we are unsatisfied with the whole, like most Americans have been for the past five years or so, than we will become individualistic and segmented. Segmented in our spending, expectations, investments, attitudes and opinions.

What sets Obama apart then is his ability to encourage, unite and lead. Many times during his career as senator he went against the norm, even when there was significant political pressure. Take the war on Iraq for example; he was the only presidential candidate in 2004 to publicly protest the war, saying “What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war, a war based not on reason, but on passion. A war based not on principle, but on politics.” I believe that Obama has the potential to increase consumer and producer confidence, which could have a significant and positive influence on our economy.

I think that Obama, much like Reagen did, has the ability to put America on a fundamentally different path. A path that values passionate integrity, rather than politics, a path that encourages transparency, in prices, sources and quality, and a path that encourages honesty. The realignment of the American people is going to be absolutely necessary before any change can occur. As we have seen with the Bush presidency, we no longer need an accountant or CEO of the government. The presidency requires a leader, a leader who inspires and instills courage and commitment in the people. Change will require unity. Change, whether economic or ideological comes from a united people, and I believe that Obama has the strength and audacity to lead this change.

Moral Sentiments...

I have been reading a lot of Adam Smith lately. Some, if not most probably don't know who he is, so I will tell you. Adam Smith is regarded as the grandfather of modern economics. He published two main works; the first titled The Theory of Moral Sentiments, which discusses the moral forces that restrain selfishness and bind people together in a workable society. The second, is titled Wealth of Nations, which assumed the existence of a just society and showed how the individual is guided by economic forces. I didn't think I would get much out of a classical economist's writing, but good ol' Adam Smith has proved me wrong. I may post a couple of random quotes from Adam Smith from time to time, and I just wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page. So here you go:

"The disposition to admire, and almost to worship, the rich and the powerful, and to despise, or, at least, to neglect, persons of poor and mean condition, though necessary both to establish and to maintain distinction of ranks and the order of society, is, at the same time, the great and most universal cause of the corruption of our moral sentiments..."

~ Adam Smith
Theory of Moral Sentiments

Pol-i-tiks

Politics are something that I know very little about. If you have ever been bored enough to look through the archive on my blog you will not have found a single piece of writing on politics. There are a number of people who have blogs that write about current policies nearly every day, and I felt as though I should, at least once, write about it too. I am not fluent in political terminology, and to be honest I hate discussing politics. It doesn’t matter if they are the loud mouthed opinionated girl in my philosophy class or if they are my closest friends, I simply don’t enjoy it. You may have already written me off as ignorant, or foolish, but in reality my experiences have yielded certain results, which in essence make my opinion just as valid or credible as any other one out there, because after all an opinion is just that…an opinion.

From my observational experience political discussion very rarely ends positively. The first type of conversation I have seen, and become part of more than once in my life, involves two different or opposing viewpoints. I once had a professor describe the continuum that exists between a dialogue and a debate. He emphasized that people should strive to keep interactions closer to the dialogue or discussion side of the continuum, rather than the debate side. I think many times when two people, who have opposing or different viewpoints, discuss something as emotional as politics they tend to divide themselves from one another, and with this division come debate. Once the discussion turns to a debate, both parties are simply arguing for their case, and consideration and absorption aren’t achieved. Two people, myself included, may end up arguing for hours, never coming to any sort of resolution. The second type of conversation that I have taken part in, and witnessed, is between two people who share a common belief. I typically end up saying things that I know the other person will agree with, simply so that some sort of emotional cohesion is formed. Basically, reinforcement of in-group and out-group norms, beliefs and stereotypes are the only outcome that I have ever witnessed. All in all, my experiences with political conversations haven’t been very positive, or worthwhile.

This is what I know about politics: George Bush is a republican. He has made some poor decisions, as well as some good ones. Bill Clinton was a democrat, and he too made some good and some bad decisions. I am aware that a lot of terrible things have occurred in the world within the past five years. Many of these things were out of our control, but some of them were not. I know that over twenty two percent of young people get their political opinions from some sort of political comedian. Satire has been one of the great resources of the human intellect, but when satire becomes the dominant or only mode of communication for an entire generation, then the result can be a destruction of our capacity or willingness for serious thought. I know that some people value fair trade, while others think free trade is the best policy. Some may argue that border patrol is wrong and hurtful, while other people would say illegal immigration has cost tax payers more than anything else in the past twenty years. Basically what I have concluded is that two sides exist for every single idea, issue, policy, and decision. Even when describing a form of government there are two different types either left or right and authoritarian or libertarian. Some may view one thing as good, where others may view it as bad, and there are always going to be people who benefit and people who lose out. There exists the problem; people think their truths are more “truthful” than the next guys’ truths.

I suppose the biggest thing I struggle with regarding politics is that in all the manipulation, and swaying to bring another to our “side” we are becoming even more close minded, judgmental, and most devastatingly, inactive. Politics, in some form or another, will exist forever, but the opportunity for me to do something positive for the world that I live in, right now, won’t last very long. I think that for our generation to have any impact on the world we live in we need to stop discussing and start working. I need to accept that two sides exist for everything…except love. Our desire to both love one another, and be loved, is felt and believed by every single person. I want to initiate change with my hands and my heart, not with my opinionated jargon, and hopefully in the process we may become much more united than we have ever been.

"Politics is the science of good sense, applied to public affairs, and, as those are forever changing, what is wisdom today would be folly and perhaps, ruin tomorrow. Politics is not a science so properly as a business. It cannot have fixed principles, from which a wise man would never swerve, unless the inconstancy of men's view of interest and the capriciousness of the tempers could be fixed." [Fisher Ames (1758–1808)]