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Children in War ...,
International Organizations ...,
Pondering Evolution ...,
Return to Paris ...,
European Union ...,
Vagabond ...,
"Terrorist Crisis" ...,
To the Jew-Haters ...
In your article "Children in War" in this issue of Vagabond you wrote, "To say that parents send their children to death is slander." Didn't you write too fast? In the June 17th issue of the Toronto SUN, page 39, is an article title, "Mom urged suicide attack" -- "'May every bullet hit its target,' son told" and there's a big photo of Mother and Son, 19 years old, together.
Nikole
nikole@idirect.ca
In modern times, only extreme unbearable situations may provoke such a reaction. We here don't have a notion about the degree of despair that may prevail there. There is a Spanish poem about a woman who cried because "she had no more sons to give for Spain." I don't remember which war it concerned, maybe against Napoleon. Wherever there's a glimmer of hope, children and women are protected. In the Warsaw uprising victory was in the air, the Russians were in view on the other side of the Vistula, the Germans were losing, so the uprising consisted of adults only. The children who fought didn't have parental consent. In antique Sparta, women used to say to husbands or sons: "Come back with the shield or on the shield," meaning don't return without the shield because that would signify that you ran away. But Sparta was a warrior society. WM
Je me pose des questions sur le but avoué d'améliorer les conditions de vie de ceux qui souffrent dans le monde. Les organisations internationales sont financées par le NWO, alors que c'est le NWO qui "aide" à creuser le fossé entre le Sud et le Nord. Si j'ai bien compris, l'OMS vient de signer un accord avec Nestlé pour la production de lait en poudre pour le tiers monde, en remplacement du lait maternel. Le BIT essaye de combattre les conditions de travail dans les pays du tiers monde. Beaucoup d'employeurs tiers-mondistes ce sont des multinationales qui ont délocalisé leurs usines justement parce que la main d'oeuvre est moins chère là bas, contribuant à l'exploitation des populations locales, y compris main d'oeuvre infantile
L'ONU reste passible aux attaques du NWO, qui ne respectent pas les droits fondamentaux de l'homme. Puisque ce sont ceux qui attaquent qui financent l'ONU, il n'y a pas grande chose qu'ils puissent faire... Les organisations internationales me semblent plutôt comme une façade d'altruisme, qui ne peut s'empêcher de rester les bras croisés, faute de liberté de mouvements. Il me semble que c'est un terrain propice aux divers jeux de pouvoir au sein même des organisations. Les meetings se succèdent pour laisser la place à d'autres meetings destinés à organiser encore plus de meetings. Les organisations internationales sont devenues un paradis pour ceux qui sortent fraîchement des meilleures universités comme trampolin pour leur carrière. Les salaires abusivement élevés et autres avantages (pas d'impôts) sociaux ne sont pas méprisables non plus.
J'imagine que l'espoir reste dans les mains des ONG...
"J. M. Ferreira" jmferreira@bluewin.ch
Miguel asks himself if the international organizations are not paralyzed by conflicts of interests. Those financed by the NWO can't close the gap between North and South because the NWO contributes to this gap. WHO signed a contact with Nestle for the production of formula that replaces breast milk? The ITA contributes to the exploitation of the cheap Third World labour force. The UN is financed by those who don't respect human rights. International organizations are bogus altruists, with no freedom to act, playing power games among themselves. Meetings succeed meetings to set up more meetings. They are a paradise for those who, with fresh university diplomas, use it as a trampoline for futures careers. Exaggerated salaries and social benefits sweeten the package. Miguel places his hopes in the NGO. WM
I have just read your article from April 96, "Pondering evolution". Normally, I would comment on it in French, but the ideas presented there were in English, so here it goes... and sorry for the confusion!
I assume, from most of the second half of your article, that you are trying to bring light to the fact that people will live longer, and somehow in a younger way, if they express themselves through an artistic activity.
"But an "anti-aging" instinct may be present in the body and creativity may be its expression."
Does it mean that the creative "face" of any given human will somehow surpass the physical act of aging, thus counter-acting the natural and biological aging of the body? Mind over matter?
What would be (or is "supposed" to be) the heart of creativity? The mind? The body? The soul, or spirit? Most opinions I've heard until now, claim that creativity is a spiritual feeling (in) and expression (out). What about the descriptions of "gut feeling", that seem to be so physical (senses), when encountering the "muse"?
Would spiritual awareness control mind and body, preventing one from aging? Would you suppose that most people worry too much about the physical side of aging, which is apparent (skin, hair), trying to avoid those superficial signs of age, through the help of Parisian cosmetic companies, instead of trying to develop the inherent latent creativity instinct, engraved in every human being?
Miguel "J. M. Ferreira" jmferreira@bluewin.chWe create through our five senses and brain, organic tools. Whatever strikes us is a source for our inspirations and an interior "urge" makes us create from it. We don't have a clue what it is, so we call it "spirituality." Creativity encourages a search for spirituality only because of its mystery. I prefer the term instinct to spirituality, though an instinct reserved to humans only. Because in creativity we use the same tools as the animals use for everything (five senses plus brain), we can be tempted to look for an organic motivation for all our activities, including the most sophisticated ones, like creativity. The 16th century painter LeBrun observed that "the passion for painting is good for health." Creative people maintain a youthful aspect and longevity to a greater degree than other people. So we can assume that the body finds a way to self-revitalization, injecting a "creativity instinct" into the superior human mind. The human brain serves not only as a guide in the exterior world as the animal brain does, but, without being aware of it, also serves the body through creativity. WM
I just learned that the miniature art book based on my "Return to Paris" is the winner of the 2001 Miniature Book Society Distinguished Book Award. WM
http://www.mindspring.com/~patbooks/pagetwo.html
C'est drôle, mais ce n'est pas inimaginable que l'Europe commence à faire marche arrère - toute!
On dirait un train qui essaye de surmonter une coline. Il est presque sur le point d'arriver tout en haut, mais il manque de la puissance, et il commence à revenir en arrière, à toute vitesse...
"J. M. Ferreira" jmferreira@bluewin.ch
Le Pen lost, so the danger for European Union is temporarily over. It will take time to build up its stability. WM
Greetings William
Thank you for including my letter. However, could you
please replace it with the below (reads better and
explains a bit more!). I've provided some other links
as the last one was left out (too long)?
(But I admit you can't beat the sharpness of a quick
email).
Many thanks
George
***
William
Just reading your site - very good. Just some
thoughts..
As an Orthodox Christian of Greek background living in Australia, I am told by 'experts' that my culture and Faith are to blame (at least partly) for what happened in the Balkans when Yugoslavia split (and so much more apparently).
Silly me (!?) ....I thought the disgraceful things that happened there were the result of 'former' communists come nationalists and a whole lot of other stupid individuals and powers.....(!!) - not the actions of those who love God, and their neighbour as required by a fervent belief). One who spends his/her life fasting and engaged in all-night prayer vigils and other forms of ascetism does not hurt an ant - let alone their neighbour whom they have grown up with....
- Undoubtedly, there is responsibility on all sides for terrible events like these, no matter how many times the media tells us X, Y or Z are the only 'bad'and 'evil' ones (ironically, the innocent on all sides suffer).
- Meanwhile, truth (and the innocent) are relegated to last place while the 'powers' (domestic and international) jostle for position in the debris.
- The first step in reconciliation must be an admission of failure to do something or guilt - as the case may be (perhaps I individually am guilty?!).
Keep up the challenging writing - and the testing of our beliefs.
Regards and in truth
George
Melbourne
georgebougias@yahoo.com
http://www.gopatalex.org/islam.html
http://www.patriarchate.org/SPEECHES/1994/Conference_peace_tol-Feb_8.html
http://www.incommunion.org
http://www.romanity.org
Dear Mr. Markiewicz:
The Independent Institute has posted the highlights from its recent program with Gore Vidal, "Understanding America's Terrorist Crisis: What Should Be Done?" online at:
http://www.independent.org/tii/forums/020418ipf2.html
The program also featured Lewis Lapham (editor, Harper's Magazine) and a panel of distinguished scholars, Barton Bernstein (Stanford University), Robert Higgs (The Independent Institute), and Thomas Gale Moore (Hoover Institution).
In addition, here are links to two commentaries written in conjunction with the program:
"The New War on Freedom" by Gore Vidal (SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, 4/21/02): http://www.independent.org/tii/news/020419Vidal.html
"Collateral Damage: Two Venues, One Logic," by Robert Higgs (SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER, 4/18/02): http://www.independent.org/tii/news/020415Higgs.html
Best regards,
Rob Latham
Public Affairs Director
The Independent Institute
rlatham@independent.org
http://www.independent.org
For the people who wrote in about hating the Jews: Consider if every Jew were WIPED FROM THE EARTH, that there might still be problems. If there are still problems, then hating the Jews has just wasted the time you could've spent fixing the problems. Maybe the jew-hater is right, maybe an Islamic Superpower would make the world a better place but, what if it didn't? WHAT IF IT DIDN'T? What if Israel were to pack up and leave it all behind right now, what would happen? After celebrating the triumph for Islam, the Palestinians might realize they are facing extreme poverty and this time, without a scapegoat. They might begin to eye the wealthy dictators of the Arab nations and wonder why there's always money for guns and explosives but never money for food or health care, or industry or infrastructure or education. They might begin to resent that their Mosque doesn't offer jobs, only martydom and that their religious police inflicts severe standards of piousness while their leaders live in luxury. They might consider that the oppression of women and children and the censorship of music and art was not part of the original Muslim interpretation... To the people of the Arab world, if all of the Jews were gone, what would that solve? Please move past the hate and deal with the real issues. The Arab people are starving and a steady diet of scapegoat doesn't cut it.
P.S. I've heard it reported that before Israel was established, the Jews hadn't lived in Israel for over a thousand years... This is not true. To illustrate the point; when settlers conquered North America, the North American Indians did not all leave. They were marginalized and no longer had control of or political representation for their land. This is what happened to the Jews in Israel, when the Romans conquered them.
(Name and email withheld)
The Jews were not only marginalized but practically disappeared from the Holy Land. Does it count against the Palestinians that they don't want to share the fate of American Indians and of the Jews of Roman times?
Could you provide some data concerning this overwhelming Arab misery? I'm not sure it's really so drastic. Perhaps a year ago the media reported about a French globetrotter who traveled everywhere without a penny. He gathered rich documentation about various personalities and media people he met on his trajectory. He declared that he had the easiest time in the Muslim countries because there everybody eats and lodges. Let's not forget that charity is very important in Islamic religious practices. On the Arabian Peninsula, the leaders are filthy rich but the ordinary folks are not poor at all. I don't remember which King or Emir declared: "In our part of the world if somebody is not successful he must really try hard or be a very unlucky person." Iraq suffers mostly because of the sanctions. Regarding customs, women are free to study, to work in all professions, and the alcoholic drinks are permitted. I don't know about misery in Jordan, Lebanon or Syria. Egypt is poor, mainly because lacking natural resources. Maghreb must be in trouble because they line up to go to France, which doesn't want them. WM
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William Markiewicz