Personal Development

» Nataraja - sensing responsibility

I live next door to a wealthy family with significant political clout in one of the poorest countries in the world. I hardly see the family since they move from their garage to the street in black SUV’s, gates managed by a small squadron of staff; their doorbell is disconnected; their windows tinted and double-paned. Except for the occasional unmarked truck depositing or collecting cargo in the middle of the night, I am rarely aware of their presence.

I am, however, aware of their dog. It lives in a small cage below my (single-paned) bedroom window and has developed over the years an impressive repertoire of whines, howls and barks as it drives itself mad in a space scarcely larger than its body. They say the dog kills people and so must be kept locked up, and it is released at night to keep burglars away. This happens to be merely a useful rumour: its piercing laments, almost-linguistic serenades, and the occasional polyphonic symphonies that it initiates across the 2 a.m. neighborhood, speak of its imprisonment.

I try to understand the psychology of its owners that permit them to keep their animal under these conditions. And then I remember my context: a country populated by sick and hungry people who live in fear of police and politics; where shantytowns are razed to make way for government buildings; where waitresses are ruined for turning down the lude advances of army generals; where bystanders are killed at sidewalk juice stands as drunks drive away scot-free in their Humvees or Mercedes.

Power in this country is not simply about money or clout; it means enjoying the limitless exercise of your own will. And what is more limiting than the presence of other people, slowing you down, sharing spaces, voicing opinions? And what could demonstrate power more fully than being able to push someone out of your way as if they weren’t there, unrestricted by consequences and moral considerations for their well-being? My neighbour, who happens to be the Prime Minister’s brother, does not need to keep his dog caged up to demonstrate his power-—he needs to not care about its suffering or the impact it has on his neighbours. My neighbour’s brother does not need to oppress the population to assert his power; he needs to remain unbothered by petty lives as he conducts his self-serving business.

In a country as affluent and democratic as Canada, how is it that we still feel the need to assert our wealth and horsepower at the expense of moral responsibility?

-- posted by Nataraja

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» pink101 - sensing responsibility

In response to sensing responsibility posted by Nataraja:

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Are you talking about Canada?
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-- posted by pink101

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» Nataraja - sensing responsibility

No.

And that piece was in response to the Road Rage article, btw.

-- posted by Nataraja

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» pink101 - sensing responsibility

In response to sensing responsibility posted by Nataraja:

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Was the opening post in this thread from your personal experience or was it someone else?
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What country is the author talking about?
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-- posted by pink101

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» Nataraja - sensing responsibility

I live in Cambodia and my thoughts and experiences are authentically my own. I am happy to defend my validity in hope that your question is a mere formality preceding an interesting dialogue about social responsibility, the nature of power, road rage or the ethics of keeping animals in cages (or perhaps a neighbour's ethical reponsibility to poison the suffering animal at night).

-- posted by Nataraja

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» pink101 - sensing responsibility

In response to sensing responsibility posted by Nataraja:

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I am very interested in the way things are in other countries as well as how you view the United States and its people.
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My oringal ancestors in America were here while the colonies were still under the thumb of the British tyrant's rule. At least one of my ancestors fought as a member of the insurgent Sons of Liberty in the Revolutionary War against that tyrant king of England.
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It's your thread. I will be responsive.
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:)
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The raja on the end of your name arouses my curiostiy.
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It is 2:34 p.m. here in Michigan which is the state in America surrounded by the Great Lakes. You can see it on the map. I am in the southwestern part of the state just 130 miles from Chicago.
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-- posted by pink101

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» Nataraja - sensing responsibility

Even though I live in Cambodia, I am Canadian. Half my ancestors are English, though I doubt our forefathers met in combat. The other half of my lineage is Latvian, a people who have spent most of their history being passed back and forth between neighbouring countries and remember fondly the Good Ol’ Days when the self-proclaimed fascist dictator had the country firmly under control and people were provided for and stable.

Cambodians like America because they are attracted to American wealth. I have been to Burma and Tibet where Americans are applauded for their politics--Tibet in the day of Clinton when the president spoke out against the Chinese occupation (I remember crossing paths with a Tibetan monk on his way down from the monestary with his yak and illegal transistor radio. He called out to us in passing, "Clinton Good!" and gave us the thumbs-up); and a Burmese guide who had watched his friends and classmates gunned down by their government a few decades prior, who applauded Bush as the Iraq war started. His argument came in the form of a question: "When do we get our Mr. Bush? When will he come save us?"

These opinions were all expressed years ago. I have not heard much that is positive lately.

So tell me, do you plan on following your ancestor’s footsteps and taking up a fight for freedom against your government?

-- posted by Nataraja

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» pink101 - sensing responsibility

In response to sensing responsibility posted by Nataraja:

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"So tell me, do you plan on following your ancestor’s footsteps and taking up a fight for freedom against your government?"
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You wouldn't be a NeoCon spy would you? I remember seeing movies about the Nazi Gestapo during WWII when I was a kid. There was a line you'd hear every once in a while when a Nazi Officer had some suspect in tow. They would say, "Ve know how to deal mit people like you." America is quickly turning toward fascism and what can be called Southern Exceptionalism.
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I can never be thankful enough to my ancestors for what they did for me. Liberty requires constant vigilence. I've been involved in the fight all my life. After all is said and done, I am a Yankee. What can happen to me?
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:)
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-- posted by pink101

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