Thursday, January 15, 2009

My Guru... George W. Bush!



If you can cultivate the right attitude,

your enemies
are your best spiritual teachers


...because their presence provides you
with the opportunity to enhance and develop
tolerance, patience and understanding.

- 14th Dalai Lama

Last night, I sat through the long-awaited farewell address by The Worst President Ever.

Before 2008, it seemed like this nightmare's end was nowhere in sight.

Dubya is generally agreed upon to have been a tremendous disaster for America. (Of course, 'History' may prove otherwise... HAHAHA! yeah, right!)

In his last press conference earlier in the week, he went out like the lying/delusional a-hole he's always been.

I've personally felt mostly contempt for Bush/Cheney over their 2 terms. The need to vent some of my disgust at their governance is one reason I started writing on this blog in 2005, during the height of The Madness.

Yet... I still consider George W. Bush to be my Guru!

Huh?!?!

Although I have thankfully never had to directly interact with Dubya, he indirectly has made me realize countless truths about myself and the world. People who know me would think I'm being sarcastic, but it's true.

Christianity suggests loving your enemy. There's also the saying "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer" & the Rage Against the Machine song "Know Your Enemy."

Buddhism also suggests seeing even our worst perceived enemies as providers of lessons to be learned, instead.


"If the love within your mind is lost
and you see other beings as enemies,

then no matter how much knowledge
or education or material comfort you have,

only suffering and confusion will ensue."


I realized at some point that The Bush Presidency (through its atrocious mis-management) had actually succeeded - in awakening a social consciousness and political insight in myself and the rest of the country.

"Be Grateful to Everyone"

"If we learn to open our hearts, anyone,
including the people who drive us crazy,

can be our teacher
."


When Bush came to office, I was a senior in college & politics just wasn't on my radar. Although I've always been a sponge for all other information, I actively avoided learning anything about politics. Republican? Democrat? I didn't know or care what the difference was.

On 9/11, I was driving to work listening to Howard Stern when he was still on FM radio . They were talking about attacks going on in NY. I got to my studio & we turned on the TV to watch the day unfold as it did. Being in Jersey, we were right in the middle of NYC & D.C. No one knew what was going to happen...

My super-human insight told me on that day (and in the following years, as we mobilized our resource-wasting War Machine) that there was more to the situation than we were being told. That is when I sat up & started to really pay attention to the political and social events happening in the world.

Although my natural instinct is to despise the Smirking Chimp, I have also come to realize that George Bush may have actually been necessary for the changes we need to make!

By running the Treasury, our civic institutions, and the overall state of the nation into the sewer - Bush gave us no choice but to stare our many horrible problems right in the face.

We can no longer avoid them, and the strength that progressive minds have gained from uniting against the immorality of his reign now stand a better chance of creating solutions with a new President, whose brain is fully-functioning & coherent.

Observing Bush & his cabal throughout my adult life, I have seen exactly how NOT to approach mankind's biggest dilemma.

The continual outrage I've felt at the sheer criminality of his Administration has helped me better understand myself & what I stand for - morally & philosophically.

Some of the lessons I've learned from my guru, George W. Bush:

• You can "create your own reality".

• Even if it is an insane, depraved reality... people can still be fooled into going along with it!

(However- Reality w/ a capital 'R' will still come around & bite you in the ass if you deserve it.)

• Ignorance & arrogance are not qualities we should look for in a leader.

• Don't EVER believe anything the government, TV, 'experts', or anybody says to be absolute truth.

• 'Security' & 'Victory' are not worth the price of soulless human degradation on a global scale.

• The American economy is now a made-up numbers game.

• Despite the enormity of problems we humans face, it could always get worse.

• When things seem hopeless, even big problems can be solved with intelligence, courage, & compassion.

There is nothing constant - except for Change.

I could easily write a book on my feelings about the Bush Presidency & its effects.

Ironically- Dubya's idiotic approach to governing has ultimately had a truly profound impact on me & the entire world.


Good Riddance, My Guru!!!

Since I just posted about comedy... & since Bush's attempts at "Goodbye" completely suck just like he does, I'll end this send-off with THE greatest comedy routine ever:

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