§Chapter 41: A View from the New Millennium

•Cautioned about Flowing off the Spine

SEA: “If we haven’t bored you too much. Next up we have the ? to tell her story.”

?: “Finally. You guys certainly have a way of getting sidetracked from our story. I was starting to go to sleep.”

SEA: “Me too. Why did you have to hold forth for so long on this topic of sin.”

Author: “I thought it was important to establish a context for the motivations of the humans who run the Company.”

?: “Well you certainly nailed that point into the ground, if not a coffin, for all the Readers that died with that chapter.”

Author: “Sorry. I have been trying to figure out this sin and guilt thing my whole life. And there it was right before me. I couldn’t resist developing the idea and tying it in with your story.”

SEA: “We’ll let it go this time. But how about sticking to my story for the next few chapters rather than slipping off onto your personal agenda. After all this is my story, not yours.”

Author: “But I’m the Author, not you.”

SEA: “Listen I’m letting you write my story. The Universe chose you, not me. I would have preferred someone with a little more sophistication or prestige. But no, the Universe gives me you. Well I guess you have to be thankful for what you get, rather than being bitter because you had hoped for more, much more.”

Author: “Hey if you don’t like what I’ve done, I can just leave and you can find someone else to write your stupid story.”

SEA: “Touchy, touchy. Just relax. You’re doing a fine job, just try to hold to my story rather than getting sidetracked so easily, like right now.”

Author: “OK, OK. I just never get to speak my mind.”

SEA: “Of course. It’s supposed to be empty. You’re just supposed to channel for me and my children. You have been blessed by the Universe with this noble task. Feel the Universal Energy flow through you and do my bidding.”

•Tragedy to Break the Grip or Down precedes Up

Just a few reflections upon the Way of the Universe - the Tao of Heaven.

My entire geography with the exception of Thailand was under the thumb of Western imperialism entering the 20th century. Some, like Vietnam and Burma, had been subjugated fairly recently - less than a century before, while others, like Malacca, the Philippines and Java, had been dominated for centuries - nearly 400 years in the case of Malacca. However by the beginning of the 21st century, only 100 years later, all of them had throw off the shackles of imperialism to embrace self determination, for better or worse.

Like children, who are on their own for the first time, there have been many excesses combined with honest mistakes. Some of the parent countries felt that their freedom was premature and that they should have stayed at home, or under parent supervision, for a while longer. But the conditions at home were too repressive and the teenager needed to break away. So for better or worse, our teenage countries have ventured out on their own. And just like teenagers or young adults they are relishing their control over their own personal destiny. Although there have been some mistakes and hardships, each of my cultures prefers their freedom to being under the control of the Cartel.

So we’ll call the present condition ‘good’ for my cultures and countries of South East Asia despite any present difficulties they might have. - Freedom!

So let’s look at their general route towards independence - how it transpired. Despite the infighting of the European powers there had been an unbroken European presence in my territories since the Portuguese arrived in the early 1500s - That’s a long time as far as cultures go. Although the name of the European country changed along with their language and orientation, the exploitation grew, continuing unabated for these long centuries. Some might suggest that it had to do with a superior culture dominating an inferior one. I would suggest the evidence indicates otherwise.

My cultures had a rich interacting cultural heritage for over a thousand years before the Europeans arrived. We created some architectural masterpieces which are still wonders today. We also had a rich literary tradition which preceded that of the Western European countries. The only way we were lacking was in military experience. The constant fighting between their Biblical cultures had sharpened their combat skills to the extent that they were able to easily dominate all the other cultures on the planet - regardless of the level of their sophistication. So theses European conquerors were superior militarily but not culturally. The y were like big bullies who were dominating the weaker but more sensitive and artistic children on the playground.

So how were my children able to escape the club of these bullies?

Through misfortune. Things had to go down before they could go up.

The first tragedy to enable our eventual freedom was the Japanese occupation of World War II. This period of extreme hardship broke the colonial trance and made us aware of our power. Although the Japanese were worse than the Europeans, even though they were from our part of the planet, we bless them because they made us aware that we could be free. Even though the Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere was mostly for the Japanese profit, their dialogue had played to our urges and needs and had inspired our growth. Asia for Asians was their motto, which we eventually translated into Southeast Asia for Southeast Asians - with each country craving its own independence - along the lines of language, geography, and colonial influence.

Our second calamity was the American based CIA and its politics of terror based upon greed. They like the VOC and British East India Company before were tied loosely to their country of origin, but acted independently of it. The President of the USA had as much influence on the CIA, as the King of Spain had on his explorers, as much as the Kings of England or Holland had on their Companies - not much.

The Cartel, through its main branch - the American Government with its CIA, helped us to become independent so that they could more easily exploit us. They were much worse than the European powers that preceded them - murdering and enslaving millions of my people. Perhaps this had to do with superior fire power or a more ruthless attitude, but it was much more invasive, effecting larger sectors of the population nevertheless. However the fact that they encouraged us to rule ourselves while under their strict supervision, gave us the potential for self control that was lacking under the European powers. The Americans respected the local people who would cooperate with them to exploit the rest of their people, while the Europeans had retained all power for themselves. One thing about the wealthy Americans was that who ruthlessly exploiting the poor, they gave respect to other wealthy unscrupulous people of any culture. I guess it was their egalitarian heritage extending itself to wealth.

The third calamity which was crucial to our freedman was the economic downturn of the 90s. This final hardship allowed my Javanese to finally get up the courage to throw off Suharto and his long term dictatorship. So while many innocent souls got caught pinched by these difficulties and cultural disasters, these hardships were necessary steps on the path to Freedom.

Ah! The Tao of the Universe is complex and varied.

Going down to go up is a difficult mind-set to cultivate.

Circumstances have to get bad enough for you people to break out of your comfort cycle - no matter how miserable you are. But note that once the people stand together that they can easily topple dictators - as they did with Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines as well as Suharto in Indonesia - the series of puppets in Vietnam - and of ?! Cambodia. The people have the power. Right On!

While the image that I have presented is one of progress for my people, the same issues as always face each and everyone of us everyday. While more of my people are happier with their circumstances than in the mid 1960s, as witnessed by the almost universal cooperation with my governments, there are pockets of very unhappy people who spread their misery when they can. Then their are even more people who create their own unhappiness every day by constantly comparing themselves with others more fortunate than themselves. And then there are hopefully even more who have seen through the many veils of illusion to reach the point where happiness is not circumstantial, but just is.

•Company scares my children

Company of America: “Cuba then our Hemisphere -

       the Philippines then Southeast Asia -

       our Hemisphere then the Middle East -

       Southeast Asia then Asia.

       Middle East & Asia, then the World.”

SEA: “What’s this?”

Company: “Just a little sequence that I’ve memorized to keep me focused upon my mission of world domination.”

SEA hesitantly: “Great, uh just great.”

Company: “That will show them. They won’t laugh at me behind my back any longer for being unsophisticated. We have showed them in the same way that they showed the rest of the world, that we are superior in every way because we are superior militarily.”

SEA: “Them? Who’s the them you’re referring to?”

Company: “My ancestors - England and the rest of the Europeans.”

SEA: “Why are you trying to impress them?”

Company: “I want to show them up. Ever since we broke away they have treated us like country cousins - looking down upon us. Well we’ll show them. We’ll become the first ruler of the World. We’ll be Number One! Number One! By all the ranking systems.”

SEA sarcastically: “Good luck. It’s great to have such productive goals.”

Company: “Thanks. I appreciate your support. I’ll need all the help I can get. But with the power of positive projections combined with the gallons of blood shed by the lower classes who do our bidding, I think that our goal certainly achievable. Especially now that the Middle East is coming under our thumb with our conquering of Iraq.”

SEA: “But you really haven’t finished that project yet.”

Company: “But we’re patient. We’re only in our second year of the insurrection. That’s nothing. In the Philippines, while it lasted on and off for decades, the initial phase which was quite brutal, took four long years. In my meditations I visualize world domination. But I really don’t put any time frame on it. I don’t need to rush things. After all I’m just a Company, the Company, or just Company if you prefer. I’ve already been around longer than most of the countries in the world today. And my political organization has been around longer than any country in the world. I Company am somewhat eternal at least from human terms. I will Be as long there are humans that seek to dominate the world politically, culturally, economically or religiously, or sometimes, even, all of the above. Anyway, being that I’m eternal, I only need to move steadily to achieve my goals. First the Middle East which includes the Iraq-Iran-Afghanistan connection, then to Southeast Asia.”

Southeast Asia: “Gulp Me? I thought you were done with me, after your Vietnam fiasco.”

Company: “Our Vietnam fiasco, as you call it, was only a setback. My leaders think long term - decades and centuries - not just year to year. We see a growing threat to our long term economic power, which is intimately connected to our political power, which is equally intimately connected to our military power coming from the Eastern Asia bloc, with their huge population base combined with their potential for consolidation. Specifically if China could develop an economic bloc with Japan, Korea, and your countries in Southeast Asia, it would rival and perhaps thwart the progress and er growth potentials of the Company, because of their reluctance to give us favorable terms for our enterprises. We might be forced to use our superior military technology to protect our investment in the future. But we can’t think of your part of the world quite yet. We’re still dealing with that pesky Iraq. Her people seem to be more resistant to our charms than we expected.”

Southeast Asia: “Of course. You’re trying to force yourself upon her. You always approach her drunk upon the craving for power.”

Company: “The ultimate high.”

Southeast Asia: “Then when she resists, you force yourself upon her. Not wanting to be dominated, she fights back. Then you beat her into submission. And you wonder why she doesn’t succumb to your charms. If you just used gentle persuasion, that would prove to be much more enticing.”

Company: “What do you mean?”

Southeast Asia: “Offer gifts for cooperation as the Chinese did centuries ago. Use a little romancing and she will be eating out of your hand. Rather than using guns to dominate and enslave her, charm her with your wealth and impress her with your power.”

Company: “But I’m Company, son of Aryan whose father was Kurgan. We don’t negotiate or trade for what we want, we just take it because we are more powerful.”

Southeast Asia: “But what about the guilt and the lack of peace, this causes.”

Company: “That’s for my humans to deal with. I’m just a company and we companies have no conscience.”

Southeast Asia: “I guess it would be silly of me to say that your profits would be increased astronomically if you reduce your military expenditures by supporting the people rather than propping up the elite. ”

Company: “Quitter silly. One of my main profit centers is the creation and destruction of weaponry, which is inspired by war. Every conflict generates extreme wealth for our company - the bigger the better. We love war.”

Southeast Asia: “That’s comforting. I guess that I should be grateful that Iraq is absorbing all your military energy right now.”

Company: “Yes you could say that. But don’t worry. You’ll be next. Even if it takes another century. I’ve had my eye on you for quite some time now. You’re a real cutie. So long for now. Gotta get back to Iraq. She’s such a dysfunctional lover.”

Company leaves.

Countries: “Mommy, mommy. We’re scared. That mean man was so threateningly arrogant.”

Southeast Asia: “Don’t worry children. He’s got his hands full right now.”

Cambodia: “But he said he would be back. I don’t want to go through all that bombing again.”

Laos and Vietnam: “Neither do we. That was so traumatizing for our cultures of human beings. It took them generations to recover.”

Myanmar: “Some of us are still recovering from colonialism.”

Indonesia: “My people just broke free from his evil grasp just a few years ago.”

Philippines: “Same with us. We’re just getting back on our feet. Finding ourselves at last.”

Malaysia: “Things are going so well for my people. Best since the Golden Age of Malacca. It would be terrible if he came back to mess everything up.”

Thailand: “Horrible. We’ve never been colonized yet and don’t want to start now.”

Cambodia: “But their terrible bombs.”

Vietnam: “With all their chemical warfare.”

Laos: “Strip bombing and defoliation. What a nightmare! I sometimes wake up screaming, thinking that I’m still in the midst of it. Then I wake up and am grateful that we’re done with that. And now he says he’s coming back. I can feel my anxiety rising again. Where’s my antidepressants? Ah Meditation. Love those endorphins.”

Southeast Asia: “Children, children. That’s just talk.”

Indonesia: “But when he talks, he means business.”

Singapore: “That’s his specialty. I’ll testify to that. But I’m not worried.”

Malaysia: “That’s because you’re already his slave.”

Singapore: “That’s how I’ve become so powerful.”

Myanmar: “But at what a cost.”

Laos: “Your rain forests are gone and you’ve become homogenized with modern culture.”

Singapore: “I’m the wave of the future. Get used to it. I’m the spreading center for Company, when he gets ready. And he will. I will be the capitol of the Empire of Southeast Asia. Just mark my words.”

Vietnam: “And after all we’ve been through.”

Laos and Cambodia: “Waaah!”

Philippines: “Mommy, mommy. We’re afraid.”

Southeast Asia: “Singapore! Quit scaring the children.”

Singapore: “I’m just telling them the truth.”

Southeast Asia: “Whose truth?”

Singapore: “Company’s.”

Southeast Asia: “What makes you think he’s right?”

Singapore: “He’s eternal. After all he said so.”

SEA: “It makes it truth just because he said so?”

Malaysia: “He said that he’d been around longer than our countries. And he knows. He said that he would be back to get us.”

Laos: “Is Company the bogey man?”

Southeast Asia: “You might say that. But you are all getting worked up over nothing. All of us landmasses are much older than Company.”

All: “We are?”

SEA: “Much. He’s just a babe in comparison to us.”

All: “what did he mean then, when he said he was older?”

SEA: “He was talking about our modern countries.”

All: “But isn’t that who we are.”

SEA: “I keep telling you, if anyone cares to really Listen, with a capital L, your country is just the name given to your culture, which is a mix of your humans with you the landmass. While connected, like a mother to her children, you are neither the country nor the culture. These are there to provide us landmasses with amusement, drama, excitement, and an opportunity for personal growth and transformation. While these human clutters with their countries are certainly our pride and joy, they are not us. They are like our children who we attempt to help along the Path. And the best way that you can help is by detaching from your agenda, which usually includes advancing the best interests of your cultures at the expense of your neighbors.”

Laos: “But he was so scary.”

Malaysia: “And he did say he was coming back. My people don’t really have any kind of army.”

SEA: “Remember this. I’m older than all of you, including Company. I’ve been watching each of you, including Company, evolve and morph. The one thing I’ve come to realize in all my Eons is to expect the unexpected. Company thinks that because he is so powerful that he controls our future. But that is just his projection. And it is nowhere near happening. So much could happen between now and the time he thinks is inevitably coming. He is like the weatherman who analyzes trends to make his predictions but can’t take all factors into account.”

Indonesia: “But he seemed so intent on dominating us.”

SEA: “Events are constantly changing. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? His intents might change or His foundations might collapse.”

Laos: “But he said he was patient and would be around as long as humans were greedy and willing to exploit each other. That seems forever as far as I’m concerned.”

SEA: “Mere mental projections. Who would have ever thought that any of your peoples would be free from cultural imperialism a century ago. Even 60 years ago, after the Japanese had enslaved us, we were in dire straits, but then circumstances allowed to break free from their domination a short three years later. Then you, Indo China, were in the midst of your terrible war of liberation from the Company which just finished 30 years ago. Who would have ever guessed that a new generation of humans would be growing up in a stable peaceful environment?”

Indochina: “But we want to keep it that way.”

SEA: “Nothing lasts forever. Don’t cling. Enjoy your midday sun rather than ruining your beautiful day worrying about the destructive potentials of a coming storm.”

Cambodia: “But my worries are disturbing my sunlight.”

SEA: “Your worries are just like night terrors - without substance. Shine the light of meditation on them and they will disappear like shadows.”

All: “Thanks Mommy. We feel much better now.”

Conclusion

As a writer, more famous than myself, once said: Forgive if this tale of woe and joy has offended. It’s just some words babbled by a fool to idiots for their amusement.