Thursday, November 23, 2006

ADAPTING

adapt [uh-dapt]
1.to make suitable to requirements or conditions; adjust or modify fittingly: They adapted themselves to the change quickly. He adapted the novel for movies.
2.to adjust oneself to different conditions, environment, etc.: to adapt easily to all circumstances.

I remember seeing Yahudi Menuhin, in speaking of his mother’s survival of Nazi Germany, say something to the effect that she came out the other side of the horror of that time intact because she never adapted to the artificial conditions; she always remembered who she was. That has stayed with me ever since as the understanding of the two diametrically opposed definitions of the word adapt.

I was well into this post when I interrupted it to catch this morning’s Democracy Now Thanksgiving Day broadcast, featuring:
Eloise Cobell, a Blackfeet Indian and the plaintiff in the landmark lawsuit Cobell v. Kempthorne, on behalf of 300,000 Native Americans and is the largest class action lawsuit ever filed against the U.S. government.
Felix Villca, an Aymara Indian and a senior advisor to the Bolivian Foreign Ministry in the government of Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous leader.
Sheila Watt-Cloutier, representing the more than 150,000 Inuit of Canada, Greenland, Alaska, and Russia (no pic available).
Mililani Trask, speaking about the U.S. invasion of Hawaii and the entire Pacific, all speaking at the "Indigenous Peoples' Resistance to Economic Globalization a Celebration of Victories, Rights and Cultures" teach-in put on by the International Forum on Globalization.

No more fitting program could be imagined, here during the most arrogantly hypocritical celebration of United States’ hubris, to face the facade with what it would prefer remain under the rug. I highly recommend watching every minute of this broadcast for the inspiration of seeing the power of an indigenous population unified in speaking for their equal rights to institutions based on ignoring them. Felix Villca, in speaking of the realization of the Bolivian indigenous people that they were 80% of the population without representation, being robbed by the government, said to themselves, “We can do this!” and elected Evo Morales president and are renegotiation all the corporate contracts for fair distribution of wealth.

We need a citizen's union in the United States in lieu of a common indigenous, ethnic background in solidarity with the Native Americans to begin to truly represent ourselves, not only to the government, but to ourselves as a way to realize the enormity of the part of our population that can agree on what we have only grumbled about under our breath, on finding a better way to live than being the pawns in the elite power establishment's misrepresentation and pilfering of the national treasury to the neglect of basic human needs. This citizen’s union would not be a political party as much as a council of tribes reappearing to haunt the ancestors of Custer. I feel sure that at least eighty percent of the United States’ population could sign on to an alternative to the present treatment of the environment and the populations of other countries and neglect of people’s rights at home.

Not only was the program no interruption at all, but a real life paraphrase of Menuhin’s observation of his mother’s life, in that each of the speakers expressed their subjugation to globalization’s tyranny as a result of preferring to remain in harmony with nature rather than adapt to the artificiality of western culture being led so stridently by the country that celebrates Thankstaking Day. “Thanks, I’ll take that, and this, what else ya got?”. As Sheila Watt-Cloutier said of the human rights aspect of global warming, "I want the governments to respect our right to be cold!"

So, with no diversion, more a synchronistic emphasis of the subject, adapting, I’ll carry on with where I was going with this. There is definitely two definitions to the word, adapt: number one above is covering the world in leather and number two is learning to wear ones own shoes. Western civilization is showing itself to be be a case of a people perfectly adapted to life on earth in harmony with the nature being taken over by the notion that it was their right, nay, their god commanded duty to adapt nature to their whims as befits the exclusive gift they received.

The only example of insanity in nature is the willful refusal to adapt to nature’s way, which makes western civilization the most insane idea to occur in our history of human thought. Insanity within western civilization is willful refusal to adapt to civilization’s way. Call me crazy, but it seems much more sane to wear my own shoes than to try to make the world suit my feet everywhere I choose to wander. Besides, being a natural being myself, I feel like my adaptation to nature’s way was ensured at birth and is finally being realized more and more every day I pay attention.

15 comments:

Garth said...

Great stuff as usual.
Reading this I was reminded of William Burrough's Thanksgiving Prayer and this painting by Magritte.

John1975 said...

I hope I don't sound to ignorant here but, I had a hard time reading this post; perhaps its the alcohol in me at the moment. I think I understood it but, then I'm not sure.

That being said, my grandmother was full bloded Native American. Me though, I'm as white as the background on this comment page I'm looking at right now. I've never considered myself to be Native American because I've always felt it would insult those of a darker skin tone.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I can agree with what I understood you were trying to say. I hate discrimination, racism and those who abuse and treat others like shit. It boils my blood to see someone strong use this trait to hurt those who are weaker.

John

troutsky said...

Call me crazy as well! These arrogant narratives of American exceptionalism run smack into this horrible stain on our national history. We stopped at the Sioux Nation museum in S.Dakota last week where i read it took the white man less than 80 years to slaughter the buffalo into near extinction!

In my interaction with indigenous peoples up here (Montana has several reservations) I find them curiously hyper-patriotic, many having proudly served in Viet Nam and many now going to Iraq.

Yodood said...

well, trout, you have to admit they are fighting for their country. Have you watched the video? I tell ya, I feel spiritual solidarity to the indigenous people in the world that I have never quite been able to work up for we children of the invaders. A union made of the unrepresented people all over the world from Inuits to Tierra del Fuego natives and poor slobs like me that don't want to run the world, we just don't want the world running us, any part of it. How long did indigenous people live without governments? Forever, 'til now. Is it too late to grow back our virginity, our indigenousness, our ethnicity, our symbiosis with and guidance from nature? If I can do it anyone can.

Hi, John, yeah its the alcohol and no you didn't misunderstand the indigenous part, you just didn't catch the shoes, and leather covered world part. Let me know what happens with your rock.

John1975 said...

Individuals can do what you speak of but, a nation as a whole can not hope to survive if they revert back to these days.

Islam wants to rule the world, Christians are so sold on thier BS ways...one of many nations would eventually try and take over these people.

I hate what happened to the Native Americans but, I'm glad that America is what it is today, well, mostly anyway.

Yodood said...

You are glad that America (the US) is what you hate it took to become? Sounds pretty confused there John. The US, not "America," became what it is by genocidal theft and it maintains what it is by fear mongering hysteria about retaliation for its self-inflicted insult as a launching pad for old agendas of perpetually atrocious war to keep you employed and the world at bay.

John1975 said...

I knew you would respond this way ;)

In a way I agree with you but, I wasn't talking about U.S. Policy, it's genocidal theft or any government entitiy! I was talking about her people, the very citizens who will, when need be, put their lives at risk to stand up and fight against those who should be fought against.

Some may see 9-11 as a self inflicted insult but, this was comming no matter what our leaders did. This war on Islamic terror has been a long time comming. In a way I'm proud to be doing my part! That being said though, our leaders, their policies and the way this war has been wages is an insult and detremental to our lives as human beings.

With respect, you seem to hold a grudge or two? Myself, I trey to put aside all personal feelings and base my judgment and decesions on what I see and experience. Common sense should tell anyone that Islam is bad simply because it's so called non-terroristic leaders refuse to take a stand against those who use their religion for terror against those who are innocent.

Again, I'm talking about that child killed in a reasturant, or that mother and father or grandparent killed in that IED - not our government or the policies and tactics of our so called leaders.

John

Yodood said...

John, John, John you are letting all the good sense I took you to have from some of your posts run down your leg with this comment. I love that you care about the individuals you have written about, but your condemning all muslims for the terrorists is like blaming all Christians, most "Americans," for Bush's terrorism because they are not stopping him. I can only ask that you go to the further left forum and my post, "Governments Lie" and watch what Howard Zinn has to say. We can talk further then.

John1975 said...

Well, that's the beauty of the human mind - not all of us think alike.

I think you are wrong though, for there are thousands upon thousands of "Christians" speaking out against Bush, his tactics and the wrong invasion of Iraq! I'm one, but I don't consider myself Christian - I really do not like organized religion.

On the flip side, the Muslims and their leaders cowerdly bow down to these extremists giving their religion a bad name. So, in a way, the christians you mention are doing the only thing they can by speaking out and protesting Bush. They are trying to stop him by speaking out because they are free people not afriad of reprisals from their government or some terrorist thug.

The Muslims do not! Instead they want to cry and complain about racism, profiling and discrimination.

Yodood said...

One last stab, and then I'll let the thinking part … primarily you are condemning an entire area of the world and believers in its religion all over the world for the actions of a comparitively few terrorist extremists, while justifying the terror the "leader of the free world" and its Jewish henchmen wreak upon hundreds of thousands of completely innocent civilians with its occupation, giving its civilian contractors time to loot the country and build crap shanties. Give me a break. If you want to argue with this … don't bother. By the way, those protesting Christians are getting arrested. Yeah, free country. I take it you didn't watch the Howard Zinn video.

John1975 said...

I can't watch the video, my ISP won't let me - I'm actually surprised I'm able to visit your blog...Sorry.

No, I'm not condemning anyone. I'm just saying shame on them for not standing up and doing something about those who want to take over the world and rule with an iron fist. Yet they are the first in line to cry and complain.

I didn't think we were arguing ;)

What would have us do? Do you think these extremists are going to spare your life simply because you go against the norm? They will kill you simply because of your nationality. What would be your strategy for dealing with this current war, WWIII?

And like I said above, I agree with you on how how this war is being waged. I've turned down many a job in Iraq making over six figures...sometimes even 1k a day.

I hope you are not taking any of this personal, for I'm not! I take nothing personal and its impossible for you to offend me.

How is anyone to learn anything without discussions like this? I wish the world would have more like them.

Yodood said...

It's all just information. I now know only what you say you think and you the same of me and if it were natural for us to think alike we'd all be so small we could fit in the same place. I like the variety, sort of like route step march when crossing a bridge, much more stability.

As you may gather, I am an absolute newbie at world affairs, which until 9/11 was restricted to Amsterdam and indigenous cultures. The notice I have sat up and taken is quite alarming, I can almost see the hob nails in the jack boots especially considering how far back this agenda goes

troutsky said...

Your expanded zone of interst is nothing but good gregrandgar, don't be discouraged when you run up against a hardened position.

I understand Johns point and would suggest there is more the vast majority of moderate muslims could do to condemn extremism.On the other hand, John, you assume a free flow of information exists so that you would have the knowledge of all Muslim opinion against jihadism to counter your knowledge that "they cowardly bow down" or that they "cry and complain". First of all, this free flow of information does NOT exist. Question your sources.My second point is that Islam is weak, Arab states are weak, and the Western world has hegemonic control over the entire planet.Not that we can intervene everywhere (as we now see) but we can leave and still have the worlds strongest military force and economic control.This creates an asymetrical situation, in terms of power.We grant special priveleges,as it were, to the weak who are attempting to resist the strong.Oppressed are held to a different standard than the oppressors. Do you agree so far? The British forces complained that the Revolutionary forces did not "fight fair" but we allow for these tactical considerations to be determined by relative strenghth and weakness. This does not excuse acts of terrorism but helps to explain them. The difference to those resisting a great force between "targeting" civilians (as in 9/11) and civilians ending up as collateral damage (as in the Shock and Awe campaign) is not readily apparentt.

The question is then, is religious extremism simply a historical force whose only solution is annihilation or is it a symptom of some disorder with roots we can analyze and fix? Can it be prevented?

Yodood said...

It seems like the extremists excuse themselves for any offense by claiming to be doing god's business, as if they had chosen another or none of the above they would act more harmoneously. Fighting for peace is like fucking for chastity. Peace is a state unto itself, without reference to any strive it may be relief from. Like domestic cats can only run away and become feral, but never wild. We can only enjoy enforced peace having taken murderous aggression as a way of life. Many generations down the road may actually have true peace, and they won't even know it, just as I and many of my friends pass it and happiness right by in too intent a search of them, when they travel with us locked in our hearts.

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