Machinations

I'm not a smart man... but I know what love is.
-- Forrest Gump

I am somewhat squeamish, but I steeled myself to keep from averting my eyes during the final scenes of Ken Burns' The War on PBS last Tuesday evening. I saw piles upon piles of corpses "stacked like cords of wood", as more than one witness had described. There's nothing quite like a 50-inch plasma display to maximize the impact of a video moment. All over the world, only a few short years ago, life had become a commodity of minimal value. As I switched off the TV and turned my attention to our modern world, I felt how deeply vulnerable we may be to the chance of its happening again.

The issue is ... whether we want to live in a free society or whether we want to live under what amounts to a form of self-imposed totalitarianism, with the bewildered herd marginalized, directed elsewhere, terrified, screaming patriotic slogans, fearing for their lives and admiring with awe the leader who saved them from destruction, while the educated masses goose-step on command and repeat the slogans they're supposed to repeat and the society deteriorates at home. We end up serving as a mercenary enforcer state, hoping that others are going to pay us to smash up the world. Those are the choices That's the choice that you have to face. The answer to those questions is very much in the hands of people like you and me.

-- Noam Chomsky, Media Control

Noam Chomsky was described in the New York Times as "arguably the most important intellectual alive." In September of 2006, Hugo Chavez displayed Chomsky's book Hegemony or Survival to world leaders at the United Nations, describing it as "an excellent book to help us understand what has been happening in the world throughout the 20th century." Of course, Chavez also expressed regret at not being able to meet with Chomsky before his death (Chomsky is very much alive), so one must reserve a degree of skepticism for Mr. Chavez' acumen. Osama bin Laden, in his video earlier this year, referred to Chomsky as "among the most capable of those from your side who speak to you on this topic." (Hey, with endorsements like that, who needs the Times Book Review?) Pat Tillman's mother, and Chomsky, have confirmed that a meeting had been arranged between Tillman and Chomsky on his return from Afghanistan. I suspect all, or at least the vast majority, regret that meeting did not take place.

I mention these references to highlight the really stunning impact this individual is having on the world. I have purchased three of his books -- Failed States, Hegemony or Survival, and The Chomsky Reader. I'm reading Failed States now, so I'm working backwards, I guess, but there's also so much material on the internet that it's somewhat slow progress. (Of course, there were the Ohio State and Cleveland Browns football games as well.) Chomsky is a complex man with complex thoughts, so I don't want to try and summarize him too quickly. But to underestimate his importance is to ignore the world.

What is the message that resonates so strongly with those who stand against U.S. foreign policies? If such a man as Osama bin Laden praises him, why should we even care? The ancient Greek philosopher Antisthines said "There are only two people who can tell you the truth about yourself - an enemy who has lost his temper, and a friend who loves you dearly." Osama bin Laden has unquestionably lost his temper, but I suspect Noam Chomsky loves us dearly. To this point, he appears to be telling us the truth, no matter how painful. We need to care, and I'm saying that Chomsky is only trying to warn us before it's too late.

If you've passed safely through the gauntlet of disinformation to appreciate that global warming is a fact, you also need to know that scientists are seeing that the process is occurring much faster than estimates had indicated. This crisis alone is more than sufficient to make us stop and take notice, but Chomsky elevates our awareness of the patterns of our overall behavior, and a much broader view of its causes and effects. The most critical problem of all is that we're heading in the wrong direction, and we're not slowing down, we're speeding up.

One of the "strongest" objections to Chomsky -- though not particularly strong, in my opinion -- is that the policies of the United States are infinitely preferable to the alternative, and ultimately result in humanitarian benefits over time. I would respond that the policies of the United States are infinitely less preferable than a revitalized policy founded principally on fundamental human rights. It represents a great lack of faith, to my mind, that we despair of making serious attempts to reform the destructive elements of the machineries of progress we've unleashed upon the world. I want to believe that we have far too much potential simply to ride on the runaway train and shout ahead with warnings.

It's not necessary to read Chomsky to get the feeling that the window of time for making adjustments may be closing, but it helps. The array of information he provides is available as a matter of public record, and the scrupulous methodology that has made him the most important linguistic scholar of our time is applied with vigor to these topics as well. It's not a matter of refuting his information, because he's simply repeating what is well known. The difference is his genius, and of course the enormous applied effort that is the real secret of genius, that allows him to broaden our view of events to include a much larger range of causes and effects, and perceive the underlying patterns. It's hard to imagine a more fitting toolset for understanding our world than a mastery of the basic elements of communication.

The problems of our world, when viewed in the historical and political contexts provided by such scholars as Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn, can be overwhelming. Many of us have a growing fear that it may already be too late, so why even bother? I can't even comprehend that point of view, so I'll allow that to pass without further comment. I do believe that there's an excellent chance things are going to get much worse. I could have made that into a more comforting phrase such as "things are going to get much worse before they get better," but the truth is, by the very nature of our crises, it's more prudent to have placed the period to the sentence right where I put it. When concern about these issues is sufficient to have reached critical mass, there will be a response, of course, but it's increasingly likely our response will indeed have been too late.

So what should we do? I'm trying to do my part, in my small way. I really believe the most important thing is for us to simply recognize the problems. Many of us are not being very honest with ourselves, and you know who you are. Most of us are just trying to avoid being talked to like I'm doing now, and I probably can't blame you for that, there's a lot I'd rather be doing, as well. I think we should try to see "things as it is", as Shunryu Suzuki used to say. We should practice zazen and become less rigid, less dogmatic in our interactions, and waste far less time regretting the truth than in staying open to truth in every moment.

I really am very, very hopeful. With reservations.

FUBAR!

Under the current U. S. policies, a nuclear exchange is inevitable.
-- Noam Chomsky



I stated my intention to publish a blog entry titled "FUBAR", and this is it. The title is the same as the middle episode of the Ken Burns documentary "The War", which I reviewed in my last entry. I assume you know the acronym -- F(bleep)ed Up Beyond All Recognition -- and its assimilation into the everyday slang. It is also, far too accurately, an assessment of the world today. Not entirely, from my point of view, since I'm determined to remain an optimist. The final letter of the acronym stands for Recognition, not Redemption. The key is Recognition. Even though everything's been muddied and F(bleep)ed Up, I believe Recognition is still possible, if we just try.

This blog has been invaluable as a sort of story line for my semi-retirement. To the casual observer, I know it may be difficult to see much of a pattern, but it's there. I left the Microsoft development cycle grind a little over 7 months ago because (1) I could, and (2) I have a medical condition. My plan for this time was partially dictated by my physical limitations, but I looked forward to extensive reading and zazen in a peacefully contemplative environment. As I have begun learning to appreciate the simple pleasures, the world outside has stood in stark contrast to the satisfactions I enjoyed, so I've been studying our world intensely and, of course, blogging about it.

At Microsoft, one of my biggest thrills has been seeing the actual thought processes of truly brilliant minds. As for myself, I have my moments, but with regard to pure technical intelligence and skills, I've been known more for effort than technical brilliance. I was privileged to be part of the Windows Vista development cycle virtually from the outset, and I was constantly exposed to individuals with the capacity for lightning analysis, uncanny abilities to anticipate and prepare for a dizzying array of contingencies, and just more or less shed light on the actualization of real genius in the modern world. And I'm not exaggerating. So, I've had quite an extraordinary education about the utilization of our faculties, and that constantly inspires me to apply myself now with some of the rigors and discipline of Windows development to which I've been exposed.

I'm old enough to "get" the importance of trying to have a fairly balanced view of things, and there is certainly a connection between the Zen traditions and the ancient symbols of Yin and Yang. I know a blog that begins with pictures of nuclear mushrooms doesn't bode well for the hope of a balanced perspective, but, as I mentioned earlier, this blog is a kind of narrative. This entry represents the effect of my having reached a certain stage, but the story itself is a longer one, with more balancing effects over time.

When I indicated my intention to write FUBAR!, the stated goal was to try and put into words anything I've left unsaid. Thinking about that, I realized that meant I should try to give a voice to some of the unspoken subtext and vague fears, hopefully without simply being shrill and alarmist, but with at least some real skill at assessing the landscape. Fortunately, we have no shortage of brilliant minds today who are attempting to do just that, and I have tried in these entries to provide the most relevant possible snapshots of these attempts, with modest success. But for all the brilliance of authors and journalists such as Paul Krugman and Naomi Klein, and even my hero Howard Zinn, I remained uncertain what I might say.

Perhaps I'm learning a bit about how to let things happen when they're ready, but I think I've always had some instincts in that regard. I appear to be ready to hear what Professor Noam Chomsky has to say about this world, and I believe those are the very words I'd been searching for.

The following is a transliteration of a portion of a radio interview of Chomsky by the BBC in January 2006, titled "The Biggest Challenges Facing Humankind":

Chomsky: Well I think there are two major challenges which are actually so serious that they literally endanger survival of the species. The worst of them, which is unfortunately rarely discussed, is the threat of nuclear war which has been high for a long time and is now increasing. It’s not alarmist when someone like Robert McNamara writes an article called “Apocalypse soon,” or when leading strategic analysts in the most conservative journals talk of the “appreciable risk of ultimate doom.” Primarily driven by what’s called the transformation of military in the United States, the vast increase in offensive military capacity, including steps towards militarization of space which every analyst understands, is leading potential adversaries to increase their own offensive military capacities. The Russians have done so very substantially since the Bush administration came in, the Chinese are now doing it. And all of these systems are increasingly being placed on automated response system, hair-trigger alert, that’s called “Accidents waiting to happen” in strategic analysis literature. We know our own systems fail constantly and are averted by human intervention which has only a few minutes of time, and the systems of the adversaries are much less sophisticated, much more likely to cause an accidental missile strike. Those dangers are going up very high and talk about ultimate doom and apocalypse is now not alarmist. In fact at a lower level, US intelligence analysts estimate the probability of a dirty nuclear bomb attack in the US in the next ten years is about 50%. That’s not a massive nuclear attack but enough to change the course of history dramatically, maybe end up in nuclear war. These are the things that are right at the edge. Instead of doing something about them, we’re going in the opposite direction.

Noam Chomsky has encountered a great deal of opposition for his forceful views, but I have spent much of my life studying brilliant minds, and Noam Chomsky possesses a laser beam quality of thinking I have rarely encountered, and that's saying something. He has the kind of thinking that blows my hair back when he speaks. I've seen so many brilliant people up close, both at Microsoft and in the theater districts of Manhattan, that I've also learned a bit about spotting the flaws in their brilliance, and I'm sure the same will be true for Mr. Chomsky as I continue to read and listen. But for all their flaws, let me tell you. When you have a chance to listen to genius, just drop whatever you were doing, and sit down. You're about to have your life enriched.

Here is a link to Noam Chomsky's primary web site, Chomsky.info, and two links to an extraordinary interview with both Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn on DemocracyNow! from April of this year:

• On Iraq, Vietnam, Activism and History


• On Alan Dershowitz and Norman Finkelstein

Chomsky rose to fame as a linguist, and has extended his reputation as a searing critic of the United States and its policies. His linguistic skills are always evident in his ability to extract the core of a given context and cling to it as a buffer against all attempts to shift the topic. With focus, discipline, and an inexhaustible range of information and specific examples, Chomsky offers a vision of today's world as defined by the imperialist tendencies of great powers, the most recent example of which is the United States. Lest you think we've merely descended into a world of esoteric phrases, there are some examples below that will touch on some of the implications. If you'll excuse a brief digression, perhaps I can establish a little more context.

Paul Krugman is a famous liberal columnist for The New York Times, and his new book, The Conscience of a Liberal, will be published later this month. He is also writing a blog by the same name. I highly recommend the blog, and hope Mr. Krugman won't mind if I include a small graph from the initial blog entry that I linked to above:

This chart represents the richest 10 percent of the American population over the past 90 years. It's a very striking representation of the fate of the middle class during that time, and might serve, at the very least, as incentive to seriously question the policies that have led to such effects on the majority of American citizens. It is completely reasonable to question why we should think that the chart above reflects the collective efforts and consensus will of the general public of this powerful nation. If one has the stomach for considering the possible darker implications, it might lead to paying more attention to some of our harshest critics.

The first video below is from an old TV show called The Firing Line in 1969. It records a brief encounter between the young Mr. Chomsky and William F. Buckley. I'm including it to allow you to experience political discourse on a rarefied level compared to most of what we see today, and to see Chomsky's powerful mind in action when pitted against one of the most eloquent conservatives of the information age:



Finally, this video is from an interview with Francine Stock of the BBC at London's St. Paul's Cathedral in December of 2002. It's "spiced up" with a little multimedia introduction that gives some sense of Chomsky's real impact on the world, though it's yet to be felt with full force in the country that's been the target of most of his criticism. As an added bonus, it's introduced by the playwright Harold Pinter, whose plays helped me explore our words and meanings in many challenging ways during the years I spent in the theater. (Note: This video may have some glitches. I'm keeping an eye on it.)



As I said, I'm determined to be an optimist. I have much to learn from the speeches and writings of Mr. Chomsky, but it's more than troubling to hear this man, to be able to recognize him as more than a cut above most of us in his abilities to perceive and examine the world, and to recognize ourselves in the mirror he shoves so rudely before our faces.

The image atop this blog entry is a warning. I have travelled this path in good faith, and have come now to stand trembling before my most eloquent accuser.

I do not have an answer.

The War

If you haven't watched any of Ken Burns' astonishing survey of World War II on PBS, you owe it to yourself to take a look. We've seen all the video of Hitler, and the newsreels, and watched The Duke take Nazis and Japs on at the same time, but this leisurely fourteen-hour recounting is the story of your father's or grandfather's war, not FDR's. For seven episodes, the people of four small towns in America remembered that time, including moments they've shared only rarely over the years. There are many opinions about this huge documentary, of course, but I'm pretty impressed. It's hard not to be reminded of Howard Zinn's People's History when watching all these events through the eyes of foot soldiers, fighter pilots, and the girl friends at home, unembellished (for the most part), unaffected, as they really were. There's a good article called Master of Deceipt by Dan Flynn at FrontPageMag.com that would seem to corroborate my theory.

There are other touches as well. Burns doesn't blink at the topic of Japanese internments, and shows us another side of who we were. Then there are the segregated black and Japanese platoons, and their soldiers who tell their story with so little rancor, but Burns makes sure we've heard them, and know what they have done. At the end of the FUBAR episode, there's also an Indian, and his is another wonderful story you won't want to miss.

I'm going to write my own FUBAR blog entry soon, I think. There's a FUBAR feel about things I'm having a hard time shaking. It's like we've been walking on what we assume to be solid ground, then all around the earth falls away to reveal our seesaw. Some of us are on one side, while on the other they're adding weights, and ballast, heavy weapons, and cash, and I'm starting to feel a decided tilt. In case you haven't been paying attention, this is a common sensation, I'm told, for a lot of us right now, and it's bordering on the epidemic. I've been engrossed by these glimpses into our last great descent into madness, and the simple dignities of mankind that survive it all, but I know that the events of today will write their own story, and could play out in a distinctively minor key. I need to dig down and see if I've left anything unsaid, and I'm doing that. I need to percolate a bit.

I read a short sermon (or teisho, if you like) by Shunryu Suzuki called "Freedom From Everything". Master Suzuki didn't believe in modest goals. He confessed that he never practiced zazen really well until two years prior, when he nearly drowned in a creek while trying to cross. It was the realization that things can end, he noted, that finally focused his thinking. Zen really is a relative of martial arts, and demands the same resolute approach as the Samurai facing his death. If this were really our last moment, would we still go on fooling ourselves, and still try to make do with half measures? If my own condition does not improve, will I die confused?

I watched another very good video on YouTube. It's a talk by Gudo Nishijima (no, I hadn't heard of him) on the Meaning of Zazen. It's a wonderful talk, with helpful discussion on the pure physiology of zazen sitting to achieve a natural balance. The Zen influence in Buddhism is practical to its core, and its practice is therapeutic in many ways. We have so much to learn.

I really believe you'll enjoy Gudo Nishijima's clear, simple style. I also hope you will notice there really is something special about him. Actually, what's so special is that there's absolutely nothing special about him. There I go with a riddle again ...