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For Whom the Bell Tolls It Tolls for NATO? —Wang Yangming, Confucius, Jesus or Koran

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  • For Whom the Bell Tolls It Tolls for NATO? —Wang Yangming, Confucius, Jesus or Koran

    For Whom the Bell Tolls It Tolls for NATO? —Wang Yangming, Confucius, Jesus or Koran
    It was not until the end of World War II and after the Korean War and the Vietnam War that Westerners started paying attention to Wang Yangming (1472-1528)again. Karl Jaspers (1893-1969), German prominent externalist and a professor at the University of Heidelberg, was the first one who noticed Wang. Jaspers was originally a psychiatrist, who switched from medicine to psychology, then to philosophy.
    Jaspers shared his life experiences similar to some of Wang’s during the World War II. Being a Jew and having his teaching position nullified by the government, he did not want to surrender himself to Hitler’s Nazis. He was placed under house arrest for eight years and banished. His new idea of Axis made him widely known and praised. He pointed out that 2500 years ago, the West was not the cultural center but there were at least three other cultural centers: China, India, and the Western Mediterranean countries. He called these three centers as the new Axis respectively represented by Confucius and Laozi, Śākyamuni and Nāgārjuna, and Socrates and Jesus. These cultures had their powerful influences widespread to their neighboring countries, so they formed three circles of cultures. Interestingly, Confucius (551BC-479BC), Śākyamuni (The Supreme Buddha, Gautama, 560 BC- 480BC), and Socrates (469BC-399BC) all lived in the 5th Century B.C. so Jaspers called the 5th century B.C. as the times of Axis.

    Jaspers reiterated that there were two turning points in the world culture, which could be called two breaths. “The history we know has experienced two breaths. The first breath started with the ages of Prometheus through ancient civilizations and continued its development to the ages of Axis; the second breath as a result of scientific innovations entered into the New Ages of Prometheus. “
    Interestingly the second breath that brought forth the New Age of Prometheus with science and technology Jaspers considered not only Renaissance and Enlightenment in the West but also an Age of China’s Wang Yangming. Jaspers believed that Wang Yangming was the real progenitor of Confucius. “ The spirit of Confucius was inherited by those who broke through forbidden ideas and those who reformed and moved forward. These people who played roles in opposing the orthodox Confucianism were not against the core of Confucian spirit and ideas but the dead doctrinism. Among them, Wang Yangming was the most outstanding.
    Jaspers’s particular regard for Wang Yangming had an impact on the Western society.

    Jaspers and several thinkers therefore awakened an interest in Wang Yangming. On the one hand, Jaspers considered Wang’s philosophy equivalent to the Enlightenment or Western contemporary philosophy, which revived one’s individualism and self-consciousness; the other, Jaspers’s high regard for Wang Yangming was not incidental because Jaspers himself, an erudite and profound philosopher, a medical doctor and a husband of a Jewish woman, experienced the tribulations of the World War I and II. Jaspers could not felt unsympathetic toward those innocent around him who were arrested and executed and thousands died in Europe. The paradox of the reality in the West and the surge of Nazis made him not only question the Western capitalism marked with freedom and democracy but also lose his interest in the Soviet Bolshevik dictatorship. He turned to China with admiration and started paying attention to Chinese humanism represented by Confucius, Laozi, and Wang Yangming’s philosophy of Liangzi(conscience).

    Speaking of LIangzi, conscience, it was no strange to the Westerners. Many Western philosophers and politicians appreciated the concept of Liangzi. Just as what Thomas More once said, “ If one denounces conscience in pursuit of political interests, a nation could end up with conundrums.” In the letter to Jews of Newport, Rhodes Island in 1790, George Washington wrote:
    We now with a deep sense of gratitude to the Almighty disposer of all events behold a Government, … but generously affording to all liberty of conscience, and immunities of citizenship: deeming every one, of whatever Nation, tongue, or language equal parts of the great governmental Machine.
    However, Jaspers did find a gap of difference in understanding the concept of Liangzi among Western politicians, Chinese, Thomas More, and George Washington. And the major difference remained in perception of the masses and groups about Liangzi as opposed to that of the individuals or countries.
    In Jaspers’s view, the perception of the masses or groups was not necessarily Liangzi, particularly about wars and peace. Jaspers said, “ To appeal to the masses is just a cunning strategy that boasts about unrealistic tasks, self denial, and irresponsibility so that human efforts are denounced.”
    Any narrow nationalism or a fanatic group interest could win the support of the majority of the nationality or its group or congress. Adolf Hitler’s policy of exterminating Jews was passed by the German government and congress and supported and consented by the majority of Aryan Germans.

    So Jaspers thought it inaccurate that some Westerners only understand conscience shared by the masses or groups. In most time, mean personal interests were covered in the interests of the masses or groups. What Confucius said, “ Do unto others as you would not impose on others,” probably reflected what conscience is. This Confucian idea also was similar to that of Christianity. Jesus announced on a mountainside, “ Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31).
    To take World War I and II as an example, the Western nations were divided into two sides with their own followers and perception of the masses or groups. Could that really mean that each side has conscience? On the contrary, it was a loss of conscience for groups.
    As Jaspers pointed out, “ Strictly our humanity is not always realistic but conditioned. Barring circumstances, it is animalistic and selfish barbarism that drives and sacrifices lives at the cost of others. In an extremism of personal interests, tragedies happened among individuals and nations.”
    Only the truth about conscience can be realized by what Confucius said “ Do unto other as you would not impose on others” or Jesus said “ Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

    One would think more carefully when using barbaric means to raid one nation, destroy its infrastructure, and kill its civilians: How would I feel if others use the same way to treat me? The Arabs wondered why Americans threw tons of bombs on Afghanistan and Iraq and killed thousands of civilians and children. Americans seemed puzzled by the death of merely three thousand in September 11 attacks. When some leaders of NATO proclaimed to throw hundreds of tons of bombs on the residential areas in Libya for the purpose of killing Libyan leaders and their families, Libyans would asked if they could throw bombs on David Cameron, Nicolas Sarkozy, Hilary Clinton, or Anders Rasmussen. For several months in a row NATO has used national terrorism on one African country. Some African Islamists followed the teaching of Koran, “Tooth for tooth, blood for blood, “ and sought opportunities to ravage Paris, London or Rome into fire.
    Liangzhi (conscience) can be only realized when one is put in another person’s shoes or is more considerate of others. From the past to today there are those who follow their conscience.

    George W. Bush’s successive wars to Afghanistan and Iraq had won a majority of support from representatives of two parties and many Americans. Cindy Sheehan, known as an anti war activist and dead soldiers’ mom, vehemently spoke against two wars of invasion. That Bush said that Bin Laden was hidden in Afghanistan and Iraq stored illegal weapons was lies. He justified the US action of invading these countries that have sovereignty. Sheehan demanded the US to withdraw from Iraq because she did not want other soldiers to die like her son for nothing. She wanted American mothers to stop crying and have a complete home. She called for an anti-war demonstration participated by at least 50,000 people.
    This March, NATO, in the name of the United Nations, to protect civilians, invaded Libya. Libya was raided and ripped off its overseas properties. NATO supported the Libyan anti- government party and marched into cities controlled by Libyan government in order to overthrow the current Libyan government and select leaders for Libya. Former French foreign minister Roland Dumas visited Libya and witnessed NATO’s inconsistent words and action. Being a lawyer Dumas wanted to help defend the Libyan government and accuse NATO’s crimes committed in Libya.

    The extremely selfish so-called democratic liberal philosophy is more popular in the West. Many Western politicians are rogues and robbers instilled with colonialism and imperialism, who can be comparable to Mussolini or Adolf Hitler. They never decently treated small countries in Asia and Africa as nations or Asians or Africans with dignity who cherish their lives, defend their countries’ sovereignty, and want to choose their own leaders rather than by the West. Forty years ago, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan rose up and sacrificed their lives, and drove Western colonialists out. But Afghanistan and Iraq wars, particularly the war against Libya were evidenced that neo-colonialism and imperialism have come back. The Western politicians promised to give democracy to these countries but the struggle of some Arabs and Africans for democracy was turned into a Western crusade against the Orient. Those self-styled fighters who opposed dictatorship became puppets of invaders and traitors who were not supported by their people. Such democracy was realized under the control and occupation by the Western military forces. As long as NATO army withdrew and NATO stopped attacking, it would collapse and be executed. Such irony was against the Western democratic values: NATO bombed Libyan Radio station because it broadcasted a voice against NATO. So this might make Britain and France lose their reputation for freedom of speech and births of John Milton (1608-1674) and Voltaire (1694-1778). The Western Allies believed that they had weapons and NATO. Whoever did not listen to NATO, I could attack by the name of NATO; whoever did not give me resources, I would destroy in the name of NATO. The terrorism was burgeoning in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya or Iran. The double standards used on terrorists bore colonialism and hegemony and led terrorism to be spread out from Europe to America. It was lucky that the forefathers of British Prime Minister David Cameron and Foreign Minister William Hague who slaughtered 4500 Africans at one time did not get revenge. Britain could have paid a high price because of their bravery. If Britain sent the ground force to Libya and entered Tripoli, it would not mean a victory to NATO because it might prove as the Chinese proverb goes, “The Kingdom of Qin was not destroyed when six kingdoms were destroyed but after the collapse of six kingdoms.”

    In the West, the idea of Liangzi, conscience is still not in the mainstream. But it is believed that the Western governments, which lack integrity, may have the bell tolled in the 21st century for Western imperialism and NATO. With Liangzi of Wang Yangming disseminated in the West the conspiracy of invasion by America, Britain, France, and NATO will be uncovered.
    Last edited by zraver; 24 Aug 11,, 16:02. Reason: EYE STRAIN

  • #2
    Font Size 4 is your friend.

    Comment


    • #3
      what?
      Four you say?

      Personally I prefer two.

      A little punctuation and spacing never goes amiss too
      In the realm of spirit, seek clarity; in the material world, seek utility.

      Leibniz

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      • #4
        just wasted 3 min reading that BS ...
        J'ai en marre.

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        • #5
          ...And of course either the op or a mod changes the font size to make my post number 2 look stupid (no smart-alecky comment, Benny)....

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          • #6
            Originally posted by YellowFever View Post
            ...And of course either the op or a mod changes the font size to make my post number 2 look stupid (no smart-alecky comment, Benny)....
            Don't worry, we all know you are perfectly capable of doing that on your own without any outside help.

            (Like Ben would be the only one who would use this chance...)

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            • #7
              Chew-toy Gods are back from fiesta? Yey!
              No such thing as a good tax - Churchill

              To make mistakes is human. To blame someone else for your mistake, is strategic.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Doktor View Post
                Chew-toy Gods are back from fiesta? Yey!
                Hey!

                That's Tarek you're talking about!
                Last edited by YellowFever; 24 Aug 11,, 08:27.

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                • #9
                  Can one of the mods or admins change Yellowbelly's avatar or location or something again? Please?
                  Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

                  Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Can I get that Celine avatar with the cute sailor outfit?

                    Always wanted it but was afraid to because the Colonel might tear me a new one.....

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Pointless thread. Needs to be locked by a mod sufficiently mature to take full responsibility.
                      "This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski
                      "The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." Lester Bangs

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                      • #12
                        ...
                        Attached Files
                        To sit down with these men and deal with them as the representatives of an enlightened and civilized people is to deride ones own dignity and to invite the disaster of their treachery - General Matthew Ridgway

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                        • #13
                          How can I snatch away a chew toy? But if there is nothing to add other than one-line zingers, it may not be worth it.

                          In fact, **** it. I cannot see this going anywhere. Yujing, we always enjoy political and sociological smack-downs. Could you try again, in your own words? Thanks.

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