Is Bush the Anti-Buddha?

[JuniperLea]

<http://www.tibet.ca/en/wtnarchive/2004/5/20_6.html>

Allan Hunt Badiner, AlterNet
May 17, 2004
Viewed on May 18, 2004

<snip>
Compassion, according to Bush, is allowing utility
plants to upgrade their infrastructure without the
pollution abatements previously required by law when,
according to the National Academy of Sciences, 50,000
American children are born every year with brains
damaged by prenatal exposure to methyl mercury
compounds from fossil-fuel and industrial air
pollution. And adding insult to injury, Bush and his
minions spend their holidays shooting innocent
creatures -- bird, fox and deer hunting not for supper
but for sport.

<snip>
Thai Buddhist professor Sulak Sivaraksa likens Bush to
Hitler and Stalin, arguing that his declaration of an
'Axis of Evil,' Hitler's 'Final Solution,' and
Stalin's pogrom of peasants were actually similar
attempts "to perfect the world by destroying its
impurities." Bush has withdrawn the U.S.
from nearly all cooperative efforts for the planet
like international treaties for nuclear disarmament,
and initiatives like the Kyoto Accord to abate climate
instability. Even if Bush does not win reelection, or
otherwise get elected, the damage he has done will
live on in the form of zealots in judicial robes that
will set misguided legal precedents for hundreds of
years. His is the zealotry and the extremism that
Shakyamuni Buddha spent his life defining as the cause
of suffering.

<snip>
Just after 9/11, anxious to do what he could to
prevent all out war, the Dalai Lama broke with a long
tradition of not commenting on the internal affairs of
other nations and wrote to Bush. "It may seem
presumptuous on my part," said His Holiness, "but I
personally believe we need to think seriously whether
a violent action is the right thing to do and in the
greater interest of the nation and people in the long
run." His Holiness stressed to Bush how "violence will
only increase the cycle of violence." He suggested the
American President deal with the root causes of such
senseless violence: hatred and anger. Bush didn't get
it. "The Bush administration simply doesn't trust
smart people," says Harvard lawyer Alan Dershowitz.
"It's anti-intellectual by nature, and it doesn't even
want to hear their advice."

<snip>
Then I close with two healing mantras in rapid
succession: "May all beings be happy and free from
suffering -- even Bush" "May all beings be happy --
and freed from Bush."

[Dogmudgeon]

1. Good article ... but ...

The rule for quoting copyrighted material on DU is simple:
1. Limit the quote to four paragraphs
2. Provide a link to the original article.

If it can be posted whole under "Copyleft" or Creative Commons license, you can do so if you include that notice in your post (and link to it, too).

Please edit your post!

This isn't just for the benefit of the copyright holder, it also keeps Democratic Underground free from copyright law problems.

Thanks -- and welcome to DU!

--bkl
DU Moderator

[JuniperLea]

2. argh!

sorry!!! finding link... gimme a sec!

[NMDemDist2]

3. LOL we all did it in the beginning, don't sweat it

but find that link and welcome to DU :hi:

and that's a wonderful article too, we need to be reminded that "liberals" are supposed to be the good guys and spewing hatred at the other side just continues the cycle of hate

[JuniperLea]

4. thanks *blush*

I've tried three times to edit this! What's the secret??

[NMDemDist2]

5. you have edit capabilities for an hour or so, just go to the

bottom of the orginal post and next to the "reply" button should be an edit button, you will need to scroll down past your original post to the edit window and there you are :)

[JuniperLea]

6. thanks again...

I did all that.... five times! It finally took:)

Thanks for all your help and understanding!

[Dogmudgeon]

7. Good job!

A most professional edit, if I do say so. :thumbsup:

Good article, too ... and I hope you won't be dissuaded from posting more of them!

--bkl

[JuniperLea]

10. it won't!

thanks again... i have a circle of friends who routinely send me things via email. i've just told them all to forward the link along with their mail so i won't have to seach like a madperson like i did for this;)

this is a wonderful place and i'm happy to be here!

[NMDemDist2]

8. one more pointer?

when you edit out material we usually do something to show that ie

<snip> or <.....> to give the reader the info there is more or you have edited the material

you'll get on to it and thanks for posting and again welcome!

[JuniperLea]

9. thanks, yet again

thank you so much for the pointers, guidence, rules and patience:) i want to play by the rules and i welcome with open arms and mind your assistance.

i've been lurking for a couple of years; my boyfriend is a regular poster here and he got me hooked.