What really happened to America and the world one year ago on Sept. 11?
Four jet planes crashed killing a few hundred people. Two tall building fell killing about 4,000 people. The pentagon was damaged on one side.

In reality, not much. As 5,000 kids die every year from cigarette lighters, 5,000 from bike crash, 5,000 from drowning. 50,0000 people die in auto crashes each year.
People dieing did not change anything, as for decades, a child under 5 years of age dies from starving somewhere in the world every 2.7 seconds.

So what changed that really affected America? The people became aware of their own vulnerabilities. They became aware of the dilution and illusion of their own lives and the false since of security of the Hollywood Painted metaphor of sex, drugs, and Rock & Roll, carefully twisted and orchestrated by the supper media into our own subconscious over the pass 35 years with jingles, phases, products, purpose and the definition of what is cool, meaningful and who and what is important in your life.
The never-ending story of the American Dream and the continuous expansion growth model of the US economy based on Capital and Jobs (no matter what the out come).

In a flash of reality, 6,000,000,000,000 dollars worth of illusion cleared up.
The value only between the ears of the beholder. Another 4,000,000,000,000 spent by the Federal government to take control of the world, its resources and the people in the name of safety. Home Security? Whose home?
Are the airports and airlines, used by 10% of the people, our home or is it really a big capital venture that pollutes our air and drives the demand for oil?
Large corporations stocks, which have poisoned us from the bathroom, the yard, to the refrigerator with gimmicky do dads of convenience.
Banks and financial structures that for three decades now have robed the poor with high credit interest rates. Taken advantage of our own government to produce a money machine for their personal gain?
Is home the spending of billions on weapons and research that has had no public debate, no explanations of worth or need? To protect us from what? And who will protect the other 5,000,000,000,000 people. Would we be happy in a home surrounded by dead people?

Illusion of safety and security of a 401K, a retirement plan, and the infamous Social Security fund. Most older people knew in the back of their minds that there is no free lunch. They knew the Social Security money was gone long ago. The Social Security payments come straight out of your children and grandchildren's paychecks, or straight out of you own taxes. You are only getting money back (less handling and shipping of the federal government) what came out of your home, your family, your friends and children.

What happened to the illusion that caused it to stay so long and then go so fast?

Believing in a false expectation? The Capitalistic model. The loss of local control of local and state governments. The insidious growth of the Federal government.
Yes, but mostly, it was you, for wanting your government to run your lives and make you safe. To do your dirty work, to make tuff decision about kids, food, and material.
The establishment gave you a list of excuses to be irresponsible, and each of us picked our favorites. America is like a teenage country, spoiled, out of control, thinks it knows everything. The European countries went through these stages. Each with war, turmoil, power struggles. Hundreds of years of pain and suffering, yet they could never quite get the concept of self-rule. America and the world, is now faced with the two ancient problems of mankind, freedom of the individual and safety, security, and companionship of a home. These being technical terms thrown around by agencies, but in a package, are these not called simply, a place to be loved by family, home.

I could write much more. So could you. So why am I writing this?
To ask you all to face reality on the week of Sept 11th. No fear games, no hype, and no hero worship. No false compassion. I ask you to leave the TV sets off, and not even watch the exploitation of the TT events. I ask you to leave the TV off even into the new show offerings, as they are pure crap at best. The media is not serving the people's interest and we need to get control of our air waves for a better purpose.
I ask you to write to you congress and tell them three things. No war, no weapons, no pollution, no more.

I conclude with this, that anyone posting a fear based, an exploitive or hero worship, or nationalistic theme post is only supporting the very elements that are exploiting you and your home.

Nothing changed, it only eraced the excuses.
Your guilty as charged.
It's you choice. Live in the Federal prison or make a better home.

Love and Freedom and Home,

Darwin

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Social Security

Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years. Our Senators and Congressmen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, do not collect from it. Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their rare elevation in society. They felt they should have a special plan for themselves.

Many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan. In more recent years, no congressperson has felt the need to change it. After all, it is a great plan. For all practical purposes their plan works like this: When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die, except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments. For example, former Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7,800,000.00 (that's Seven Million, Eight Hundred Thousand), with their wives drawing $275,000.00 during the last years of their lives. This is calculated on an average life span for each.

Their cost for this excellent plan is $00.00. Nada. Zilch. This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Funds--our tax dollars at work! From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into--every ! payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer)--we can expect to get an average $1,000 per month after retirement. In other words, we would have to get benefits for 68 years and one (l) month to equal Byrd's benefits!

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quote:

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I believe in aristocracy, though -- if that is the right word, and if a democrat may use it. Not an aristocracy of power, based upon rank and influence, but an aristocracy of the sensitive, the considerate and the plucky. Its members are to be found in all nations and classes, and all through the ages, and there is a secret understanding between them when they meet. They represent the true human tradition, the one permanent victory of our queer race over cruelty and chaos. Thousands of them perish in obscurity, a few are great names. They are sensitive for others as well as for themselves, they are considerate without being fussy, their pluck is not swankiness but the power to endure, and they can take a joke.

-- From the chapter "What I Believe" in E.M. Forster's Two Cheers for Democracy.

---

Who can say how anyone else should mark this moment or that one upcoming? We can certainly recognize that many will remember the day with a very real grief for the very real loss of their loved ones. The 4-year-old from Ireland, on the plane with Mum, going to visit Grandma. Did I know her? No. Do I have "false compassion" for her. Oh, dear God in Heaven, no. No. No.

She inhabits my senses. And I do cry.

I would trust that each of us would experience this anniversary and mark this day in line with his or her own personal internal guidance and in the light of sensitivity. Perhaps the democratic aristocratic view.

No one here has any power or authority to "charge" people, much less declare them guilty, for any personal expression about the meaning of this event that they may choose to share. That's called "prior restraint" of first amendment rights. And it's illegal, not to mention being hypocritical toward the freedom you mean to espouse.

In a spirit of peace and concern,
Maria

quote:

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I ask you to write to you congress and tell them three things. No war, no weapons, no pollution, no more.

---

Being that this is a free country, I disgree with that. Sure, I don't want war and pollution any more than the next guy. A lot of Americans and especially politicians had that same philosophy above of "no war" pre 1941 even after substantial proof that the Axis powers were spreading in Europe and people were being exterminated just because they believed in a certain religion. It took Pearl Harbor for the U.S. to finally join the Allies.

Next week I am going to leave my TV set on because I do want to see the faces on the photographs of the people that perished on September 11. Those were actual people that were killed just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Those were also brave firemen and police officers that paid the ultimate price because they were just trying to save people. Those people could have been my wife and me. We were just lucky that we were at the observatory deck at the World Trade Center a few years earlier. But this tragedy could have happen when we were there.

For me to turn my TV off is like sticking my head in the sand and pretending it didn't happen. I will grieve for these people the same way I grieve for the "5,000 kids die every year from cigarette lighters, 5,000 from bike crash, 5,000 from drowning. 50,0000 people die in auto crashes each year."

As far a pollution goes; stop cutting your grass with a gas engine lawnmower. They emit a lot more pollution than an automobile.

Sabra

Remember, Proxy, your poem of a year ago? I do. Harrowing sad, and one of my favorite contemporaneous writings related to the tragedy.

Sabra, missed you the last couple of days.

Love is a verb & so is God,
Maria

Proxy, surely you don't mean to say that public expression of grief over the lives lost in the WTC bombings is cynical or inappropriate becase those 4,000+ innocent lives were "In reality not much" compared to the millions of lives lost for other reasons. I know you don't mean that, because if that were so, then how totally ridiculous would it be to grieve and call public attention to the murder of TWO innocent teenage girls in your home state? Why, there are more murders than that every day of the year in any number of places around the world!

Rather, I think that what you are complaining about is the cynical exploitation of that tragedy to build emotional support for an aggressive nationalistic response to it, a response that likely has more in common with the causes of that tragedy than with any meaningful changes that might make such happenings less likely in the future.

I, too, am already disdainful of the impassioned pleas for national unity behind a military-authoritarian program that will doubtless be heard behind much of the rhetoric surrounding the commemoration of this attack. We will hear it used to justify military aggression overseas, and authoritarian repression of civil liberties internally, and that sucks.

But that's no reason to ignore the tragedy or pooh-pooh the very real grief and loss surrounding it. To the contary, it is one more opportunity to call the world's attention to the absolutely unacceptable consequences - in human terms - of a world power-structure that is built on greed and separation and hatred and anger.

The events of last September 11 did change the world forever, perhaps not least by bringing to the direct attention of Americans some of the more brutal facts of life in the world situation that we had hitherto been more or less isolated from and complacent about. Pandora's box has been opened, and there's no way to stuff the troubles back inside and pretend they don't exist ... or that they should be ignored and minimized.

The only question is whether we will use this recognition ... and the grief and emotions it focuses ... to make some positive changes in the world that brought such a tragedy into being; or whether we'll just use it to rattle sabers and talk about kicking butt around the world while giving up our freedoms as a "patriotic duty."

Whatever your views or political stripe, the events of 9/11 were a turning point in the world, as well as a great human tragedy. Turning off the TV or ignoring the commemoration won't change that. Using the attention to focus awareness on the real problems and the real solutions rather than meekly swallowing some glib propaganda, might make a difference.

Love,
Greg

I can't cry hard enough
Performed By: Victoria Williams
Written By: David Williams & Marvin Etzioni

I'm going to live my life
Like every day's my last
Without a simple good-bye
It all goes by so fast

And now that you're gone
I can't cry hard enough
No I can't cry hard enough
For you to hear me now

I'm going to open my eyes
And see for the first time
I've let go of you like
A child letting go of his kite

There it goes up in the sky
There it goes beyond the clouds
For no reason why
I can't cry hard enough
No I can't cry hard enough
For you to hear me now

I'm going to look back in vain
And see you standing there
When all that remains
Is just an empty chair

And now that you're gone
I can't cry hard enough
No I can't cry hard enough
For you to hear me now

As many gather to pray in this time of rosh hashana, it matters not what your background is, let's join in cause when many gather in prayer, positive change can immerge. When christian holidays begin let's join in cause when many gather in prayer, positive change can immerge. When muslim ramadan begins let's join in cause when many gather in prayer, positive change can immerge.

Greg, I would be interested in your opinion concerning what happened here in Montreal Concordia University as B. Netenyahu was stopped thru violent protest from giving his speach.

But at the same time, I feel the same as Sabra...wanting to tune in to hear the stories and see the faces....to once again remember to empathize...to feel....to honour in my own private way.

Throughout the year here and there I've heard comments, usually from citizen's outside the U.S. saying that we need to basically shut up already, move on, stop having a pity party. But, how could we forget? That is the one positive from this terrible tragedy....that we are united to remember, not for some overly sappy patriotic reason....but because we were rocked spiritually. We remember so to question...to try to understand....not the United State's position in the world,but the World's position. If a whole nation can be united in sympathy, then the possibilities for a united world become tangible. All one...and so it goes...we're all a chain reaction of energy and this knowledge can come to those who choose not to forget. I think that most people (or maybe just me, can't speak for anyone else) might fear forgetting as much as another terroristic attack. Fearing that that is what the terrorist's are waiting for....for the moment we forget and slip back into complacincy again. Not to sound paranoid or anything

You can never go home again...we can't turn back now. As Greg always says "onward and upward"

Love, Lisa

You ask "how can we forget?"

I agree, we should not forget and I add... let's also NOT forget the attrocities over seas and not just sympathise only with one over another, let's not forget the afgan people and what they have suffered the last 20 years (a worse case than sept 11) let's not forget the pitiful situation of palestinian refuges (ongoing but never resolving) let's not forget the genocides in eastern europe and rowanda (any commemoration for them once a year?) let's not forget half a milion children starving in Irak (and more to come soon)

You are right, How can we forget? But let's not be bullies crying only for our gang but humanitarians recognizing suffering all over the world... caused by a few on top who probably are planning their next move for non other than self interest...
and these few are also scattered all over the world.

Let's not forget...

That is what I meant when I said (hopefully) we are trying to see and understand the World's position. Terrible we had to be awakened to the suffering of the rest of the world in such a way...to look outside our safe little cocoon country and our safe lives to realize that we are a small portion of the world's population who suffer atrocities everyday. I don't know what fears me more...the terrorists or the ramifications that our own indifference and self-indulgence could bring to the future.

Honestly, after Septemember 11th for a while I felt such a conflict within myself. Conflict between wanting desparately to reach out and connect with others and wanting to withdraw from others, because all of the zealous patriatism made me nervous. It didn't seem right to band together so fiercly....which ultimately only alienates ourselves more from the rest of the world. Not that banding together is a bad thing, but quite positive....but also in a sense it breeds a "you and me against the world" mentality in a way.

I wished at the time I could have scattered some Earth flags in with all the red, white and blue. To some just saying that will seem traitorous. Yet, I am thankful to be a USA citizen and to live in a prosperous free country. But I just wish I could also be thankful to live in a prosperous and free World...that's all.

You guys are awesome! But you know that.

Ok, Neptune has me in its cross hairs so I'm going out to find a fantasy and a good hamburger.

BTW: How far back is Neptune going to Rx?

See yea later, la dee da dee da skip ta ma lou, step step-------slide..

Love and ouuu, look at the pretty clouds
Darwin

The dust, the smoke, the clouds
from the dust of September.
The sadness, the sorrow, the darkness
from the dust of September.
The pretty sites are gone, the love, the death
from the dust of September.
The families, the lives taken away
by the dust of September.
Our country is sad, but our country still stands
in the dust of September.
We will never break, we will stand together
through the dust of September.
People hurt, hearts broken, but we survive
in the dust of September.

How I agree with you!!! Thank you so much for your post.

Darwin,
You have such a chip on your shoulder, and I feel sorry for you. I am sure you have had a very difficult life. You just don't make much sense sometimes - random babbling that is hard to follow.

Better luck in the future with your life - women, kids, etc. Try to find some happiness, and keep that negativity in check.

Happy Birthday, Greg.

It has nothing to do with my post or me. I was confronting a media control problem that I think is acting irresponsible of late and has its creditability and integrity at stake as a public service for information that is required in order for a democracy to continue to function. It operates on the people bandwidth.

The NEWS has become part of the entertainment business and is owned and operated by such businesses. It is about rating for revenues. It is obsolete and cannot be trusted.
Almost all commercial activity has become a lie and a deception.
Marketing ploys are used to sell products and services.

The desire to blame an invisible enemy under the call for patriotism, turns to nationalism, which creates isolation from the rest of the world.
Isolation will allow great atrocities to occur in the world that pale to the TT event.
What would be next? Oregon attacks NY. How about Okalahoma attacks Texas.
Why not another civil war? Get rid of all those @#$%^& whatevers.
Maybe I'll go fight with my sisters and brothers.
Maybe I'll yell at the neighbor's kids.
Maybe you will yell at me because of your personal problems.
It's all between your ears.

Love and Light, You have no one to fight or kill, except for yourself.
Darwin

In my town the Michigan Militia holds meetings at the VW hall. This is the orginization that was tied in with the Oklahoma Federal building bombing. Can you imagine the things I heard people say? Can you see why that would make me nervous?

Let's recap: thousands of U.S. citizens were killed by a pack of extremist Muslims merely because they disagree with our way of life. We don't think the same way they do, so therefore we are scum who must be exterminated.
And then you didn't agree with proxy or mine or whoever's opinion, so the insults flew. In a few paragraph's you put down the entire Canadian country and proxy for spouting sensless ramblings and bullshit...oh, and judged us as unpatriotic.
How is that way of thinking so different from the terrorists?

All I was trying to stress is that the message that I already knew....that we are all connected and one....a message that became even clearer after September 11th...was being lost again by isolating ourselves from the rest of the world. That doesn't mean I don't believe in the American way or hate my own country.
I may not agree with the system or the President , but I believe in the initial vision of our country...to ensure freedom and democracy.

For Darwin to be personally attacked here is really sad when he was only stating an opinion. Where is the freedom in that?

~Lisa

Nobody should be attacking anyone for anything. Not people, not countries, not personalities, not ideas. Identifying error where it occurs (in our perception) is important and useful. So is correcting error, where possible. Attacking is useless and harmful. That goes for all attacks of every kind by any one against anything for any reason ever.

Until we learn this, we haven't learned what 9/11 has to teach us!

Love,
Greg

Oh bissie!!! B-I-S-S-I-E....

Seeing as you can't read this on the other thread because it's about christmas,

Atually young lady I have a bone to pick with you

What was that nonsence about "no other contry advertises for people to make charitable donation" etc. ALL the time in the UK, in fact we have whole TV programmes dedicated to it. eeeekkkk. Telethons and national charity nights, in fact it's verging on over kill.

Remember "live aid" the world wide concert which was arranged by UK pop singers and snowballed globally from there?
http://www.charitychoice.co.uk/

And that's just the Uk.....Ireland, France etc I know for sure it happens there as well...not sure about the rest of Europe cos I've not been very fr/watched TV from there....A fair whack of the rest of the post was erronious too... ......

lov and definately not Christmas

Lis

~And I will come again, my Love,
Thogh it were ten thousand mile!

I am SO proud to be able to say that

hahahahahaha

#So fare thee well my bonny lass so deep in love am I....#

L

Why have generations of our ancestors lost their lives for this nation? I guess before there can be an army, navy and air force, our citzens must believe that we are worth defending. Too bad there is such little focus on what America has done right in its history.

I still feel fury about the 11th. Are you thinking, ... how dare I? After all, we were responsible for slavery, imperialism, racism, and a too low minimum wage. Yes, democracy is an experiment - in ordered liberty. Not perfect, but worth a battle.

I don't live in isolation. I drive by Valley Forge Park on the way to work every day. I love to go the the Philadelphia orchestra, and I pass the Liberty Bell on my walk from the train station. Little reminders. My dad was a pilot in WW2, and my son served in the Navy. Proud of them.

I'm proud of the great diversity of people in the US, as well. I've learned a lot from many of my friends who have lived in other countries.

Thanks for the birthday wishes. Please don't call me a Typical Virgo, however. I hate that typical stereotyping kind of talk.

Regards,
Joyce

And this, coming from a leader..who is right now, providing us nothing but lip service, innuendos about so called "evil-doers",going thru the motions to make it "look good" and no real proof Saddam is up to what hes suggesting.
Be extremely grateful that your son is no longer in the navy. Someone MUST be looking out for him. Many are about to die!

But I do mean what I said, Joyce ... and yes, I do think the passengers on Flight 93 were heroes, and yes I will fight for freedom and to defend the innocent, you bet I will!

There is a difference between attack and defense, isn't there?

Forget the political embroidery for a minute and look at it in martial arts terms. Having the ability to easily kill or injure other human beings is a great responsibility. What I teach my T'ai Chi students is that there are two ways to fail this responsibility:

If you initiate the use of force, or apply greater force than is necessary to end an attack, you have failed your responsibility. But equally, if you allow evil to happen to the innocent when it is in your power to prevent it, you have also failed the responsibility of your strength.

It is not tolerance that is the virtue here, it is compassion. We should not tolerate terrorists any more than we should tolerate muggers or burglars. Evil must be resisted wherever we encounter it, or we are no friends of light and love. But resisting is not attacking. It is not hating. It is not fueled by an anger and righteousness that keeps us from seeing the humanity of the enemy.

And we must see the humanity of the enemy, otherwise we can only perpetuate the cycle, no matter how good our intentions. Separation breeds separation, hatred breeds hatred, attack breeds attack. Defense is a different animal. Defense is based on love and a desire to preserve life. The strongest defense is one that loves the attacker as well as the attacked, for both are expressions of life, and when the actions of the defender spring from the deepest love and reverence for all of life, then they are invincible. If I am guided by "what is best for life," and I am confronted by a bomber who will kill innocent people if he gets past me, then I will stop him. If there is no other way, I will stop him by killing him. But if it comes to that, it won't be because I hate him, but because I love the people he would have killed, and because I love him, too: evil is a "mistake" the soul makes when it thinks it is separated, but attack harms all of life, including the attacker.

By no means do I say tolerate terrorist ... or dicatators ... I say do not tolerate them. But it is only with a tender heart that we can know that we are fighting for what is right, rather than for "what's best for my gang." Believe me, that moral clarity will be increasingly difficult to come by in times to come, it's worth cultivating now!

In the long run, the only lasting strength is love.

What is it in this country that is worth defending? It is exactly that ... a belief that what we stand for as a nation is what is right - not for what is profitable or what is clever, or for what extends our national influence - but for what is right: for freedom and equality and honor and integrity and charity and brotherhood ... all the "apple pie" virtues we grew up learning to believe in. These are worth defending.

And now more than ever it's important to be certain that it is these values we are defending, and not something else.

Love,
Greg

PS - I am really happy to see you here again