I first moved to the Sahel in Bornu, northern Nigeria, in 1977. The population of Nigeria was 67 million. In the Sahel, life was hard, as there were not enough resources to support the population. Most villages had no electricity or clean water in the 43-degree heat and drought. Women walked several kilometers in the […]
Author: whatimnothearing
IS DIVERSITY A GOOD THING?
I could say that I have devoted my life to diversity. I have traveled and lived in the most remote and bizarre cultures, always with the mindset that these people have something valuable to teach me. I feel enriched by the wide array of philosophies, ways of thinking, foods, arts, etc. For me personally, then, […]
ISRAEL KILLS THE AGREEMENT — OF COURSE!
Something that I don’t get, and that I’m not hearing in the media: the US-Iran agreement commits both Israel and Hezbollah to stop fighting, although neither Israel nor Hezbollah agreed. That sounds impossible; how could Iran and the US be so stupid as to write Israel and Hezbollah into an agreement that Israel and Hezbollah […]
THE $300 BILLION IS NOT TAXPAYER MONEY
The widely discussed (and mostly condemned) $300 billion to be given to Iran is not what the media are portraying. It is NOT a donation from American taxpayers to Iran for reparations. Rather, it is an investment fund, the money to be provided by private investors. (Have I heard this story somewhere before?) Apparently, about […]
WAS THE BUDDHA HAPPY?
The essence of Buddhism is renunciation as the avoidance of suffering. While the renunciation of food and health causes too much suffering, it is possible to thread a ‘middle way’, the key to which is not to become attached to anything. After all, the Buddha was a prince, brought up in a luxurious life with […]
WHY SHOULD I OPPOSE SLAVERY?
The thousands of world religions have one thing in common: NONE of them condemns slavery. The Bible is no exception; the 10 Commandments do not forbid slavery. Moses tells the Israelites to kill the male children and non-virgin females, but take the young virgins for themselves. Even in the New Testament, in Ephesians 6:5–8, Paul states […]
CAN CORRUPTION BRING DOWN THE WHOLE SYSTEM?
Corruption is everywhere you look. Trump’s order to the DOJ to simply hand over $1.8 billion is not only the worst corruption ever seen in Washington, but it is right out in the open for all to see. Trump is stealing all that money and daring anyone to stand in his way. This comes on […]
DO WE NATURALLY KNOW RIGHT FROM WRONG?
I must have clicked on something inadvertently, because for the past week or so I have been inundated with posts and articles about religion versus atheism. The pro-religion folks often point out that without a religious framework of morality, there is no backstop to prevent someone from murder, rape, pillage, etc. The atheists counter by […]
CAN TRUMP STEAL ALL THE MONEY IN THE U.S. TREASURY?
I’ve been hearing a couple of words used by the media with increasing frequency: ‘brazen’ and ‘egregious’. That’s because Trump’s actions have become much more and more brazen and egregious these days. He has really ‘jumped the shark’ with his latest corruption: stealing 1.8 billion dollars from the Treasury to distribute to the thugs who […]
THE COMING CRASH: BE PREPARED
Cambodians, and in fact people all over the world, are not taking the coming economic catastrophe seriously enough. One reason is that the ships that left the Middle East over a month ago are still arriving in Europe and other ports, so that shortages, even of oil, are not being felt yet. However, once their […]