Thoughts and the American-global situation

Life experiences in the west both as individuals in relation to the collective and the collective in relation to the individual and the indefinable dialogue between the two are recorded through rational rigor (Athens) and mythological narratives (Jerusalem) [(western foundational categories/tradition)]. Like most life experiences to try to see which precedes the other contradicts my own logical interests. But there are values to both – the rational more systematic investigation of nature provides “knowledge,” while narratives/myths can teach “wisdom.” These are fuzzy categories of separation due to the human experience as a social creature in the immanent world of material and formal domains. Just wisdom is not wisdom without knowledge and even worse just knowledge is not wisdom. Synthesis of the two towards a harmonious whole ought to (in my opinion) be pursued through the experience/journey of life both for the individual and for the collective.

The western cultural-intellectual global hegemony brought about by the rational scientific rigor of modernity was to a degree a necessity out of which the free thinkers of the 15^th-17^th century emerged. The mythological narratives to idealize wisdom and the virtues of life had been corrupted to such an extent that, at the time, morally responsible intellectuals probably justifiably felt that “rational enlightenment” was the best means to mend the malaise of irrational formulas of interpretation of Sacred Scriptures. A revival of atomism in science and Democracy via governments in political organization and the freedom to autonomous thinking brought about a new conception for egalitarian ideals of human self identification beyond the limits of strict feudalism and the downfall of the political-church. This new more materialist/positivist approach and the scientific methods produced superior interpretive methods of investigating and coming to “know” the natural world. The ability to transform new knowledge into technology brought about the values of a new class of inventors. The use of superior technology brought about western European secular socio-cultural hegemony (unfortunately, but not always, through the use of superior military technology). At least through the lens of military, political, economic superiority the western European tradition in the last three centuries has shown to be the dominating force. The global world has to different degrees harmonized the values and characteristics of the modern western-European enterprise. Rational knowledge universal in orientation coupled with unimaginable efficiency in creating new technology along with the rules of capitalism has brought about a more level playing field in which the modern game of culture building for global dominance through secular western-European rules no longer is a game dominated by the west. The “wild card” of America is the reliance on the current “military-political” dominance of America. China (and other Asian cultures such as Japan and Korea), India, Babylonian to only name a few of the “deep rooted” traditions are beginning to reemerge as cultural-intellectual “forces” that no military technology can overcome. Different cultural civilizations have different mechanisms and advantages once the western-European molded non-monoethnic America held together by the thin string of military power and the remaining vestiges of the secular government and modern myth of prosperity fall short of “dominance.” Life ought not to be a game in which the best pity those who cannot play their game and subject their superiority forcefully by flaunting their self indulgent make-believe status. Some will learn to compete, others will create new rules, and some may even fancy a new game altogether.

The rise and the passing of the torch of the western-European secular cultural tradition and modern protestant hegemony of socio-economic-political world-views into the American-centric sphere after the end of WWII, in my opinion, is in the near future culminating, if not has already culminated depending on the cultural lens one wears. Economically speaking (in modern terms) the quantitative value of Americans citizens in relationship to the global populace have and continue to depreciate beyond imaginable calculations and the masses are blinded by the simple fact that the perceived psychological value of American capital is “held together” (the veil has not been lifted) by a complex mixture of: benevolence (and the appreciation for some of the shinning values and monumental achievements of American culture and future innovations); world-community investors in American capitol (such as Chinese-Japanese bond purchases) and the international global network of major stock markets fearful of American socio-political-ethical premature implosion; and finally American military hegemony.

The cause of such a decline in the quantitative value of American citizens can be attributed to specifically three variables: first, the rise of a more educated working class in hugely populated nations such as China and India on the one hand; second, the other more industrial nations with the psychological necessity to rebuild economically after WWII vigorously motivated around social organization built around principles of efficiency that produce qualitatively better products of modern needs (such as car’s, TV’s and cell phones) have out paced the American citizenry (such as the Germans and Japanese); and finally the lack of wisdom and effort behind the recent educational system that are producing quantitatively less qualitatively competitive citizens (on all fronts including the game of economics). The cause of the decline in the value of American capitol can also be view and simply stated as over consumption and the perceived necessity to consume imported products to our own demise while not being able to export “enough” (relationally speaking to how much America imports). These causes along with infrastructural problems in investment, such as the lack of planning and foresight of the newer cities have produced many inefficient cities (the suburban sprawl) that are bound to the necessity of an automobile to a degree that over consumption of petroleum is by nature an essential component of many of the cities, or the laissez-faire attitude of the government towards corporate enterprises for the profit motive, or even more troubling in recent years is the rise of psychological fear that has lead many infantile investors to value gold more than its own American capitol, has in my opinion lead to the demise of American “freedom.” It is the military force that America at least during the Bush administration relied so heavily on, in keeping the American hegemony, but in doing so, exploited even bigger economic future disadvantages (such as financing the education of the next generation, or creating new more constructive opportunities to generate wealth).

If the “economic” factors of quantitative decline of the American citizens together with the decline in the value of the capitol was the only issue at hand then pulling the plug (or to use my parents’ words: “we’re cutting you off, except for food and shelter and books”) maybe the best, most organic way for America to redefine itself socio-culturally and grow-up. But curtailing hedonistic tendencies that at least for my generation has been the staple for happiness (due to the affluence of the previous generation) “abruptly” coupled with a lack of moral training due to unwise and capitalistically motivated/funded “myth making” media conglomerates may produced potentially devastating outcomes on socio-political levels both domestically and internationally. If the American citizenry were an monoethnic people and had deeper-rooted traditions then domestically the intelligent would in times of distress slowly emerge to create an organic reorganization (such as Germany after the 1929 great depression [but hindsight of the horrors of WWII non-monoethnic cultural identification of America has its values {but then again it was the issue of non-monoethnic together with extreme ethnocentrism in secular western Europe through the “science” of race that emerged that created the horrific outcome that it did}]). But, (in my opinion) the beauty of the American cultural-historical-tradition as a place of “freedom” and the emergence of one of the first global communities composed of different generations of migrants from around the world in the pursuit of the American dream, the essence of capitalism, has turned into an repulsive consumer based capitalistic non-monoethnic slave state motivated by greed on hedonistic principles. America has at least during my life/generation thus far become exponentially worse to the point that “cutting America off” if not done wisely can unravel the harmony of America and the rest of the nation-states as a diverse community made up of many ethnic-cultural-religious groups. Signs of disharmony internationally can be seen in the rise of Christian belief that Islam is Satanic, or secular anti-Semitism in Islamic garb in hostility towards Israel’s presence in the Middle East can be seen for example already escalating. Domestically in America signs of disharmony can be seen in the attitudes of political disunity (emphasis on deeply conservative views of people with more “liberal” attitudes towards the freedom of choice and thought). As the veil is removed to uncover the mirror, I deeply worry that the hedonist beast of modernity will react at the sight of its own reflection of the self and pursue morally irrational an unforgivable actions such as a new world war. Of course this is only a potential outcome, but if the statistics of the rise in population for resources, or the rise in white supremacist groups, or the rise in right wing Christian evangelical bloc are signs of social unity in one respect it is also a sign of American and world disunity and chaos. If the diverse global community and  America was held together by the prosperity of capitalism as its essential nature (and consumerism lead by the principles belief that one can “buy happiness” have lead to the current “immanent” situation, together with bad mythology) and capitalism is removed “so-to-speak” as the essential nature of America to the minds of the masses too quickly as new(old?) ideologies replace them, unpredictable and potentially devastating outcomes maybe unavoidable without the presence of global lighters working harmoniously towards a smoother transition. All (and infinitely more that are not considered here) are variables that lead me to believe that America’s future along with some of the global westernized communities of nation-states that have assimilated the what used to be the “thus of modernity” if not handled with intellectual and moral care can find themselves chained in the “darkness” of the cave.  

My own aesthetic appreciation for life viewed as an interpretation and/or game is a collective effort of contemplation best dominated by passive extreme self critique of “everything” and the responsibility towards being able to synthesizethe present situation harmoniously with the organic developments of life. Winning then is being able to appreciate and interpret the other (whether an individual or a collective or just “nature”) to learn how to be a better creature for oneself but more importantly to realize the responsibility towards family, community, earth and the future – in the end I always lose, but win the opportunity to try again. To use Taoist logic/thinking on western Aristotelian categories the game is to become a mover by never accepting the self-status of the unmoved-mover, to appreciate the infinitesimal process of life as a mysterious journey of always trying to move without moving. Or in the Shakespearian improvisational logic using Zen and Judaic categories the stage is set for actors to be in zazen, opening the hand of thought to the innumerable characters and the essence of each experience one feels responsible to meditate on – to be still and creative on the stage of life.

Wisdom, in my present state of being, is to recognize that life is too short to just focus on one tradition or one aspect of one lifestyle, while also realizing that life is too long not to focus on a tradition. It is to go beyond linear thinking and finding new ways of interpreting time in which harmony of self contemplation about past experiences of life and the values of what we learned to help idealized a more realistic hopeful future-to-come, while always trying to improve on the ability to “be” in the moment conscious though of the task of paving our road toward individual and collective redemption is always in need of refinement. It is to idealize an ascetic monk-like life, a serenity of simplicity beyond the chaos of civilization, but to intuitively realize that I have innumerable reasons both self-created goals and aspirations and more importantly ancestral responsibility to the contribution towards internal and external familial harmony that ought to be pursued before I can peacefully meditate in silence.