Doctrine of Beauty

Because there is so much news of cruelty and violence in our world and because the spirit of us all can be diminished by hearing and reading about this, I have decided to document beauty wherever I find it.

You may not agree with my point of view and that is fine. To read this and even argue with it, is at least a crack in the wall of darkness that dominates social and corporate funded media, and our public conversations are influenced by that.

Below are values I cling to as I ponder how to bring conversations back to the community and family level. Beauty, in my opinion, is whatever has not been corrupted by greed or hate.  It  inspires and feeds my spirit.

1. Self Esteem.  What is self esteem and where does it come from? Is it winning races, contests, being top of the class or is it a recognition that you are capable, lovable and you belong here.

2. Reverence for Life. Is it gratitude for nature's diversity? Is it putting the well being of our community before our own self-interest or that your self-interest is bound by a reverence for life?

3. Wealth.  What is wealth? I think it is a collection of things which allow me the comfort and security to live without fear for myself and my loved ones. A home, access to water, a bathroom, a bed, a kitchen to prepare my own meals, a pension plan, medical coverage, access to medication, a basic income, respect from my employer, hope for the future, and time in nature.

4. Mental Health.  Confidence in getting through the day, coping with challenges, admitting I'm wrong when I've made a mistake, crying when I need to cry, and laughing when I need to laugh.  Being able to focus on a task, not allowing negative messaging to undermine my contributions, having reasonable expectations and compassion for myself and others.

5. Social Health. When I feel safe to be myself and know we will not be publicly humiliated, a place that values creativity not cruelty.

6. Doctrine of Beauty.  So this is not about the manufactured beauty shown in magazines and advertising, this is the beauty of moments, of a lived life breathing within and around us. To notice what is unique and what is familiar. It is the legacy of a planet that is cherished. We are responsible for maintaining its health and to heal what is broken and sick.  This is about the power of nurture rather than control.

26 Billionaires and 3.8 Billion Poor

A report (by Alexandra Jacobo) from Oxfam says inequality is not inevitable - it is a political choice. 26 billionaires own as much as the world’s 3.8 billion poorest people. "While the world’s richest people saw their fortunes swell by over $900 billion last year, or $2.5 billion a day, the world’s poorest actually lost wealth..."

While most of the world struggled to recover since the financial crisis in 2008, the number of billionaires has doubled. Public services have been cut while women are expected to fill the gaps with unpaid care. Men hold 50 percent more of the world's worth than women.

The global elite and large corporations fight against plans for progressive policies while their fortunes are increased with tax cuts. Health care, education and public services that attempt to reduce the gap between haves and have-nots are being dried up, shut down.

When a child is born

If we are privileged enough to live in a community that protects and values life, we come in contact with friends and relatives who have a new life to celebrate.

When I look at a new born I am in awe again with the beauty of it. The tiny hands and fingers, the flesh that looks almost transparent it is so delicate. I am taken away from the world of power, politics, strategy and cynicism.  And what I am looking at is a mystery in the flesh, a potential that hasn't revealed itself.

This new life could become a peace maker, a defender for justice, or a billionaire who spends his or her energy selling arms to terrorists.

This new life is going to be affected by the stories she or he hears, the varied ways his or her parents nurture whatever shines through in her personality. This new life will be diminished or held in care by the environment.

To think of all that could go right or wrong is overwhelming and brings me back to my own choices.

We Don't Want Prosperity or Justice

Usually, all it takes is 30-40% of the population to determine the outcomes of our democracy. Less than half the population who have  chosen gadgets and toys above clean water, clean air, or good health. 40% who are not interested in equality, because, if they look closely at their preferences,  what they (we) want is superiority.

Superiority is a fantasy of being part of a tribe, race or nation that is wealthier, more intelligent, of good breeding, who are entitled to control others.

Political parties who claim to want equality have to be so careful how they phrase that. The word itself diminishes the hope of "getting ahead", "being on top", "control". Equality is a threat to the  massaged ego looking for any opportunity to win. How can anyone or anything prove itself in a world that values all?

There are many literary references to this ego. Othello, Death of a Salesman, and countless TV dramas.  George Orwell, Margaret Atwood, among many others, have offered the cautionary tale. Public intellectuals and journalists such as Chris Hedges, Noam Chomski, Naomi Klein, write about the cost of inequality, elitism and abuse of power.

Yet back in the early sixties Tommy Douglas managed to get medicare for the Canadian public, and CBC managed to broadcast the voices of ordinary people across Canada.  This was not too long after WWII where the call for equality and social justice was seen as a way to avoid the horrors of fascism that feeds off the vulnerable isolated people, in a world that values power more than justice and sustainability.

All that we have is under threat because of the ambitions of men and the rising gap between haves and have-nots. The battle is between the personal fantasies of our elite and the masses who have been robbed.

Trump's ability to win an election was because he had money, contacts, and a lack of conscience as he used every trick to divide and conquer the masses who are competing for survival.

To the ego that is so badly damaged through poverty, abuse and neglect, this feels like somebody will fix it all. This is what got Hitler elected and the result was death, torture and the destruction of an entire continent. The cost was millions of lives, herculean battles against despair, humility and cooperation.

Here we are facing this threat again and people can't be reached through facts, reason, justice or debate. As we look upon another election that threatens to return more power to large corporations, in a business climate that shows no conscience, willing to destroy the planet for the sake of profit, it appears as though we are ready to hand the reins again to the exclusive promise of jobs and the economy.

"Jobs and economy" has now moved away from living wages and healthy families, and is now shorthand for selling all of creation to the bottom line, sacrificing humanity to the tricksters of greed. We shall get sick in body and mind, angry and alienated from family and neighbours, in our pursuit of wealth.  We shall be starved of joy and peace, in a continual state of homelessness where violence and crime destabilize police forces, health care and education. And those human values dismissed as naive while politicians and business people think like lizards to compete for your vote.

How can we reach the emotions and integrity of those for whom politics is either an entertainment, irrelevant or a mystery?  How can we get the disenfranchised to care about what is really happening so they can see how their vulnerability is played against them?

For justice to find its voice, we have to care enough to read against ourselves. To find a way of resisting against the swamp like arguments and resurrect hope, compassion and cooperation for the greater good.