Monday, June 6, 2011

"The Politics of Ecstasy" (video)



The oxymoronic "Politics of Ecstasy" (one not having anything to do with the other) might be about meditative bliss (piti and sukha). It might be about the dance club drug "E" (which is a groovy love potion and a terrible health menace because it contains the brain-depleting toxic chemical amphetamine "Meth"). Or it might be about having fun in an oppressive Judeo-Christian society with Puritanical (Sharia Law) leanings.

America is great, but it can be just a little hypocritical. We all try as best we can to enjoy ourselves, while being made to feel guilty about it. This shaming does us more harm than good. And in the long run, we are co-opted: We are lied to as kids and go on to lie to our kids in the naive beliefs that this keeps them "innocent."

It leads to disillusionment. We have fun and enjoy having fun, and there's no reason for fun other than fun. There's plenty of time to suffer and discover that most things are unsatisfying. All of these issues are called "politics" only when our hippie parents sit around and talk about it academically:

Buddhism at minute 22:22

Shell Oil US President Marvin Odum talks about both history and the future.... witness cutting-edge college and high school student vehicles, many getting over 1,000 miles-per-gallon. Eco reporter Cary Harrison is covering the 2010 Shell Oil Eco-marathon, bonding with the brilliant minds who have gathered in the oil capitol to demonstrate what the future could look like.

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