tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304235862479840318.post298686069087278835..comments2024-01-08T04:16:25.601-08:00Comments on Ché (What You Call Your) Pasa: "See the Violence Inherent in the System!"Ché Pasahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01926630891287949373noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304235862479840318.post-43354722663963839332012-02-01T11:05:50.993-08:002012-02-01T11:05:50.993-08:00When you possess as strong a sense of right and wr...When you possess as strong a sense of right and wrong as you do, it's difficult to constantly wrestle with... well, you know. They may be unteachable, but the value of what you have to say is not to them in any case; it is to those who stumble upon one of your posts serendipitously.<br /><br />I'm still learning to laugh, after all. And sometimes it's a far better thing for me to stay away from conflict than to mix it up. So for me, staying out of some of the online cesspits is merely a matter of sanity!<br /><br />Meanwhile, about the weaponization of nonviolence... I had a partial of sense of what was happening years ago, but it took involvement with Occupy to realize just how thoroughly Our Rulers have internalized nonviolent communications and nonviolent resistance tactics in their continuing class war. What really opened my eyes to it was when our mayor came to call on the local Occupy (non)encampment and behaved as if he were our Savior on the Mount. It was a remarkable performance. He never wavered from his soothing nonviolent communications techniques, but he wasn't listening. He was doing it to thwart the anger of his opposition -- us -- and continue without pause on the course he had chosen: implacable unyielding resistance to any Occupy requests or demands. The main demand was to stop the arrests and drop the charges against Occupiers. He sidestepped and then refused outright, but he did it in such a nonviolent manner, it seemed to many to be reasonable to send the riot squad out every night. And when he decided he was done with the rabble and went on his way back to the City Hall (across the street) all hell broke loose among the Occupy crowd who immediately started tearing at one another. <br /><br />That was the first of what would turn out to be a whole series of hijackings that had the effect of dissipating the local Occupy energy, which of course was the whole point of the exercise.<br /><br />He pulled it off brilliantly; he really did. And it became something of a template for other cities in dealing with their uppity rabble. <br /><br />It's a tactic that uses nonviolent communications and nonviolent resistance as a weapon in the class war against -- the People.<br /><br />It works.Ché Pasahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01926630891287949373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304235862479840318.post-40045281799596519822012-02-01T09:20:45.411-08:002012-02-01T09:20:45.411-08:00Quick follow up.
When you say "non-violent ...Quick follow up. <br /><br />When you say "non-violent tactics" being used against us . . . do you mean a sort of aura, contrast, new context for discussion? As in, the "official" is sitting quite calmly, matter-of-factly discussing the issues, framing them within the context of their own "non-violent" interaction with us at that particular moment . . . . This can have the effect of minimizing and downplaying the violence that took place elsewhere. As if it were all a dream, somehow. So we start to doubt our original take on it? <br /><br />. . . <br /><br />Anyway, back to work and zazen during breaks. Along with an end to the forums, I'm going to do my best to tune out as much of the political as I can. At least until I build a strong enough foundation to be able to treat it like so much passing through a swinging door. <br /><br /><br />Gate gate paragate . . . <br /><br />When I can get to the point of "this too shall pass" with it, I may dip my toes back in those waters again. <br /><br />Take care --Cuchulainnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304235862479840318.post-53956291688541481592012-02-01T05:17:05.670-08:002012-02-01T05:17:05.670-08:00Yes, Zen presents challenges to certain forms of, ...Yes, Zen presents challenges to certain forms of, shall we say, "resistance."<br /><br />Years ago, I sat in meditation for quite a long time-- which helped me learn to laugh and to "surrender" what I had been holding on to quite mindlessly. I wouldn't call it Enlightenment by any means -- except that surrendering the mindless clutter (in a manner of speaking) almost miraculously <i>lightened</i> the burden I'd been carrying so mindlessly for so long. <br /><br />Zen is not an easy path if you <i>try.</i> Learning to let go takes quite a while in any case. The practice is not for everyone. But I would urge anyone who starts on that path to take their time and see what happens...<br /><br />I'm working on an essay about what Martin and Mahatma might think about our current predicament and what they might be doing about it. I have great respect for non-violence and non-violent tactics; they absolutely have their place. <br /><br />The problem with it -- as I see it -- is that Americans have been seriously propagandized about the nature of non-violence and non-violent resistance and they really don't know squat about it, or what Martin and Mahatma among others were really doing.<br /><br />Worse, very few people realize what a powerful weapon non-violent communication is against opposition. Very few recognize that the "1%" has learned how to use non-violent communication against the rest of us, very effectively, too.<br /><br />When we see the outrageous behavior of the police in Oakland and New York and in so many other places, we "see violence inherent in the system", but when we talk to officials and leaders one on one or in groups, or more frequently, when they talk to us, we often don't see the violence at all, because they are typically using non-violent communication techniques as weapons against us.<br /><br />The overt violence of brutal policing isn't necessary to control the masses; that it is still happening is in some ways Theater of the Absurd. Well, Theater at any rate, meant to scare people and creep them out about participating in the Revolution. <br /><br />It doesn't work that well. The more brutal the repression, the more intense and determined the resistance. Duh. <br /><br />So there are simultaneous efforts to disable the resistance through psychology and strategy, part of which is all the propaganda about non-violence and the use of non-violent communications to thwart the effectiveness of the Movement.<br /><br />Non-violence is an effective tactic that can be *and is* used by the oppressor as well. <br /><br />I'll try to clarify some of this in another post.<br />-------------------------<br /><br />As for battling the denizens of -- say -- Salon's letters threads... as you've found, they're unteachable. Oh, that's so cold... ;-)<br /><br />You're always welcome around these parts...<br />CheersChé Pasahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01926630891287949373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304235862479840318.post-14108024745242725992012-01-31T22:00:36.247-08:002012-01-31T22:00:36.247-08:00Like you, I see a time and a place for non-violenc...Like you, I see a time and a place for non-violence and a time and place for defending yourself. Personally, I'm not going to passively take a beating from anyone. Never have, never will. I'm going to fight back with everything I have. <br /><br />As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't really help the movement to remain passive in the face of brutality. Far too many Americans have already made up their minds about this, and virtually nothing OWS does from here on out is going to change much of that. <br /><br />It reminds me of a time back in the 70s when I was told to get out of my best friend's house by his father. We were eating dinner together after watching the Skins play football. For some reason, talk turned to the Kent State shootings a few years before this. I said it was unconscionable what they did to the students, and my friend's father went ballistic. Very unusual for him, as he had always been easy to get along with. Surprised the hell out of me, in fact. But he definitely thought I had said something very unpatriotic and wrong, and he wouldn't stand for it in his house. Cooler heads prevailed, I stayed, finished dinner, but never forgot the shock. Not just of his outburst but that anyone could possibly side with the authorities after what they did.<br /><br />The same thing is playing out today with OWS. Again, I register momentary shock and then remember the pattern.<br /><br />America is too easily led by the nose. <br /><br />. . . .<br /><br />BTW, and OT . . . I'm finding that my Zen practice just isn't working so well in conjunction with American politics. Duh, as the young kids used to say. Getting wound up again and again kinda defeats the purpose. To de-clutter, detach and walk in "mindfulness", I've got to give this shit up. <br /><br />Won't be seeing me anymore on the forums, but I may drop in here once in a while. <br /><br />As always, keep up the good fight.Cuchulainnoreply@blogger.com