The Dalai Llama Brings Peace, Love and Politics to Washington

[DonViejo]

Eleanor Clift

His Holiness joins right wing think tank, the American Enterprise Institute, in a panel discussion on free enterprise…and happiness.

Is there a moral component to the free enterprise system? Should advocates of capitalism take into account such abstract notions as happiness and the flourishing of the human spirit? These and other philosophical themes will be explored Thursday at the American Enterprise Institute in collaboration with the unlikeliest of partners, drum roll please: the Dalai Llama, who 30 years ago co-founded the Mind & Life Institute to study the caring and contemplative sciences, the kind of organization economic conservatives are more likely to mock than emulate.

His holiness, as he is typically referred to, will be an active participant, engaging with each panelist after they make their presentation, offering his ideas and posing questions in the role of an interlocutor. “The whole idea is to get him in action because he’s such an interesting person. If you just sit and talk to him that’s not much fun,” says Arthur Zajonc, professor of physics at Amherst College and president of the Mind & Life Institute.

Most people would find any interaction with such an iconic figure pretty exciting, and last year, AEI President Arthur Brooks was one of them. He traveled to meet with the Dalai Lama in India, where he lives in exile. Without knowing exactly what they talked about, Zajonc says he applauds Brooks’ apparent goal, which is “trying to remake the image of the conservative Republican Party in a way that is more humane and speaks to the question of human happiness and flourishing.”

While assembling a panel of discussants at AEI, the altar of conservative economics, is not something that the Mind & Life Institute would normally seek out, Zajonc says, “It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet those that are not just part of the choir.”

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http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/02/19/the-dalai-llama-brings-peace-love-and-politics-to-washington.html

[Brettongarcia]

1. The Republican Party is trying to get votes from minority communities.

The GOP realized about a year ago that the demographics were going against them: more racial minority voters and women meant that the bigoted party was going to start losing elections.

So about a year ago, the Repubs started trying to find the few conservative minority candidates, to run for office: like Ted Cruz. (Superficially Hispanic; but his parents worked for Big Oil).

Then they started giving sensitivity training to their own candidates.

Just in case their obvious hypocrisy didn't work? Meanwhile, they were also gerrymandering congressional districts. So that they took the House; even though the most votes nationwide went to the Democrats.

So the GOP has been busily undermining democracy, stealing the country. By way of dishonest gerrymandering. Then hypocrisy. And then the studied selection of Judas Goat candidates like Ted Cruz, to seduce minority votes.

[upaloopa]

2. To repubs actions speak louder than words.

Wing nuts are always looking for ways to tell the same old lie better.

[cbayer]

3. That sounds like it will be a lot of fun.

Bringing the left brain and the right brain together seems brilliant to me.