This was presented to me on a forum somewhere in cyber IDEAS world. It is an excellent question. It was followed up with this:
"I know you guys hate Bush and consider McCain the same as Bush.
But...
If it were any other scenario. If we were not at war, and Bush wasnt president. Would you vote for Obama?
I just cant wrap my head around people voting for someong with no experience and no history of accomplishing anything. Is it just an "anti-Bush" vote? As I have said before, If Obama were a carpenter, Mechanic, Plumber, or Electrician, you would hire him with the lack of experience he has."
I prefaced my response with this:
why?
he has real integral consciousness:I believe "a new, historically significant “level” of consciousness and culture is emerging in our time, and that the emergence of this new integral worldview is in many ways the evolutionary equivalent of the emergence of the modernist worldview during the period known as the Enlightenment of the 17th and 18th centuries. And just as the rise of modernism changed the world forever, we can expect similar (but more benign) progress from the rise of integralism. “Integral consciousness” is a new perspective on the world that expands our perception of reality and provides fresh motivation to make a positive difference. This new way of seeing and living arises from an enlarged set of values framed by an expanded understanding of cultural evolution."(McIntosh)
and continued my thoughts here:
This is simple. 21st Century ideas are being born out into action through the Obama movement. Obama has lived Integral consciousness much of his adult life.
What does that mean? Live simply within the belief that what you do is for the benefit of others (all others). Do it in your actions and deeds. Be yourself and seek self advancement. Realize personal growth and the benefit of your hard work but not at unfair cost to others. This is his proven record. Has he been perfect on the way? Has anyone? of course not, but he is the best we have seen to actually dare move into the political arena. I think the Y generation really gets it. That is why Obama has such support from the youth-- not because they are young and don't know, but precisely because they do understand the world from a very different cultural point of view than the generations before them. The boomers paved the way with pluralism, but that stalled in "commissions" and feel good meetings that simply couldn't get enough of the simple things done to keep all of us on track as technology evolved faster than "we," as a culture could. Look at the incredible work and tragedies of the Jeremiah Wrights, the Clinton's, the Carter's, MLK,JFK, my parents, etc. People who went only so far before the cultural evolution of the past generations strangled their progress, or they became exhausted and began to thank or think of themselves first. The X'ers were the first to step out, stop, look at, process, and really meet the reality of a 21st Century. The Mystery, God, Buddha, Allah, or whatever you call spirit blessed us with a new responsibility. We did not have to fight as hard for equal rights as our parents did (thank you boomers), but we had to fight those who wish to turn back those advancements. Because of the social and cultural work of the generation before, we knew our neighbors in different ways than our parents did, we didn't go home to as many snide racist comments after playing, or working with folks from different cultures. We grew up with less tribal hatred. We had great educations and we learned how to do for ourselves despite a changing economy. Many met it with protest at first by stepping out of the way of a Tsunami; the great heave of might and wealth spread across the world... we stepped out of the way instinctively as not to be crushed by the greedy progress bulging from unregulated American growth... those on the liberal side of the political spectrum left the democratic party for example.
in the meme time...
Many X'ers made millions from the technology boom. Most benefited in multiple ways from the advancements in technology.
Many of us have found simple niches in the world. Natural Capitalism became a reality at the local level. We started small green construction supply businesses, producing green products for cabinetry, flooring, roofing, alternative energy products, etc. We started organic farms for food and environmentally sound products. We advanced the field of education and started the pioneering work of understanding human challenges like Autism. We have kept focused on the 21st challenges while watching the Rove's and Cheney's self destruct. We have continued to fight the Bush doctrine's "long cherished belief in Catastrophe." We saw how the Tsunami came back to haunt us. We see another stage of the past's orgy of delusion and denial slowly dying out. This is not a joke, and we know the Y's are right there with us. So are many, many Boomers and many from the Greatest generation. Integral consciousness does not discriminate by color, sex, class, creed or age, but by understanding.
There is one very big reason Obama is where he is. He understands the foundation that will solve the challenges of the 21st century.
Us
I would love further comment on this...
realize, of all my musical tastes Reggae remains the roots so I am a bit biased but this is joy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxn9jhypHfo
I am the only donor so far and would like to achieve my personal goal of getting 10 new donors... any amount counts...
I am really quite happy with Obama's trip outside the country so far. Any thoughts?
I understand how tasteless this cover is and to me it is perfect. I hope it provokes the type of incidental teaching we need for those still twisted in smear madness...
love until it hurts
it has been a while Obama folks, hope to hear from some of you soon
its quite interesting -- amazing -- actually that this Obama movement and momentum has kept us out of Iran. in my opinion of course. Since the candidates declared I first thought Giuliani to be the next arms salesman to the middle east... then I saw the constant yahoo / newsmax adds of Hillary everytime I checked my email and ding ding ding... remember what??, remember: she signed on, she VOTED for the liar war -- she liked the idea enough to sign on
good for her -- she is now completely exposed
what an insensitive bitch, I am sorry but we deserve a president with some ethics-- thank god for Obama
and whose face was posted together the last few weeks of fear politics as Clinton struggled to get a coup coalition together to
newsmax-- should hillary quit? whose was it??? oh yeah McCain.. the war parties last hope
now hope is good and Obama, and all you folks who have made this one of the most fun, challenging, inspirational primaries ever... remember hope and fear are about exact opposites and therefore I must ask???
when we hope aren't we bound to collide with fear, and when fear lets go does hope not renew us in its wave?
I believe we see
all bodies are meant to collide
love fearlessly
My family's southern roots taught me that every man has a right to defend his honor. Do you see what he is doing as anything but that? Do you think it would be healthier for Reverend Wright to isolate himself and allow his honor to be destroyed without any response? I do not.
It certainly would not be healthier for Obama. The American people want to KNOW right now. They want to make clear accurate decisions. That is good. They would not be able to if Reverand Wright went off and hid while the continued indirect aggressive attacks were hurled at him. He is facing them. It is his right. I wish him the best.
Let's get this process out in the open now, so we can focus on issues when it comes to November.
Obama may have no control over Reverand Wright at all, but like he himself said, he has bet everything on the goodness and forward thinking vision of US, the ctizens of the United States of America. I suggest we be careful of the mind traps out there and seize this opportunity to be contemplative and thoughtful to what this really means, the potential for good that exists in this... we are being asked to understand our own courage in ways we have not been asked to do in a very long time... this is not a go out and buy stuff to make US stronger moment... this is not a go out and shoot stuff to make US safe moment... this is a go out and give yourself some time to face the US reality of this moment type of moment.
We have an opportunity here
will we seize it?can we?
I believe that we can
This is good news for Obama -- and our nation-- painful? a bit...
but cathartic
and another step in the Evolutionary development of this movement focussed on ethical development
“Sour, sweet, bitter, pungent, all must be tasted” Chinese proverb
“People can be more forgiving than you can imagine. But you have to forgive yourself. Let go of what's bitter and move on.” Bill Cosby
“Forgiving does not erase the bitter past. A healed memory is not a deleted memory. Instead, forgiving what we cannot forget creates a new way to remember. We change the memory of our past into a hope for our future.” Smedes
“I have learned through bitter experience the one supreme lesson to conserve my anger, and as heat conserved is transmitted into energy, even so our anger controlled can be transmitted into a power that can move the world.” Gandhi
“Patience is bitter, but it bears sweet fruit.”Turkish Proverb
“What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise”Scottish Proverb
"Love Fearlessly"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1LayJA5D-A
Hey all. I decided to get creative with my Imovie program and put this poem together with some visual animation it was posted a few blogs back-- south carolina-- I think). I would love to have your critical response and see if it resonates with you. It was written before I began to participate in this election campaign but its focus is related. I think especially related at this time. We have fully entered the "silly season..." which could be considered the time when our "inner idiots" are getting most of the attention and our "evolved selves" are getting abused. I believe Obama represents the evolved self in all of us. Does that mean he is free from having an inner idiot? Most likely not right, otherwise he could have never evolved himself.
Anyway, I hope this lifts some spirits and maybe even inspires some conversation. I have been lonely in Obama blog land lately except for occasional messaging with Vince, Cherokee Girl and Rev Bry.
Love Fearlessly
Lets do this!
He asked if the bridge was out- left some eloquence as well:
"with all this b.s. from Hillary.I thought more about all of this yesterday,you know all of this is like a piece of music.there are so many parts that make up the whole take away or change any of it,and the compisition changes."
- later I saw his post about fighting back and well he is right -- yes we can -- and we are -- do it with love -- and do it with fire -- we must fight using all the rules to survive and do so intelligently... and fearlessly
the way perception is being shaped by our technolgy is disturbing in the moment-- completely! the refs fell in love with Obama? Maybe, and for good reason-- but their own damn bruised little inner idiot egos turned them into daffodils for a while and even while Hillary looked to be embarassing herself by using her inner idiot to talk to our inner idiots she was shaping our inner idiot to believe it was stronger than our grown up selves
fuck that -- it is time to expose her inner idiot to ourselves- Vince has some damn important things to think about on his blog
is it easy to forget because we rely too much on the machinery and technolgy to do all the thinking for us?
tech-nill-logic
technology technology
maybe the bridge is out and we are crossing the river. Most likely a polluted one, but thats real. We can't always be camping in the redwoods-- it sure is nice to do so when we can. I question what is right about the technology we have which is odd since my profession is as an Assistive Technology Specialist. I know how it helps and I know how much it costs in dollars, production time and energy, and in the way we gather and produce the materials from tantulum and colton to plastic. I do know that the benefits are incredible, giving individuals independence and opportunity never before seen in their lives. I do honestly believe Obama has the potential to help us all understand the consequences of our behavior as well as the possibilities we may not even yet discovered. This is a combination of intellectual and intuitive understanding of my past experience with politics and this present experience. I fucking volunteered myself to speak for him and this movement on three different occasions! I will do it again, I honestly have enjoyed it. When I spoke with an individual in Rhode Island who happened to blind, he told me why he supported Obama and had inspirational reasons, and wanted to just chat about life in general like we are here, it was fun. He also told me that many people there honestly believed he was a Muslim and were afraid because of that. First of all-- this is America and my understanding that Muslim's are just Muslim's-- people who understand their relationship to spirit differently than Christians is more typical than is presented by the media. Second, if I believed that American's in general have that sort of understanding, I would be unrealistic and possibly delusional, especially in the context of the last 7 years. Still, it disappoints me. Stepping back clearly into the moment I say, one step at a time, relax and see what is. He is asking people to take responsibility for their own actions. That means me. Ok, I can do that, or at least try to do it with more naked honesty. Is that scary? yes. hmmm
inner idiot in me -- you are a weak ass lying son of bitch
yes I can understand your fear, but wake up, we made it here...
I have to share this-- he got it right
and in response to Hillary's new "experience" tactic it fits
she made a calculated risk in her vote for the war in Iraq-- She believed the hype the Neocons were forcing down our throat and thought the "greet us as liberators, oil will pay for the war" false reality would ring true and show her good judgement for this presidential run
She and they were wrong!
lets sing it together!
Its the end of the neocons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELyLSIkGrwE&feature=related
and I feel fine
"Homo sum humani nila me alienum puto""I am a human being. Nothing human can be alien to me."
Statement made by Publious Terentius Afer, know as Terrance. He was an African and a slave to a Roman senator. Freed by that senator he became the most popular playwright in Rome. Six of his plays and that statement have come down from us from 154 BC. This man, not born white, not born free, said,
I am a human being.
-- from a conversation Maya Angelou had with bell hooks
thats it
we are not victims
as we hear those that cry this and that -- try to turn up the religious or racial divisions -- try to twist and braid the ropes back around the necks of mankind again, like they know something we do not
remember
We are human beings.
this is the power of this evolutionary moment
thisnowis bigger than that
its beyond any weak ass cry of victimization -- its not leftist, rightest, sexist, racist, cultist, neoconist, rapist, scrapist, mapist, flapist, drapist, classist, massist, or even mean...
it is the integral openness of a new universal understanding
yes
it
is
The odd thing about this campaign season is that we are so well trained and desensitized by the smear machine already that nothing is shocking. We have evolved to see the little demon it is.
The Rove (sore loserman) Atwater days are here again -- in full bloom --
lets look at old history:
to you kids who do not know Atwater:His epiphany after his brain tumor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4V4nb6OTG0
"in 1988 fighting dukakis I said I would strip the bark off the little bastard and make willie horton his running mate (dukakis)... My illness helped me see that what was is missing in society is what is missing in me, a little heart and a little brotherhood"
The whole premise of a smear is that if you can cripple a voter's basic trust in a candidate, you can probably turn his vote. This just doesn't work quite so well anymore. Look what has happened to every attempt by Hillary or Bill. --- Each negative attack has actually energized the Obama campaign's supporters as it feeds into his basic message: this way of doing business is old, tired, devisize, destructive and disgusting.
rove:Smearing McCain in 2000In the 2000 primaries, "with few substantive differences between Bush and McCain, the campaign was bound to turn personal. The situation was ripe for a smear."
Rove then created the Push poll specifically to smear McCainA push poll is where, using the guise of opinion polling, disinformation about a candidate or issue is planted in the minds of those being 'surveyed'. Push-polls are designed to shape, rather than measure, public opinion.
Would you vote for someone who fathered an illegitimate black child ?Bush's campaign strategists, including Karl Rove, devised a push poll against John McCain. South Carolina voters were asked "Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for John McCain for president if you knew he had fathered an illegitimate black child?". They had no interest in the actual percentages in the poll, the goal was to suggest that [McCain had a black child]. This was particularly vicious since McCain was campaining with his adopted [dark skinned] Bangladeshi daughter.
keep the faith friends and family-- this is an election campaign -- it is fun for a change --
lets realize how real it is
in the valleys and the peaks
Language matters
staying on message in a week of smears--turning- in and as the heat -- being the flame -- scooping (i did this with my snow shovel to clear some of the lake in my backyard here Sunday in Chicago- my kids may be skating on the lawn today but we have a safe dry path to the garage) being the liquid nourishment -- feeling,dervishing as the wind -- grounded right in the transforming earth
every once in a while
change the word "words" to language
language matters-- let the message evolve
as we are evolving
Obama's calm cool and collected language matters
words have power in and of themselves but language's hope is in the walk you walk as well as the talk you talk
Obama gets it
many of us do
help others understandlanguage matters--thisoptimistic strut-- this fearless stoicism -- this smile is ours -- stay true to this path and turn it up a bitreveal the language difference -- like the cruel eye or desperate weeping, the boxing gloves verses the willingness to engage in battle with couragein the language of true justice
in the calmness of the moment-- the now -- the trembling inside that shines through our eyes in smiles
"nazaar" it is called-- the gift, the glancethe sacred conversationbe that love language-- we are there
lets help others understand this-- this has been a difficult weak of smears oh holy blogosphere (lmao)
lets lift it up a notch-- this language is mightier than "words"
this is the language of tomorrow-- candid, real, level headed and mighty
"I think this country is in serious need for change and Obama is that change. There are many like me, but here is the story that the media won't talk about: Glass-Steagall Act repealed by Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act,: This is the act that was passed by FDR to help stop another depression and to control banks. In 1998, Clinton signed a bill to REPEAL this act and protection from a depression. This bill opened the door for Citigroup to merge with Travellers to what it is now and it was lobbied by Citigroup. Before this act was repealed, banks had more restrictions on loans and what types of business they could deal in. This is huge reason why the home mortage crisis has happened. It is also a big reason why these banks are failing and losing a lot of money. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/wallstreet/weill/demise.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass-Steagall_Act Please pass this along to others and hopefully Obama will bring this up and help people realize how the Clintons have helped this country."
I did not know this until a few moments ago
this is huge new to me---
go Obama
http://tribes.barackobama.com/page/content/firstamshome
Share this story:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/16/nyregion/16vote.html?hp
OBAMA ROBBED IN NY
February 16, 2008 -- Barack Obama's primary-night results were strikingly under recorded in several congressional districts around the city - in some cases leaving him with zero votes when, in fact, he had pulled in hundreds, the Board of Elections said today.
this vision, this movement
is our vision for america
Obama and his big listening movement is the result of ears and American voices
It is more evolved than some can fathom
The fact that so many do
GET IT
is incredible, awesome, and inspiring
It is like living in the free world of america again-- smiling at your neighbor --
:)
I want to scream
"Welcome Home!"
and
"We love you"
to all of you
You are a beautiful people-- If anyone has seen Aaron Funk-- tell him Bob says hello
good friends
when will we all believe again that we benefit every single other being in order to be at once:
all that is?
so what. right?
well, after interfacing with well over a hundred people in New Mexico today, I would say the vote count for the registered democrats there from my personal tally was 40% Obama 30% Hillary 25% undecided 5% McCain. Of those undecided- 10 percent leaning towards hillary-- 20% toward Obama and every one but one undecided was definately turned on by my Obama speech-- I went way off script with the last undecided woman I spoke with (20 minute converse) and we spoke about the deeper issues of this movement-- The new frontier reality that I put in prosey poetics earlier. I hope she shares what we talked about with her fellow teachers on Monday-- that in itself payed for my hours there. She was my last call of the night and I must say it was inspirational.
It is also interesting to me that this dream world I have is so supraconscious-- see last blog-- so what... right?
It makes it so fucking real as well.
Of note--
I called 60 or so people in Zuni-- almost all were Native Americans. 75% of there phones were disconnected. I think I had some of the wyrdest but coolest conversations with these people. I am cherokee/french/german. There are many prophecies concerning the year 2012 that are shared between the Native Peoples in the southwest. I actually got to talk about these with some of those people. It was like "lightning striking in a clear blue sky."
Some people are swayed by Bill Richardson's making nice at the New Hampshire debate and hence lean towards Hillary. I wonder what that was about-- too many favors???
And everyone is waiting for Edwards to give them the go ahead to vote for Obama-- isn't it obvious he is in Obama's camp? I told those people, "couldn't you see him as a member of Obama's cabinet-- said the same to a Kucinich supporter as well. Seriously, those three candidates (Kucinich, Edwards, Richardson) all seem to be integral agents in this movement-- they are on the same team don't you think?
I am sure this will make more sense tomorrow after my mind is able to process it with sleep. What a day. I want to do it again-- is that wrong?
;)
lol
any objections?
ahh fathers
Mine and I were fishing in the southwest. (???) I felt New Mexican. A kingfisher with a yellow head was eating bait from my hand. He was twice as big as midwestern King's and had hold of my finger as well as the fish so I clamped down on the beak. His bite was strong like the pressure on my finger since I knocked it with the hammer last night. I liked it. I was giving a thorough report to my father, "Do you know the name of this bird? I am guessing that he's a Kingfisher. The beak's the same. The blue and orange belly... Kingfisher. He's biting the crap out of my hand," I laughed, "amazing eye contact."The little flatboat I was in scooted a bit as I shook my arm to keep the bite tolerable enough to enjoy the wonder. I kept looking at my dad and wondering what he was doing here in the scars of red granite, fire agate, and rhodochrosite. I was dreaming a dark, colorful dream, surrendering to something, exploring...
The dry stones were warm and quiet. The sky was an electric web of purples and orange. I stepped from the sand bottom to the stone, stretching over clear astute reflections. As the stones' metamorphosis reversed into the sky, wind and trees replaced the crags and cliffs. Lightning returned the gems to their veins. Sound built and roared as only the dervish' bare bones knows resplendent-- when body has become crispy and crackles into smoke spun open. Like bonfire celebrates with its builders, the mountains and trees became one song...
All suddenly became coherent, pacific, still. All stopped and the sky went white as a blue summer day. We were in the sun and alll the begun again came forward. All the borrowers.. all the place in time bodies from before came through. They strode in skins, and hats. With laughter and smiles but made no sound. "There it is. That's it! We are really here... all of us. This is what bestirs the 2012's: the 2013!" Walking within transparent seams, bodies whose opaque release becomes handsome in the awoken realm. Their place of passim, transitory here and there, unfettered, free. This is what you are telling them, "it is for all to see."
