The Real Political Danger
Dear Friends,
The US presidential election is heating up, and there are some real dangers ahead.
And I do not mean the ability of AI to make fake political videos, though this is certainly a concern.
There is a bigger danger: our humanity.
Biden mispronounces a word or Trump is found guilty of civil fraud, and depending on our political affiliation, does some part of us enjoy this?
Do we think, “Yes, they are hurt in some way!”
When the opposing person in a political campaign stumbles, do we find some satisfaction in that? Do we relish in the suffering of another person?
To me, this is the biggest danger, and neither political side is immune.
This is not a popular message to share, and both sides may resist it, but I think it is important.
Do not get me wrong. I have my own views, and will work hard to get certain politicians elected, and will argue vehemently for them whenever I can.
But this can be done, I believe, without a sense of inferiority, without gloating in another person’s fall, or pain, or suffering.
Mahara-ji supposedly said, “Never put anyone out of your heart.”
We can put someone out of our house, choose to never see them again, and work like hell to defeat them politically … and also do our best to keep them in our heart.
If everyone has Buddha-nature, if everyone is worthy of compassion, this means every political candidate as well — the ones we support, and the ones we oppose.
I will be announcing more of my efforts in this area soon, but just to say: I think we are better than this. Who wins is important, but a country divided is a major defeat.
The real loss is not an election, it’s our humanity.
Blessings,
SOREN
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Soren, I think our real danger for society and humanity is that a significant number of Americas are willing to support DJT, a man who is totally unqualified to be President as most of his previous cabinet members assert. and much of the world knows. And, if being unqualified isn’t enough he is a man who is a convicted rapist, with 91 criminal indictments, a serial liar, an insurrectionist, a fraud…the list goes on. That danger is compounded by the fact that so many “leaders” don’t have the moral courage to speak out, even though they know who he is and what he represents. Are so many really willing to trade their reputations, and integrity, because the don't have the courage to speak out and tell the truth about the danger this man represents. The outcome of the US election of 2024 could well be the point at which historians will write that the US lost its standing in the world, its democracy, the rule of law, and the rest we can only imagine.
Such truth, when we wish harm on others we are harming ourselves.