Swami Beyondananda?s 2006 State of the Universe Ad

Swami Beyondananda?s 2006 State of the Universe Address

Submitted by davidswanson on Fri, 2006-02-10 12:47. Activism

Swami Calls for an Up-Wising: ?Wise Up, Everybody ... The Evolution Has Begun!?
By Swami Beyondananda



For years now, we?ve been hearing ?shift happens,? and wondering when, where and how. Now finally, it looks as if the shift is about to hit the fan. This is good news for all those shift fans who?ve been wondering if the new age will arrive before old age does. Of course, if you?re looking for signs in the news, you won?t find them. At least, not yet. The news might as well be called the ?olds,? because the world still seems stuck in greedlock, ruled by fossilized fools fueled by fossil fuels. But I have been receiving encouraging intelligence reports that say indeed, humans are becoming more intelligent. Yes, people everywhere are wising up. And that?s great, because we could sure use an up-wising!



The evolution has begun. But before we see changes in the old needy-greedy, we humans must change our consciousness -- and the first step is becoming conscious of how unconscious we?ve been. As the saying goes, the truth shall upset you free, and last year saw lots of disillusionment. But what better to free us from the far more dangerous condition of illusionment? If we want to stop the abuse of power, the first step is to disabuse ourselves. So, here?s some good news: Despite a massive media impropaganda machine that feeds the public ?babblum? (strained bullshit made digestible for a simple child?s mind), more and more Americans are reading between the lyins? and peering behind the Irony Curtain.



In 2005, Americans had to face the sad realization that the Bush Administration?s ?pro-life? stance appears to be limited to the unborn and the brain-dead. Despite being panned by critics everywhere, the Iraqi Horror Picture Show continued its run, as thousands and thousands of born fetuses ? ours and theirs -- lost their right to life. While we may or may not have saved face by staying there, we have most definitely lost ass. And we?ve been assured we?ll be stuck in that morass until -- well, until there?s no more ass to lose. Meanwhile, more and more Americans reached another sad conclusion: We?re not in Iraq to keep the peace, we?re there to keep the pieces.

The signs of up-wising are everywhere. Even the most unpleasant stories are beginning to break through the soundless barrier and defy the President?s ?don?t ask, don?t tell? policy: ?You promise not to ask us what we?re doing, and we promise not to tell you.? Although we?ve been inundated with ?fear-gnomes? and ominously warned we have to protect ourselves in this dogma-eat-dogma world, a majority of Americans are no longer comfortable with the notion that the only way to defeat the ?evil-doers? in the world is to out evil-do them. Although our President has assured us that ?we don?t torture,? it is now common knowledge that we simply send detainees to countries that do torture when we want them to ?testify under oaf.?



As for those progressives who?ve been whining that the President ?never listens? to them, well it turns out he?s been listening all along. And thanks to the so-called Patriot Act (which, I understand, is about to be renamed the Eternal Insecurity Act), it looks like he?ll be able to listen in even more -- all in the name of making us safe. But now even some Republicans are beginning to see that there?s a difference between protection and the ?protection racket.? And with the recent revelations about Tom DeLay, Jack Abramoff and other gold collar criminals, some of the more devout conservatives have come to realize that the ?family values? they voted for bear an uncanny resemblance to Soprano Family values.



If there was any warm feeling in 2005, chalk it up to climate change. Katrina hit, and in the government?s response we