Oh America!

muhammadyassir:

Thanks for interacting, even if it is a bit late! I agree with us being materialistic; i was only observing a section of American society that is different form out perceptions...I don`t think I have been overly critical....and that took some effort.

F

American society is kinda materialistic, but then our own society is materialistic. We run after things that could make us happy for a time being but not forever. We worship money the same way as they do, though we spend them differently. so blaming the american society and saying that they are hiding behind this superficial bubble, this mask is not right. We all are. This world as a whole is hiding behind things that could prevent it from knowing the truth because it is so involved with little tiny things that make them happy.
Fortunately, there are people who are like us. I would incourage you to read 1984 by George Orwell and Brave New World By Aldous Huxley if you have not read those books yet. They will give you a good insight to the same prospective but with a different view.
People have been brainwashed by the governements, media and all the controlling bodies that they want them to indulge in intoxicating their bodies with concrete that will block their brains from thinking and pondering.
I liked your article though, it was well established and very well written. You argued your points which is cool but then its also your opinion, I have my own opinion and I have stated it.

Trillium: Salam

You seem always to be in a high blood-pressure condition. Try to bring it lower. You know it is not good for your health!!

#75 by ana_dobarah
``I think I shall just shake the dust off my feet here and walk away. ``
The dust my dear is on your lips, from kissing F.V.`s A$$.... have a nice bidet..

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trillium...
i happen to live in America, and i`ve lived here for most of my life...just where the hell are you...given your responses, you live in venom spewing country...it really doesn`t pay to respond to pricks like you, which is why Farzana is the more dignified one in this case. I think I shall just shake the dust off my feet here and walk away.

#72 by ana_dobarah on January 19, 2003 12:24pm PT
Trillium...
``you are sadly deluded, good man..``

You obviously don`t live in America and you`re obviously the tailor for F.V.`s spiffy new invisible clothes...

Trillium...
you are sadly deluded, good man...by the numbers that turned out at anti-war demonstrations throughout the country...and those who didn`t march but supported the marchers on the sidelines...you are totally misguided in thinking that 99.9% of Americans support the action in Iraq.
as for your vitriol against Farzana...sticks and stones.

#68 by Saminasha
``Anti War Demos Across the US``

I can appreciate your anti-war zeal - but fact is, both actively and by default, 99.9% of Americans support the action against Iraq. Sad, I know.

The hypocrisy of this peace is typical of the narcissistic F.V.
We were recently regaled about the unfitness of Rushdie and Nepal to speak of such matters - yet here comes F.V. Gimme a break, maaaaan..

````The real danger of President Bush`s plans for Iraq is that they are based on the belief that evil can be eradicated from the world. St Augustine knew better and so, after centuries of experience, do Europeans.
By John Gray


According to Javier Solana, formerly secretary general of Nato and currently the European Union`s high representative for foreign relations and security, US foreign policy - particularly towards terrorism - is increasingly shaped by a belief in evil.

In Europe, we see terrorism as one of several threats to the world.

They include poverty and climate change, and each has causes that can be alleviated.

In America, by contrast, terrorism is seen as supremely evil, the work of dark forces that must be defeated and eliminated.

This rift in transatlantic attitudes is not simply a reflection of diverging interests and priorities.

It is a difference in culture.

The perception of evil that drives current American foreign policy makes sense against the background of the intense religiosity that pervades American culture.

It is only in this context that one can represent Saddam Hussein or the Palestine Liberation Organisation as expressions of sheer malignity.

In secular, post-Christian Europe, Solana seems to be suggesting, we simply do not believe in evil in this way.``

Anti War Demos Across the US

If you are interesting in hearing the broadcasts of the march on Washington, New Mexico and San Francisco, tune in to www.wbai.org. On the East Coast: 99.5 FM

re: post #66
The sentence ``The 5 blind men, who were told to ....`` should read:
The 5 blind men were asked to describe..... Just a grammatical error.
Sridhar

re:#54 by S.P.Wakil
A nice post. The elephant analogy is often told to spiritual aspirants to bring home a point. The 5 blind men, who were told to describe an elephant, gave different versions of what they taught an elephant looked like. These blind men are synonymous with the religious beliefs. Few have seen the whole picture (the whole elephant), each saw a part of the whole picture. Each is right in his own way but does not tell the complete truth.
The religious tension in today`s world is about one`s version of God and His teachings when few have seen or heard Him (like the blind men in the story). A few prophets down the ages have been given the previlege but like the blind men, they too have seen only part of the picture. Even that has been so awe-inspiring that their lives have been changed for ever. We must never forget that we are like the blind men in the story and must always seek to forge an understanding between different religious belief systems.
sridhar

#63 by Saminasha on January 17, 2003 7:03am PT

Perhaps she disturbs their carefully balanced justifications for the contradictions between the west and our countries.. They see the problems at home and consider that they are unsolvable and latch on to the nearest peice of wood floating by. You can always expect gratidue from a drowning man. No amount of crituque of the log of wood will enable them to analyse that indeed there is shore somewhere and they can reach it. For them the log is all they have and they cant think of anything else.

#56 by FarhanNazeer

``Very disappointing, to say the least. Shallow and highly biased observation and opinions, generated from seemingly preconceived ideas. You should stick to writing about India, FV. ``

What makes you think her writings about India are any different?