"Barbara O’Brien’s wide-ranging account of Zen history is conveyed with a master storyteller’s ability to keep the forest from getting lost in a myriad of trees. Wearing her scholarship lightly, she blends just the right amount of skepticism about her hagiographic sources with a deep appreciation for the Dharma." — Barry Magid, author of
Nothing Is Hidden and
Ending the Pursuit of Happiness Order here!
Watching and reading much of the punditry on the Iranian elections the last few days I can’t help but think: who the hell are we to judge whether a presidential election was rigged? Remember 2000 bush v Gore, 1980 arms for hostages? Who the hell are we to pass judgment on fair elections? While on the subject we really can’t pass judgment on human rights abuses, false imprisonment, state sponsoring terror, fighting unjust wars, etc. Oh the “conservatives†have made sure that we really can’t bitch about much that happens in the world these days.
I saw Bill Kristol on one of the rightwing Sunday talk shows classifying the reelected Iranian president as an A-liberal or some such double word speak, the right just can’t admit that Iran’s president is a fundamentalist, a conservative, just like Bin Laden, just like all the fanatic Muslims that he hates so?
One quick point: if I understand the Iranian Government correctly then the fact is the President is a ceremonial position with no or little power. The people of power are actually the Ayatollah and other Religious leaders, who have a veto power over all decisions out of parliament and the President. Therefore I just don’t think this is all that important. I still think eventually the young population of Iran will rise up and take power from these old guys with gray beards…