Any one remember Alan Watts? Here is his take on

[hellbound-liberal]

the flag burning controversy: In his book, Does It Matter? Essays on Man's Relation to Materiality, Watts had an essay entitled Wealth Versus Money.in which he wrote:

"Not long ago, Congress voted, with much patriotic rhetoric, for the imposition of severe penalties upon anyone presuming to burn the flag of the United States. Yet the very Congressmen who passed this law are, by acts of commission or omission,for burning, polluting and plundering the territory the flag is supposed to represent. Therein, the exemplified the peculiar and perhaps fatal fallacy of civilization: the confusion of symbol with reality".

Ever since I started reading Watts back in the 70's I have found his perspective to be both refreshing and enlightening. His take on the flag burning hypocrisy is no exception. If you all get the chance to read this book, take it. Watts is a truly entertaining and insightful writer.

[SpiralHawk]

1. "The confusion of symbol with reality..."

There you have BushCo in a nutshell.

Worse yet, the symbols BushCo cherishes are the Skull & Bones occult-fraternity Black-Magic AWOL cabal-of-cronies EVIL TOTEMS OF Crass MATERIALISM (ETCM).

[leesa]

5. The PURPOSEFUL confusion of symbol with reality...ask Goebbels

I love Watts...I had my first migraine headache the first time I read one of his books, I thought it was his writing style causing it because it was so zen convoluted.

[SpiralHawk]

2. Backgrounder: Alan Watts bio 'n stuff

http://deoxy.org/watts.htm

A lecture on zen:
"It would be, of course, much better, if this occasion were celebrated with no talk at all, and if I addressed you in the manner of the ancient teachers of Zen, I should hit the microphone with my fan and leave. But I somehow have the feeling that since you have contributed to the support of the Zen Center, in expectation of learning something, a few words should be said, even though I warn you, that by explaining these things to you, I shall subject you to a very serious hoax." - A. Watts

[LastDemocratInSC]

10. I've seen his kind before! That man is a HIPPIE!

[laruemtt]

3. Watts' "The Wisdom of Insecurity"

was my anthem in the 70s and 80s. i still reflect on his message whenever i am in danger of getting too complacent in my life.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

9. Whenever I'm feeling

impatient, furstrated, angry, I get out my copy of Wisdom of Insecurity and pick a chapter at random. Also, see my sig line.

[patrice]

4. The symbols we confuse with reality include words. n/t

[Old and In the Way]

6. The man was brilliant.

These 2 books had a tremendous impact on my lifelong worldview:

Beyond Theology; The Art of Godmanship. Pantheon, New York, 1964.

The Book: On The Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are. Pantheon, New York, 1966

"The Book" was a virtual intellectual trip. Totally explained Atman/Brahman dualistic concepts of reality.

[Blue_In_AK]

7. Alan Watts was a real mind-opener for me

back in the late '60s. I love him. "The Book" changed my life.

[truth2power]

8. Reifying your metaphors...

I think Joseph Campbell said something about this, in terms of myths.

People who say our soldiers died for the flag are reifying their metaphors. More accurately, they died for the ideas the flag represents, one of which is freedom of speech (including flag burning). Interesting, how Freeptards conveniently confuse these concepts. :shrug:

[hellbound-liberal]

11. While we are on the subject of the inappropriate use of the flag,

did you all hear about the teacher who worked in a Catholic school but was fired for refusing to display the American flag? He refused because he said that the very idea of a flag that represented the separateness of people based on geographic location went against everything that Jesus taught. We need more Christians like him!