"The ongoing news coverage was disgusting. North Korea will be lobbing nukes at us pretty soon, the economy is still in free-fall, and everywhere rough beasts, their hour come, slouch towards Bethlehem so you’d think there would be a lot to discuss on serious news outlets but based on four or five obvious facts that were a revelation to no one and only surprising to those who have been living in caves for the last twenty years we were treated to solid, 24-hour coverage of nothing and less than nothing about a guy whose life was really not that complicated and whose death was mundane by celebrity standards…save for the revelation that Diprovan, an induction agent for anesthesia and medical paralysis, is now a recreational drug.About the only real interest I have in the whole affair is whether and when Michael Jackson’s doctors are going to jail."
-- Panda Bear, M.D. - who really should put the word "doctors" (when speaking of the NewAge army of creeps around Jackson) in quotes - on our hot-to-trot sister blog, Panda Bear, M.D..
As a black radical egalitarian (not a "Liberal"), I find it highly simplistic to reduce contemporary liberals to New Age occultists-- in fact I wonder if you do so in order to secure a niche in the discursive marketplace with a painfully suspect thesis-- even though a few Liberals depend on New Agey language for lack of an adequate political-economic critique of the evils, inequities and obstacles to freedom in the World today. While many Liberals are Christian or New Age occultists, the far Left historically is not inclined towards occultism-- especially not the radical democratic egalitarians like Marx and others. The Far Right, on the other hand, has a well-known tradition of explicitly occultist, mystical or "New Age" practices-- the Swastika of Nazism is an excellent example of allegedly "Aryan" mysticism taken to the extreme. There is no essential difference between the Mysticism/ Occultism of established Religion (Christianity/Judaism/Islam, etc.) and the occultism of New Age movements. To focus on some Liberals favoring New Age language without confronting the undeniable Christian Occultism of American Republicans/ Conservatives is disingenuous. The recent sex scandals involving Ensign and Sanford uncovered their memberships in a Christian cult called The Family or The Fellowship, a cult with a home in Washington D.C. where six U.S. congressmen live quite inexpensively (4 Republicans and 2 Democrats).
ReplyDeleteWhile I usually would delete such a comment, for posting on an unrelated subject, I'm going to allow you some leeway because of the (apparent) intelligence of your critique. You're wrong, of course, but I like "the cut of your gib", so, as far as I'm concerned, you're a welcome addition to the conversation.
ReplyDeleteBefore I go on, I must say I'm simplifying greatly here, for no other reason than it's late, I'm still without dinner, and am dying to eat and sleep as soon as possible:
First, no, there's a big difference between Christians and NewAge occultists, starting with the concept of dualities: Christians acknowledge right and wrong, and - while claiming they are all sinners - do what they can to try and exist with the good in us. NewAgers, on the other hand, are blithely compelled to do whatever, to whomever, and accept it as part of their general make-up, other folks be damned (and they usually are). As an example, for comparison, Ensign and Sanford have both been roundly criticized for their behavior and, for all intents and purposes, their political careers are over. That's the Republican way. But Ken Wilber acolyte, Bill Clinton (and those like him, such as Arianna Huffington) on the other hand, is a celebrated horndog no matter what a mess he made of Monica Lewinsky's life or anyone else's. That's the Democrat way.
Second, Nazis are a "socialist" party - not something I'd associate with the religious right - especially after living in Europe and understanding they see "Left" and "Right" in the opposite manner of Americans. This is a major misreading of political ideologies on the part of American liberals, who are more than happy to portray anyone on the American right as a Nazi - when they share many of the Nazi's "spiritual" beliefs and ambitions. (While I cover this topic, quite often, you'd do better to check out Chris Locke's Mystic Bourgeoisie site for a more in-depth analysis of the subject: He's a different - and probably better - writer than I, and his breakdown of the subject can be quite insightful.)
Finally, I do cover Christianity and other major religions here, but that's not the emphasis of the blog: Everyone knows about Catholic priests and little boys, for instance, but what the NewAge is up to is hidden from most observers, partially because it's so embedded in the culture: Many Americans will prattle on about someone having "Bad Karma" and "Good Energy" and listen to Oprah's chosen "enlightened" guest without wondering for one second where in the hell all this is coming from - or where it's going.
O.K. - we'll talk more I hope - just not now. Open an account and get a handle (I hate speaking to "Anonymous") and welcome:
Not many blacks, of any cultural/political/spiritual persuasions, have stopped by since I started this. While I'm not racial (in the Democratic Party sense) there's something about the idea I like.
See you soon,
CMC