Philippine democracy

While on the subject of war, it seems Mr. Twain had some thoughts that were worthy of our illustrious times. The thorny issue of Philippine democracy (so-called 1st democracy in Asia) has been on the agenda for me as part of my march into higher learning and reconnection with things primordial. Connecting the pieces of a historical puzzle that could be a lesson learned and then forgotten, scrambled like so many historical lessons that have gone before, perhaps to be pieced together again. The "Philippine Insurrection" is etched into the USMC memorial in DC, and tied up 75% of active duty US forces in its day. Sound familiar? But then again, maybe it was all worth it...see vid.

Mark Twain, Returning Home, New York World [London, 10/6/1900]

You ask me about what is called imperialism. Well, I have formed views about that question. I am at the disadvantage of not knowing whether our people are for or against spreading themselves over the face of the globe. I should be sorry if they are, for I don't think that it is wise or a necessary development. As to China, I quite approve of our Government's action in getting free of that complication. They are withdrawing, I understand, having done what they wanted. That is quite right. We have no more business in China than in any other country that is not ours. There is the case of the Philippines. I have tried hard, and yet I cannot for the life of me comprehend how we got into that mess. Perhaps we could not have avoided it -- perhaps it was inevitable that we should come to be fighting the natives of those islands -- but I cannot understand it, and have never been able to get at the bottom of the origin of our antagonism to the natives. I thought we should act as their protector -- not try to get them under our heel. We were to relieve them from Spanish tyranny to enable them to set up a government of their own, and we were to stand by and see that it got a fair trial. It was not to be a government according to our ideas, but a government that represented the feeling of the majority of the Filipinos, a government according to Filipino ideas. That would have been a worthy mission for the United States. But now -- why, we have got into a mess, a quagmire from which each fresh step renders the difficulty of extrication immensely greater. I'm sure I wish I could see what we were getting out of it, and all it means to us as a nation.

iraq docs

...and the war rolled on&on&on without rhyme or reason, inspiring indignant doc filmmakers the world over to bring attention to that house of horrors that never seems to stop haunting our 24 hour news channels..."Iraq in fragments" and "My country, My Country" are just the most recent films up for oscars in what's becoming quite a lineage of docs stretching waaaay back to F911. Maybe there were some before granddaddy Fahrenheit, I'm not sure if MM's film was the chicken and the egg...frontline have some of the best I've seen.

It seems like everyone has an Iraqdoc now...so let me throw in another man's two cents from an interview I shot for the big guy. Wasn't included in the end. It seems the movie was getting too long and it was believed that American audiences wouldn't be too keen on hearing from the global street about America's business in Iraq. But in case you're interested in what an Iraqi (who I caught with Sas in front of the Dutch Parliament) thought of what was happening in his country (end 2003) have a peek at this vid.

Real merit has no merit

maybe its because more media attention is being brought to bear on the problems in Africa?

World leaders are making documentaries on climate change. Today's Andrew Carnegies are donating pieces of their hoard to good causes, following in the footsteps of the man who said something about money being like manure. idealism (for lack of a better word) is filling the air. If concentrated it begins to stink, so spread it around.

Reggae, triphop, African, brazilian, progressive, regressive...sounds blasts at some show, where marketing managers or investment officers or some kind of officer shouts in my ear about wanting to dedicate himself to a higher cause, when he's got the dough. Its in the air. Its everywhere and nowhere.

Makes me think of our much revered and cited anti-imperialist friend who said "We do no benevolences whose first benefit is not for ourselves." Which brings me conveniently to the diamond sutra. Yes, even buddhists know the value of a shiny rock.

須菩提、於意云何。若人滿三千大千世界、七寶以用布施、是人所得福德寧爲多不。須菩提言、甚多世尊。何以故。是福德卽非福德性。是故如來說福德多。若復有 人於此經中、受持乃至四句偈等爲他人說、其福勝彼。何以故。須菩提、一切諸佛及諸佛阿耨多羅三藐三菩提法皆從此經出。須菩提。所謂佛法者卽非佛法

"Subhūti, what do you think? If a person were to fill a chiliocosm with the seven kinds of jewels and give them away charitably, wouldn't the merit attained by this person be great?"

Subhūti said, "Extremely great, World Honored One. And why? This merit has no nature of merit; therefore the tathāgata says that this merit is great."

The Buddha said: "But if there were a person well-attentive to this sūtra such that he or she could teach a four line verse from it to others, this person's merit would exceed that of the former example. Why? Subhūti, all of the buddhas and all of their teachings of peerless perfect enlightenment spring forth from this sūtra. Subhūti, that which is called the buddhadharma is not the buddhadharma."