What If
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I recently watched a video of an interview given by an ex Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, to an American media commentator from CNN Reliable Sources, detailing the columnity that Turnbull claimed Rupert Murdock and his son Lauchlan had visited upon democracy.
I found it quite shocking that a political figure of Turnbull’s standing would risk saying it in the public forum. – I need a coffee to think about this and so off I went to get one and;
I was drinking said coffee in a pleasant lounge and got into conversation with a very good looking woman about the role and quality of the Media in relation to truth in a time of hybrid war.
It took less than a minute or two for me to realise that this lady had started to play me like a tin whistle, in a form of reverse Socratic dialogue and I knew that here was someone I was out of my depth with.
Well, how many diverse sources of news and comment do you have she asked?
Well I said, here in South Australia, basically only one.
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AHHHH! – Then a different tack.
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Can I ask you, are you a philosophical materialist?
Oh this is different I thought somewhat startled. No I replied, I am what you might call a philosophical personal idealist.
Which means she said that you probably are a religious person? – I didn’t reply. She went on, can I ask which one of the great wisdom traditions do you follow; being a Caucasian, probably Christianity?
Tentatively; broadly I replied, although I would express it as a pilgrim trying to follow the Jesus way and trying to gain some useful insights along the way.
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Alright she said: What If
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What if what I asked? – What if you could only have one of the four stories about Jesus, which one would you choose?
Well at this turbulent time in world history, and the Eurocentric culture that we live in, I find the first story – Mark’s story, the most challenging for how I am trying to be as an adult human being.
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She then followed with; – Can I ask why Mark’s story as I find most say John?
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Because I find that Mark’s Jesus emerges to be a radical non-conformist in his time of tyrannical Roman World Empire, and so helpful as a basis for contemplating how to be during this present time of tyrannical American Empire. But the insights from all four stories are needed.
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Then she changes tack again.
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Lets come back to the media and the tremendous concentration of corporate ownership of it. What is it in Australia; one overwhelmingly dominant one with another more fragmented and restricted mainly to the eastern states?
Pretty much I said.
Back she comes; is that enough to get a sufficient picture to allow you to be a fully informed, responsible citizen, or does it effectively end up almost ideological propaganda?
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With that she abruptly stood up and announced that she had to leave. I asked if we could perhaps meet again for a cup of coffee but she declined. It hadn’t taken her too long to work out that she had little to learn from me and so needed to move on. I have to say that it didn’t leaving me feeling too bright and that night I reread Mark’s gospel. A deeply crucifixion story I find.
There are just too many examples of people who have gone against the Empire and its comprador followers, very much reminiscent of Proverbs 8:13 and ended up renditioned to either death, exile or locked up, not to be aware of the courage required.
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She reminded me that he who stands still is in great danger of losing his freedom and so;
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ON THE ROAD AGAIN – searching for Truth in this almost post Covid world.