My suggestion that I felt a degree of empathy for Bush in his final failing days in office sparked quite a spirited exchange on my friend Bumble Ward's Facebook page, which is where I first posted my comments. Here is the conversation to date:
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I love the Guardian piece, thanks Bumble.
What scares me about Bush is that, in his last and failing days, even I find myself feeling empathy for him at times, which is to discount the terrible wrongdoing, incompetence and death he has caused (think of "Shock and Awe" and the criminal bombing of Baghdad alone). Bush is another Bernie Madoff, or vice versa, and the awful truth about both is the astonishing corruption (both literal and moral) that lone individuals can encompass, and the worldwide havoc they can wreak. Madoff's assault on philanthropy alone should earn him a special place in the hell I don't believe in, and I hope that my moments of empathy for Bush are simply that which makes us all human. To empathize is not necessarily to sympathize; forgiveness is a key virtue but it does not require us to forget wrongdoing, rather to learn from it. Here ends my sermon for today:-)
It's generally not okay to have empathy for war criminals and politicians who rape their country for greed. Who else is on your list? Tito? Mobutu? We need a little less empathy and a little more retribution. I thrust my palm in your face.... and thanks Bumble...
Matti, honey, take your meds (mwah, mwah)
Matti, to quote The Dhammapada, which I know better than I know you: O let us live in joy, amongst those who hate! Among men who hate, let us live in love.
And as someone with a lifelong abhorrence of the death penalty (I don't believe a country can call itself civilized if it uses it), I felt sickened even by Saddam Hussein's execution.
Happy Holidays!
And as someone with a lifelong abhorrence of the death penalty (I don't believe a country can call itself civilized if it uses it), I felt sickened even by Saddam Hussein's execution.
Happy Holidays!
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And I don't know you from Adam but feel your love for the haters (I guess that's me). I too was sickened by the execution of Saddam Hussein Al-Tikriti, not because I give a damn about what happens to a murderous tyrant but because not one drop of American blood should have been spilled in the process. We didn't belong there -- ... Read More
And I don't know you from Adam but feel your love for the haters (I guess that's me). I too was sickened by the execution of Saddam Hussein Al-Tikriti, not because I give a damn about what happens to a murderous tyrant but because not one drop of American blood should have been spilled in the process. We didn't belong there -- ... Read More
This is all just low kneejerk meanspirited bullying. Shame on you!
Hi Freddie, look what you've been missing all this time! x
Matti, as a parent, human being and citizen, I try to view life as closely as possible through Buddhist eyes. I admit it's hard at times. I felt something akin to hatred (a word I try not to use) for Cheney more than Bush, although Bush is obviously equally deserving, and I agree with you that Iraq was wrong and a crime, although not simply for the American blood (why is that always so much more valuable?) but for the innocent Iraqis, too (and there were thousands of them), who had suffered enough under Hussein. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove et al should be impeached and/or imprisoned, but it won't happen and it wouldn't change what happened. Let us pray that Barack Obama, who is a man whose integrity and passion have vastly impressed me for far more than a year, will do something to restore basic human values to our society...and try to turn your sympathy/empathy dial up just a notch for the holidays:-)
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