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[Mervap]

I remember posting a thread somewhere about what the natural state of the world is...peace or chaos. A friend asked the question and I've returned to it a number of times when I am at peace and not pondering much else (in the shower, usually)

The more I think about it, I realize that I am asking the wrong question...the world is the world and cares not whether its state is peaceful or chaotic. The question should have been about the Basic Wiring of Humankind...

When I was a wee lad (late 60's-early 70's), humankind was divided into two basic groups: The Hate people whose only concern was get what they wanted, no matter how many people or things got destroyed in the process....and the Love people, which was everybody else. Think about it....on any given episode of the Rockford Files, how many bad guys did Jim have to bust? One? Two? And there were at least twenty other folks on the show who were good folks either just living their lives or actively pursuing the baddies. That means that there were, on average, only ten percent of the people were from the Hate group. Ten percent is almost low enough to be a statistical aberration, right?

Of course, a TV show is a bad reflection of the real world, but I always thought that the general populace probably reflected the same kind of percentage divide...maybe even lower. One could generally walk this earth and be a kinda trusting person and not get burned too badly. In my later years, I am becoming more convinced that my percentages were in error...that we are divided right down the middle, give or take a few hundred-thousand.

With that as a starting point, I wonder if what ol' JL said 40 years ago is really true....is Love All You Need? And what kind of love do we need? The love of profit and plunder is not getting us anywhere. And neither is unreasoned hatred. 

I recall talking with a fellow at work about some conflict our country was having with another country...I said that I thought if we just understood why this country wished for our destruction, we could likely find a commonality of interest and end the conflict. He said, "I don't freaking want to understand them!!! We should just nuke the hell out of them and be done with it!!!". Our reasonable discussion ended right there...I just said ok and left him to his unreasoned fear and hatred. This man is normally a very nice fellow...with people he knows. Why the disconnect when we're talking about people we don't?

Maybe I just watched too much of "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood"...I feel that understanding is the key to being a Love person. And what's so funny 'bout that?

[Keri]

As Paul sang:

There Is Good And Bad In Everyone,
We Learn To Live, We Learn To Give
Each Other What We Need To Survive Together Alive

Love of profit and plunder is not Love, it is greed and unfortunately it has become one of the most powerful social & political mechanisms. We are told that maximising profit and GDP is good and that it is enlightened self interest. Self interest? Yes. Enlightened? I don't think so. Love is about giving and forgiving, it is about caring about others, I see no reason why we can't advance morally as well as technologically. I think now there is a requirement to do so for the survival of our species. But as well as loving other people we have to have a loving relationship with the planet, the environment, the animals and plants too.

Love is all you need.

[Mervap]

Well said.....

[chris]

First...when I met my wife, who resided in Iowa, and convinced her to move to Chicago, she was worried. She read the news. There were bad people in Chicago. And bad things happened there. I told her at the time, believing every word, that the ratio of good people to bad was probably no different here in the city than it is in the country. There are just more of us here. I still believe that most of us are inherently good.

And there is nothing wrong with wanting to make a profit. Just not at the expense of society by acting immorally. You owe it to your community and your family, hell...you owe it to yourself...to do it decently and by the rules.

Now...politics...that's a toughie. There are certainly two ways of looking at anything. One way might be to get your way with a show of force...and another might be to do it diplomatically...by talking. I don't think one way is wrong, necessarily, and one is right. But I do have my ways (diplomatic) and others have theirs. Some may want to go to war because they love to show our country's force...and they love our country. Some may not want to fight at all because the don't want to see Americans get hurt over some diplomatic bullshit in some foreign land (and one may argue that means they love our country)

Too easy to label politics, and political acts, as either being on the side of love or hate. and too convenient...us being the labelers and all...but its a discussion that I'd like to be part of. Thanks for broaching the subject

[2 of 3]

This is an excerpt of an interview with Mandy Patinkin. I like where his head is at.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-nyfzueAMM

[Greg]

I missed this thread.  Never saw it til today.  Great responses.  Many things Chris said is basically what I'd say.  My main thought these days is that we humans have the opportunity to create a great life on this planet, but we somehow have it screwed up.  The list is large. 

People are really basically good if there is something to keep them in check.  Look at that guy in N Korea.  WTF?  Nothing to keep him in check.  I don't mean the war threats.  The guy is basically a blight on the planet for millions of people. 

It's just disheartening to have lived through the 60's+ and grow up to see the U.S. in two wars and glorifying greed like I've never seen before.  I like stuff too, but we're just out of control.