Guess who took this picture.

John McCain still thinks someone wants to put him in a box.

“When you’ve lived in a box,  you “only have time for right,” says a deep cowboy voice oozing authenticity, while the orgasmically large flat screen shows the aged maverick returning to his Vietnam prison cell and “forgiving” his captors— and their nation— for, well— sparing his life— after napalming their city, their children, along with their mothers and fathers; you know— WAR.  As McCain says, WAR is:

. . .terrible beyond imagination.

Ya think? This is the (maverick) man who can casually imagine a hundred more years of WAR.

. . .I’m running for president to keep the country I love safe, and prevent other families from risking their loved ones in war as my family has. I will draw on all my experience with the world and its leaders, and all the tools at our disposal — diplomatic, economic, military and the power of our ideals — to build the foundations for a stable and enduring peace.

“Build the foundations for a stable and enduring peace“?  The foundations have been built since the end of WWII;  if anything they’ve been  scorned, ignored and abandoned;  but they still exist.

The 72 year old maverick says:

We’re going to reach out our hand to any willing patriot, make this government start working for you again, and get this country back on the road to prosperity and peace.

Willing. Patriots. Only. Willing patriots say: The senseless conflicts we are now engaged in with random individual terrorists throughout the entire world, whom we are sworn to track down and kill or imprison at our leisure, are not “the road” to world peace. And a “willing patriot” interrupting a Republican acceptance speech being given by a candidate who sees “more wars,” but never mentions specifics on how we are to actually pursue and achieve peace, is not incivility.  [Read more →]

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IN THE PAST, a fierce war would bring about social changes and facilitate the adoption of new ideas, such as would not have occurred naturally in ten thousand years. But the terrible price paid for these certain advantages was that society was temporarily thrown back into savagery; civilized reason had to abdicate. War is strong medicine, incredibly costly and extremely dangerous;  and while often curative of a number of social disorders, it can often kill the patient and destroy the society.

The constant necessity for national defense creates many new and advanced social adjustments, and the society of today enjoys the benefit of a long list of useful innovations, which were at first wholly military.  War has had a social value to past civilizations because it:

• 1. Imposed discipline on men, enforced cooperation.
• 2. Put a premium on fortitude and courage.
• 3. Fostered and solidified nationalism.
• 4. Destroyed weak and unfit peoples.
• 5. Dissolved the illusion of primitive equality and selectively stratified society.

War has always had a certain evolutionary value in the past, but like slavery, it must at some point be abandoned as civilization slowly advances. Past world wars literally forced us to travel and promoted cultural intercourse; but these ends are now better served by modern transportation and communication. Olden wars strengthened nations, but modern wars disrupt all civilized culture. Ancient warfare resulted in the decimation of inferior peoples; but the net result of modern conflict is the selective destruction of the very best human stocks. Early wars promoted organization and efficiency, but these have become the obsessions of modern industry.

During past ages, war was a social ferment which pushed civilization forward; but this result is now better attained by ambition, and invention. Ancient warfare supported the concept of a God of battles, but modern man has been told that God is love.

War has served many valuable purposes in the past;  it has been an indispensable scaffolding in the building of civilization. but it is now culturally bankrupt— incapable of producing any dividends of social gain in any way commensurate with the terrible losses it produces.

Physicians once believed in bloodletting as a cure for many diseases, but they have since discovered better remedies. Likewise must the international bloodletting of war give place to more intelligent methods for curing the ills of even backward nations.

The nations of our planet— Urantia— have long been engaged in the gigantic struggle between nationalistic militarism and industrialism. In many ways this conflict is analogous to the age-long struggle between the first herder-hunters and the farmers of land. But if industrialism is to triumph over militarism, it must avoid the dangers which beset it. The perils of corporate industry are:

1. The strong drift toward materialism, spiritual blindness.

2. The worship of wealth-power, value distortion.

3. The vices of luxury, cultural immaturity.

4. The increasing dangers of indolence, service insensitivity.

5. The growth of undesirable racial softness, biologic deterioration.

6. The threat of standardized industrial slavery, personality stagnation.
Labor is ennobling but drudgery is benumbing.

Militarism is autocratic and cruel— savage. It does promote social organization among the conquerors, but it disintegrates the vanquished. Industrialism is more civilized and should be so carried on as to promote initiative and to encourage individualism. Society should in every way possible foster originality.

We should not make the mistake of glorifying war; rather should we discern what it’s done for society so that we may the more accurately visualize what its substitutes must provide if we would continue the advancement of our civilization. And if such adequate substitutes are not provided, then we can be sure that war will continue; maybe even “a hundred years.”

We will never accept peace as a normal mode of living until we have been thoroughly and repeatedly convinced that peace is best for our material welfare;  and until our society wisely provides peaceful substitutes for the gratification of our inherent tendency periodically to let loose a collective drive designed to liberate our accumulating emotions and energies born of the self-preservation reactions of our species.

War might some day be honored as the school of experience which compelled a race of arrogant individualists to submit themselves to highly concentrated authority— a chief executive. Brutal and savage old-fashioned war may have selected the innately great men for leadership, but modern war no longer does this. The leaders our society must now turn to are the conquests of peace: industry; science; and social achievement. Fortunately, that choice has never been clearer.

Surrendering To Love

YOU HAVE UNDERTAKEN THE GREAT ADVENTURE of becoming sons of God, and you have to go through a sort of untangling to reach this place of communion and awareness. Be assured that your sole duty is to go within and dissolve by releasing the outer entanglements, to surrender appetites and forebodings.

The question of appetites is different for each one, both physical and mental; nor must there be resentment and the old sense of duty in the surrender; it is rather permitting a joyful conviction to grow that there is something infinitely more satisfying.

Of course thee will be conflicts. Who isn’t familiar with the reasonable— very reasonable— arguments that come rushing to justify the very human desires of the mind and body? They must be met with as much gentleness toward yourself as you would meet them when trying to help another, otherwise your instant rebellion will obstruct and delay you.

But in the true spirit of surrender, the giving up of everything that has become a burden is little effort and the reward is instant; all things in this state work for your good. And not the old idea of good which was a scourge; but the “goodness which is a rapture.”

Let your heart be at peace in this serene and healing place, for here the Christ will refresh you, here he will lift the heavy burden from your minds and in your hearts he will breathe renewed joy and quietude. Have faith in practice.

In spite of the teachings of Jesus we have been taught to hate evil, but that only justifies the more our complete satisfaction in criticism. In such emotional criticism of our friends and enemies we appear better people to ourselves. It is not the way.

Instead of freedom, we bind the consequences of poisonous hates and resentments to ourselves. We can turn from abstract evil without harm and with a sense of human righteousness. But the human does not hate evil disincarnate, he hates it in a person. Then we ask, “How can I love my enemies?” It would be plain hypocrisy to say we can, or must, do this in the ordinary sense of the word. But the true meaning will appear to you when we say that the outer you cannot love the outer you of another who lives and has his being in the ancient darkness of the race.

Instead, come within and while abiding in the conscious oneness with your inner self see and bless with understanding the inner you of that enemy whose outer you is struggling with the dark jungles of his journey, and by thus releasing him, forgiving him, giving him over, you help him on his way. This is loving your enemy, this is the brotherhood of man. And there is no sentimentality about it; for only by abiding in the Indwelling Spirit can you have this so-called human wisdom as well as the divine wisdom to deal with him according to his needs as well as your own.

You may have to put him in prison, but watch your heart in the matter, for out of it are the issues of life! In times of fierce antagonism realize that the enemy is angry thought; fill yourself, without thought of any person, with a sense of infinite love and peace, for thus are the negative things confounded and a table will be set before you in the presence of your enemies.

Give freely of the Spirit and judge not; be longsuffering and patient, for when you are kind with the kindness of the Spirit to those who are unregenerate, the act frees your own unregeneracy as well. Blessed is he that sees and understands and forgives. Forgive and be forgiven the trespasses, the darknesses, the things negative which terrify. They are forgotten in this high clear stillness. Love conquereth all things.

Restated from Letters of the Scattered Brotherhood • 1948

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The hope of a better nation— a better world—
is bound up in the progress and enlightenment of the individual.

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“Red Stripes” by Terry Kruger

The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) stated in a 2002 Memorial Day Address, that:

“Changing the date [Memorial Day is celebrated] merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed a lot to the general public’s nonchalant observance of Memorial Day.” Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye, a World War II veteran, has repeatedly introduced measures to return Memorial Day to its traditional day of May 30th, since 1987.”

Perhaps our most recent involvement in a war of choice and it’s resulting fall-out both socially and financially will challenge the “nonchalant observance” of Memorial Day this year. The truth is, those families who have lost fathers, mothers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters— family— to the insanity of war need no special day to remember their lost loved one(s), for theirs is a daily remembrance, and often a daily heartache that can never be characterized as “nonchalant.”

The grateful war dead themselves have moved on of course, to a higher estate, as sleeping survivors, or souls resurrected on the third day, in the manner Jesus demonstrated on Easter Sunday. We do not know if those who are resurrected are able to follow our doings, our current wars; but we can be sure they are no longer victims of the tragedy of the war that cut their mortal lives short, and that they are advancing in a universe of love and unending life. They are living in a progressive universe dedicated to the higher values of spirit existence and the divine values of truth, beauty, and goodness.

As we reflect on these “lost” loved ones, let us realize that we are the ones who remain in jeopardy from the hatred and animosity among so many nations and peoples on this backward little world of ours. This Memorial Day, may we be more determined than ever to find the ways and means to live in peace, harmony, and love with our fellow men, women, and children of all the nations on this planet.

PARAG KHANNA writes in “Waving Goodbye to Hegemony“. . .

It is 2016, and the Hillary Clinton or John McCain or Barack Obama administration is nearing the end of its second term. America has pulled out of Iraq but has about 20,000 troops in the independent state of Kurdistan, as well as warships anchored at Bahrain and an Air Force presence in Qatar. Afghanistan is stable; Iran is nuclear. China has absorbed Taiwan and is steadily increasing its naval presence around the Pacific Rim and, from the Pakistani port of Gwadar, on the Arabian Sea. The European Union has expanded to well over 30 members and has secure oil and gas flows from North Africa, Russia and the Caspian Sea, as well as substantial nuclear energy. America’s standing in the world remains in steady decline.

Why? Weren’t we supposed to reconnect with the United Nations and reaffirm to the world that America can, and should, lead it to collective security and prosperity? Indeed, improvements to America’s image may or may not occur, but either way, they mean little.

And that is so because, not only did we not “reconnect with the United Nations,” but we remain clueless about the growing urgency of establishing the working rudiments of a genuine federation of all nations, bringing about a global government.

The cruel irony is, the nation of independent states who surrendered their sovereignty to a federal government and thereby created the strongest, freest nation on planet earth, has shown neither the moral insight or leadership ability to engineer the same workable model on a global scale. Instead, we have a moronic cowboy who takes democracy to other nations through war and occupation, killing a million or so of the natives in the process.

Condoleezza Rice has said America has no “permanent enemies,” but it has no permanent friends either. Many saw the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq as the symbols of a global American imperialism; in fact, they were signs of imperial overstretch. Every expenditure has weakened America’s armed forces, and each assertion of power has awakened resistance in the form of terrorist networks, insurgent groups and “asymmetric” weapons like suicide bombers. America’s unipolar moment has inspired diplomatic and financial counter-movements to block American bullying and construct an alternate world order. That new global order has arrived, and there is precious little Clinton or McCain or Obama could do to resist its growth.

Yep; the hegemony wielded by Imperial America has done just as much to grow an “alternate world order” than anything Europe or China has done. Nor does it serve America’s interests to do anything to inhibit their growth. Perhaps when we find the collective wisdom to use the power jointly in an effort to insure peace throughout the world, we can begin solving the grievances smaller nations have concerning their place in the “alternate world order.”

The Geopolitical Marketplace

At best, America’s unipolar moment lasted through the 1990s, but that was also a decade adrift. The post-cold-war “peace dividend” was never converted into a global liberal order under American leadership. So now, rather than bestriding the globe, we are competing — and losing — in a geopolitical marketplace alongside the world’s other superpowers: the European Union and China. This is geopolitics in the 21st century: the new Big Three.

And we will continue to lose. . . unless we recognize we all sink or swim together. Each passing year brings new urgency to solve the increasingly complex problems our interdependent world brings; and these problems will persist as long as we continue to cling to the illusive notions of unlimited national sovereignty.

The growth of political power must continue to encompass larger and larger segments of the total of mankind, until the stage is set for the final consummation of political growth— the government of all mankind, by all mankind, and for all mankind.

Urantia [earth] will not enjoy lasting peace until the so-called sovereign nations intelligently and fully surrender their sovereign powers into the hands of the brotherhood of men—mankind government. Internationalism—Leagues of Nations—can never bring permanent peace to mankind. World-wide confederations of nations will effectively prevent minor wars and acceptably control the smaller nations, but they will not prevent world wars nor control the three, four, or five most powerful governments. In the face of real conflicts, one of these world powers will withdraw from the League and declare war.

You cannot prevent nations going to war as long as they remain infected with the delusional virus of national sovereignty. Internationalism is a step in the right direction. An international police force will prevent many minor wars, but it will not be effective in preventing major wars, conflicts between the great military governments of earth.

As the number of truly sovereign nations (great powers) decreases, so do both opportunity and need for mankind government increase. When there are only a few really sovereign (great) powers, either they must embark on the life and death struggle for national (imperial) supremacy, or else, by voluntary surrender of certain prerogatives of sovereignty, they must create the essential nucleus of supernational power which will serve as the beginning of the real sovereignty of all mankind.

Peace will not come to Urantia until every so-called sovereign nation surrenders its power to make war into the hands of a representative government of all mankind. Political sovereignty is innate with the peoples of the world. When all the peoples of Urantia create a world government, they have the right and the power to make such a government SOVEREIGN; and when such a representative or democratic world power controls the world’s land, air, and naval forces, peace on earth and good will among men can prevail but not until then. —The Urantia Book

A smiling Barack Obama shows off his choice for veep to a captivated Chicago crowd, Friday.

CHICAGO— In a stunning and solemn signal to Republicans and more importantly rogue nations around the globe, Barack Obama announced his choice for the vice-presidential slot on the Democratic ticket early today. GORT, spelled with all caps, stands for “Galactic Order Robot Tool,” and is only one iteration of an entire race of “robot enforcers” with absolute power to deal with any outbreak of violence within their sphere of influence.

A Clinton campaign spokesperson immediately denounced the Obama selection, saying the only reason GORT had obtained the number two slot was because he was a “Robot, a robot with absolute power. If he were a white man, or a black man, be would not be in that position. People are just taken with the idea of a robot with absolute power.” At that point, the spokesperson turned and ran.

Yes We Can! Yes We Can! Yes We Can! Yes We Can! Yes We Can!

GORT, who does not speak as we humans would understand, stood stoically silent during the entire event, while Senator Obama explained, “He may be my silent partner, but I can assure you, in an Obama administration, his actions will speak many times louder than his words ever would anyway.”

While obviously keeping the mood upbeat and cordial, Obama’s remarks did appear to warn the leaders of all nations and the people of earth that they can either abandon warfare outright and completely, and join our nation in a vibrant and prosperous future of international and intergalactic peace – or “. . .be destroyed.” As that sobering reality sunk in, he concluded with, “The decision rests with you. Can you do it?”

“Yes we can!!” was, as always, the thunderous reply.