This title is the last phrase in the Twelfth Tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous: “Principles before Personalities.” The last step in Twelve step recovery also rings true with; “Practice these Principles in all our Affairs.” These are coined with another oft-used phrase, “moral compass.” These phrases, are my embodiment of being given a tip to a new life to live by. Not unlike Captain Jack Sparrow, this compass always points to where you want to go.
We all have our quirks, our personalities, our blind spots, and inevitably, they lead us to resentment. It is so clear to US alcoholics that what the other person, place or thing needs to change–in order to become more mo’ bettah–is that they can see through their apparent ignorance or denial–ringing clear as a dinner bell! Unfortunately, I am, with increasing frequency–one sandwich shy of a picnic! Which is why I go to meetings and hang out in the fellowship of AA, so I can get feedback from another alcoholic in the solution.Thankfully, we’re all not crazy at the same time!
Let’s take a look at a current situation where honest feedback from say, a group of people whom you lead, (not those who make money hand over fist for themselves and could care less about citizen’s well being) could help you understand lessons learned from history, and to not repeat the same mistake again, which we define as insanity.
Let’s say there’s an Empire, oh, call it Persia, where they still remember the lessons of their older brothers in Turkey, and like the current leader of the country of Turkey, know better, than to dictate and tell them what they must do or have, such as, oh perhaps, a nuclear bomb. And that this peace, shall we say, means to respect and honor the past. Than unlike every army that tried to defeat the Persian Nation, got defeated as they wasted all their military resources to nothing. You know, just like the USA did during WW1 and WW2; not get involved with a nation-state trying to dictate to all it’s neighbors. And what happened when the US did not burn through all it’s munitions and armaments (minding its own business) during these wars? It became the next world leader.
Hmmm. Who, pray tell is in that position now? Could it be maybe . . . Satan? No. That’s for a Church Chat with Enid Strict on SNL. What if the ‘Great Satan’ was indeed not the leader or Commander-in-Chief of say a country like the US, but the billionaires backing the Military Industrial Complex* fair-squared and warned by Dwight D. Eisenhower on January 17, 1961?
*The Term: He coined the phrase “military-industrial complex” to describe the deep link between the U.S. Armed Forces and private defense companies.
The Risk: He stated that this partnership could gain too much power, whether people wanted it to or not, and put democracy or peace at risk. (Gemini Google AI.)
Has bombing ever brought a population to it’s knees to surrender? Did our bombing in Viet Nam lead to victory? The answer seems pretty clear to me. It just unites and hardens the will of those being pushed. Methinks it is time take a deep breath and reflect on what we can meditate and pray about before we do something dumb. Oops. I mean dumber. Oh wait, wasn’t that a movie with Steve Martin in it?
The Dao of Doug: A Bus Driver's Perspective 