"I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers.

In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in.

I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street.I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints.

The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents." Major General Smedley Butler.(1881-1940.) As quoted in the 2/10/10 issue of http://www.globalresearch.ca/

The international decline of financial capitalism presents a crossroads for humanity. Awakened from the miasma of the Bush-Cheney years by sudden financial discomfort, Americans and others find themselves potentially bankrupt and enslaved by large financial institutions, who have robbed national treasuries with impunity.

Perhaps the fog of war-mania will also lift, as governments turn to internal spying, political incarceration and martial law to control their angry citizens. South Carolina's legislature is reportedly considering a law to suppress free speech by forcing critics of the U.S. government to register as dissenters. There has been a general use of 911-ism as an excuse to discourage street protests and marches in the U.S. generally. State police organizations increasingly back neo-con candidates.

To those who are currently untouched by the collapse in the American economy, I say, "It isn't over yet." Ancient wisdom dictates that disaster teaches a society compassion and levels the great economic divide which causes greedy domination by the wealthy. The cycle of history. The financial collapse may well take the bloated wind out of the military-industrial complex which has gotten us here.

It will be increasingly important for each person to adopt a daily practice to get through these changes. That practice may include brave activism for social and economic justice despite potential harm. Clinging to the selfish materialism and blind nationalism of the last two decades will not cut it when the whole world is in crisis and one rising force, China, starts calling the shots.

America can perhaps be resurrected by its loss of its superiority and its acceptance of a place as less militaristic part of a coalition of nations who believe in universal human rights, true democracy and world peace.

Webness

I received a comment (unposted) from a reader today, whose email signature included a link to a Web site. The Web site is a so-called female escort agency. I was blasted with graphic pictures of gigantic naked breasts and bleached smiles. Now, while cyber-pimps and pornographers are often seen as sketchy folk, I appreciated this person's comment. I did wonder why this person was drawn to my rather quiet blog on ethics, politics and practical philosophy. I also wondered if the comment was made by a real person.

I chose to meditate on this during my afternoon walk. I recalled seeing an ad recently for housewives who wanted to make cash working from home. I then researched these schemes and found that these suburban housewives are posting links to pornography sites and offshore casinos through various search-engine advertising programs. Then I wondered how many of these stalwart suburbanites signed petitions against gay marriage or attended yowling Tea Party meetings about family values and getting government out of their health care.

More communication, more information, its all here on the Web. But, what is it achieving? Is it educating? I know it is entertaining at a profit if suburban moms can cash in on porn and gambling. Does that add value to our lives in general? Or does it just make us all a little less accountable, less responsible, less ethical or just plain less caring?

I look across the national landscape as reported in a variety of media. I don't see knowledge, awareness and improved quality in our country. I see terror-phobia, ignorance of how the health care system works, nationalist ego without basis, and a determined, evil movement by some on the Far Right (neo-cons) to undermine the average person to the advantage of the already super-rich.

What can be done about this? There is no Big Answer. We are evolving, and our technology with us. Perhaps one day China, as it takes over the world, will paternalistically guide us back to a more moderate path. Perhaps a Haiti-like apocalypse will wipe the slate clean. Perhaps the U.S. will continue on its Balkanizing descent and become a larger version of Mexico or Colombia. It is obvious to me that technology will not save any of us.

So, while I try to keep abreast of advances in communication and technology, I am very conscious that my touchstone is my daily personal practice. I strive to practice in the virtual world as I do in the real world. That is the best I can do.

Acceptance

The first step to true liberation is acceptance.

It's easier said than done. As mammals with frontal lobes, our considerable evolution has been fueled by individual and group pursuit of The Great Why and The Great How.

Yet, to liberate ourselves, it is crucial to accept The Great Is. I mean to say it is necessary to deeply accept the realities of our own individual human life in this Universe. It is ancient wisdom: I am born; I grow older each moment; I die. This is the Great Commonality which binds us to each other and all life on our planet.

True, internalized acceptance of The Great Commonality erases fear, prejudice, selfishness, hatred, violence, indolence. It removes huge barriers from the useful, creative and shared pursuit of The Great Why and The Great How.

Meditation on hardship. Experience of pain and aging. Inspiring health and joy in others. Focusing on and attending to the immediate needs next to you and gradually more and more beyond your own life. These are some of the ways acceptance of The Great Commonality heals us and could heal our species and our planet. Unfortunately, acceptance of The Great Commonality comes for most human beings in old age and far too close to death for its effects to ripple through the species.

Dithering over the afterlife and things we cannot or do not attempt to plainly, scientifically prove in The Great Is wastes time and human energy. It is the procrastination of the self-centered and those who manipulate and enslave through ritual and religion. Liberated practice is putting acceptance into action from a place of mindful, peaceful and loving compassion.