Views from Eagle Peak

From Great Evil Comes Great Good

Jack — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 21:44:20 +0000

“Great events never have minor omens. When great evil occurs, great good follows.” So says Nichiren, founder of the largest sect of Buddhism practiced in the United States. While it would be an overstatement to characterize the entirety of the Bush administration years as great evil, there certainly has been plenty of it. Greed, lies, torture, imperialism, etc. At the same time, can there be any doubt that but for those evils (and the collapse of the economy, attributable in part to administration laissez faire policies), Barack Obama would not have been elected this year. Not sure about the “great good”? Consider the response to his election from ordinary citizens here and abroad. Consider the response from leaders around the world. Look at the faces among the thousands of supporters at rallies and celebrations. White, black, brown, yellow. Young, old, rich, poor, gay, straight. Compare those faces to the tiny crowds present at the McCain rallies. A diverse, large tent versus a tiny, exclusive tent. Which is the “real” America–the small-town, small-minded, “your bedroom is my business” members of the GOP (Grumbling Obnoxious Partisans?) or the hope-filled Democrats and Independents that are tolerant of differences, are tired of ideological polemic and are a mix of ethnicities?

Waiting for November 5th

Jack — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:11:18 +0000

I am getting impatient. I want the election to be over so I can stop watching Anderson Cooper, Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews, Larry King, Nightline and local news. What else is there to blog about right now but the election? Plenty of stuff; the same stuff that I used to blog about. But I am consumed by the election. Watching Obama’s 30-minute infomercial reminded me how financially fortunate I am. I won’t brag or bore you with the details, other than to mention that my wife and I both were able to retire at 55 and do not have work or worry about income. That is not so for many people in America. I can understand, although not agree with, the choices of some voters to support a political party and candidates that want to dictate the sexual and reproductive habits of Americans. I find it more difficult to understand how the social conservatives, many of whom may not be as well off financially as me or the leaders of their party, can so readily buy the laissez-faire policies of socalled fiscal conservatism. I say socalled because while Republicans continually label Democrats as “tax and spend,” many (if not most) Republicans on the national and local levels spend as much or more than Democrats but they don’t tax–they spend at a deficit. Look at George Bush years as the paradigm. When Democrats brought fiscal order to Congress a number of years ago, it was through “pay as you go” budget programs. At the same time, while the socially conservative Republicans want to regulate what goes on in America’s bedrooms, they care little what goes on in America’s boardrooms. Look at the bailout for the results of that perspective. So I am looking forward to a new day and a new way on November 5th–or perhaps I should say on January 20th, 2009.

The Sad Fate of a One-Time Maverick

Jack — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:54:04 +0000

Once upon a time, John McCain was a Maverick. At least as late as 2000, he still behaved like one. Unfortunately for him, that helped seal his doom in the contest for the Republican nomination for President. The sad truth he took from defeat is that in order to fulfill his Vietnam POW-era dream of the White House, he would have to play to the Republican base in order to get nominated the next time. So he swallowed whatever principles he had and supported Bush more than “90% of the time” in his own words. Now, in 2008, having won the Republican base, he wants to reclaim the maverick mantle. His frustration in America’s refusal to give it back became clear in the final debate with Obama as he grimaced, frowned, sighed and became increasingly petulant. Here he had to sit still for George W. Bush, of all people, to steal his shot at the White House in 2000. Now this damned upstart Obama is in his way. At age 72, he won’t have another chance at achieving his dream. But what he may not have realized, it is all of his own doing; ambition over principle.

It is true that no matter how wonderful an agenda one may have, one will never have an opportunity to advance it if one is not elected. So the temptation is to say what one believes needs to be said in order to get elected. Once elected, the genuine article can reemerge. But it is a fine line to walk, running for office and maintaining a sense of genuine identity and clear principles. While McCain trumpets his years of experience in contrast to Barack Obama’s relatively short record, he fails to note how this hurts rather than helps. Because he has had so many years in public office, he has had the opportunity to weave this way and that in opposing and supporting policies of one president or another. He asks “who is the real Barack Obama” while failing to recognize that he has made it much more difficult to tell who the real McCain is by his own vacillation. He might actually be a decent president, but who can say what he really stands for? Perhaps he never read Shakespeare’s admonition, “to thine own self be true.”

Be the Talk of the Neighborhood on Halloween

Jack — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:13:58 +0000

That’s what the guy on the radio said, promoting giving trick-or-treaters Trader Joe’s own brand of chicken broth in resealable containers. Can’t argue with that. I almost ran off the road laughing when I heard this ad yesterday while driving along Woodburn Road. He started out saying how “last year” it is giving pre-packaged Halloween candies. He went on to describe how great the broth is in making rice dishes and other recipes. Okay, so you get the organic mom vote. But can you imagine the look on a kid’s face when he or she pulls this out of the bag of treats? Can you imagine the look on mom’s face if, while banging around with all the other stuff in the bag, the broth container leaks all over everythiing else? This has to rank among the top non sequiter ads I have ever seen or heard. Yes, you can be assured of being the talk of the neighborhood.

More Shameless Self-Promotion

Jack — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:08:28 +0000

A little later than I would like, but still I have to let everyone know that the new and improved Eagle Peak Press website is now up and running. The hook on which I want to hang this publisher hat is in honor of the inscription of the Dai-Gohonzon on October 12, 1279 and the passing of Nichiren Daishonin on this day in 1282. Following the deaths of three followers of Nichiren, who gave up their lives rather than forsake their faith in his teachings of Buddhism, Nichiren inscribed his life and the Mystic Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo on a large block of camphor wood. He took the martyrdom of three peasant farmers from Atsuhara as evidence that his teachings had spread and held to the point where everyone in the world should have the opportunity to experience the benefit of practicing Buddhism. Three years later he passed away, leaving the legacy of a simple means to access the same life of a Buddha that he had experienced.

Masters of the Universe

Jack — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:07:36 +0000

What news will come from the MastersButtheads of the Universe today, a continuing fall in the global economy perhaps? Maybe the MBAs should have “learned to play the guitar,” as Mark Knopfler suggests, instead of learning to play the market. At least then the suffering we are enduring would have been limited to our ears instead of our financial well-being. They have succeeded in getting money for nothing far in excess of what any member of a band might get (except maybe Mick Jagger and friends).

Nichiren says, “When great evil occurs, great good follows.” (WND, 1119). So something good can come from this, amidst all the political posturing and finger-pointing. It’s not inappropriate, rather it’s essential to look at the causes of this collapse if the effects are to be avoided in the future. When you have politicians enabling, through a laissez-faire approach to the financial sector, these Buttheads of the Universe to take free-market capitalism to its most extreme the outcome is certainly foreseeable. Not, of course, to George “Herbert Hoover” (or maybe we should call him Beavis) Bush and his friends in the Republican party. Government regulation has a place, to protect citizens and taxpayers from the worst excesses of human nature. We have laws that punish criminals. We also have regulations and regulators to help prevent crimes. It may not be possible, practical or sensible to try to protect everyone from greed and stupidity, but it certainly is reasonable to have more oversight and control of the financial sector than we have had in recent years.

Let Capitalists Be Capitalists

Jack — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:58:21 +0000

It could be the slogan that was, “let capitalists be capitalists.” It likely will be again, soon enough. But the “bailout” is coming soon with restrictions that Wall Street and others haven’t seen for awhile. Don’t hold your breath that the pending legislation will reverse much of the effects of deregulatory fervor that swept the Congress and the White House over the last 20 years. Don’t expect any significant reregulation either. But it is interesting to note that to the extent Dubya had an ambition to achieve more than his father, he will have succeeded in ways he never imagined. George H. W. Bush left office with a huge deficit and an economy in the doldrums. Dubya came into office in 2001 with a budget surplus and a reduced national debt; he will leave with an economy in shambles, a gigantic deficit and a major increase in the national debt. Tax cuts, increased spending without revenues to support it and “letting capitalists be capitalists” is demonstrably not the answer to improve the American economy.

Upcoming Events at Eagle Peak

Jack — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:28:55 +0000

Not today, but hopefully this week, the new and improved version of the Eagle Peak Press website will become available at a browser near you. On the site will be an Arts Showcase for SGI members to post prose, poetry, visual art and music. But I will let the site speak for itself. Check the link in this post or in the blogroll. As for Views, I am overdue in giving you some more clues on getting that book out. Many of you have landed here as a result of my ads on Google for Waiting for Westmoreland. For those of you with a book already out, that’s a hint on marketing. More about that later.

Financial Fallout and the Blame Game

Jack — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:57:00 +0000

Obama will tell you it’s Bush and his buddy McCain that helped make the current money morass happen. He is not entirely wrong but he is not entirely right either. Congress facilitated the mess by repealing the Glass-Steagal Act that kept the insurance, investment and banking businesses firewalled from one another. Institutional investors, including the pension funds that hold our retirement funds, could have exercised more of their clout in the proxy battles and the board rooms to hold management’s feet to the fire and restrained the most egregious excesses–but they didn’t. From a Buddhist perspective, to determine the causes made in the past one has only to look at the effects received today. So if we are suffering financial harm today, what did we do in the past? Well, some of us were also greedy. Some of us have cheated on our taxes, padded our resumes, paid for term papers written by others, goofed off and gotten over at work, etc. OK, so some of us may appear blameless. Nonetheless, we are suffering now. Take it as an opportunity to make the future better and take comfort in knowing that cause effect will work it’s way into the lives of the executives and the politicians who helped create this mess. We may need to help that along–in terms of the November election and the choices we make in investing our money, borrowing, etc.

The Bailout and the Backlash

Jack — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:56:58 +0000

Treasury Secretary Paulson and Republicans in Congress object to tying limits on executive compensation (especially “golden parachutes”) to bailouts in the legislation now pending. Even with such limits, a taxpayer revolt may be in the offing. Freemarket conservatives jump up and down, stamp their feet and scream “class warfare!” whenever anyone talks of raising taxes or placing limits on the obscene (and growing) wealth of the richest Americans. To which my response is–and your point?! Should the rest of us stand idly by while the government slaps us with the bill for the greed, the stupidity and the incompentence of those who run the financial institutions that got us into this mess? Now is the time to strike a blow for financial freedom for the serfs who serve the lords of the realm. Still, we are all not blameless. More on that tomorrow.