Tail Wagging the Dog

With the periodic reporting of the Pew Poll to the effect that this month 18% of those polled thought that the President a Muslim, as opposed to 11% of those polled last month who thought the President a Muslim, one is compelled to ask “Why is the Pew (among others) asking folks whether they think the President is a Muslim ? In my minds eye I see the Pew people telephoning their little (how little ?) coterie of the misinformed, and politely asking “Do you think the President is a Muslim this month ? “, then spew out their periodic statistic. Immediately seized up by the AP and given the wildest possible dispersion, to be picked up and endlessly repeated by TV talking heads and published in the leading papers - ready packed and thoroughly digested disinformation whose sole purpose is to undermine the President’s effectiveness and create distrust and confusion. For whose benefit and to what end doesn’t get asked.

The tail is wagging the dog and those who still call themselves journalists should feel used and ashamed. Whatever it is, news it ain’t !

Musings - Music and Montebanks

After watching a TV broadcast of a rock concert, where the audience waived their arms in the air and ignighted cigarette lighters over head, I briefly lamented on the loss of rhythm and grace in contemporary dancing, and then , briefly, lamented on the loss of rhythm and grace in what now passes for music. Quality has been replaced by a concept which roughly translates to “you just have to be there.” The triumph of opportunism.

Early A.M. television is currently dominated by Joe Scarbrough (2nd cousin to Joe the plumber,) co-hosted by Mika Brzezinki, whose father, Zbigniew, once characterized Joe as “stunningly simplistic,” a charitable description at best. At his usual, obdurate best, Joe (a pundit) commenting on General Petraeus’ observations on the future of Afghanistan, said “President Obama now cannot do anything unless Petraeus agrees.”

And thereby is the burr, under my saddle this week, the glorification of a run of the mill general.

As a matter of public imagery, this “military Montebank - a clauswitz of self promotion has, by virtue of characterizing his request for more help as “the surge,” has elevated his regard as a military genius as ranking somewhere between Napoleon and Robert E. Lee. To add visual reinforcement to the myth, the general sports 16 rows of ribbons, despite the fact that his actual combat command was as a divisional 2 star for a 6 month period. When our peacock of a general appeared before a Senate committee, unctuous Senator Lindsey Graham lamented as to his inability to award Petraeus his “fifth star,” (a recognition of achievement only awarded to those commanders responsible for winning World War II.)

Perhaps his most significant award, and most telling, came from the American Enterprise Institute, which recently awarded the general the Irving Kristol Award, given for “notable intellectual or practical contributions, to improve public policy; ” the triumph of surgology as the acme of military tactics.

GOD save the Republic - next week - Mosqueology.

Political Pollsters

Of late, the political pollster has morphed into the wizard behind the curtain, whose methods, it’s sampling It’s composition, style of questioning are all beyond being questioned. The results are accepted like the Oracle of Delphi, a political pope speaking ex cathedral. When wrong, it was within the margin of error, with no standards, no transparency, it is impossible to judge whether the questions were fairly cast or shaped to provoke a desired result; based on questionable premises or generally accepted concepts. Yet we are deluged daily with dubious opinion polls as if they truly reflect the mood of the people. To ask how many fairies can dance on the head of a pin presupposes fairies can dance and a pin is an appropriate dance floor.

Too often pollsters influence and shape the outcome of their questionnaires, depending on who hires them and the nature of the inquiry. Recent polls ask for example “is the country going in the right or the wrong direction?” A more meaningless query could not be structured yet the results are reported as if serious data had been unearthed. Until the public becomes more critical of this glorified scam the pollsters will continue to tell us what we think and report the results they shaped.

More Reflections

I feel some novelty in my 80th year, a numerical milestone. How to fill up my day is another matter. My periodic squawk. One of my neighbors, in his 80’s use to spend his time washing his cadillac and hitting golf balls. My neighbor was a bean counter for GM and has an MBA from University of MIchigan. Once retired he had no beans to count and spent his time washing his cadillac. Somehow this always struck me as strange - but then there is something inherently aimless in being 80. My philosophic leaning has always been away from involvement, except for a period in my 30’s when I felt keenly about thing political, but now less so, wars and divorces have tempered my taste for blood sports. It seems appropriate that my view should be retrospect - re-examining where I have been, what I have done, and the new synthesis in my understanding. I have to work not to invest too much energy or concern in pointing to the repetitive mistakes our society makes; others are enthusiastic in this regard. I have made enough of my own to keep me busy for a while.

A summing up, it seems to me should be my recapitulation - an examination of how I have reasoned, arrived at decisions good and bad - not wisdom for the ages - just me knowing me better and hopefully finding some comfort in that - no cadillac to wash.

I hope as I write to find valid criticism in understanding. Cutting through the projections and distortions that have influenced my perception of reality.

In my 20’s my favorite tune was “Skylark” a musical representation of my loneliness and yearning, looking for an idealistic love - feeling quite poetic about my self and my quest. I also dabbled a bit in eastern attitudes, searching for understanding, at least, even then, vaguely aware that it would never be easy, and wanting to understand with more insight carried a price of pain and disappointment. My desires structured fantasies which became projections.

Zen suggested an exercise involving picking up an object, say a cup. Holding the cup you were instructed to put it down once you mentally formed the word “cup” in your mind. The object of this exercise was to hold the cup for as long as possible without mentally forming the word “cup.” It finally came to me that two things were operating; firstly, that we have a necessity to think about things by categories, that by categorizing objects and transactions we are more enabled to deal with them. The downside of this is that by seeing a thing as part of a category, we fail to see the thing as something unique, different, individual - that the word has become a filter to our ability to perceive the ultimate unique reality. Without categorization of things we could not function.

Other impediments we create for ourselves; preconceptions, bias and the uncritical acceptance of misinformation further distracts how we perceive reality. A projection of our needs create a filter of urgency, addition distortion. Of late I find that the Buddhist concepts of non-attachment have helped me to find a comfort in “letting go” - wanting less; especially wanting things, and this in turn, seems to reduce the amount of filtering I do. Wanting, creates distortions of priority and perception - fewer demands comforting. But then, without a Cadillac to wash one must find some level of involvement in something.

I have never been terribly good at making friends, or at least sustaining relationships. Over the years I constructed many excuses or explanation for this failing - but in the final analysis it is my failing. Sometimes it’s because of a lack of shared interests,unwillingness to risk, the few friendships I considered long lasting have ended by friends predeceasing me. Those few who survive are distant, engaged, perhaps too much time past. Mostly the mistakes were mine, but now I just want to understand my shortfall not assign responsibility.

So I will continue to pursue insights, to understand the world is an independent reality, not a construction of solutions to my needs, an edifice of my projections. And, of course, pick such additional fights as may, from time to time, strike my fancy or my funny bone.

Most recently, in reviewing priorties, the lyrics of an old song have been calling for attention, a Nat Kng Cole from the late 40’s called “Nature Boy.” Considered trite then, its compelling wisdom persuades me in my 80th year ;

“The greatest thing

You’ll ever learn

is just to love

and be loved

in return”

All the rest is just washing cadillacs.