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Dear all,

Some things have become clearer to me lately so I share something I wrote yesterday. We've had elections yesterday so that got me thinking... Feel free to share your thoughts, questions, perspectives, criticisms...

I am going to present a crude categorization of our „states/levels of mind“ which I claim can be categorized into higher and lower. Based on a poker analogy, I call these states A-F. I observe how these states of mind are playing out in my current (individual) life but also how they have historically played out socially/politically in my country. All of this is crude but I hope illustrates the point that our spiritual/philosophic/existential understanding can operate at a multitude of levels, that the content of thought/belief is relatively predictable while on a certain level, and that these levels can be observed both on an individual and social/political level.

I understand that some members will shoot me down because I talk about levels, instead of a strict dichotomy between clear/enlightened and unclear/deluded or a non-dichotomy between any levels. However, observing both myself and the world around me, it does seem to me at this time that the unclear/deluded camp can be further broken down/categorized into varying degrees of unclarity/delusion in a helpful way. I do not claim that I have „solved the riddle“ but offer only preliminary thoughts on the issue.

The „mental game“ – a poker analogy

• Stay with me, I'm using poker only as an analogy and entry-point 😊
  Winning professional poker players talk a lot about and practice the „mental game“. The mental game is the state of mind one is in while playing poker. The mental game is hugely important as it directly and in a large measure impacts the profitability of an individual poker session. At the extremes, while playing their „A game“, poker players can implement easily and in full their technical knowledge of the game, as well as their intuitions and „reads“. This provides for a very profitable session, excluding effects of luck ie. over the long term. At the other extreme, when playing their „F game“, poker players are said to be „tilted“ and their mind is totally clouded by negative emotion and/or substances and/or irrational thinking and/or tiredness etc. When playing their F game, excluding luck ie. over the long-term, even professional players playing against the same opponents as in the previous example are usually losing money. Since poker players classify their mental game into A-F grades, I'll do the same in what follows.

Towards a categorization of levels (philosophic/spiritual/existential) of individual states of being (A-F):

• as observed just by me for my current overall state of being over the past few years.
• note: Even though my therapists tell me there is nothing fundamentally wrong with me, I have had a historical (10+ years) problem with mental-health. Hence, your mileage may vary in the specifics, but I suspect that you might be able to find the same phenomenon of levels of states of being in your own life, they will just manifest differently in your life.
• I find that the content of thought is relatively predictable while in the various levels ie. I tend to think about similar things while in the A-F states.
• I find that I can quite easily imagine a lower state while in a higher, but have difficulty imagining the higher, while in the lower, even though I have experienced it before or even recently.
• I find that some activities/behaviours/thoughts (ie. the good/positive/wholesome) tend to push me "up", while others (ie. the bad/negative/unwholesome) tend to push me down.
• I find that over the long term - depending on my actions ie. creation of new karma - the "whole landscape/ladder" moves up or down.

A) I find everything to be easy, clear, direct, humorous
B ) I experience moderate amounts of anxiety but can function well
C) I experience strong anxiety and moderate compulsive/forced negative thoughts; can still function at a moderate level
D) I experience strong anxiety and strong compulsive/forced negative thoughts and hypervigilance. Difficulty functioning.
F) Mental-health breakdown, retreat from the world.

Towards a categorization of levels (philosophic/spiritual/existential) of group political thought as observed by an example (A-F):

• based on a simple model. This model is not thorough or all-encompassing but rather aims to illustrate the point that the political differences between the Left and Right can at different times and/or for different political actors be of a higher or lower level.
• as observed by me in Croatia, examples of levels taken from the past 85 years ie. since during WWII. The biggest issue(s) between the Left and Right in your country, or the way they have historically dealt with the issues presented below, may be different. However, I suspect that the main point that there are levels - holds also in your country.
• Of course, this is a crude model. There are always parties and actors outside this model or who act on a different level during a time where the majority acts on a particular level.
• The example taken are the attitudes of the Left (L) and Right (R) towards priests, businessmen, national and religious minorities in Croatia over the past 85 years, a period which has included two big wars, and three political systems: nazism/fascism, communism, and liberal-democracy (all three of a local variety, but generally of those types).

A) Not sure I've seen much of this level, but here's a possible sketch: Everyone (L+R) agrees that everyone should participate equally in the political and social system, there is cooperation towards a mutual benefit taking into account the different and appreciated differences in values/interests/goals/etc. There is high social trust in the populace and between groups. Conflict exists but is minimal and there are efficient ways of dealing with it. (this paragraph should be improved).

B ) Everyone should participate equally in the political and social system BUT
L: harbours mostly unspoken suspicion towards priests and businessmen
R: harbours mostly unspoken suspicion towards national and religious minorities

C) Everyone should participate equally in the political and social system BUT
L: expresses huge contempt towards priests and businessmen
R: expresses huge contempt towards national and religious minorities

D)
L: priests and businessmen should be excluded from participation in the political and social system
R: national and religious minorities should be excluded from participation in the political and social system

F)
L: priests and businessmen should be shot
R: national and religious minorities should be shot

F-)
L: priests and businessmen are actually shot
R: national and religious minorities are actually shot

To end on a lighter note, here are some follow-up questions:

• Is it helpful to categorize your level of state-of-mind into (say) A-F states?
• Do you observe them changing in your life in this way?
• If so, is what and how you are thinking about while in the various states relatively predictable?
• Taking a historical view or looking at various present political actors, can you observe the same/similar A-F states of mind playing out in the political sphere?
• Insert and answer your own question 😊

Thanks for reading and I hope you have an excellent day!

Katie Halper
Iran Scholar & Former Marine BREAK DOWN War In The Middle East

Scholar Assal Rad and Veterans for Peace members Matt Hoh and Barry Riesch react to Iran's retaliatory strike on Israel, Israel's continued genocidal attack on Gaza and predict what's next. Matt and Barry also discuss the international Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) which will sail in mid April with multiple vessels, carrying 5500 tons of humanitarian aid and hundreds of international human rights observers to challenge the ongoing illegal Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.

"If the law doesn't apply equally to people, it's either prejudice or it's corrupt and that's what we are looking at in this situation."

~Assal Rad~

The discussion with Matt Hoh and Barry Riesch was interesting ...Aotearoa's Kia Ora Gaza is also part of the international Freedom Flotilla Coalition,

Assal makes some interesting points regarding the hypocrisy of Western leaders...

Freedom Flotilla Coalition "Break the Siege" Mission Fact Sheet

@Lionduck said:
Simplified: We can view enlightenment (also know as the life state of Buddha) as a condition or state (some may call it a "realm"), which we already possess. "Attaining Enlightenment" can be seen as the process of peeling away or dissipating the fog of ignorance which hides the ever glowing light of enlightenment.
We can also state that the attainment of enlightenment is akin to emerging or awakening from the stupor, the darkness of ignorance which, in our befuddlement, we mistake for knowledge and awareness.

Well said @Lionduck

And so it is that the words of the enlightened serve to shake us from our stupor, they remind us of that which we already know. The question is to find the enlightened, so that we may partake of their darshan.

Talking of befuddlement, I came across a post bij a ‘truth seeker’ a few days ago in which he said that no memory was ever a true record of events, that memories are only a kind of impressions. And also that any text describing a memory was another big step removed from what really happened, being loaded with impressions and vagueness at second or third hand.

Simplified: We can view enlightenment (also know as the life state of Buddha) as a condition or state (some may call it a "realm"), which we already possess. "Attaining Enlightenment" can be seen as the process of peeling away or dissipating the fog of ignorance which hides the ever glowing light of enlightenment.
We can also state that the attainment of enlightenment is akin to emerging or awakening from the stupor, the darkness of ignorance which, in our befuddlement, we mistake for knowledge and awareness.

peace to all

Security Council on The Middle East

The speeches by the Russian and Chinese spokespersons on upholding international law were interesting. No matter what one may think of Russia and China, they are on the right side of history when it comes to what has been unfolding in the Middle East, Gaza in particular.

Bearing in mind, over the last six months, the US, UK, and the EU have for the most part lost all credibility when it comes to being upholders of human rights.

What a topsy turvy world we live in....

@Jeroen said:

@Shoshin1 said:
From a humanitarian viewpoint, we all must acknowledge the past if we want a better future for all.

I’m not convinced that that is true, I think holding on to the past is one thing that is standing in the way of a lasting settlement and peace. If both sides were to wake up one day as amnesiacs, having completely forgotten religion and their history, they would probably find themselves living in peace.

As it stands now @Jeroen acknowledging the past ('mistakes' learn from them in order not to repeat them) if we want a better future...

I don't think religion is the problem, because history has shown that both Arab and Jew lived in relative peace together in the Middle East for hundreds of years ....however, if there was a magic pill which made people forget about religion and all the unwholesome baggage that comes with it...I would put the pills into the world's drinking water supplies....

@Shoshin1 said:
From a humanitarian viewpoint, we all must acknowledge the past if we want a better future for all.

I’m not convinced that that is true, I think holding on to the past is one thing that is standing in the way of a lasting settlement and peace. If both sides were to wake up one day as amnesiacs, having completely forgotten religion and their history, they would probably find themselves living in peace.

@Shoshin1 said:

"Israel is a small country and the degree of separation between either a person that was killed or a person that was kidnapped in Israel, the maximum degree of separation is probably one degree. So, everyone knew someone or knew someone that knew someone, and there was this kind of immense pain. Alongside that pain, there was also a major fear because everything seemed to have collapsed. The major IDF intelligence apparatus was not working, the defense system was not working, the fence was breached without any problems, and the whole apparatus of the state seemed not to be functioning. So, most Israelis were in great pain, were in great fear, but also immediately came this notion of revenge, kind of a sense we have to hit back, we have to hit back hard, and so forth.
My fear is that most Israelis are still trapped, still stuck in that October moment and unwilling to lift their eyes to see basically the genocide unfolding in the Gaza Strip. That's what we've been seeing in the past 6 months, is this horrific, devastating, massive killings of civilians. I mean Hamas killed 30 Israeli children on October 7th, and that is horrific. Israel has killed close to 15000 children, not counting those that are under the rubble since October 7th. We need to understand that figure 15000 children have been killed. We have women, thousands of women have been killed, and thousands of innocent men have been killed. Israel categorizes all the men as terrorists, but thousands of these men were not fighters. They were just men that were in the homes with their wives, with their children, and their homes were bombed."
Neve Gordon

It's worth noting that this conflict isn't about Jews defending Western democracy versus Muslim terrorists, as Netanyahu often portrays it. I think it's more about the state of Israel, whose majority population happens to be Jewish, and the Palestinian people, predominantly Muslim. There are many Jewish people around the world who also oppose what the Israeli government is doing to the Palestinian people. they have adopted the slogan "Not In Our Name"...

I was pretty with you on the current state of the conflict up to this point.

This conflict is about a settler colonial apartheid state "Israel" versus the indigenous population who oppose the occupation and the theft of their lands

This just sounds like, 'this conflict is about the good guys vs the bad guys' to my ears. A too simplistic narrative, there's blame and victimhood all around even if right now Israeli action is the core problem.

I've said previously in this thread that I do think what the problem boils down to, is the foundation of Israel as a Jewish state legitimate, can and/or should it be undone and what means are justified in doing that?

My reading of your position here is that the state of Israel is illegal, or unjust, and should be abolished. Hamas are actually freedom fighters, despite their despicable acts, their cause is just. I think this is a fairly provocative reading, so feel free to correct me.

Also, I've heard the term settler colonialism, but I'm not sure of the distinction between that and a level of immigration to the point that the character of the region is changed. Anti immigration rhetoric isn't unusual in the US and this kind has some of that vibe. Even if it is, Sephardic Jews, not Ashkenazi make up a slight majority of the population

This situation is no different from what has occurred throughout the history of colonialism....

The history is way beyond me, but this also sounds like spin, a listing of the most justified and effective resistance fights in history with no mention of bad movements and then saying this situation is identical. Is there really NO difference?

I hesitate to post this. I don't want to provoke or delegitimize an important message. The majority of what you've posted comes across to me as an authentic and reasonable perspective, the last bit of this post struck a nerve of disagreement though.