Charles, I salute you for your efforts in being an advisor to RFK Jr. It is my hope you can function as the adult in the room, for as you so eloquently point out, political discourse occurs at the level of the child, just with larger vocabularies. The entire mess is built upon lies, deceit, and assumed power, and in a just world most of it wouldn’t exist at all. Hopefully you can do some good. Good luck.
Great reflections and I first let out a giggle when I saw you and Kucinich in the background of Bobby's testimony, then a deep sigh of satisfaction at seeing you three men doing battle in Congress to show that the tendency toward dehumanization is the true enemy.
Thank you. The whole structure in which these spectacles - like Congressional hearings - take place are, imo, actually over. They are now dead things, that belong to another time. They feel like watching history.
I too, saw you and I felt you supporting Robert. I also knew that the garb you were wearing was a surrendering. Thank you for showing up and witnessing firsthand the current day's sacrifice. Hope you were able to do a smudge or some other ritual to remove the debris of the day.
The mind will never sort this out. It’s said that the mind itself is the child of duality, and its job is to keep us safe. In the heart is where dualities dissolve. When I am in touch with my true desires for peace, safety, an opportunity to experience happiness, and freedom, then I can extend that understanding to others. We can meet there.
Right on. To state the obvious, what's missing is compassion. We're designed to care for each other but how far we have drifted into insane polarization. I know, it seems like oversimplification to say this but it counts for a lot just to be kind to each other. I care about you, you care about me... regardless of anything else (positions, party affiliation, etc.). First, you are my brother, my sister, myself.
I’ve gone from finding RFK Jr. so intriguing to having my doubts about his judgement. Maybe no one can stand up to in-depth critique in this personal information/disinformation overkill era. Regardless, Charles’ observations re the human mob’s inclination to social ostracism ring very true. I’ve been there as I’m sure others have here, daring not to brand someone based on the mob’s knee jerk response and then being judged guilty by association just for not falling into lock-step immediately. According to James Joyce’s Stephen Deadulus (sp?) “ history is the nightmare from which I’m trying to awaken”
I was just travelling in Israel, and attending demonstrations there. Hopefully a balance will eventually be struck between left and right and between Israelis and Palestinians. We don’t need to put down one side in order to elevate the other or we become part of mob-think. Balance is a North Star worth aiming for. More easily said than done..
Another outstanding post—thank you and God bless you for all the light you are adding to RFK Jr.‘s campaign and to the world at large. May you, and all of us everywhere, be happy, healthy, and well.
So good, Charles, you are a master at weaving threads of ideas together in a very heart full manner. Thank you so much, it creates a space for me, and others, to do the same!
I woke up this morning with a whirlwind of ideas flooding in, mainly relating to an upcoming event this Sun day, but also relating to many other artistic pots on my creative burner. One of the lightbulbs that turned on in that whirl pool was how the word weird was often one of the words used by other children to put me into a box. The box is like mob mentality, where as a creative I tend to flow more in the circle, which I perceive is what you, Dennis and RFK are bringing to the foreground.
It was so cool to see you behind RFK Jr when I watched the hearings live, and I was looking forward to reading what you would write about the experience of being there. Thanks, as always, for a clear and lucid accounting of what we need to be paying attention to in these times.
A saying - "Whom the gods wish to destroy they first drive mad" If so, looking at our governing "leaders" we are crusing for a bruising as my dad would say.
The recent flap about support of Israel gets down to the kind of political strategizing that I detest. RFK choosing to distance himself from Roger Waters, and associating himself with people like the editors of the Jewish Journal who label Waters an "antisemite," make me think, Really? Is this person, with a plank of peace and articulations about the suffering of the Ukrainian people, being honest with himself about the plight of the Palestinians (or of Muslim members of Congress, for that matter), in his seemingly unequivocal support of the state of Israel? Even Sanders was more circumspect about Israel in his campaign. And then, I heard another candidate's (Cornell West) viewpoint on Israel and it was simply an untainted statement of truth that made me feel sane. I would like to donate to RFK. I would like to support. But, just can't bring myself to do so. My observation has always been that the co-opting of integrity required to succeed as a major candidate is SO GREAT as to evoke disillusionment in the very people who should constitute a candidate's core. Sorry, Bobby, but that is me.
Spotted you straight away in the background shots of those being questioned. It raised my spirits to know you were there and you had RFK Jr's back :)
Charles, I salute you for your efforts in being an advisor to RFK Jr. It is my hope you can function as the adult in the room, for as you so eloquently point out, political discourse occurs at the level of the child, just with larger vocabularies. The entire mess is built upon lies, deceit, and assumed power, and in a just world most of it wouldn’t exist at all. Hopefully you can do some good. Good luck.
Great reflections and I first let out a giggle when I saw you and Kucinich in the background of Bobby's testimony, then a deep sigh of satisfaction at seeing you three men doing battle in Congress to show that the tendency toward dehumanization is the true enemy.
Thank you. The whole structure in which these spectacles - like Congressional hearings - take place are, imo, actually over. They are now dead things, that belong to another time. They feel like watching history.
Yes, we need to do something very very different.
I too, saw you and I felt you supporting Robert. I also knew that the garb you were wearing was a surrendering. Thank you for showing up and witnessing firsthand the current day's sacrifice. Hope you were able to do a smudge or some other ritual to remove the debris of the day.
The mind will never sort this out. It’s said that the mind itself is the child of duality, and its job is to keep us safe. In the heart is where dualities dissolve. When I am in touch with my true desires for peace, safety, an opportunity to experience happiness, and freedom, then I can extend that understanding to others. We can meet there.
Right on. To state the obvious, what's missing is compassion. We're designed to care for each other but how far we have drifted into insane polarization. I know, it seems like oversimplification to say this but it counts for a lot just to be kind to each other. I care about you, you care about me... regardless of anything else (positions, party affiliation, etc.). First, you are my brother, my sister, myself.
Easily recognized despite the suit. What an awful display of abuse of power you were present at.
I’ve gone from finding RFK Jr. so intriguing to having my doubts about his judgement. Maybe no one can stand up to in-depth critique in this personal information/disinformation overkill era. Regardless, Charles’ observations re the human mob’s inclination to social ostracism ring very true. I’ve been there as I’m sure others have here, daring not to brand someone based on the mob’s knee jerk response and then being judged guilty by association just for not falling into lock-step immediately. According to James Joyce’s Stephen Deadulus (sp?) “ history is the nightmare from which I’m trying to awaken”
I was just travelling in Israel, and attending demonstrations there. Hopefully a balance will eventually be struck between left and right and between Israelis and Palestinians. We don’t need to put down one side in order to elevate the other or we become part of mob-think. Balance is a North Star worth aiming for. More easily said than done..
Another outstanding post—thank you and God bless you for all the light you are adding to RFK Jr.‘s campaign and to the world at large. May you, and all of us everywhere, be happy, healthy, and well.
We were also happy to see you there. I said, “Charles is just sitting there, holding space, breathing with awareness and probably meditating.” :) !
So good, Charles, you are a master at weaving threads of ideas together in a very heart full manner. Thank you so much, it creates a space for me, and others, to do the same!
I woke up this morning with a whirlwind of ideas flooding in, mainly relating to an upcoming event this Sun day, but also relating to many other artistic pots on my creative burner. One of the lightbulbs that turned on in that whirl pool was how the word weird was often one of the words used by other children to put me into a box. The box is like mob mentality, where as a creative I tend to flow more in the circle, which I perceive is what you, Dennis and RFK are bringing to the foreground.
It was so cool to see you behind RFK Jr when I watched the hearings live, and I was looking forward to reading what you would write about the experience of being there. Thanks, as always, for a clear and lucid accounting of what we need to be paying attention to in these times.
we are crying
and we don't even know it
because the tears taste like
anger
and dismissal
and the cold turn of the knife of disdain
but beneath the 'other'ing
the making wrong
the raised voice of desperate fear
we are crying
because we miss each other
A saying - "Whom the gods wish to destroy they first drive mad" If so, looking at our governing "leaders" we are crusing for a bruising as my dad would say.
The recent flap about support of Israel gets down to the kind of political strategizing that I detest. RFK choosing to distance himself from Roger Waters, and associating himself with people like the editors of the Jewish Journal who label Waters an "antisemite," make me think, Really? Is this person, with a plank of peace and articulations about the suffering of the Ukrainian people, being honest with himself about the plight of the Palestinians (or of Muslim members of Congress, for that matter), in his seemingly unequivocal support of the state of Israel? Even Sanders was more circumspect about Israel in his campaign. And then, I heard another candidate's (Cornell West) viewpoint on Israel and it was simply an untainted statement of truth that made me feel sane. I would like to donate to RFK. I would like to support. But, just can't bring myself to do so. My observation has always been that the co-opting of integrity required to succeed as a major candidate is SO GREAT as to evoke disillusionment in the very people who should constitute a candidate's core. Sorry, Bobby, but that is me.