The hypocrisy of us

Not just doctors who took that Hippocratic oath (to heal the sick and dying).

We’re supposed to be good neighbor, to at least, close their eyes if the dead, on their own, couldn’t.

It’s human. It’s bare minimum.

But then, we keep re-inventing ourselves, then re-inventing some more until one day, even we are strangers to our very selves.

Say “cheese!” (when there are no cheese)

“I am sorry” when we did not mean it and had no intentions to change course.

“I’ll be right back” but somehow never did (just an expression).

Press “Like” when we meant to “conform”, since a lot of people had already done so ahead of us (a study proves this point: in NYC, people stopped to look up a building. Pretty soon a crowd gathered, for nothing. Just a study in human “take the kool-aid “).

Many folks – now in jail for January 6h – confirm the point: “Your honour, I was just following the President’s urging (“Fight like Hell”), the crowd’s chanting “Hang Mike Pence” and the mob pushing me (Astrodome?).

We said we’re light to the world (tear down that wall), a city on the hill.

Then we turned our backs.

Honorable Exit. Decent Interval. Peace with honour. Stalemate.

At least, animal instincts are easy to detect: they ate their preys for foods.

Our half-evolved selves leaves more for wanting. We’re not there (sainthood) just yet.

Everyone wants to have the stimulus checks. Then turn Republican (no tax, read my lips).

We’re all politicians, without running for office. Even those who pretend they might run, start campaigning and collecting money.

The hypocrisy of us, yours and mine. Let’s say during Tet, in war times, we prayed for peace (so sons and daughters could come home from the front, an equivalent of Thanksgiving) – then in peace time, that same “we” urging for war – against China over Taiwan, against Russia over Ukraine, against N Korea, over S Korea etc…).

Many musicians of protest (conscience) cannot believe they are back in the arena, to face off names like Kennedy, once on the same (progressive) side, now on the wrong side of the vaccine misinformation war.

Say “cheese”.

It’s easier to give to the guy standing at the intersection.

It’s much more difficult to give to someone the time of the day (our time is short, and that person is supposed to also be in a hurry, hence, his/her time is worth something, hence, our nearest or soon-to-be competitor).

We hold two opposing paradigms in our heads at any given point: we’re impermanent AND we’re going to live as if death only visits the other guy, never us.

We exist biologically hence simultaneously possess both animal instincts and human reflections (e.g. with others, different than us, comes strength in diversity and via collaboration and relationships we finally optimize given unity).

Yet, we say one thing, and act another. The others. Unity synonymous with uniformity.

Many cultures found men running the show, but at home, it’s their women (who actually running them.)

Hence, out of the (female) womb, indirectly, the world runs with efficiency and empathy (more male tombs, again, due to differences in praying outcomes).

We wanted to outsource our manufacturing (and associated pollution, let’s say in Baltimore and Pittsburgh).

Then our city revenues run dry (obviously, since bridges are collapsing), while in China, our final destination for all things outsourcing, bridges and railways were built by the thousands if not millions.

Then pollution drifted our way anyway (Tonga).

And in Myanmar, we pushed democracy, just to see military junta came right back, the Taliban way.

To unfreeze the funds is to help prop up a terrorist harbour. To freeze the funds, is to turn a blind eye for fathers to sell away daughters in remote Afghanistan.

The mature way is to recognize hard choices, to recognize our tolerance for ambiguity and risks. To face and “handle the truth” via compromise. No idealists, at least, not a live one.

Our hypocrisy and our hybrid selves. Since we’re on our way, but not yet arrived, just don’t just say it e.g. “till death do us part etc.. I pledge to defend the flag against …domestic enemies”. Action needs time to catch up. No wonder musicians and protestors, now have to step up, not to the stage but onto social media platform, 50+ years on, for the same fight: Scopes trial, Roe vs Wade fight etc.

It’s like “priesthood of all believers” but outsourced back to the Priestly class. Just to see a new breed of Martin Luther’s nailing their “blogs” (instead of thesis) on the church door. Except this time, many church buildings were sold to Buddhist sects, to Muslim mosques and others.

Because it’s the same ole human nature (still with instincts to eat their prey) fighting to win, for the cake :to have it and to eat it too (or else you won’t have a cake/country any more). Say “Cheese..cake”.