Paradise Now

He has nothing to gain, because he's afraid of death. If you're not afraid of death, you're in control of life.

The universe and I are declaring a truce.

If you hadn't noticed (and maybe it's not evident), I've been having a bout of nihilism lately. If you thought too much heaven was a bad thing, try too much nothing. It's not so healthy, either.

On Friday, I made a comment, the essence of which was - everybody thinks they are the good guys, but I just don't understand how anybody can think the good thing is to be a suicide bomber.

Message to universe: I'd like to formally put a hold (and possibly a retraction) on that question.

Have you ever reluctantly decided to do something, but become frustrated when it wasn't so easy, and thus, increasingly determined?

Have you ever done something you didn't want to, because no other avenue seemed even remotely possible?

Ever been in a situation so unacceptable that even a bad move is better than staying?

Somehow, Netflix sent me "Paradise Now," and it arrived on Friday. Can't even remember hearing of it, much less wanting to watch it. It's easier to disbelieve in mere coincidence. Sobering, to say the least. Would you hurt somebody to help them? Would you kill, for the greater good? (Do you know the greater good? Can anybody?) My question from Friday is all too easily answered. Hence the truce.

On the other hand... killing only gives the others an excuse to keep killing. Refuse to fight and they can keep slaughtering, but it quickly becomes clear who the victim is. Thus is the nature of peaceful resistance. In Israel/Palestine, who is winning? Who is losing? And, of course, why can't people just leave each other the hell alone? What if everybody quit fighting?

When you are fighting, no matter who wins, you lose. How is the confrontational mindset healthy to a human? Is it ever, nonetheless, necessary? They - wait, no, I - say that people will find what they are looking for. Love to fight? You'll find a fight. All things beautiful? It'll be inescapable. Pain and suffering? Just look around. Pick something - anything - look around, you'll find it. Try it for a week, with expectation that the seeker will find.

That said, logic goes back to the game that Andrew mentioned with manifesting things. Well of course it works that way but I really question whether anything changes other than perspective? And is a change in perspective good enough? At least, then, I can live in peace, even if children are starving in India, dying of AIDS in Africa, becoming trained suicide bombers in the Middle East, and on and on - if I can't see it, it doesn't exist.

Or does it go beyond logic? Can a skeptic really be successful at this experiment? But, like I said, I'm having a truce with the universe, at least for now. There seems to be something out there. (Is it good enough to be true to the moment, even if the apparent reality of the moment is only apparent?)

I have to wonder if this movie is meant only as propaganda, showing a sympathetic character to win over western minds. It certainly gives this one pause for thought. But what about the older people planning these things and sending kids to their deaths, kids who weren't even born when the conflict started? Pretty soon it will be the tale of two houses with guns pointed at each other... you know the story, nobody will be alive who remembers what started all this, but look at all the terrible things that have been done to continue it?

What if everybody just stopped fighting? Or would the few insist upon ruining it for the many? Is it truly possible to weed a garden? At the end of the day, we are still dealing with human beings who totally believe that they are the good guys. How can we really expect to argue with that? Once again, we find ourselves telling people, no, you're wrong, you're broken!

Meanwhile, the U.S. is still in Iraq, trying to let the people rule themselves. people are still fighting, still bent on killing. Why? Perhaps many of their sentiments are understandable and altogether human! Everybody, everybody is well-intentioned. What about the big picture? The American Civil War materially changed how humans were treated, but didn't enforce a different mindset - that is still a problem today, still changing today. Is fighting necessary to bring about such changes? I don't want to become a pacifist, but also fail to understand how fighting changes anything.

One quote:
Death is better than inferiority.

Is it?