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March 23,
2002
These testimonials about Joe Simonetta's book,
Seven Words That Can Change the World, have come as a result of our networking on
TheConversation.org Website. He has added them to his Testimonials
Page:
"An exquisite read. A gem." Jim Dreaver, Sebastopol, CA, author of
The Way of Harmony
"I completed my second reading yesterday, and am
greatly impressed by both your selection of matters on which to focus and the
way you distilled their essence into 88 easily-understood pages. It should be an
Oprah book. It's a winner." Copthorne
MacDonald, Prince Edward Island, Canada, author of Matters of
Consequence: Creating a Meaningful Future, to be published later this
year.
"It is very daring. I think Joe is right on target for
the third millennium. I think he is probably the new messiah." Beverly Russell,
Los Angeles, CA, writer
"I envy Simonetta's ability to express himself over so
profound a matter in such a brief and clear manner." Allan Savory, Albuquerque, NM,
Founder, Savory Center for Holistic Management
"Seven Words That Can Change the World is
remarkably succinct and well expressed."
David Lorimer, Fife, Scotland, Former
Director, now Consultant to the Scientific and Medical
Network and editor of their Journal, The Network
Review
"Read it cover to cover effortlessly. It's clear to me
the time for this message is now. There's a whole lot more in that 'little'
book than three simple rules. Joe Simonetta has written a masterpiece." Critt Jarvis, Hull, MA
"Seven Words That Can Change the World is a
revolutionary book, a sense making body of thought for the next reality at a
time when we desperately need new insights and understandings to wrench us from
the world that is so dangerously at the brink."
Suzanne Taylor, Los Angeles,
CA
And this is from a note to Joe that came in
from Jeff Hutner:
"What a
world....And where and how do we overcome the inertia of building arms
and begin linking them in a revolution of
the heart and an evolution in
consciousness? Perhaps by
reading your book...."
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Column from Geov Parrish: Deeper than
Whitewater: Clinton's Real Crimes Continue into the Bush Administration --
March 21, 2002
Suzanne's
comment: Although for my taste, the lying Clinton was beyond the
pale, I'm with Geov here. He points out how that flap took our attention off
what Clinton did -- "the result of intentional public policies, embraced, for
the most part, by both parties, the Clintons and their appointees as well as the
Bushes" -- that was far more hurtful to us. "...for all of the non-policy
related embarrassments Clinton's Republican persecutors howled about, they were
conspicuously silent on the real crimes -- the sorts of betrayals of public
trusts that are, along with the necessary arrogance and ego, hallmarks of just
about anyone who manages to rise to high political office in the United States.
Simply put, you can't work the system in America unless you've been bought and
sold so many times you no longer stand for anything except the expansion of your
own power. And Clinton was a master at it."
Another quote drawn from the
column:
"...people somehow have come to expect that public
resources will be given away to private corporations. Or that the U.S.
government can break international law with impunity and steadily expand its own
power, 'smaller government' rhetoric notwithstanding, at home and abroad.
Or that, yesterday's campaign finance victory in the Senate notwithstanding,
Capitol Hill is still a red light district, and the Fortune 500 are the johns.
Or that citizens in the 'Land of the
Free' now enjoy substantially fewer rights
than in many other democracies, and non-citizens' rights here are as shredded as
Enron's financial records. Or that, despite our much-vaunted progress in
technology, we all somehow seem to be working harder, with less job security or
access to health care or future prospects, while a privileged few enjoy
unimaginable wealth."
Column from Geov Parrish: The Wrong Side:
Bush's Photo-op Tour of the Other Americas Will Gloss Over the Inequities
-- March 22, 2002
Suzanne's comment: This column is
a laundry list of our dirty dealings south of the border. It is disheartening to
note, after our world changed so much last September, how much we haven't
changed at all. "...catastrophes America has helped create and that are
threatening to engulf much of the region...are gathering steam because
throughout much of the Americas south of the Rio Grande, there is a sharp
cleavage between the people running the various countries and the people living
in them, and the Americans are invariably on the wrong side."
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Some feedback from your fellow Update
recipients: [Your comments are subject to posting here and on our Website. If you do not wish to have
your comments posted, please let us know.]
"I've only read three or four printed pages of your
Toward a Sea
Change conversation and I've got goose-bumps -- had to stop and order
Seven Words from Amazon."
And this from Jeff
Hutner:
"You are an expert chronicler of the new
patriotism."
This
piece, in addition to being wide open to challenge on multiple points of fact
and tone, represents to me the final 'tipping point' for The
Conversation from pro peace to anti Bush. That is regrettable and sad.
As
I believe you know, I am not pro Bush, nor am I happy with his using this
tragedy as an excuse for further eviscerating our Constitution and restricting
our freedom. I am even less happy with the far left using the tragedy for
political gain through exaggeration and just plain dishonesty. It is also
hypocritical for those who've abused the Constitution and pushed for the
expansion of the federal government far beyond constitutional guidelines to now
complain that our freedoms are being eroded. The horse left that barn a long
time ago with the left's enthusiastic support.
And,I
love that you're creating this forum, but feel you're about to lose any
credibility with any except with those that have already drank the liberal kool
aid. Is your commitment to peace or to partisan politics? If it is to peace, then a broad coalition
of people must be engaged and their hearts and minds transformed. In that
context 'Uncle Ed's' piece -- without a counterpoint -- is both ineffective and
irresponsible. If your commitment
it is to support partisan politics, then I have little or no interest in that
kind of conversation because it hasn't worked for average people and it won't.
You would get to be 'right' with an ever diminishing number of
elites/intellectuals and further dishonor those who have needlessly died from
terrorism during the past five years.
With
love and respect...
Suzanne's response to Robert:
Final?
No, Robert, never. We are "making sense of these times." I'm open. Give me a
clue about the points you would challenge -- reading the piece again it all
makes sense to me. However, "anti Bush," which is a legitimate accusation (which
I equate with pro peace), isn't the only antiness in the brew of what I think is
poisonous to the principles of Democracy (as you suggest) that we both hold
dear.
Look
at Geov Parrish's column today:Deeper than Whitewater. Bush is just the latest in the corruption
game. Nader had it right (though I question his playing god with his
perceptions). But, as the Dalai Lama
just said, in a major address on the 43rd Anniversary of The Tibetan
National Uprising Day, "I have always considered the present and future more
important than the past." Maybe our disagreement about exactly how bad it is
isn't as important as our looking to what's better.
Here's
a little more of the Dalai Lama talk:
"The
world is greatly concerned with the problem of terrorism as a consequence of
September 11. Internationally, the majority of the governments are in agreement
that there is an urgent need for joint efforts to combat terrorism, and a series
of measures have been adopted.
"Unfortunately,
the present measures lack a long-term and comprehensive approach to deal with
the root causes of terrorism. What is required is a well-thought-out, long-term
strategy to promote globally a political culture of non-violence and dialogue.
The international community must assume a responsibility to give strong and
effective support to non-violent movements committed to peaceful changes.
Otherwise, it will be seen as hypocrisy to condemn and combat those who have
risen in anger and despair but to continue to ignore those who have consistently
espoused restraint and dialogue as a constructive alternative to
violence.
"We
must draw lessons from the experiences we gained. If we look back at the last
century, the most devastating cause of human suffering has been the culture of
violence in resolving differences and conflicts. The challenge before us,
therefore, is to make this new 21st century a century of dialogue when conflicts
are resolved non-violently."
So,
as my outrage at this administration may be greater than yours, I think, at a
significant level, that it's a "so what?" Life or death for humanity is
unthinkably real. What Bush is doing, I believe is horrendously dangerous. Don't
you agree? And what are we to do about it?
I'll
put our exchange in the next Update I send to the very good people who've signed
on our list, inviting their opinions. Nothing satisfies me more than a
meaningful exchange for which everything else that's posted is
fodder.
Have
you seen the sad, sad elegy, Letter
from Ground Zero, that Jonathan Schell has in the April 1 issue
of The Nation? I was
thinking it was too soft and personal to post, but in fact it is haunting me.
This is what we can be crying about together, that goes beyond political
argument and into our souls that need to guide us now.
"Suzanne, what a great piece! I am forwarding it on to
others."
And this from Ed
Elkin:
"THANKS for
sending the Washington Axis-of-Evil article. Mind-blowing! Excellent."
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