Too much truth telling will only get one into trouble. The establishment resents having their carefully crafted illusion revealed as an elaborate fraud and the masses are generally indifferent and too distracted to care.
“Great truths do not take hold of the hearts of the masses. And now, as the world is in error, how shall I, though I know the true path, how shall I guide? If I know that I cannot succeed and yet try to force success, this world would be but another source of error. Better then to desist and strive no more. But if I do not strive, who will?”
Just people being people. Studs Terkel took a similar, glorious route to showing truth, Linh. Nationalism? Globalism? All these other "academic" terms for disguising reality. People just acting like people, the human pageant --- that is all ye know and all ye need know.
Good luck with your book sales. You deserve to be more widely read and people deserve the opportunity to read your essays to get an inkling of the promise life holds - if they can only see past the corporate nonsense on tv and the msm.
Like you, I used to think that nationalism is key to survival but I think that it's actually a recipe for disaster. The placard behind your 2012 photo of women in Philadelphia reads 'Palestinians show their true colours'. That's nationalism. Take a disparate group of people and paint them all with the same (usually mordant) brush, after which there's no need for subtle thought about individuals and whether they're innocent, guilty, mother, father, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Samaritan, Druze. They're Palestinian and must be killed or run out of town. Rinse and repeat for Russians/ Chinese or any other at some time in history.
Globalism is even more of an anathema as it leads directly to individulaism - which is the most selfish state and most likely to lead to pathological behaviour.
I think tribalism is the answer for people to survive, both mentally and physically, as it is in a group that we feel the most worth. We need the approval and disapproval of our immediate peers to shape our character, and acceptance within the group determines whether we prosper or not. I appreciate that there can be a 'national character' but in themselves nations are too big and dehumanising to be of much positive use to people.
In your description of neighbourhoods, market sellers, barflys and villagers, the most readable of your essays concentrate on our tribal nature. That's where the real life is.
Thanks for the link to the paperback edition. First I tried to search for it on my Amazon account and it came up empty. The link worked! I'm really enjoying Kafka, Anti-Semite and other artsy fartsy essays! It's like a college class!
Is this only available on Kindle? I still like turning leaves of dead trees. Flagless Germany. Great choice! I actually posted that one on my Twitter page, last accessed sometime before the pandemic; much less Musk. And even then seldom visited. Linh Dinh, an American Original! As I’m sure a positively beaming Obama would say, NOT. Signed, one of your highly despised Crypto Jews (if still rooting for lowly Palestine)
Thanks man. I’ll get me a copy pronto. PS my above comm was intended as a kind of double entendre, as according to Trump Kenyan-born Barack Obama is no original American , and I am aware you were born in Vietnam (of course, Obama described Bernie Sanders as an A.O. during the 2016 election.) Too clever by half? Probably…
Too much truth telling will only get one into trouble. The establishment resents having their carefully crafted illusion revealed as an elaborate fraud and the masses are generally indifferent and too distracted to care.
Selling illusions is the name of the game.
“Great truths do not take hold of the hearts of the masses. And now, as the world is in error, how shall I, though I know the true path, how shall I guide? If I know that I cannot succeed and yet try to force success, this world would be but another source of error. Better then to desist and strive no more. But if I do not strive, who will?”
― Chuang Tzu
I think I have a few books on Amazon the books are poetry and prose
Published in India, but not edited as promised, anyway I can't find the book
and I can't remember titles of books
Just people being people. Studs Terkel took a similar, glorious route to showing truth, Linh. Nationalism? Globalism? All these other "academic" terms for disguising reality. People just acting like people, the human pageant --- that is all ye know and all ye need know.
Hi Linh
Good luck with your book sales. You deserve to be more widely read and people deserve the opportunity to read your essays to get an inkling of the promise life holds - if they can only see past the corporate nonsense on tv and the msm.
Like you, I used to think that nationalism is key to survival but I think that it's actually a recipe for disaster. The placard behind your 2012 photo of women in Philadelphia reads 'Palestinians show their true colours'. That's nationalism. Take a disparate group of people and paint them all with the same (usually mordant) brush, after which there's no need for subtle thought about individuals and whether they're innocent, guilty, mother, father, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Samaritan, Druze. They're Palestinian and must be killed or run out of town. Rinse and repeat for Russians/ Chinese or any other at some time in history.
Globalism is even more of an anathema as it leads directly to individulaism - which is the most selfish state and most likely to lead to pathological behaviour.
I think tribalism is the answer for people to survive, both mentally and physically, as it is in a group that we feel the most worth. We need the approval and disapproval of our immediate peers to shape our character, and acceptance within the group determines whether we prosper or not. I appreciate that there can be a 'national character' but in themselves nations are too big and dehumanising to be of much positive use to people.
In your description of neighbourhoods, market sellers, barflys and villagers, the most readable of your essays concentrate on our tribal nature. That's where the real life is.
Thanks for the link to the paperback edition. First I tried to search for it on my Amazon account and it came up empty. The link worked! I'm really enjoying Kafka, Anti-Semite and other artsy fartsy essays! It's like a college class!
Is this only available on Kindle? I still like turning leaves of dead trees. Flagless Germany. Great choice! I actually posted that one on my Twitter page, last accessed sometime before the pandemic; much less Musk. And even then seldom visited. Linh Dinh, an American Original! As I’m sure a positively beaming Obama would say, NOT. Signed, one of your highly despised Crypto Jews (if still rooting for lowly Palestine)
Hi Stephen,
Here's the link to the paperback edition:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CV18XQHX/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Linh
The Amazon page says:currently unavailable.We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.
Maybe because I`m in Switzerland?
Hi swiss reader,
The US page is fine, and also the German one:
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0CV18XQHX?language=de_DE
Maybe it's your location, but that's weird...
Linh
Thanks!The German one worked.
Thanks man. I’ll get me a copy pronto. PS my above comm was intended as a kind of double entendre, as according to Trump Kenyan-born Barack Obama is no original American , and I am aware you were born in Vietnam (of course, Obama described Bernie Sanders as an A.O. during the 2016 election.) Too clever by half? Probably…
11-16-12 the photo of the women looks horrible Jewish