Political Pollution

The wise say politics is a dirty game we must learn to play, from Washington to workplace.

But if it's so dirty, why don't we treat it like anything else that pollutes our environment? Let's change it over for something sustainable. What we really want is not politics but governance.

Political campaigns and games are only a grand show for the candidates to exhibit their gladiatorial skills, to cut each other to pieces in public and private as proof of their ability to govern. But barbaric combat proves no such thing; it is relevant to organized crime, not the task of governing a civilization.

The wise say you can't have governance without politics, and to think otherwise is utopian.

Ah, these wise realists. They always remind me of how it's impossible to have food without pollution. Yes, please, I'd like an order of mashed potatoes, with a nice bowl of MSG on the side, thanks.

Too bad organic agriculture is sweeping across the world at lightning speed. It's so unwise.

Tiger the Tireless Firefighter

In the recent bruhaha over an unfortunate and unintended comment that ruffled racial feathers across the US for a few days, Tiger Woods simply dealt with the issue firmly and succinctly and put out the fire. Ever since the beginning of his pro career he has consistently demonstrated balance between action and discretion, neither ignoring insults nor fanning them into flames. Like any good firefighter he efficiently douses them. And in the process he leads by example, teaching all of us that racial discrimination is not to be tolerated and yet unity is to be preserved. He's the master of the "no hard feelings" school of conflict resolution. Perhaps that's the kind of child Dr. King had in mind.

From Oil-Rich to Sun-Rich

It's about time. An oil-rich country in the Gulf is transitioning to sustainable energy, and building a city for 50,000 as a proof-of-concept project. If it works, we can be sure the idea will spread quickly, because there are plenty of sun-rich countries with money to burn.

These photos are hard to see here, but they can be found blown-up in the original brochure, The Masdar Development.

It seems the buildings are a bit dark for a sun-drenched desert environment. Maybe the photos are not accurate as to color. In any case, details are not so important now as making a start. I'm sure that once even a partial success is made the rest of the world will jump into the pool. And the prices will come down.

One thing you have to admit, no Hollywood set designer has produced anything more sophisticated than this for a futuristic city. It's a stunning vision.

Barack the Black Quarterback

The characterization of Barack Obama as an “eloquent speaker” rings some old bells.

First, it reminds me of the classic and long-running debate: blacks can’t quarterback. They’re great at running the ball, and doing all the work in the trenches, and they may even be able to throw passes accurately. But when it comes to leading the team as quarterback or head coach, they just don’t have it. Fortunately in the past few years we’ve seen that myth well and truly exploded.

But there’s an even more disturbing hint of something insidious in the pigeon-holing of Barack Obama. It is the silent but clear assumption that he can talk but he can’t actually fight. He’s too young, too inexperienced, too marginal, too foreign, too culturally alien, to get the job done. As one very progressive website put it – in strikingly reactionary language – he doesn’t seem to have the aggressiveness to throw the jabs and punches needed to win the nomination and the presidency.

There is so much food for thought here that I have to put a new leaf or two in the table. But let me first say that the following comments, and anything else talked about here in the Redwood Forest, are offered in a spirit of love, fellowship, and constructive inquiry. If it sounds like harsh criticism, that is not what is intended. I'm just trying to look at our wounds a little more closely, and get some ideas about what we can do to heal ourselves.

America's political culture is in some ways rooted in traditions of conquest, the "terrible swift sword," the "bombs bursting in air," "from the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli." Blacks are by definition lacking the violent power to conquer. They and the Native Americans are the quintessential conquered.

Typically, blacks are most acceptable to whites when they (the blacks) are manifestly disarmed, peaceful, impotent. Barack Obama seems attractive to some whites only so long as he has no teeth. But teeth are what the whites want in their president, nice long sharp fangs to deal with our enemies abroad and at home. But a black with fangs? That’s not the might of a conqueror but a nightmare. And a Catch-22.

Voters in the white community don’t want a leader to demonstrate a unifying ability, but a destructive ability. We want our leaders to have long, sharp fangs and claws, and powerful muscles. This resonates with the ancient traditions and glorification of European conquest, and with what Riane Eisler called the culture of the blade. The opposite, what Eisler calls the culture of the chalice, is focused on bringing life, unity in diversity, harmony with nature, partnership between women and men.

So there are two kinds of leadership, one based on the threat of violence with the resources to back it up; and another based on building unity, across racial, class, gender, political and national borders. Some candidates might seek to represent a vision of security in a world threatened by an ongoing cold war and terrorism, and some a vision of security in a world undergoing globalization and unification. Neither vision is necessarily opposed to the other; it’s just that each candidate has chosen to emphasize their differences by means of this distinction, and to criticize each other through them. And consequently the visions sometimes become exaggerated and distorted.

Fickle Unity

Not to be partisan in any way (sure), but shouldn't we be concerned that racism is perhaps being used consciously and systematically to win votes?

It is not for me to judge who is at fault. But one thing's for sure: to see Latinos and African Americans pitted against each other is simply hearbreaking.

The Perfect Candidate

We can't seem to stomach an imperfect black man, or a woman who is not flawless. The first wrong step, the slightest mistake, and the trumpets sound and the herald declares: "Off with his head!"

I don't mind the media and the public trying to find the candidates' weak points. That's what we ought to do in order to make an informed decision in our vote.

But there might be a double standard: that an African American and a woman must be picture perfect or they'll be shredded to bits and discarded as completely unacceptable, while a white male candidate can have the same or similar errors - or worse? - and be given a "get out of jail free" pass on just about anything.

But why all the bellyaching. Of course, boys will be boys. They don't mean anything by it. We can trust 'em. But those Lakota women, now those are the ones you have to watch out for. They'll seem right nice, but you just turn your back for a second and... Just can't trust 'em.

Influence of the Redwood Forest!

Senators Obama and Clinton have taken my advice and made peace. Let's hope the spirit of unity lasts all the way through the election year - and beyond.

Parties Over

As a member of the Baha'i Faith I'm trying to write about the elections without sounding partisan. Don't know if I can succeed.

In any case, I don't belong to any political party, and I'm pleased to see that independents are becoming stronger in number and influence.

Could it be that one day the political party will be a thing of the past?

Elephant in the Voting Booth

There's something wrong in the US if we can't count votes - or am I mistaken? I mean, we can measure the velocity of sub-atomic particles to the nanosecond, but we can't count up several thousand votes properly without having a nervous breakdown.

Why don't we swallow some pride, with a side dish of humble pie, and consult with European countries, our fellow democracies that have had long experience in polling, and ask for their best practice. During the 2000 Florida fiasco the news was filled with the remarks of Europeans simply astonished at the spectacle of Americans unable to conduct an accurate election.

But I'm an optimist. Not only can we do it, but we will have to do it in order to reach the next stage in our evolution as a society.

No options there.

Bye-Bye Baggie

How many plastic bags do you have in your house? But you know where they end up, of course, no matter how many times you reuse them.

China has now said no.

And it's not the only place on the planet to do so:

"Internationally, legislation to discourage plastic bag use has been passed in parts of South Africa, Ireland and Taiwan, where authorities either tax shoppers who use them or impose fees on companies that distribute them. Bangladesh already bans them, as do at least 30 remote Alaskan villages.

"Last year, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to ban petroleum-based plastic bags in large grocery stores. In France, supermarket chains have begun shying away from giving away plastic bags and German stores must pay a recycling fee if they wish to offer them. Ireland's surcharge on bags imposed in 2003 has been credited with sharply reducing demand."

Further:

"In the United States, which has less than one-quarter of China's 1.3 billion people, the Sierra Club's Sierra magazine estimates almost 100 billion plastic bags are thrown out each year. The Sierra Club estimated that if every one of New York City's 8 million people used one less grocery bag per year, it would reduce waste by about 218,000 pounds.

"In New York on Wednesday, the City Council approved a bill requiring large stores to provide bins for recycling plastic bags. The stores must also use bags that read: "Please return this bag to a participating store for recycling." Mayor Michael Bloomberg supports the measure and is expected to sign it."

It's about time. As one commentator says, "I never quite understand the right wing hostility to getting rid of plastic bags. You would think that people were asking them to turn in their best friend or something. Oh right...they're made from oil, I forgot."

How to Talk to Celebrities

An hour ago I saw BBC News reporters Kim Ghattas and Jim Muir in a cafe here in Beirut. What should I do, go up and say hello?

"Thanks so much for your work on the BBC."

"Well thank you." Turning back to their tea. (I.e., Thank you and have a nice day.)

"I rely on BBC a great deal."

"..."

"And I listen to BBC World Service on the radio all the time, although it's perhaps not my favorite. It has limitations. But then again so does BBC TV. Oh but I don't mean to criticize..."

"..."

"Well, nice to meet you."

I didn't go up but wished I had. Turns out Kim worked at the Philadelphia Inquirer, my hometown newspaper.

"Hey, I understand you were in Philly."

"..."

Maybe not.

The Obama Code

It seems to me that whether Barack Obama wins or loses, he has already unlocked and opened a heavy door in the maze that is American race relations. Just by proving that he is a viable candidate he has demonstrated that Americans of all races are ready to turn the corner - in fact they've already made the turn.

It reminds me of the Michael Richards episode. Who would have thought that a majority white audience at a comedy club would react with such revulsion to a racist tirade? We've gone much farther down the road to unity in diversity than we thought. Well done, America.

It's a new day in the Redwood Forest.

Now to look forward to the first woman Native American president...

By Any Means Necessary?

Tough question for you, candidates: If you knew that a racially based smear of Senator Obama or a gender-based attack on Senator Clinton would hand you the White House, would you do it? This of course applies also to Senators Obama and Clinton in their contest with each other.