A global empathy

If you've lived in or spent any significant time in another country, you might have had to answer questions about why your country was doing certain things on the world stage. And if you took time to think of who was asking and how things appeared from their perspectives, your answer might be different than if you spent your life wearing parochial blinders. I was in Korea when we invaded Afghanistan and Iraq. I couldn't answer the questions like, "Why is the U.S. doing that?" or the more common one, "Why are Bush and Cheney doing that?" And these from a country that enjoys (not universally) a U.S. presence and strong relationship with the U.S. I couldn't answer not just because I was in the military for part of the time I was there, but also that I tried to understand how things looked from outside the U.S. I was, after all, a guest in their country. Sam Richards, in this TED Talk titled "A Radical Experiment in Empathy" illustrates a message that I think that every single American needs to hear, whether xenophobic or not. I've lived all over the U.S. and I am continually saddened, if no longer surprised at how Americans view the world. "Speak English!" "But you're in our country." "Speak English anyway." I am also saddened that I know many people that will not understand this video, which is all the more disappointing because despite my other challenges regarding the nature of humans though their arts, I do. The message is simple: Step out of your tiny world and understand the larger world differently. It should open some eyes. I really hope it does.

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Why they tell the truth.

I was listening to local Christian AM radio station "Truthtalk KJSL" tonight while driving home (as an amateur anthropologist). I heard a promotional spot that caught my attention. It went like this: Abraham Lincoln said: "No man has a good enough memory to make a successful liar." That's why at KJSL we tell you the truth! Oh, Really? Is that why?

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Preparing to run for President

There is no surer sign that someone is getting ready to run for president that the fact that they suddenly claim to be more strongly religious than they ever were before. You can now see this phenomenon with Newt Gingrich, who is trying to score political points by mouthing off about all the purported damage being done to the country by non-theists like me.

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