Thursday, October 28, 2004
In response to my utopian liberal brother's poem
My brother sent me his poem that laments me for believing in using violence against the Jihadists and for abandoning utopian liberalism and new age spirituality. My response follows:
Norman,
Your poem is logically incoherent: to speak about unconditional love and then call me narrow and reactive and to call President Bush a dolt speaks volumes for your New Age Fundamentalism. Yes, you are a Fundamentalist: All forms of Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, or Moslemism or whatever religious expression that do not fit into the lens you believe as the Truth -- as you 'feel' it -- it is reflexively partitioned and condemned by your mind as being a delusion and just plain wrong -- a pure black and white judgement parading around as 'enlightenment'. In your narrow-mindedness (as it allows no alternatives) if someone disagrees with you, then they are a lost fool. What arrogance and silliness this self-contradictory argument displays. You see the world in black and white: people who 'love' in your prescribed way are right and all else is wrong. This has not humility and not openness to explore how someone can think or believe differently. You would not survive in an intellectually challenging environment because you are simply afraid of any alternative. You defend against this observation by stating defensively that you are right because you 'feel' it; thus, I am wrong for the same reason. You don't know true love. All you have are utopian delusions and judgmentalism parading around as open-mindedness: this is your fundamentalism and it is as closed minded as any fundamentalism you yourself condemn. So please don't pity me. Your patronizing 'caring' for me just demonstrates you inability to deal with a multidimensional reality. It is a cleverly disguised form of intolerance and an act of emotional violence. You ultimately deny differences as being real and thus you pigeonhole those who have valid and justifiable disagreements as lost souls. Take a look in the mirror to see who is lost. I am tired of 'open-minded' people calling me narrow-minded because I do not agree with this sly and cunning fundamentalism.
In the future, leave me alone with talk of politics and religion. From my perspective, you don't know what you are talking about, you don't know me, and 'frankly, madam, I don't give a damn' about your good intentions.
Just deal with me as a person who loves gardening, computers, good food, and insightful and investigative discussion. But I will not be you 'Stepford brother' programmed with and parroting post-modern deconstructive incoherence.
Norman,
Your poem is logically incoherent: to speak about unconditional love and then call me narrow and reactive and to call President Bush a dolt speaks volumes for your New Age Fundamentalism. Yes, you are a Fundamentalist: All forms of Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, or Moslemism or whatever religious expression that do not fit into the lens you believe as the Truth -- as you 'feel' it -- it is reflexively partitioned and condemned by your mind as being a delusion and just plain wrong -- a pure black and white judgement parading around as 'enlightenment'. In your narrow-mindedness (as it allows no alternatives) if someone disagrees with you, then they are a lost fool. What arrogance and silliness this self-contradictory argument displays. You see the world in black and white: people who 'love' in your prescribed way are right and all else is wrong. This has not humility and not openness to explore how someone can think or believe differently. You would not survive in an intellectually challenging environment because you are simply afraid of any alternative. You defend against this observation by stating defensively that you are right because you 'feel' it; thus, I am wrong for the same reason. You don't know true love. All you have are utopian delusions and judgmentalism parading around as open-mindedness: this is your fundamentalism and it is as closed minded as any fundamentalism you yourself condemn. So please don't pity me. Your patronizing 'caring' for me just demonstrates you inability to deal with a multidimensional reality. It is a cleverly disguised form of intolerance and an act of emotional violence. You ultimately deny differences as being real and thus you pigeonhole those who have valid and justifiable disagreements as lost souls. Take a look in the mirror to see who is lost. I am tired of 'open-minded' people calling me narrow-minded because I do not agree with this sly and cunning fundamentalism.
In the future, leave me alone with talk of politics and religion. From my perspective, you don't know what you are talking about, you don't know me, and 'frankly, madam, I don't give a damn' about your good intentions.
Just deal with me as a person who loves gardening, computers, good food, and insightful and investigative discussion. But I will not be you 'Stepford brother' programmed with and parroting post-modern deconstructive incoherence.
