Walking the Walk versus Talking the Talk:

It is much easier to talk the talk than walk the
walk. It is always easier to criticize and kibbitz than it is to take action and do what is right. The thought
has long been a pet peeve, but this year truly brought the thought home. One November eleventh of this
year, our nation was “celebrating” Veterans Day, or Armistice Day, a far more meaningful name. Blustery
politicans perform their dutiful pantomime and recite long memorized homilies of patriotism and appreciation.
Businesses have their obligatory Veteran’s Day sale, trying mightily to reinforce the tenuous lie that saving
mega bucks on that large screen HD television is a meaningful way to memorialize the war dead. Everyone
went to bed happy that night because they spent one 24 hour period paying lip service to compassion and
memorializing those that gave their lives. But, on December 2, a short article was published stating that
veteran suicide rates have risen dramatically in the years since the Afghanistan and Iraq theaters opened. Yet, the article clearly missed the opportunity window. None of the politicians who had so eagerly jumped on the
patriotism bandwagon a few days before were around to press the issue. The general public had shifted their
short term attention to the Thanskgiving Day sales. That is just one example.
This lack of commitment to what is real and full throated commitment to what makes the individual
feel good and look good is not new, it has permeated society for ever. Ever since religion placed emphasis on
good work, the human mind has twisted that bit of altruism into a badge of vanity. Thanksgiving became
about pre-Christmas sales and gluttony. Christmas became about living beyond your means and showing off.
Charity giving became about star filled mega-concerts and black tie dinners. The idea of doing right by doing
right is too obscure and simple, it fell out of favor.
It is time for the obscure to rise up and be observed. Time to walk the walk. Doing what is right
is better than proslytizing and self-promotion. Quiet is better than loud. Doing is better than talking about
doing. Just a thought.

China and Olympics

As the time begins to tick away at the commencement of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, I am both excited and trepedacious. The Olympics is one of my favorite global events, even with all of its commercial imprints, its over the top milking of emotions, its less than stellar competition at times, and its preponderance of attention paid to gymnastics, swimming and track. I love the idea of the Olympics. I love the idea of bringing all the best in world at what they do and letting them do what they do together. But I am also trepedaciosu because this is in China.

One the one hand I want these Olympics to showcase my culture, I want to proclaim to the world that they ignore the Chinese at their own peril, that the little Chinamen are strong, resourceful, and smart. On the other hand I want to see the oligarchs of the communist party fall on their faces, I want to see them lose face, on the biggest stage in the world as the limelight shines on them. Afterall, they had asked for the attention, they have had eight years to prepare for a smoothly functioning event. They have had eight years to right the wrongs and to create a 21st centurey legacy for the future generations of Chinese people. But hey have not done so. Instead, what I am seeing, on the eve of their coming out party is a group old men, scared of what they have wrought, getting cold feet right before their big debut, resorting to decades old totalitairan tricks as the world is ready to celebrate their emergence into world leadership.

It is ironic that they are showing the world that they are incapable of pulling off a showcase event, let alone lead the world in all of its economic, political, and philosophical needs.

I hope the sports turn out to be excellent, because the hosts certainly are not doing their part. They have shown themselves to be niggling cowards of the ultimate sort.