Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Observations 1.25

".... this country has frankly become a warfare state built on affluence, a power structure in which the interests of big business, the obsessions of the military, and the phobias of political extremists both dominate and dictate our national policy. It also seems that most people in this country are by and large reduced to passivity, confusion, resentment, frustration, thoughtlessness, and ignorance, so that they blindly follow any line that is unraveled for them by the mass media."

Trappist monk Thomas Merton wrote that in 1963 in the preface of his collected letters for peace "The Cold War Letters." I read that earlier today and just found it fascinating that it was written almost fifty years ago yet if you didn't know you would think it was written yesterday. I'm not trying to say anything with this but I felt like sharing.

Early reviews of the State of the Union speech say well done Mr. President, time will tell. Republican response, "Washington shouldn't be in the business of picking winners and losers." Isn't that exactly what Washington is in the business of?