loving art, science and creative kids
8/23/2019 7:13:46 PM
You Decide by Marilynne Eichinger
Exporting Jesus vs. Building Infrastructure
Last week, I took my car in for service and was driven home by a Lift driver born in Kenya. Our conversation brought back memories of the wonderful experience I had participating in a research study of elephants passing through Tsavo National Park. I discovered that my fifty year old chauffeur was a Kikuyu who planned to return to Kenya to farm.
When I asked if he worried about the soil being too dry to grow crops due rising global temperatures, his response surprised me. “No,” he said. “The Chinese dug wells connected to large underground aquifers. There’s plenty of water.”
He told me I wouldn’t recognize Kenya if I returned because of extensive Chinese investments. Roads, buildings, power plants and plumbing projects were transforming the country and helping it prosper. But their investments also worried him. He feared his country would be plunged back into colonialism, this time as a puppet of China.
Our discussion made me wonder about the aid we give to foreign countries. What I learned was disturbing. While the Chinese have been constructing infrastructures in third world countries, we have been spreading a singular version of Jesus.
About five years ago I read “The Family,” by Jeff Sharlet (now a five part Netflix documentary). In his writings, Sharlet warns of the danger of mixing fundamentalism and power elitism with politics. He documents a secret society promoting “Jesus Plus” ideology. Since the late 1960s, the group’s been operating behind closed doors under the leadership of an Oregon born man named Doug Coe (recently deceased). “The Family” subsidizes accommodations in D.C. for congressmen who embrace a Christian agenda. Graduates of elite colleges are invited to live in all-male or female houses, studying conservative religious doctrines and caring for congressional leaders living at C Street and for the dignitaries who visit. According to Sharlet, “They (The Family) have more power now than ever.”
Military leaders, politicians and business leaders come together in innocuous sounding prayer breakfasts. Attended by presidents from Eisenhower onward, Mike Pence is a member and President Trump is one of the “anointed ones.” Those on the Jesus Plus bandwagon do not believe in separation of church and state or that all men (women) are created equal. Only conservative thinkers are invited to the table. Abortion rights, fair housing, equal access to voting, and global warming activists are rare and far between.
Based on Calvinist ideals around predestination, Coe’s movement rewards dictators, wealthy individuals, and Mafiosa strongmen and provides forgiveness when they rule oppressively. They teach that powerful men chosen by God are not subject to the same sexual, moral, or financial/legal rules the rest of their countrymen follow. The poor, also marked by God, will always exist and must accept their lot on earth. In my mind, The Family’s rational is reminiscent of arguments used to support “The Divine Right of Kings,” 14th century conquistadors who sanctioned the rape of native lands, and pre-Civil War slavers.
By improving economic conditions in struggling countries, the Chinese create new markets for their goods. They build schools, roads, bridges, railways and hospitals. Their investments save deteriorating facilities, rescue jobs and create thousands of new ones. They carry a banner we used to wave at the end of WWII when the Marshall plan was in place. And, they reap many benefits by shifting political influence away from the United States. The countries they help return the favor by voting China’s interests at U.N. and other international gatherings.
The United States spends billions of dollars in foreign aid ($300 billion since 1970). Eighty percent goes to ammunitions companies within our borders, for underwriting agricultural subsidies. Twenty percent is allocated for health and disaster relief. A great deal of foreign aid winds up in the hands of corrupt individuals at home and abroad. Needy recipients are marginal beneficiaries.
There was a time when U.S. aid was connected to a country’s human rights record. That is rarely the case today. We (as does China) look the other way when it comes to countries like Saudi Arabia. Giving half of its aid to Africa, China benefits from the continent’s rich natural reserves of oil, iron ore, timber, and copper. In exchange, they provide cheap manufactured goods, infrastructure, direct investments and billions of dollars in loans. In 2014, China’s trade with Africa totaled over $ 200 billion.
“We the People” of the United States are at a critical point in our history. We face an identity crisis as to who we are and what we want to be. Are we the loving, giving, compassionate, pluralistic society we speak of or the self-centered, militaristic, racist, greedy one much of the world believes us to be? Do we honor dictators as men chosen by God or are ordinary people a manifestation of the Kingdom of God? Do we let white Christian men rule or do we have a democracy that values all who reside within?
Lastly, what system works best? The Family pays attention to the top of the pyramid, hoping for a trickle down from the wealthy that will reach the poor while infrastructure builders start at the bottom hoping to build wealth at the top by creating buyers for their goods. Your thoughts are most welcome.
References:
Sharlot, J. (2009) The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, Harper-Collins Publishers, New York.
Manero,E. (2017) China’s Investment in Africa: The New Colonialism? Harvard Political Review: retrieved from http://harvardpolitics.com/world/chinas-investment-in-africa-the-new-colonialism/
Bonasso, D. (2019)US Foreign Aid to Africa: What We Give and Why. the Borgen Project. retrieved from https://borgenproject.org/us-foreign-aid-to-africa-what-we-give-and-why/
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8/17/2019 3:20:21 PM
Last Night’s Dream
Identifying your dreams and then making them come true develops a power that comes from living with purpose.
Creating Passion in the Next Generation
When my grandson was seven, his main interest centered around Star Wars. That year his parents gave him a Star Wars themed party attended by children ready to fight duels with their laser swards. Every gift he opened had something to do with Star Wars, though no two were alike. By the end of the day there were enough props to set up his own movie studio and enough science kits to turn him into a space scientist.
Observing him become immersed in something he loved to do made me happy, for it indicated he would become an engaged adult. Feeling passion is addictive, similar to being on drugs without negative consequences. My grandson’s commitment provided a focus for learning. It made him want to read, to concentrate, to create, and to communicate.
I believe that an important job of parenting involves helping your child find passion by becoming totally hooked on something that has “legs.” By that I mean inspiring a willingness to tackle an engrossing, challenging activity. I don’t think it makes much difference what the project is as long as it is an absorbing one. In my grandson’s case, interest in Star Wars improved his ability to read. He was too impatient to wait for his parents to read to him so he pushed himself to learn on his own.
Neighborhood children used to meet in his basement conceiving plots that insured the future of planetary peace. Before performing for their parents and siblings, they had to sequence stories memorized parts, and practice speaking to an audience. They made scenery and handed out advertising leaflets. I could not have designed a better learning experience if I had been hired to do so.
Passion is a gift that combines spirit, mind and body enabling life to be experienced in all of its richness. It involves setting goals around something important. Having passion helps overcome obstacles and draws attention to what should be and what can be done. There will always be highs and lows while working towards a goal, but when you are passionate about what you’re doing you look past the dull days and are more likely to conceive creative ways to move on.
Passion is not something to fear, though for a variety of reasons many people do. It’s easy to become overwhelmed and check out before beginning a journey, so it’s important when starting to set small incremental goals, to manage time strategically, and to maintain balance. I’ve known people who never pursued their dreams because they feared the time commitment. I know others who were afraid of failure and some who were fearful of how success might change them.
Embracing passion is engaging in adventure. It’s opening your mind to let sparks fly.
Finding an interest and intensifying your involvement in it is the best way to dissipate fear. Doubts can’t be fed for they will smother fires that glow within. Discuss your doubts with friends, write them down and investigate their origin in order to make them go away.
As parent and educator, I’ve always believed that helping children find and develop passion will aid society in the long run. Finding cures for debilitating diseases, writing a new symphony, fighting global warming and taking political action involves giving time, energy and soul to a cause. Passionate people make things happen. By providing children with engrossing opportunities that engender excitement and give pleasure they will want to arouse similar feelings within themselves when they become adults. And so . . we benefit.
References:
Harmer, S. (2-19) 10 Reasons why Following Your Passion is More Important than Money. Lifehack. retrieved from https://www.lifehack.org/articles/money/10-reasons-why-following-your-passion-more-important-than-money.html
Carver,<. (2019) Why you Need Passion to Reach Your Goals. The Chopra Center. retrieved from https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrWpywK7FZd3DUAAB8PxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTEza3NiY3RnBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNwYWdpbmF0aW9u?p=Achieving+passion&type=cl_appfocus531_cr&fr2=sb-top&hspart=adk&hsimp=yhs-adk_sbnt¶m1=20190624¶m2=fb58e1e6-408c-4546-bdb7-f62c02cea1da¶m3=classifieds_7Eappfocus531¶m4=4847-bb97Ebrian+norris+about+passion+flower%7E7B1F017D4CDFA6D6A9BB35F8264A536C&fr=yhs-adk-adk_sbnt&b=11&pz=10&bct=0&xargs=0
Carter,S (2013) The Power of Passion. Psychology Today. retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/high-octane-women/201304/the-power-passion
Flaxington,B. (2018) Finding Your Passion. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/understand-other-people/201806/finding-your-passion
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8/10/2019 1:16:29 PM
Otters at Play
All creatures need time away from the demands of thier busy life to have pure unadulterated fun.
Grownups at Play
As a believer in the value of play, I always added a day on to business trips to pursue my own interests. I spent my time exploring the city’s zoos, museums and parks and enjoyed at evenings at theaters, concert halls and jazz bars. Having a day to myself cleansed me of stress and kept my brain free of the to-do list that filled every other day of the week. I returned home from these excursions relaxed and ready to embrace whatever came my way.
Psychologists remind us that decompressing on a regular basis contributes to our overall well-being. It ’s a reason adult coloring books and jigsaw puzzles sell so well and it’s why we are advised to meditate. Adult play is a stress reliever and serves a different function than the fun activities children pursue. Child’s play is essential for brain development and creativity. Along with storytelling, play was designed by our ancestors to teach skills, build cooperation and encourage a willingness to share.
Lynn Barnett, professor of recreation at the University of Illinois, writes that adult play is therapeutic in nature. It speeds up learning, keeps the mind sharp, enhances productivity, and increases job satisfaction. Play also promotes bonding and improves communication between love ones. It’s pleasurable, engaging and takes us away from the constraints of time. Play is done for its own sake with the act being more important than the outcome.
Playful adults are known for their spontaneous, energetic personalities, though the things they do for fun vary. Some enjoy clowning around while other’s are amused by more serious activities. Either way, studies show that adults who take the time to engage in lighthearted actives develop better coping skills than those who don’t. Stress rolls off of spirited individuals more easily than those addicted to work.
And . . .yes, playful adults may actually be more attractive to the opposite sex. At least that’s what a Pennsylvania State University study found. Two hundred and fifty students were asked to rate characteristics they wanted in a long time mate. Analyzed responses showed “sense of humor” to be the first choice among males and second among females. “Fun-loving” was third for both, and acting “playful” was fourth for women and fifth for men.
There are a variety of ways to engage in merrymaking. Some people enjoy being part of a local baseball team, while others like community theater. What I enjoy doing in my leisure time differs greatly from the activities my partner prefers. I am energetic, spontaneous, and find it easy to change focus when presented with an enjoyable alternative to routine work. Within reason, I willingly stop what I’m doing to frolic with friends and family. In general, however, the activities that give me most pleasure tend to be slightly structured. For years I loved playing the flute, especially with other novice musicians. I’ve danced, painted, taken long runs on the beach and hiked. I’ve held renaissance dinners in my home, participated on a volley ball team and played scrabble with worthy opponents. Currently my enjoyment is writing. I easily fill fanciful hours conjuring up murderous situations for my next novel. The leisure time activities I engaged in at one time or another left me happy and smiling.
This Labor Day, my fifteen year old grandson and I are going to Crunchyroll, an anime convention in San Jose. The event will be an educational experience for me that I imagine will also be amusing. Since many attendees wear costumes, I looked into that possibility for myself. What I saw were scanty, sexpot outfits designed for young women. with tiny waists. People my aged looked were dressed like witches. Hell no!That was going too far, so I opted out.
My partner is a jokester. He takes cues from Coyote, a mythical creature he carves into totem poles. Ray keeps me laughing with his dry sense of humor and the tricks he plays on me occasionally I keep him smiling by going to soccer games and feeding him well, which is a great for me too, for messing around in the kitchen is also a lot of fun. Together we create with art and enjoy birding.
Dr. Stuart Brown, head of the National Institute for Play, notes that adults who don’t play aren’t enjoyable to be around. “You begin to see that the perseverance and joy in work is lessened and that life is much more laborious.” Remember the the saying, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy?” It’s true.
So, enjoy the rest of your summer, play easily (rather than hard) so you can be relaxed while working hard. Feeling happy is essential to your well-being. It improves vascular health by decreasing blood pressure and releasing dopamine. Making playtime a part of your weekly schedule rather than relegating it to an annual vacation, will contribute to your having a happy, fulfilling life.
References:
Wallace, J.(2017) Why it’s good for grown-ups to go play. Washington Post. retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/why-its-good-for-grown-ups-to-go-play/2017/05/19/99810292-fd1f-11e6-8ebe-6e0dbe4f2bca_story.html?noredirect=on
Yenigun,S. (2014) Play Doesn’t End with Childhood: Why Adults Need Recess Too. NPR. retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2014/08/06/336360521/play-doesnt-end-with-childhood-why-adults-need-recess-too
Chillag,A. (2017) Why adults should play, too. CNN health. retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/02/health/why-adults-should-play-too/index.html
8/2/2019 4:29:45 PM
Heaven and Beyond
The universe, earth and human kind are similar in that explosions and collisions occur frequently without end.
A Political No No
NRA Lobbying expenditures are a hot topic of political contention, but there’s a more powerful group of lobbyists that politicians rarely mention. The NRA's $1,690.000 annual outlay is dwarfed by the amount spent by military contractors to influence members of congress. Until this week, I never paid attention to details and ramifications of the military’s budget, though I’ve often heard soundbites about its magnitude. The U.S. spends 10 times more for defense than any other country. We have approximately 800 bases in 80 countries which doesn’t include troops stationed at embassies and missions (Russia has 26-40, The UK, France, and Turkey have 10 each). There are real concerns we need to address such as terrorism, cyberattacks, media lies, and drugs, but I wonder how effective allocated funds are at keeping us out of harms way and free from manipulation
A few facts and then a few questions:
The military budget for 2019 is $989 billion dollars. It is the second largest item in the federal budget, after Social Security. We spend more on defense than the next nine countries combined. $576 billion goes to the base budget of the Department of Defense (DoD), $ 174 billion goes to DoD in overseas contingency operations to fight the Islamic State Group. The remainder goes to agencies that protect the nation— $93.1 billion to Veterans affairs, $51.7 billion to Homeland Security, $42.8 billion to the State Department, $16.5 billion to the National Nuclear Security Administration, and $26.1 billion for FBI and cybersecurity.
The base budget pays for day-to-day operations at DoD while Overseas Contingency Operations pays for wars and overseas operations. The overseas contingency is not an official part of the budget and therefore not subject to sequestration. It paid for the War on Terror including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and our involvement in Syria and Yemen.
Since 2003 when the war in Iraq started, nearly 5,000 U.S. service members died and 32,226 were wounded. The war George Bush started, caused the death of approximately 405,000 civilians with many more maimed. It is difficult to get an exact count, but it is estimated that 6 in 10 civilian deaths were at the hands of coalition forces due to airstrikes. It is difficult to say what good was accomplished by the war.
There is significant growth in the use of private military companies to fight wars though their actions are poorly supervised. The United States and The U.K are the only nations not to sign the U.N. Mercenary Convention. We hire private contractors to train armed forces of developing nations, provide armed security for government agencies, administer food services, and logistics, provide insurance, medical service, and intelligence and conduct research into military related technologies.
Mercenary armies are beholden to shareholders first and to the governments that employ them second. There are “no standards of conduct” for mercenaries because the companies they work for are not forced to abide by regulations set by the governments that employ them. Mercenaries can come from any country. They are usually paid lower salaries than the men and women in our military. The United States complains about manufacturing going to countries willing to pay low salaries, yet I hear little about the way private military contractors take away jobs from US citizens.
Private military contractors do not recognize United Nations Agreements or the Geneva Convention. Their militias cause conflicts all over the globe. Companies like Blackwater (today known as Academi) is well known for committing atrocities and for their involvement in CIA death squads. Military contractors use black mail to get what they want and conduct shady diamond dealings. They are involved with gold mining, the drug trade, and oil drilling. They abuse civilians and freely act above the law.
According to the American Conservative, nearly half the Pentagon budget ($304 billion in 2017) goes to Private Contractors. When the budget comes before congress each year, arguments ignore that fact. They are simply told that more money is needed to support our troops despite the fact the budget increases increases likely go to line the pockets of company executives, useless overhead, cost overruns on weapons systems and military hardware that is not needed and often performs poorly. The presidents of 5 companies were paid over $96 million dollars last year. Private companies spend excessive amounts on political contributions. In 2017, the defense sector spent
$64,564,985 on lobbying according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Readings about the military, raised many questions. I hope you will respond and provide insight with your answers. 1. How much of the money awarded to military contractors is actually used to defend the country as opposed to filling private bank accounts?
2. Is a robust military the best way to create jobs or would money the money we spend on defense create more jobs by fixing and maintaining our infrastructure?
3. Why hire private contractors for food and logistics services rather than use our own recruits?
4. Are private contractors the predators that President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned us about?
5. Does it concern you that countries like Peru,Ethiopia and other third world countries provide many of the mercenaries fighting on our behalf.
6. Are you dismayed that private contractors don’t adhere to the international laws of military engagement agreed to by sovereign nations?
7. Lastly, please let me know what good came out of the wars the US participated in after WWII.
It is time to bring details of the military budget into the political debates. The subject should not be taboo nor should financial obligations be hidden. Imagine what we could accomplish by cutting 15 percent ($45.6 billion) of the military contracts awarded private companies.
Resources:
National Rifle Assn. OpenSecrets.org .retrieved from https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=d000000082
Slater, A. (2018) The US Has Military Bases in 80 Countries. The Nation. https://www.thenation.com/article/the-us-has-military-bases-in-172-countries-all-of-them-must-close/
Number of U.S.Soldiers killed int eh Iraq War. Statistics. https://www.statista.com/statistics/263798/american-soldiers-killed-in-iraq/
Amadeo,K. (2019) US Military Budget Components, Challenges, and Growth. The Balance. retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/u-s-military-budget-components-challenges-growth-3306320
Private Military Companies. Mercenary Jobs. retrieved from http://www.mercenaryjobs.org/private-military-companies.html
Poisuo, p (2014) 10 Frightening Facts about Private Military Companies. Listverse. retrieved from https://listverse.com/2014/01/07/11-frightening-facts-about-private-military-companies/
Hartung, W.(2017) Nearly Half the Pentagon Budget goes to The American Conservative . retrieved from https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articleW.
Mashal, Mujib. (2019) Afghan and U.S. Forces Blamed for Killing More Civilians This Year Than Taliban Have. The New York Times. retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/30/world/asia/afghanistan-civilian-casualties.html
Bump, P. (2008) 15 years after the Iraq War began, the death toll is still murky. Washington Post. retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/03/20/15-years-after-it-began-the-death-toll-from-the-iraq-war-is-still-murky/?utm_term=.c7f9a1071a9f
Art is always for sale. Contact me at [email protected].
Heaven and Beyond
Acrylic on Canvas, Black wood frame/ 20” x 24”/ $ 399
I look forward to your comments below.
