Monday, November 19, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Recent Movies
Some recent movies I've seen and enjoyed: Eastern Promises; Gone Baby Gone; Before the Devil Knows You're Dead; PU-239 (HBO Production); You Kill Me; Mississippi Masala (I love Mira Nair); Breaker Morant.
One to skip: Bee Movie!
One to skip: Bee Movie!
Faith and Truth
I was pondering earlier today the necessity of a ruthless dedication to the pursuit of truth -- my truth. How often have I lived in self-delusion, kidding myself about my search for the facts in the newspapers, magazines, on the Internet, when it is quite possible, nay probable, that I am merely looking for affirmation, for justification of my existing and well-entrenched biases and judgments. The problem with the person with good judgment and the one with bad judgment: He is still a Judge.
So what about examples. I am inclined to consign all those who espouse a brutal, no-holds-barred immigration policy to the Ninth Circle of Hell, either for their unthinking nativism or their blindness to current reality. Well, the "Immigration Issue" is not one that admits of easy answers. We have a social environment that is perpetuating poverty, poor education and a permanent underclass. Is the answer to shut off the tap? Send back all who are here? Mass round-ups, internment camps, suspension of civil rights? Maybe something has to give.
I view the Darfur genocide with open-mouthed horror. But have I made any effort to examine the issues, the political, ethnic, cultural backdrop? Can I put myself in the place of the Janjaweed? My God, should I? Thank PBS for telecasts of the BBC World News, or we might not even know of the existence of the Darfur genocide, religious and tribal warfare in Nigeria, the endless bloodletting in Sri Lanka.
Or another example: I tend to side with those policy-makers and pundits, on the left and the right, who view Hugo Chavez' efforts to wrest the wealth of Venezuela from the hands of the multinational oil companies. Yes, he appears to be an egomaniacal strongman bent on totalitarian dictatorship. Yet why is he so popular with the Venezuelan people? Is it only because he gives them what they want, without consideration of their needs? Maybe I should make that difficult effort to try to see the reality that Chavez sees. That may be asking too much, since I can never put myself in the shoes of such an alien being. But I should at east accept that there is another world out there beyond my experience.
Maybe this is all obvious, but I include in my "experience" the fact that I am immersed in the history of this country America, in its traditions and values, and the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness does not only imply that you should be just like me. And in the final analysis I accept, or try to accept with Julian of Norwich that "All will be well, and all will be well, and all manner of thing will be well...." And rather than complain about the level of taxes today, I can be grateful that I have income on which to pay tax.
In sum I am grateful that some wise men and women who went before me taught me the habit of self-examination and skepticism. I doubt, therefore I exist -- in pain, but I exist.
So what about examples. I am inclined to consign all those who espouse a brutal, no-holds-barred immigration policy to the Ninth Circle of Hell, either for their unthinking nativism or their blindness to current reality. Well, the "Immigration Issue" is not one that admits of easy answers. We have a social environment that is perpetuating poverty, poor education and a permanent underclass. Is the answer to shut off the tap? Send back all who are here? Mass round-ups, internment camps, suspension of civil rights? Maybe something has to give.
I view the Darfur genocide with open-mouthed horror. But have I made any effort to examine the issues, the political, ethnic, cultural backdrop? Can I put myself in the place of the Janjaweed? My God, should I? Thank PBS for telecasts of the BBC World News, or we might not even know of the existence of the Darfur genocide, religious and tribal warfare in Nigeria, the endless bloodletting in Sri Lanka.
Or another example: I tend to side with those policy-makers and pundits, on the left and the right, who view Hugo Chavez' efforts to wrest the wealth of Venezuela from the hands of the multinational oil companies. Yes, he appears to be an egomaniacal strongman bent on totalitarian dictatorship. Yet why is he so popular with the Venezuelan people? Is it only because he gives them what they want, without consideration of their needs? Maybe I should make that difficult effort to try to see the reality that Chavez sees. That may be asking too much, since I can never put myself in the shoes of such an alien being. But I should at east accept that there is another world out there beyond my experience.
Maybe this is all obvious, but I include in my "experience" the fact that I am immersed in the history of this country America, in its traditions and values, and the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness does not only imply that you should be just like me. And in the final analysis I accept, or try to accept with Julian of Norwich that "All will be well, and all will be well, and all manner of thing will be well...." And rather than complain about the level of taxes today, I can be grateful that I have income on which to pay tax.
In sum I am grateful that some wise men and women who went before me taught me the habit of self-examination and skepticism. I doubt, therefore I exist -- in pain, but I exist.
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