Kobayashi Issa, "On a branch…"
Hi all --
I'm sure you too have experienced a whirlwind of a week. I have lots of thoughts about markets and treasury bonds that I did not have before. My mind wanders to the question of whether the CEO of Goldman Sachs will eventually protest in front of a Tesla dealership.
But what I'm wondering about most is this: How are we supposed to survive and prosper in this country? Is this a reasonable question? The current crisis, where innocent people are sold to a foreign prison without due process and SCOTUS grudgingly says "yes, the government should get them back," only exposes just how bad things have been for a long time. Consider that ICE has made plainclothes arrests and taken people away in unmarked vans well before the Trump administration. The various boards governing colleges and universities have been stacked with those who not only hate students and faculty, but do not care for higher ed itself. That businessmen and journalists don't take Trump at his word is a total failure of politics and education. Instead of civics, we have cable and talk radio teaching "Democrat bad. Left bad," and we reap what we sow. There's no consistent ability to hold extremists accountable, even when they attack Social Security, healthcare, veterans, refugees, migrants, the poor, women, or any number of vulnerable groups.
There is hope. ICE pulled a mother and her 3 children while searching for someone they claimed was a criminal. They put a third grader in handcuffs; the family was moved from a small town in New York State to an encampment in Texas. 1000 showed up in a town of 1300 to protest. ICE relented and the family was let go.
I don't know that honorifics or titles mean much at the moment. Many have big positions like "Secretary of Defense" or "President of Columbia University" and they are a complete disgrace. Whatever we do to survive or prosper, it has to be done with an eye to empowering others and reducing harm. To this end, we have to make it clear rights matter. There are plenty of educated, well-read, hard-working people who do not believe this is a priority. They believe in the offices handed to those who are violent, cruel, and arbitrary. They're not going to be convinced harm is being done even when it is done in front of them. The only thing that's going to work is getting them to elaborate what rights truly are. Preparing them to understand that rights count especially when the people we don't like exercise them. It's a civic education which no less than SCOTUS needs, to say nothing of the other two branches.
Kobayashi Issa, "On a branch…"
On a warm, summer day you're by the river, watching. The sun glares a bit brightly at times, but you're in the shade, comfortable. A father and son are fishing. Boats pass by; one holds a couple on a date of sorts. And then you notice that there's been this annoying sound the whole time you've been there, sometimes louder, sometimes softer. You move closer to the water and there's Issa's haiku: "On a branch / floating downriver / a cricket, singing."
"On a branch…" (from Poetry) Kobayashi Issa (tr. Jane Hirshfield) On a branch floating downriver a cricket, singing.
It's a funny image. An insect makes their own boat and then launches into their opera, like a Venetian gondolier. It makes me wonder how much of life is a boat ride we're forced to sing along to. Health has been up and down, and when I'm taking better care, there's still plenty that can and does go wrong. I can't think of my health as a boat I can row and push in the direction I need. It's more like I'm singing along in the car to whatever's on the radio while driving to the doctor. That cricket on a branch floating downriver could be a mocking reminder that I've got far fewer options than I think I have.
I want to dwell on that idea of control even though an insect chirping away probably does not provide sufficient grounds for meditation on this topic. Where can I get the most control and what would that do for me? The ancient notion of a "ship of state" is all about a city being able to take the oars and own their destiny. There are boats more powerful than a branch or a small craft. I, as a mere individual, am forced to ask the question of what kind of control I want. To be fair to myself, some neglect this consideration completely. Witness Elon Musk with regard to gaming. Mr. Musk cheats not just because he wants to be thought of as a great gamer, but because, weirdly enough, he believes he is a great gamer. Control is a birthright, and it doesn't matter what he controls. Dave Karpf noted that Musk claimed a game he was addicted to, Polytopia, was "more complicated than chess" (Karpf quoted here, not Musk directly). Via Karpf, here's more about Polytopia and Musk:
Elon Musk only plays games that he can dominate without working too hard at learning the rules.
Polytopia is not complicated. There aren’t a ton of divergent strategies. The game rewards aggression and domination. You build up resources, unlock the tech tree, and kill your opponents. The fog of war and randomly generated maps make for a new challenge every time, but it’s also the same challenge every time. And you either recognize early that the random map put you in an unwinnable position or you get the satisfaction of an inevitable march to victory.
If you're not clear on why you want power, you lust for it in the smallest, pettiest corners. And if you're worth a ton of money, this can work for you. Since you have resources, you're putting pressure on everyone else to worship you or open doors for you. After all, you are constantly stealing power others may need. Mr. Musk's terrible thinking about games is part of his being a monster.
The rest of us want to be decent; there are other things at stake. What about being heard, like that cricket? What about having just enough control to say what you want to say? That seems strangely just and maybe even satisfying. The trick is to understand what's ordinarily insignificant as something worth experiencing.
I mean, maybe that cricket wants to join the party since everyone else is outside. Maybe they just want to sing! Being a bit exuberant and intentionally oblivious can't be all bad, no?