The Telling...

[charley]

Originally Posted by Greco

Chris Hedges Best Speech In 2018

Critical thinking...remember?

Greco...

Christopher Lynn Hedges (born September 18, 1956) is an American journalist, Presbyterian minister, and visiting Princeton University lecturer. His books include War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning (2002), a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction; Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle (2009);Death of the Liberal Class (2010); Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt (2012), written with cartoonist Joe Sacco, which was a The New York Times best-seller; and his most recent Wages of Rebellion: The Moral Imperative of Revolt (2015). 'America, The Farewell Tour' (2018)
Hedges is a columnist for the progressive news and commentary website Truthdig.He is also a host for the television program On Contact on RT. Hedges spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in Central America, West Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Balkans. He has reported from more than fifty countries, and has worked for The Christian Science Monitor, NPR, Dallas Morning News, and The New York Times, where he was a foreign correspondent for fifteen years (1990–2005).
In 2001, Hedges contributed to The New York Times staff entry that received the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for the paper's coverage of global terrorism. He also received the Amnesty International Global Award for Human Rights Journalism in 2002.He has taught at Columbia University, New York University, the University of Toronto and Princeton University, where he is a visiting lecturer in African American studies.
Hedges has taught college credit courses for several years in New Jersey prisons. He teaches a course through Princeton University in which the class is composed of half prisoners and half Princeton undergraduates.He has described himself as a socialist and more specifically as a Christian anarchist,identifying with Catholic activist Dorothy Day in particular.

I listened to his talk (up to 43 min. of it - had other things to do, so did not listen to the Q&A with interviewer), and I must say, while I have also seen many of the things that Hedges talked about, he leaves untouched the entire subject of "beliefs" per se, of which he himself is part of - being an ordained minister - and, insofar as I am concerned, also part of the problem, if not the entire part of the problem - beliefs in themselves belie "the present". Critical thinking of outward circumstances (for those of us that do have a mind) is relatively easy. The miracle happens when one questions one's own mindset.
There is also the problem that never in his talk, and I am saying this most respectfully, did he in any way talk about solutions. The buck always stops with the person holding the buck, right? His entire life is always, as most Americans would agree, supported by his belief system and the American system validates and encourages having beliefs, which in itself - in his case - validates his lifestyle and choices, being an ordained minister. Just my two little cents...
If one throws a pebble into a pond, there are always ripples. But, when one throws a pebble into one's own pond, it is only then that it has an effect on the entire pond. Until that is done, no amount of words - however truthful - will alter the movement and in the case of the American trend - stagnation of the pond. We have all seen this wilful blindness to this even from the beginnings of the understanding gleaned from Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" up to Al Gore's attempt to awaken some intelligence. I am saying this since I have seen that the human brain is connected to all other brains. I do feel and think that true change cannot come about outwardly, but must begin with oneself. Until that is done, I must state quite emphatically that the movement of the pond (of the course and meandering of the stream) of history will continue its abysmal downward spiral.
Always, I must say, thanks for putting up posts of intelligent talks, and always food for reflection. [One of the meanings of the word "meditation" derives from its origin - the Sanskrit word "ma", which literally means, thinking, pondering, considering, reflecting... - the reflection of oneself in that very pond being a key meaning - among its other meanings... something which btw is not mentioned to people who profess to be studying meditation.]
Best regards, Charley

[Greco]

Charley, your points in response to Chris Hedges's speech in Canada are well taken this morning.
And I appreciate your considered and insightful response. I would invite you to research his life
and experiences - as with anyone - to understand what may lie underneath what we see and hear
externally, if you care to go deeper in understanding this person.

All the Best, Greco

[charley]

Originally Posted by Greco

Charley, your points in response to Chris Hedges's speech in Canada are well taken this morning.
And I appreciate your considered and insightful response. I would invite you to research his life
and experiences -as with anyone - to understand what may lie underneath what we see and hear
externally, if you care to go deeper in understanding this person.

All the Best, Greco

Thanks for your response, but no. He does not interest me. If it would be an interest, it would only add to my knowledge about x or y and constitute the pleasure of entertainment. - Not that I deny pleasure or entertainment, but such things have their place. - I do not in any way, shape or form accept that knowledge is the way to truth or wisdom. Knowledge only begets further knowledge, not understanding, nor wisdom. It is only useful in certain fields, such as medicine and other technological fields, and the incredible advances and cures therein. In the field of not knowing, there is only understanding. Knowledge is based on the past (all scientific knowledge builds on past discovery), while understanding is in the moment.
I think that it is impossible to get to the bottom of another person, but it is only possible to look at oneself and get to the bottom of oneself. In other words, I think it is impossible to "know" another completely. One can only "know" oneself. If it were impossible to get to the bottom of oneself, then meditation would in itself be a meaningless activity, and devolve into meaningless entertainment and navel-gazing - which for me is just not true. What meditation has made me understand is that all the answers to who were are, to what we are, can only be found within.
[As an aside, I have interacted with quite a few in real time who have believed that they were actually doing meditation - according to this or that technique - and then they come to the inevitable conclusion that life is meaningless and then they began to laugh, to which I could only frown, since I understood that what they thought was meditation was not meditation at all. All of which had made me understand that it is all too easy to get lost in illusions, and the mind can and does play tricks with itself.]
What I am saying is that all answers to human questions, to the history of humanity, are readily available within. I agree with Socrates who said that the unexplored life is not worth living. "The claim is that only in striving to come to know ourselves and to understand ourselves do our lives have any meaning or value." as per:

https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/apology/section7/

Hence, the phrase "Know Thyself".

[Greco]

Thank you also for your thoughts charley.

All the Best, Greco

[Greco]

"Tres Lagrimas"

Here is a video of "Tres Lagrimas" from Guitarra Azul's Debut CD "Mariposa" featuring Guitarra Azul - Stefano & David Chiriboga - Guitars, Ruben Alvarez, Javier Saume, Miguel Cascio, & Edwin Suarez -Percussion, & Antonio Mhoon - Bass With Special Guest Dancer Cristina Gutierrez.

lovely playing...and dance...

Greco

[Greco]

Paco de Lucía & Al Di Meola - Mediterranean Sundance

Que descanses en paz Paco.

Greco

[Greco]

Mercedes Sosa y Víctor Heredia, Razón de Vivir, Festival de Viña 1993


Mercedes Sosa - "Todo Cambia"

Compositor Chileno Julio Numhauser

hací es Amor...

Greco