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Politics and Equanimity
Dhammika
Veteran
Gracious, I had to come here after too long a dip into Slate and Mother Jones and Wahington Monthly on the messy spectre of possibilities in the US presidential race. Hard to maintain equanimity when you read too far into the articles and comments. Underscores what Thich Nhat Hahn says about putting ourselves on a healthy 'diet' when it comes to consuming media and what we expose ourselves to. I suppose the very best thing we can do is keep up our practice.
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Comments
I used to have a subscription to Mother Jones and listened to Democracy Now! but found myself getting all worked up and upset. I've found more level headed or satirical sources for my liberal politics fix, places that don't take it so seriously. Also, I find the ardent sources are often biased so you can't be sure if they're leaving out valid facts or arguments counter to their position.
Edit: The sources are Slate's political gabfest, KCRW's Left, Right and Center, Common Sense with Dan Carlin, Real Time with Bill Maher free audio podcast and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Edit, edit: 538 politics covers the horserace in an unbiased, data driven way.
I periodically struggle with getting stuck in political anxieties of the day as well. It is such an attractive pit to fall into with such easy availability of online news and discussions.The most important tool to deal with this I think is finding one's center, one's root within, one's connection to the Source or Truth (or whatever you want to call it). Then the drama becomes something I observe rather than something I am enacting. Meditative practice does help and strengthen that ability.
Of course, the old Prayer is a great formula to keep in mind: "Lord, grant me the patience to accept what I cannot change, the strength to change what I can and the wisdom to know the difference" (my paraphrasing).
The biggest 'dip' is Trump, this season.
There's a book I read years ago that makes fun of politics that will give you a breather from the seriousness of our present reality: http://www.amazon.com/Reflections-Jaundiced-Eye-Florence-King/dp/0312039786
I'm sorry to say that America has provided us with many laughs in the past 20 years, through their choice of Presidents.
If Trump gets in, I think it will prove to be a disaster hoot!
I do wonder if Trump did get in....,
if the rest of the mad men of the world might walk a little more judiciously in the shadow of a greater crazy
and
if anything less than a Trump win would ever get the American people to commit to actually revamping an obviously broken political system.
Yes, George W and Rumsfeld were an amusing double act, but Obama was class. I think Trump will follow more in the footsteps of the former than the latter.
Two - nearly three - Presidents of the US have been impeached. He might well be the third definite if he gets in.
If he gets in, I give it about a month before it happens.....
Depends on what he does or tries to do, who he chooses as VP, and the results of the congressional elections.
Both Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate may be wary of tossing him aside if the results will be negative. They may try to control him rather than impeach.
Control Donald Trump? That'll be a first.... With his record.... I think he's a Narcissistic megalomaniac....
I said try to control.
He won't be able to do what everything he wants without some support in Congress. He'll have to learn to play nice with the mainstream Republicans and probably some Democrats too.
The best thing he could do is nominate someone like Palin or Bachmann as his running mate. I doubt there would be a call for impeachment with someone like that waiting in the wings. If he picks someone closer to the establishment, the Republicans in Congress may eventually turf him in favour of that moderate.
Trump has a better chance of winning if he goes against Clinton so I'm hoping Sanders gets the nom.
He deserves it just for the fact that both the others are too cowardly to debate the guy.
Yes, it would be quite amusing for the rest of the world but Canada is just too close and we could do with a good neighbor.
I like Sanders too, but I think that America just isn't ready for a Sanders/Trump contest. I can't stand Hillary, but there seems to be a lot of support for her, and I think that's partly due to the mainstream media, but also because a lot of people don't want someone who will rock the boat too much. Sanders and Trump are both boat-rockers in their own ways.
Goodness, I am sorry for introducing politics into the stream. I foresee a need for a whole lot of mindfulness and Right Speech in the months ahead. Thich Naht Hahn sets the bar high:
"Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I vow to cultivate loving speech and deep listening in order to bring joy and happiness to others and relieve others of their suffering. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I vow to learn to speak truthfully, with words that inspire self-confidence, joy and hope. I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain and not to criticize or condemn things of which I am not sure. I will refrain from uttering words that can cause division or discord, and that can cause the family or community to break. I will make all efforts to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small."
Trump has the potential to cause serious, serious problems for various people in the US and around the world. I don't find the idea hoot-worthy anymore. With a SCOTUS justice spot on the line and some pretty hefty executive orders capable of being made, Trump could cause some serious damage and harm on a very large scale. If people overseas are unhappy with the foreign policies we've had so far, wait until President Trump takes over. The implications could be quite serious. He wants to run the US like a business, and he runs a pretty dirty business with no care for his employees or anyone else he steps on along the way. The entire country will be his next victims, most especially the people who are supporting him, ironically.
I am pretty solid in my political views and I try to focus on who/what I support and stand for and focus less on being against anyone. It's a better focus for my energy and keeps me feeling more positive rather than angry. I steer away from more main stream biased media and try to base my opinion on the facts of what the candidates actually say themselves and what their voting records show and so on. Sticking with the facts that I can actually find and prove, and only worrying about what I stand for, helps quite a bit to keeping my sanity.
Oh gosh, you should hear one of my friends talk about how Trump should become our next Prez....I want to go deaf!
I have a few conservative and affluent clients who do tell me that Trump is their best hope.
This is where I try to remember that regardless of our beliefs, as Canadians we not only no effect on an American election but I have no less been as baffled as why our own country voted in our previous f-wit of a prime minister.......twice.
@how not to get too far off topic, but I followed the Ft. McMurray fire for quite a while, and the political hatred and blame that was flying at Trudeau reminded me a lot of what is flung at Obama. I don't know why, but I didn't expect it somehow from Canadians, lol. It was interesting to observe the there seem to be the same types of lines drawn and the same arguments made.
I am in Australia as you all know,but we are getting inundated with US politics along with our own upcoming election (July 2nd). I have deliberately chosen to ignore/shut out ANY political news for my own sanity. I find myself getting very upset and angry when I read the latest on ours and US politician's antics. I honestly think politics is a direct antidote to Buddhism and sanity these days.
_ /\ _
@Karasti
That area is the oil patch that pretty much voted on mass for the former climate change denying prime minister who lost to Trudeau.
I have heard it said that few things are harder to convince anybody of
than whatever that thing is that threatens their livelihood.
No fear in the NOW
When Clinton was impeached, the general public mood was disgust at the Republicans' witch-hunting focus on his sex life. Every Republican on the commission lost their next election.
@how, yes, indeed. I live in an area with similar mentality over mining and we are close to the ND oil patch as well. So unfortunate people are so blind they can only see one thing. There are so many livelihoods that are far less damaging yet they are so focused on theirs that they cannot see other options. Our local paper even did an editorial saying, "We don't care about long term environmental impacts 30 years from now. We only care about jobs today." How short sighted can you get. Sigh.
The appalling number of Americans who support Trump is more than just an expression of frustration and anger with the gub-mint. There's no explaining this phenomenon except to refer to ancient Romes's Coliseum attendees at the games anxiously awaiting the bloodbath without a thought to the consequences. Release the lions! The spectacle and the insult packed rhetoric have become the most important elements of this campaign for Trump and his constituents, not policy. Through it all Trump has advanced his brand to new heights globally with ever growing profits so that even if he loses, he wins. Delusion reigns.
It's an uncomfortable climate even if you ignore media. The other day I flipped off someone with a Trump bumper sticker. I don't feel sorry about it in the least, even after meditating on it, and that kind of scares me.
Yes, it is hard to not take notice of it even if you don't own a computer or tv. It is discussed everywhere, in lines at the store, at restaurants, etc. And for the first time in my life, I wonder if discussing it in public puts one at risk for insults and worse to come your way. My son and I were discussing politics, as we often do, but I hadn't paid attention that we were in ND and not in MN any more. And the looks we got for discussing Trump in a negative light led me to feel almost unsafe. We left the restaurant quickly.
But at the same time it's easy to blame Trump and others who have been involved in the political shenanigans the past several months. But really, they are a singular view of the American public. This has been brewing a long time among the citizenry, and now the combating sides both have leaders. It isn't that Trump and Bernie called on people to come to their side. They simply drew on what they knew was already there.
Perhaps it might be too problematic a direction no matter the required repair
this message sponsored by
Trump 4 the DUMP
I increasingly avoid politics these days, I find it quite demoralising because of all the spin and half-truths.
PS In English slang "Trump" is a fart.
You an' me both, Spiny dearest.
^^^ Trump is a fart in any language ...
[ OK I know ... off to the 'wrong speech' naughty corner with me 
]
And I need that diet. I get really depressed now when reading articles and comments about politics and social issues. As much of this discussion seems to manifest non-compassion, I find myself becoming non-compassionate in response to injustices, broadbrushing and general disdain for anything outside the narrow parameters. It can make me crazy.
Yes! They tapped into very legitimate unrest, but that unrest seems to be neutered by the political process. The very real issues (like the fact that in the U.S., one needs monetary means to receive preventative healthcare, or in the U.S., we actually _incarcerate _the mentally disabled... etc) become abstracted to the point of irrelevance. I find that so depressing, and need to unplug from it. Not from supporting human rights and such, but from the mindless political banter that results.
@Deformed, I do the same. It is so nice to take a break from it all. TNH offers great advice in being mindful of consumption and I try to keep that in mind. Even if you unplug, it's hard to avoid, people talk about it everywhere you go. I am looking forward to it being done. For myself, I've found that when I shut it all off and walk away for a time, my clarity returns and I am not so worked up and "victimized" by it. I victimize myself by choosing to follow it. But when I take even a few days away, I feel so much better about where I'm at and what/whom I support. Our society really can be just utterly depressing. There are so many problems, and they are such big problems and it's so frustrating when so many people don't seem to care.
Hard to do this politicized season of 24/7 wall-to-wall coverage, but here is Thich Naht Hahn's interpretation of the Fifth Precept (from http://dharma.ncf.ca/introduction/precepts.html)
The Fifth Mindfulness Training:
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I vow to cultivate good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking and consuming. I vow to ingest only items that preserve peace, well-being and joy in my body, in my consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family and society. I am determined not to use alcohol or any other intoxicant or to ingest foods or other items that contain toxins, such as certain TV programs, magazines, books, films and conversations. I am aware that to damage my body or my consciousness with these poisons is to betray my ancestors, my parents, my society and future generations. I will work to transform violence, fear, anger and confusion in myself and in society by practicing a diet for myself and for society. I understand that a proper diet is crucial for self-transformation and for the transformation of society.
In my language, fart means trump.
TNH's practice was the first I started doing, because the sangha here practices in his tradition. I used to sort of overlook that part of his mindfulness training, but as I got deeper into that stuff, I started realizing how toxic it can really be. It's like being inundated with the very opposite of compassion, and it's so easy to get sucked into the same mindset. It becomes less about reality and more about who is "right" and "wrong."