Who's to blame?

We love to place the blame, don't we? I mean, there are so many others, there are just so many places we could place it, isn't there? Why do we have to place it on ourselves?

While I can certainly understand not wanting to be culpable, it is time we started realizing that we all share some of the blame for the terrible shape our world is in. And it's in bad shape. The environment is deteriorating, and it doesn't matter whether it's humans or natural, we need to do something about it. The economy worldwide is deteriorating, and it doesn't matter whether it's the greed of the money-lenders, the corruption in government, or a combination of both, we need to do something about it. Our societies are deteriorating, and it doesn't matter if it is unbridled egotism or sheer indifference, we need to something about it. So many things are broken - big things, significant things - that we have to do something before everything just collapses around our ears, for when it does collapse - and it will (I've got history on my side in that one) - it will collapse around all our ears, not just some of ours.

The ideas I've been pushing the last few posts are not original. Taking on guilt because you don't do something when you should is even a legal precept in Germany, for example (it's called unterlassene Hilfeleistung, literally, "refused help". If you see someone in need and you don't help, it's considered a crime in these parts. It's a good idea, because it is simply part of what holds us together, as a society, and as a race - the human race.

A couple of weeks ago I read a passionate little book by William Rivers Pitt about what went wrong with the first Bush II administration. It was the passion that struck me most of all; the facts, at least in this case, pretty well speak for themselves. He took the title of the book from a statement Bill Moyers made back in a speech in October 2001, over a decade ago, and called it The Greatest Sedition is Silence. I can't remember the last time that truer words were spoken. Pitt put his finger in the most festering wound we've got, worldwide, in every so-called or half-way "free" country: we are silent. We allow bad things - very bad things, cruel things, lethal things, inhuman things - to happen; we know about them; and we stay silent.

We have every reason in the world to hang our heads and hide our faces. We should be more than ashamed. And for that very reason, it is time to speak up and speak out.

Is that all?

No, not by a long shot. You really didn't think that was all I had to say about that, did you? I didn't think so.

You might have noticed that a word popped up more than once in the last post, and it's really the theme of this one: hypocrisy. It's one of our taken-for-granted concepts. Everybody believes they know what it means, and it's one of those that, oddly enough, only ever applies to other people, never to ourselves. The moment you find yourself thinking just that, it might be time to stop and reassess.

There's a lot of little things that fit into the scheme here. Did you ever notice that other people get paid way too much for what they do, and we never get paid what we're worth? Or, have you noticed lately that only poor people who get assistance from the government are moochers, but when the well-off receive it, it's a necessary subsidy? Or, what about those folks who rail against entitlements but take their own Social Security checks to the bank every month and ride to their Tea Party protests on scooters paid for by Medicare? I could go on, of course, but why beat a dead horse? None of that applies to any of us.

If asked directly, all of us will say that we're all for freedom and liberty, but if pushed just a little, you'll find that every one of these liberty-lovers isn't so keen on having Nazis around, or perhaps they think that our society has become promiscuous or degenerate because others have decided on a lifestyle different from our own. And, of course, anyone on the street protesting, well, talk about too much time on your hands: why don't these people go get a job and stop asking for a handout?

All of these ways of thinking are simply hypocritical. We're right; others are wrong. We know our limits; others are just takers. Truth be told, we're no different than anyone else. What most of you don't know - or maybe what you're simply not aware of - is the fact that if you do not stand up and speak out against the injustices that are inflicted on others each and every day, if you simply remain silent because you don't think it's your problem or you (even worse) don't want to get involved, then you are every bit as guilty as those who actually do the deeds. Need I remind you: silence is assent. By allowing it to happen, by not speaking out against it, you are, at least tacitly, supporting it.

Silence has its price. Looking the other way has its price. For the more religiously inclined among you, there are sins of commission and sins of omission. You can be guilty for doing something, but it's almost worse to know that others are being dealt with unjustly and to be silent.

If you've never thought of it this way, you need to start.

Is he serious?

Oh, yes, he is. He's very serious. I'm very serious.

Yeah, yeah, yeah ... I hear all you whiners, too: nobody made him take the loan; he didn't have to sign the contract ... but, is that really the case? No car, no job. Where's the choice? There are many times in life when we simply have no choice and we end up in a situation that we wish were otherwise. My question is, why don't any of us count so much that our situation can be considered? Why are we treated like human beings? Why are we simply contracts, and agreements, and obligations, and, well, just things. When you strip a human of his/her humanity, you do violence. And that's what we do, and that's what we think is right these days. Yes, we've stooped this low.

For all the touting that conservatives do about the worth and necessity of the individual, I find it somehow surprising that as soon as money is involved, the individual isn't worth anything at all. Any individual can suffer a twist of fate, a set-back, an unexpected and temporary change of fortune. Why can't that all be calculated in? Why is this so difficult?

Well, it isn't difficult if you owe enough, or if you appear to be rich enough, or you have the proper gift of persuasion. Rupert Murdoch can be on the verge of bankruptcy, but if he calls in his creditors and tells them they are going to negotiate new terms, new terms get negotiated. If you're not of Rupert's "stature", you're nothing more than free game. The fact that another can consider you so unimportant, so insignificant, so not worth dealing with, is another piece of evidence for my violence hypothesis. Since I can bully you, I will; since I cannot bully Rupert, I won't. How phony can you get? And these are the folks we like to praise as "captains of industry", "gurus of high finance", "business leaders" ... right.

Truth be told, they are little more than braggarts, bullies and cowards. They hide behind their rules and laws when it suits them and when they can get away with it, but otherwise, they bow, scrape and kow-tow before anyone upon whom they can place a monetary value greater than their own (in that moment). Isn't that just grand? How proud we must be? How satisfied we must be with our own humanity.

Well, not really. You may think they are business or finance geniuses, but they're simply crappy human beings. They're hypocrites and purveyors and multiple standards. They're inconsistent, arbitrary, and in the end, cruel, and simply violent. If you admire them, or support them, or simply don't care, well, you're just as bad.

Funny, I can't remember the last time I was this serious.

Does he mean me?

Yes, he does; that is, yes, I do.

Lots of you don't feel spoken to, and I think for two primary, but very different reasons. First, there are those who just don't get the debt-violence connection. And, second, there are those who don't think I'm talking to them.

Let's take the second group first: I'm talking to you. It's that simple. I'm talking to you because I'm talking to everybody. As George Carlin put it, you're here, you're guilty, end of story. Get over yourselves. You're involved, you're not immune. None of us are immune. If we're not actively playing the debt game, we're playing it indirectly. We support it because we don't understand it, we think we know better, but the fact of the matter is, hardly anybody really thinks about it because we think that's just the way things are. They're not. This is how we made them (or allowed them to be made). There's nothing natural about it. It's artificial, just like everything humans make is artificial.

So, now the other folks, the one's who don't get it yet ... here's the deal:

To me, the definition of violence is simple: it is the ability one has to have someone else conform to that person's will, when the person simply can't say "no" without repercussions to his/her well-being. Say you just got a job, but you can't walk to it nor can you take public transportation (because more often than not there isn't any). Now what? You need a car. Have the money? No. Answer: car loan. Do you have a choice? Not really, if it's up to you and you can't mooch off others. Great. Now you have a car, but the company decides it's closing shop and sending all the jobs to China. Now you have no job, therefore no money. Does the lending institution tell you not to worry about it, they'll just put the payments on hold and as soon as you're back on your feet again, you can pick up where you left off? I doubt it. They want their money, they want it now, and if you don't pay it, they'll send some thuggy looking individual to intimidate you into putting up the cash or simply taking back your car, by force, if necessary. That's violence folks, and the fact that they can do that without the slightest hesitation, without fear of the slightest sanction, they exercise violence ... against you. It may be psychological, it may be potential, or it may even be physical. You're in debt, you're subject to that violence.

You don't count. Your circumstances don't count. Nothing counts but the money you owe. And "they" can get it, one way or the other, by force, if necessary, and you have not recourse whatsoever. If that's not violence, I don't know what is.

So, was that it?

For those of you who are still having a bit of difficulty shifting back from personal to political mode, hang onto your hats, I need to make the shift again. What we wouldn't put up with on a personal level, what we realize is simply unfair, if not immoral, at a nation-state level, is still going on every day. It's not making things around the world any better, but what is going on says a lot about us as people.

I don't know how many of you have ever been to Greece, but I highly recommend it. The country itself is simply beautiful, the weather is grand most of the year, and the people are among the most friendly and warm-hearted that you'll run into anywhere. Just like anywhere else, there are good folks and some not so good. In many regards the Greeks are just like you and me. They're not sloppy, lazy, or deceitful. They love their families and would like nothing more than to see they live happy and healthy lives. Unfortunately, they are being victimized through no fault of their own (other than they happen to live there. Here's why I say that.

When the whole financial crisis with Greece started, they had a public debt level of about 165% of GDP. In came the banks, and particularly the IMF, told them they had to get their stuff together or no one would help them. The political tug-of-war began. In the meantime, the banks and IMF have been forcing the country to privatize where possible, sell off public assets, so to speak, they cut the salaries of all their civil servants, teachers, security and rescue personnel, and they cut earned pension benefits for their seniors; they have eliminated their healthcare system. On top of this, the richer, lender countries have poured several trillion dollars into the country as well, and now, after all of that they are being threatened with begin thrown out of the euro zone and too many outside nations are back to pointing figures at the lazy, screwed-up Greeks. The problem is that even with all the saving, the austerity, the pressure from above, their debt is now at 197% of GDP. How is that possible?

It's possible when you don't want to help, when you don't want to really do business, but when all you want is money. The banks, who received untold billions in bailouts for outright criminal behavior, now have the audacity to demand of others what they were not willing to do themselves. You don't have to be a financial expert to know that debt is being used here as a cudgel. We're allowing the Greeks to be beaten to death by supposed upright, honest institutions. They're not. And by not speaking out against them and by not pushing to have them back off or be shut down, we are simply accomplices to the crimes.

What else is it about?

Last time I mentioned that there were two issues involved here. The one has to do directly with the scenario, but the other one can be thought about separately as well. We saw that the conquered people had no yet paid off their debt. There was still a lien against them. Sure, you can say, why should they pay, it wasn't there decision to take on the debt in the first place. But apart from that, just looking solely at the numbers, if we assume that the regular payments were made, when is a debt actually paid off?

Why do we find it reasonable to borrow, say, 100,000 (€ or $, it doesn't matter), at, perhaps, 5% interest, and think that the debt has first been repaid when almost half-a-million dollars or euros have left our bank account and go to the lender? Don't get me wrong, I know how interest works and I know how compound interest works as well. Uncle Al (Einstein) was once asked what he believed to be the most powerful force in the universe to which he answered "compound interest". He was know for being a pretty smart guy. He nailed this one, too.

It is interesting to note that we have a strange relationship to such things. At 5%, the lender should be saying the 5,000 is what his troubles are worth. I don't think that's all that unreasonable, but when considered in absolute terms, I have trouble wrapping my head around the fact that the lender thinks his efforts are worth more than three times the principle. That sounds more like extortion than business to me. My question is then, why do we put up with it?

It is not by accident that almost every religion in the world abhors usury, that is, the practice of demanding too much for your trouble when you lend money to another. I don't think this is a religious issue, but for most of their existence, religions have purported to be the bearers of a culture's moral standards. In other words, in most times and in most places, demands of this type were simply considered immoral. And now, we think they are normal. Obviously something has changed, and I don't think I'm too far off base to maintain that one of the first things we've sacrificed has been our innate morality.

The fact of the matter is that all such relationships, all such money relationships, are simply immoral acts. Just like the guilt you accrue when you don't speak out against aggression, so too do you express your own immorality when you don't speak out against de facto extortion as well.

What's it all about?

Even though the scenario is highly improbably in our personal lives, the principles upon which it is built are not. I'm sure that most of you simply shrugged it off as silly because, after all, who would do a thing like that? Even if it were possible to eliminate the legal and administrative aspects, who would come up with the idea to just take someone's house for his or her own silly purposes? Truth be told, the scenario is truer than we might like to believe and there are two issues in the exercise that need to be addressed.

The scenario was based upon historical events. In the early 19th century a well-known western power (no, not the USA), attacked and subjugated a smaller country and forced them to agree to pay the victors for their losses. Since the conquered country couldn't pay up front, they were forced into debt, and have been paying ever since. Yes, they are still paying ... well, more accurately the financiers of the conquering country still has demands on unpaid funds. It turns out, the scenario is not as far-fetched as first thought.

This brings us to the first issue. I'm sure you were outraged by the behavior of the corporation. What right did they have to just come in and take over. You were right to be outraged, but if you are outraged if it had happened to you, why aren't you outraged when it happens to others? What did the home owners do to deserve their fate? Nothing as far as I can tell. The sole culprits in the story are the representatives of the corporation who imposed its will and was in a position to enforce that imposition, with force, if necessary. Obviously that isn't right, but this is a story that has repeated itself time and time again up until today. This is how many nations became "great". Their exploits are glorified in history books, these ideals poured into the empty heads of unwitting students in schools until we are led to believe that we somehow have the right to impose our wills on others.

The fact that we can become outraged when it happens to us simply indicates how hypocritical we are. If it's not OK on the personal level, why in the world would it be OK on a national or political level? The truth of the matter is, it isn't OK. It's never OK, but if you don't acknowledge that it's not OK, if you don't make others aware that it is not OK, then you are, I'm afraid, just as guilty as the perpetrators. Silence in almost every culture is a sign of assent. Yes, you may not really be for the crime, but if you are not brave enough to speak out against the crime, in the end you simply share in the guilt.

So, how do you feel about it now?

How do I really feel about ...?

So, did you give our little Twilight Zone scenario some thought? What did you come up with?

My guess is that you were pretty much outraged. Where does this company get off just coming in, taking over your place, changing its appearance and sticking you with bill? That can't be right, can it? Could you think of any arguments that could justify their actions? I doubt you did. I've been thinking about this for some time now and can't come up with any. I find the whole thing utterly disgusting and insanely wrong.

Actually, just thinking that anything like that could possibly happen makes my blood boil, and I'm willing to bet - even though I'm not a betting person - that you feel a lot like I do. So, let's extend the scenario a little:

The company realizes that they're not getting the benefit they expected from the whole action, so they inform you, they're going to take down the sign. The send in the construction company, dismantle everything, and although your house and property are not quite like they were before they showed up, it's never going to be the same, but at least the company is gone. Well, almost. They present you with the bill for taking everything down, but they've been kind enough to include the amount in the already agreed-to monthly payment; you'll only have to make the payments a little longer.

So, how do you feel about the whole thing now? After all, things are almost back to normal. You've got your house back. Your life is almost as it once was. There's just the matter of the small monthly payment. What about that?

And, oh, apropos debt:

You realize you are, for better or worse, stuck with the payments. You wade through the small print on the contract you had to sign and realize that they can change the interest rate for the smallest of reasons, all by themselves, because you have no say in the matter. You suddenly realize, you may never repay the debt.

And now? How do you really feel about all of this? Give it some thought. We can think about it together next time.

How do I feel about ...?

Let's assume, just for the sake of argument, that we all share the view that a better world than the one we have would be desirable. There's lots about life in the industrialized West that is good, and there's no reason why we shouldn't want to keep that, so we're not talking about turning everything on its head. All I'm suggesting is we give some thought to what we want and what "better" might mean.

The only way to do this, I think, is to stop and reflect on what each of us believes. We often think we know, but this really isn't anything that many of us often do, and it can reveal a surprise or two if you're willing to take the time, make the effort, and be serious about finding out a little about yourself. Of course, I wouldn't want to leave you alone with the task, so I'm here to help. Yep, I like to help, so if I can be any assistance at all, I'm more than willing to do my part. I've even given some thought on where to start. Consider the following scenario:

You live in a house that you have paid for. It's yours. A major corporation comes along and decides they like your house so much that they want to use it as an advertising and marketing site. They come in uninvited, tell you they are going to put a big sign up on the roof. They make a call on your phone get the construction company in and erect a massive stand, that includes your house and put this huge, neon-lit thing up on top withe corporate logo and sound system to announce new products and services it offers. Then they tell you, oh by the way, that was a really expensive operation, you'll have to pay for the construction, so they present you with the bill. Even though you're not excited about it, and knowing you certainly can't just pay it, they also tell you that they've already thought about that and since they're such nice people, the have already arranged with your bank to deduct the payment automatically every month from your account. See, they've thought of everything, so you don't have to do a thing, really. You see, it was all for your convenience.

How do you feel about that? Now, do me a favor: don't get all lost in the details. You'd like to sue but you can't find a lawyer to take your case, the police say they talked to the company, but apparently they have a document from you saying you wanted to participate in a marketing action, you don't want to go to jail, and after all, everyone tells you, it's only a couple of hundred a month, learn to live with it. Just give some thought about how you feel about it all.

What's next?

Now that all the excitement is over, how does it feel waking up in a whole new world? What? Not noticing any change? I wonder why?

For Americans, this was supposed to be the election that determines the future of the world, but my guess is that the rest of the world isn't all that impressed. After all, what's really going to be different? What should be different? We'll probably never know. No, the world today is a whole lot like the world from yesterday, and I'm guessing it's going to be a whole lot like tomorrow, unless we start doing some soul searching.

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty much fed up with all the business as usual. I mean, how do we go about putting things on more solid footing if those "in charge" are more concerned with their own position and "power" than with anything that really matters. I think it is high time that we just acknowledged that politics as we know it is part of the problem, and from that point, you're just never going to get a solution ... to anything. It's just not possible. If nothing else, the American election should have been a lesson to us all: traditional politics has outlived its usefulness. There's not even small incremental change. There is only the perpetuation of the powers that be doing what they do best: looking out for their own interests.

Well, believe it or not, I'm here to let you in on a little secret. Since they're all only in the way (and I don't care if we're talking about American, German, French, Chinese or Iranian politicians). It's time to just leave them to themselves (which is where they feel most comfortable), and it's time for the rest of us, the reasonable part of humanity, to just do what needs to be done. The real problem with political solutions is that they simply enable us to shirk our own responsibilities. We kick the problems "upstairs" and then complain when nothing happens. You can't rely on them, so why even start? I believe that if you ignore them, they eventually go away.

We really don't need them for much, and for the little we might be able to use them for, we can deal with those cases when they arise. No, the first step is simple and painless: just look around, identify what's broken, and start thinking about how to fix it ... yourself, or even better with others who have to deal with it too. Talk. Discuss. Find those of like mind and then start talking with those who haven't seen the problem yet. It doesn't have to be big, it has to be personal. It has to matter to you, to your family, to your friends, to your neighbors. Talk. Decide what needs to be done and just do it.

If you want a better world, start acting like you want one. It's really very simple.

The ultimate privatization?

I wasn't going to say anything else about the election in the States because, as should be obvious by now, I'm simply glad the freakshow is over. However, one thought did strike me that I just can't shake: the two parties, together, spent more than $6,000,000,000 on their campaigns. I don't care who you are, that's a proud chunk of change. Of course, it's an obscene amount of money. Of course, it's the most that's ever been spent. But, we have to ask ourselves what it actually means. I'll tell you what I think:

What we just witnessed in the US was the privatization of democracy. Oh, they've been trying hard in all kinds of areas, such as education, water, prisons, regulation, Social Security, Medicare, and privatization is a staple of American foreign policy (just look at what the IMF is requiring of Greece if you don't believe me) and, of course, the military and security (about a third of US intelligence operatives are private contractors). Americans love privatization, and now they've managed to privatize their elections as well. Who would have thought?

You think I'm exaggerating? Think again. Where did all that money come from? For the past four years the Teabaggers and the Republicans have been raving about the deficit. Cut! Roll back Reduce! Slash! Save! That's all we've heard. Americans don't have money for anything. They're facing serious infrastructure problems - very clearly revealed by that blowhard Sandy - community after community is going into insolvency (I would be they're giving the Greeks a run for their money ... or is it a run for their debt, no matter), and even earned benefit programs are being squeezed. There's no money for anything. But, there's more than enough money for elections. Where do we think all that cash came from? I can assure you that the people who fronted the cash, particularly those who hedged their own bets, know exactly where it came from. And, they know exactly whom they have to talk to in order to get their money's worth. I'm not a betting man, but I'd bet you a dollar to a doughnut without a hole in it that they're already calling in their chits.

No, I think for anyone who wants to see, it has become clear what democracy in America means. Money talks, and private money talks loudest, I guess. And what I hear is that a huge investment has been made in making sure that the same-old really remains the same-old. I guess you really do get what you pay for.

A new beginning?

Well, it would seem we now know what we're dealing with. Even though the votes haven't all been counted ... and it wouldn't be the first time if all of them aren't ... it appears the result is clear enough. I have to say, though, I'm terribly disappointed: Mickey Mouse didn't even place. I knew I had my hopes too high. I suppose my countrypeople are simply not as courageous as they would like to think they are. Oh well, at least they used to talk a good game.

Of course, the spin machines are red-lining right now, not just to "explain" why the loser lost but why the apparent winner isn't one anyway. No, it's not just a manner of who wins and who loses, it's apparently more about arrogant winners and sore losers. What a display of maturity this has been ... again.

So, have we got a new beginning or not? What do you think? I know what I think: not even close. We're in for a whole lot more of the same old same-old. The three parts of the puzzle haven't really changed a bit: Obama knows his address for the next four years, a couple of whackos were kept out of the Senate but the balance of power hasn't changed, and the House remains, for all intents and purposes, the same. No, nothing has changed, it's simply the day after.

More than anything else, though, I think what was shown most clearly is just how split the United States is. I don't want to hear all of the shifting-to-the-center crap: the US isn't the center of anything and they have no center, just a dividing line. The expect status quo was maintained in 43 states, only seven were even contested, and the results show how undecided they were. No, after all the hype, all the ranting, all the rhetoric, things haven't really changed a bit. I think that's what we need to take from this. Another four years of the same old same-old.

I suppose we who live outside the states can be pleased that American troops won't be invading anywhere soon, that no more bombs than usual will be dropped on unsuspecting heads. Anyone inside the states better watch their backs, though. We also know what we're dealing with and pretty much what we can expect, so I suppose that's a bit of a comfort as well. We can think about things that matter and what we want to do about them while the rest of the system just rots away from the inside.

So, the people have spoken, but they don't have the last word. That's a responsibility left to others. The Republicans will continue to whine, the Democrats will continue to scratch their heads, and the people, well, they'll just be left to themselves, as always. Nah, I don't care what you say, it doesn't look good for the home team. Where is Mickey Mouse when you need him?

At a threshold?

Tomorrow, the Americans are going to do (or not do) their little quasi-democratic thing. It's not nearly as significant as most Americans think it is; it is not nearly as unimportant as most Europeans (and other folks in the world) would like it to be. There's a lot at stake, as is so often the case, not enough people are aware of just how much.

While the US president is often characterized as the most powerful man in the world, this is simply an exaggeration. The president is for the most part only as powerful as the American Congress allows him to be. He's simply a lot more show than go, but, he can, we should at least recognize, cause a lot more harm than good. He's a button-push away from fundamentally changing life as we know it, but he's not nearly as near doing anything positive. What he does, or doesn't do, will affect Americans much, much more than the rest of us living outside of America. It will catch up to us eventually, but at least we have some time to prepare for it.

What is different about this election is that it has a lot more to do with the future than the present, and it is significant insofar as many other countries - for whatever reasons - have tied their own fates to that of the US. It's a foolish thing to do, even if it seemed like a good thing to do at the time. Given the simplicity of the American system, though, it is at least possible to think about the consequences.

Think about it: if Governor Romney is elected, all that is wrong with America will be the new order of business and the out-and-out lying and blatant hypocrisy that have characterized his campaign will become institutionalized; everyone outside the US must know that America can not be relied on in any way anymore. That's not part of his agenda, and it is not why he was elected. If President Obama is re-elected, all that we don't want to be wrong with America will continue as before and the illusion of someone who claims he can will continue be confirmed as the one who just won't; everyone outside the US must know that the behind-the-scenes selling out of American morality will continue unabated. The agenda you see is not going to be the agenda you get.

Truth be told, it will be interesting to see how the voting public in America decides. More importantly, though, it will be interesting to see how the reactions of everyone else are portrayed. No matter what the outcome tomorrow, the spin machines will be operating in high gear, mirrors will be set up and smoke will be blowing like rarely before. What each of us has to decide - whether we're living in the US and directly confronted with the results or living elsewhere and directly impacted by them - is just how much we want to be affected. That choice is still ours, regardless of who we are or where we are.

I wish my countryfolk and I wish the rest of the world all the best for tomorrow. There's little to hope for, that is true, but it's an excellent opportunity to start thinking about what it is we really want for our lives.

Beliefs

In Act I, Scene v of Hamlet, Shakespeare has his eponymous hero tell his friend, "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." I'd have to say I couldn't agree more.

Most of us don't believe in much of anything anymore. Well, I know I still have some pretty firm beliefs, but I'm not so sure about a lot of other folks I know. When I watch the news, surf the net, or simply converse with colleagues and friends, it becomes increasingly apparent that there are just not a lot of things that are believed in anymore. Oh sure, there's the one or the other who profess a deep and abiding love for "the Lord" or Jesus or Mohammed ... but just between you and me, I can't help but think it's more fear than love, but I've always had trouble telling the two apart.

Be that as it may, the hubris of so many people, even those without many beliefs, troubles me even more. If were honest - especially honest with ourselves - we'd admit that we really don't have much of a clue at all. I mean, the universe is a big place and we hardly know anything about it at all. We like to act big and bad and brag about all we know and how Einstein and those guys figured it out and how we're here because of the Big Bang and Darwin clarified how we got here, but the folks who are saying this can't tell you the difference between theory and fact, so they're really making things worse, not better. Their die-hard opponents aren't any better, just pushing all the responsibility on the Creator and maintaining (without even a shred of evidence ... at least the scientific types get a few points for trying) that people and dinosaurs harmoniously cohabited the planet not all so long ago. I'm not convinced there's much hope for these folks at all, though I am surprised at how many seek - and obtain - public office in the United States. Scary thought.

Of course, since we don't know much, I don't think it's a good idea to make a sport out of knowing even less. That's why I find it disturbing when I read tha 18% of Americans believe that the sun revolves around the earth, that 63% of young Americans can't find Iraq on a map, 9 out of 10 can't find Afghanistan (even if you give them a map just of Asia), 75% can't locate Iran or Israel, and more than a third of Americans of any age can't identify the continent in which the Amazon River, the world's largest, is located. (By the way, the numbers haven't improved in the last five years, regardless of school choice.) No, we have to believe we can do better. We have to believe that real change is possible. We have to believe that it's worth the effort to try and make that change. We have to believe in ourselves. We have to believe that the society in which we live is worth saving. We ... oops.

Sorry, I got carried away. I forgot we traded in our society for a mere economy. My mistake. And in light of that, and since we all have to believe in something, I believe I'll have another beer.

The day after the night before

Yes, today is the day after the night before. Not just any night, mind you. Yesterday was a very special night for lots of folks. There's not a more American holiday than Halloween, eh? Wrong. Oh, it's a big deal in many areas of the States, but it's certainly has its roots elsewhere.

The name itself is a running-together of the Scottish variation of All Hallows' Eve, that is that night before All Saints' Day in the Roman Church. (The day that follows is All Souls', just in case you were wondering, so the themes of life, death, and spirits certainly fits in well. Some believe it's related to the Celtic Samhain (pronounced SAH-win) which marked the turn to the "dark half of the year", bringing in the harvest, slaughtering, and preparing for winter. The similarity of themes lends to credence to the idea, to say the least.

It was held that All Hallows' was the last chance for the recently departed to finish up their tasks on earth, perhaps taking revenge against those who had done them wrong, so nothing made you safer than dressing up as someone or something else, disguising yourself so as not to be recognized. Sweet cakes were baked and the poor collected them too, so it would seem that all the features of the holiday, as such, are accounted for. Though All Hallows has been around for over a thousand years, the more modern version of Halloween, really didn't start to take off until the 19th century.

Oh, don't get me wrong, Halloween is one of the kiddies' favorites, what with all that candy and all, and it is reason enough for adults to finally get into costume and pretend to be something they're not, outside of work that is. I suppose it's wholesome, harmless fun, for the most part, though there are strains of Christian fundamentalism that take a dour look at the frivolity. Of course, they look dour most of the time anyway, so they don't count.

Though celebrated worldwide (though it never really caught on in my current neck of the woods), I have to say that the Americans have outdone themselves in promoting this particular holiday that really isn't. The decorations, the sales, the parties that will be thrown, the trick-or-treating that will be done ... it's a one-of-a-kind celebration, to be sure. It also seems so fitting that my fellow countrypeople would be so into it, for it combines two primary themes that stand in stark opposition to one another: death and fun.

All the imagery is about ghosts and goblins, skeletons, spirits, witches and "the other side", and death is the doorway to that world. But, in good American fashion it can be trivialized, mocked, and made fun of, for if there were ever anything that most Americans never want to get serious about it's death. How morbid is that?