2004-1-28 05:43:00
Andy writes:
Thanks for the exchange. It made interesting reading, Basically, I think we share the same views although our perspectives may differ. I know that there can be three attitudes to America: Some love to love her, hate to love her and some love to hate her. When people react to America it is not necessarily out of hate, and Americans will do well not to feel they are under fire.
JJ:
Thanks for your nice reply and pleasant attitude here. When I met Andy and his beautiful wife Belema I found them to be two of the friendliest most huggable people I have ever met.
Americans may seem a little sensitive to criticism, but none of the citizens of other countries on this list get a chance to test their mettle. Why? Because the United States is the only country criticized and the American president the only one attacked.
In our moderation services about half the posts rejected are from members straying far off topic to attack either Bush or the United States - and some of these are very viscous and major distortions. Every once in a while one still gets through or an unmoderated member will post something. I have great respect for Andy so I let his through with the idea of finally answering a few points.
I know that if I wanted to I could dig up some bad material on most any country or the citizens thereof and if I did I'm sure some on the list would be offended.
Overall, I think that unless there is some esoteric reason to discuss the pros and cons of a country we should look for the best in the various nations and their citizens.
It seems that citizens of other countries have been directed by some unseen force to come up with, not a positive, but a negative description of the typical American and that word is usually something like "obnoxious," "loud" or "egotistical."
As I said, I lived in England for two years and if someone directed me to state a negative description of the people to them I think I would refuse, even though I could come up with negative words if I thought about it. Rather than inflame my English friends I would rather direct myself to come up with positive words to describe them. For the English I would use words such as "kind," patient," and "generous."
For the country I would use words such as "responsible," "gutsy," and "creative."
Now this gives me the advantage of not having to deal with our English members having to defend their honor and their country, but leaving the list with a good taste in their mouths knowing this is the way I see them.
Unless we are exploring some critical teaching that requires mental analysis, it does little good to use negativity in describing the country or the people who are our friends.
So what positive words would I use in describing The United States and it's people? "Daring," "creative" and "helpful."
Someone pointed out that we are not so helpful because we are 22nd on the list of nations as far as foreign aid money goes as part of our GNP, but let me make these points. In actual dollars we give more foreign aid than any other country.
Secondly, a large percentage of the aid that we give is not classified as part of the foreign aid budget. I'm not sure about disaster relief or the $15 billion for AIDS in Africa.
We have undergone tremendous sacrifice and expense in protecting the freedoms of civilization. Without the great defense expenditures after World War II to the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Soviet Union would have run over the rest of the world and enslaved it. Money spent to protect the free world was not call foreign aid, but it was aid of the most important kind. Still today, no matter how much a people may hate us, if there is trouble or if they need bailed out in some way, they call upon us.
We are often accused of sticking our nose in other people's business, but in most cases it appears that way because someone asked us for help.
Japan today is one of the largest donators of foreign aid, but because we pay all the money and blood to defend them they have not had to expend on a military giving them more available money than they otherwise would have had. Many other nations are in the same boat. Because they know we will rise to their defense they do not have to outlay the tremendous funds necessary to have a military. Both Canada and Mexico have a negligible military because they know that they can depend on the United States to defend them. This is a major expenditure on foreign aid that we get little credit for.
Andy:
On the initiation ladder, it is possible that America is higher up than any other country. Perhaps she is going through her 3rd initiation. I am just making an intelligent speculation. Views could be more objective if we see ourselves as citizens of the world and not of any particular country.
JJ:
As far as initiations go DK tells us that humanity as a whole is working on its first initiation. When this is passed then I believe physical war will begin to be under control, but the battleground will shift to the astral plane. This new battleground is foreshadowed by the great conflict we see between the conservatives and liberals in the United States and other countries. The Bush/Gore election of 2000 represented a point of tension.
The United States went through the first initiation (the birth of the Christ in the heart) at the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It is interesting that its soul and personality rays, after birth, are the same as both Jesus and the Christ, rays 2 and 6 respectively. Now the tremendous emotional struggle of the people of this country, with George Bush as the focal point, symbolize the battle for emotional control.
Andy:
How will mankind attain the new world order where there will be oneness, brotherhood and cessation of hostilities? Will these conditions happen suddenly? Are there things we can do now to promote these? What is expected of us as aspirants and members of the NGWS New group of world servers? I sincerely would like to have your thoughts on these.
JJ:
Good question, Andy. The most important thing we can do as citizens of the world is to work to make the world safe from weapons of mass destruction - for, in the wrong hands, they could spell the end of civilization and we could the kiss the idea of a glorious new age goodbye.
I have composed a plan to solve the problem and will seek to promote this and other ideas when the day comes that we have power to do so. In the meantime we do what we can and prepare ourselves.
The plan is called "Project Peace and Good Will." You can find it at:
Declaration of Peace & Goodwill
A dimension is not a line; it is any way in which a thing can be measured that is entirely different from all other ways. Neville
Copyright 2004 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved