[lbo-talk] Re: Cultural Change? ( Marxist democracy)

Hari Kumar hari.kumar at sympatico.ca
Tue May 11 04:44:46 PDT 2004


"Brian Charles Dauth"


>> How about violence worked to end slavery in the U.S.? John Brown.
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... You are right. There always must be struggle. I guess I wonder at which point is violence acceptable and how to know when to stop.


>> Or Cuba. It took an armed struggle for the initial victory of the
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revolution in Cuba;

Agreed. But look at the consequences: queers put into concentration camps. Clearly Castro did not know when to stop the violence (he also later imprisoned people with HIV/AIDS). Is that a success?

Once the ball of violence starts is it possible to contain it? How do you determine when the objective(s) of the violence has been achieved?

Brian Dauth Queer Buddhist Resister __________________________________________________________________________________________ Comment: Brian: I thought that you in particular, might be interested in an anecdote regarding the recent visits of the Dalai Lama. The DL recently visited Canada & a great brouhoua arose, & there has been quite a flurry of activity/interest around this. As an example, one of my research fellows spent $1000 for a private interview with the DL.
>From this you may gauge the extraordinary personal impacts that Hoxhaists have on the people around them.
Anyway, transpires that this was in a huge room with some 100 others.

Because of the putative health benefits of Bhuddist reflection (actually, the literature usually talks of meditation without the descriptor Bhuddist - & the same applies with various non-Bhuddist meditations including some Hindu derivatives. I have not seen literature re the more ascetic Christian variants of meditation etc). In an aired radio interview with a psychology researcher from Duke, the DL was asked whether if he was sitting next to hitler he would kill him. The DL consulted apparently with his colleague lamas, & then said along the lines: "Yes - I would kill him if I cold. But the important thing is to do it without any anger in your heart".

Now I think the DL is a sort of nice chap - all giggly etc. This was a revealing comment. My sister who is a Hindu 'guru' - uses similar terminology, the great sin is 'attachment. She counts the DL as a personal friend.

However an oft held option is that to kill in "cold blood" - is an especially vicious & dangerous thing.

I pass no value judgment here. Just stringing together some reported facts, & personal reminisce. Cheers. H

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