Judgement Day
I attended a Quaker meeting with D this morning. Basically you sit at a pew for an hour and mediate. If you are so moved, you may stand and address your fellow meditators, at which point they will meditate on your thoughts. At the end there is a speak out for all members—for prayers, thanks, condolencses. I wondered, during the meditation, although I was not yet moved to speak, whether I judge others because I think they're judging me or whether others judge me because they think I'm judging them. This absence of judgement will be my biggest obstacle this year—accepting people as they are and not trying to categorize them. Beyond our sex, skin, political affiliation, selfishness, we all are looking for love and happiness. These goals seem so simple—why have we so royally fucked them up?
I was watching a little of 24 this evening because K likes it. It got me to thinking that we don't even need the threat of terrorism to topple our hedgemony. It's already been toppled by other economic interests—China and Russia are positioning themselves against us, India is turning a cold shoulder to us even while they sell us business solutions at a fraction of the cost, the dollar has been weakening against other currencies for well over a year. Would it be so far-fetched to think that terrorism is our strawman, our excuse to grab our one last market—oil—and run with it? Why haven't we made any of the reforms of the 9/11 report? Why did we plan to invade Iraq before 9/11? Sadly, the only time people will entertain these theories is when they are shown on the medium of truth, television. Wouldn't it be an interesting plot if the government was behind 9/11 so that they could invade Iraq and control their oil so that Saddam Hussein wouldn't convert to the Euro and totally knock America off its pedastool with one swift blow?
If the Feds come for me, I want them to send Dog to round me up. I'm curious to see how tall he really is.
posted by Jen @ 9:27 PM
8 comments
8 Comments:
Quakers still exist? That's cool. The sermon seems pretty awesome, too.
Judging others is hard to escape. I surprise myself sometimes when I run up against those you don't meet my idea of what a certain type of person should be. It scares me a little, sometimes.
Interesting thoughts on 24. It's initial success in large part probably was that it stirs up the feelings americans have on terrorism. I have a love/hate with the show myself. So far I'm enjoying the ride, but I know eventually they'll pull some plot twist too far fetched for me to keep watching (like when the daughter in season 2 fought off a mountain lion).
You know, I only watched it Sunday night, and I was a little incensed by the subplot involving the Secretary's son--who was going to a war protest ("You'll embarass the President, and you'll embarass me"). The show totally made him look like a moron and that it was people like him who were undermining America's good fight with terrorism. That really turned me off; it made me think the show was subtle propaganda for the current war on terror. According to my girlfriend (who was pissed as well), the show hasn't been like that before, and now she has her own reservations about it.
Lots of people have been telling me to watch 24, how it is this great show... dunno. But I guess maybe they're starting to gear things towards the perceptions they have of this great country we're living in... (eek!) I have noticed lots of God talk on the local news lately.
My roomie is a living, breathing Quaker. I have never attended a meeting with her but perhaps I should try. (I think she only goes maybe twice a year, of course.)
I'm reading a book called THE POWER OF NOW that is helping with my judgie-judginess. A little.
Hmm...now I feel as though I'm being judged for watching 24, so I'd like to clarify.
I only watched the first season religiously. They've since dumbed it down - viewers complained that it was difficult to follow in its original format. I guess I've tried watching over the past couple of seasons, but I can never get into it. And the right wing propaganda inserted into Sunday night's episode was enough to turn me off entirely. Now, had it been a slant to the left, that would've been a different story, right?
Now that's a good question. Would you watch if it was a better fit for your political views?
The only Quaker I know is the guy on our oatmeal box.
It's a fair question, Baboon. Well, I could always watch the West Wing if I wanted a does of good 'ol liberalism, but I don't really watch any TV. I watch South Park and its creators are conservative, althought I'd be upset if the Simpsons suddenly shifted gears and went conservative on us.
It's not me I care so much about myself as the person who's entire worldview is populated by watching TV. Not only do they have the corporate news reinforcing our "can do-no wrong image," but now they have the entertainment shows enforcing it as well.
Of course, the new philosophy I have says that I shouldn't care what those other people think--if they're not able to question the truthfulness of everything they see, it's a problem they need to fix for themselves. It just surprises me sometimes, watching TV so little, what stuff is on there when I do.
LLB, how does your roomie like being Quaker? I am looking for something that has the reverence of religion but w/o the God stuff and something progressive w/o the New-Agey stuff.
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