Hello ,
I'm a bit surprised to see the conversation on the bomb being
continued. David brings up the old social codes and is certainly entitled to
some "upheave" regarding its final evil flowering in
Japan circa 1945.
Ken defends US actions in such a way that my list of Statements of
Truth regarding the nuclear Holocaust in Japan is increased. The notion
that Japan "had it coming" because they failed to
negotiate a truce with the atom bomb of America, is joined by
another clear truth. America was afraid and angry. Those two
armies--those two groups of warrior males--were locked together
morally like two cars that merge in a head on collision. From the
highlands above that roadway, it was more historical road-kill.
But from the level of the historian we get the code or moral score
on the matter itself and its place in "the history of Mankind
project" that historians refer to. I'm sort of one of those
historians. A photojournalist in a way. My takes on history
have been focused on one particular character in the movie of
American history. SAM.
This also ties in to the subject of the month: Self.
SAM represents a particular giant of the social level. By
anthropomorphizing this, I'm just tieing into something somebody else
started. This character of Uncle Sam. The view I come away with is
that SAM has been utterly ruthless in what might be looked at as his
plan for America and the world. Please understand that my view is
deeply influenced by the American Indian.
For me, SAM first appeared in America by the mythical Peace Maker
who was said to have joined the first aboriginal people into a
federation or larger tribe. This social framework was the peaceful
attempt to modify all the dynamic activity that was to come as
Europeans migrated in. Here, people from all over were going to
compete for land and life. The giant had unity in mind and would
achieve it by whatever means necessary. Scary, bloody giant!
SAM really loved the human diversity and would even permit slavery
if that would bring him Africans. The giant loved Indians and
Causations and Africans and Asians. Just loved them all. This
picture of an imagined social over-soul or Self appears ever-ripe
with appetite for the world's cultural diversity. SAM wanted
everybody at the party even if he knew there were going to be some
fights. There was this manifest destiny at hand, all of this
biological urge driving Mankind, and SAM wanted it channelled into a
particular format.
It seems clear to me that in 1945, the giant was not happy about the
prospect of being denied his Japanese! The highest moral thing
about America's bombing of Japan might be that it brought about a
quick and powerful unity between both nations. Such a unity was
always possible through the wisdom of Peace Maker, but like always,
biological man was found immature and forced SAM's hand.
In some of our Indian circles, we like to believe that Peace Maker
has watched all of this merging of humanity with both joy and a
cringe. For those of us who get to that highland above the social
and biological levels, we can understand this over-soul a bit. But
our involvement with Self goes beyond such figments as SAM.
The ancient Rishis of India came to see that Self was inherent in
the universe. The subtlest instance of Spirit (DQ) appearing on the
neutral soul (fine SQ) brought about what they called ANU. This is
said to be true at each level and in general. The only problem with
this was the shadow it all cast. But it was also thought that every
bit of this by-product of the grand event was re-claimed by the
force of Dharma and contained within something way out there called
"the days and nights" of Brahmin.
I think what this means on the individual level is that we might
come to understand and know the ultimate specter of Self at the deepest
level. God is said to be the nearest of the near and the dearest of
the dear. On the social level, the reclamation project means that
we learn from our mistakes. The willingness of this group to give full
appraisal to the ultimate value of America's setting off of the lone nuclear
war events is very much welcome. We owe it to everyone to know what was
good and bad about it!
Well, so much for this fruity loop...(throwing hand forward in
the stereotypical gay style and with all the gushing enthusiasm I can
imitate) "oh Luke...if you could only experience the power of The
Bright Side"...
But seriously, on behalf of that ugly American SAM and its
counterpart in the highlands, have a safe and sane 4th.
Bill
Best regards,
elg14 mailto:elg14@earthlink.net
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