"War
will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector
enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today." -
John F. Kennedy
"The Greatest Purveyor of Violence in the World Today is My Government" - Rev. Dr. Marin Luther King jr.
"The
chief evil of war is more evil. War is the concentration of all human
crimes. Here is its distinguishing, accursed brand. Under its standard
gather violence, malignity, rage, fraud, perfidy, rapacity, and lust. " - William Ellery Channing
"Only the winners decide what were war crimes." - Gary Wills
-Over 2 million people peacefully took to streets around the world to
protest the poisoning of the global food supply by the biotech giant,
Monsanto.Not surprisingly, the mainstream media has been pretty quiet about the event.
After relentless phone calls and emails by protesters, some coverage has finally been achieved, preventing the event from being completely blacked out.
Let Us Mourn The Millions America Slaughtered, Then Mourn US Soldiers
By Jay Janson
Prosecute our own before our victims unite and prosecute all of us.
America's Time Capsule:
How Animosity And Wickedness Degenerates Its Future
By Mahboob A. Khawaja
Why is
our government so provocative toward Islam , Russia , China , Iran ?
What purpose, whose purpose is being served? Certainly not
ours............Where do we go from here? If not to nuclear
destruction, Americans must wake up.
US and Allies Step Up War Preparations Against Syria, Lebanon, Iran
By Chris Marsden
The
United States and its allies continue to escalate their military
aggression against Syria, behind the smokescreen of a proposed
international peace conference scheduled for June in Geneva.
Nasrallah Defends Hezbollah Fighting in Syrian Town of Qusayr
Video
The Hezbollah leader said if foreign-backed militants win the war on Syria, they will turn their weapons on Lebanon.
Hezbollah and the Syrian Pit
By Franklin Lamb
Why Washington and Tel Aviv Want Hezbollah to Keep Fighting in al-Qusayr.
The Only Way To Bring Peace to Syria
By Mairead Maguire
After a
10 days visit to Lebanon and Syria, I have returned hopeful that peace
is possible in Syria, if all outside interference is stopped and the
Syrians are allowed to solve their own problems.
The Entire Globe is a Battlefield for Pentagon
By Pepe Escobar
Obama's
rhetoric is just a show. GWOT is bound to remain a serpent biting its
own tail, eagerly feeding itself till the end of time.
In Case You Missed It
'Preventive Warriors'
Video
The film
examines a radical doctrine in American foreign policy: one of
so-called "pre-emptive warfare." The Bush administration used this
policy as a justification for the invasion of Iraq.
Obama's 'Anguish' Makes His Bush-Like Warmaking So Much More Palatable!
By Matt Welch
War,
extraordinary rendition, indefinite detention and extrajudicial
assassination are just so much better when the president is conflicted
about it all!
Why I Spoke Out at Obama's Foreign Policy Speech
By Medea Benjamin
I couldn't let the president act as if he were some helpless official at the mercy of Congress.
London Murder of Soldier is a Consequence of Middle East Mass Slaughter by UK & US Governments
By Jason Liosatos
Imagine a
scenario whereby Middle Eastern countries were taking over and bombing
the United States and UK, killing up to 1 million innocent women,
'suspects' and children, and almost daily terrorizing people with
Drones and soldiers on the ground.
Woolwich Attack: MI5 'Offered Job to Suspect'
By The BBC
Abu
Nusaybah said Mr Adebolajo suggested he had been physically and
sexually abused during an interrogation in a prison cell in the African
country.
Andrew Sullivan, Terrorism, and the Art of Distortion
By Glenn Greenwald
Jeffrey
Goldberg and other various neocon smear artists spent the last couple
of days endlessly and loudly accusing me of being a pro-Terror,
US-blaming Terrorist-lover, Jew-hating Terror-apologist.
Obama Expands Militarization of Police
Video By Real News
Among
items transfered to local law enforcement agencies have been assault
rifles and grenade launchers, even Blackhawk helicopters and .50
caliber machine guns.
Federal Judge Chronicles Lawlessness of Joe Arpaio-Led Sheriff's Office
By Andrew Cohen
United
States District Court Judge G. Murray Snow, has done Arizona and the
nation a great service by chronicling, in meticulous detail, the
unconstitutional harassment and racial profiling Hispanic people have
been suffering at the hands of Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
There Are No Cops To Help Due To Budget Cuts
911 Dispatcher Tells Woman About To Be Sexually Assaulted
By CBS
An
Oregon woman was told by a 911 dispatcher that authorities wouldn't be
able be able to help her as her ex-boyfriend broke into her place
because of budget cuts.
The New Crime of Eating While Homeless
By Jim Hightower
Houston is making life impossible for the most vulnerable.
Hard News
30 killed in Lebanon Sunni-Alawite clashes:
Firefights
in northern Lebanon between Sunni Muslims and Alawites -- the Shiite
offshoot sect to which Syrian President Bashar al-Assad belongs -- have
killed 30 people, a security source said on Saturday.
Syria: 22 killed in Qusair fighting, dozens wounded: Activists say:
The
UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 22 people,
including 18 rebels, were killed in the fighting in Qusair, and dozens
were wounded.
In Lebanon, Salafists are on the move:
Credible
reports from Tripoli repeatedly chronicle the increased military role
of Salafists in the city, directly reflecting the heightened clashes
mirroring the fighting between pro- and anti-Syrian government forces
in Syria.
Hezbollah, Syrian government forces advance in border town:
"I've
never seen a day like this since the battle started," said Malek
Ammar, an activist speaking from the town by Skype. "The shelling is so
violent and heavy. It's like they're trying to destroy the city house
by house."
If Syria falls, so will Palestine, Hezbollah's Nasrallah warns in speech:
Hezbollah
Chief Hassan Nasrallah opened a front against al-Qaida and its
affiliated groups, especially in Syria, stressing on Saturday that his
organization was prepared to send tens of thousands of combatants to
defend Syria.
Syrian rebel groups plan to attack Hizbollah in Lebanon:
Syrian
rebels are planning to attack Hizbollah in its Lebanese strongholds,
in response to the Shiite militant group's growing combat role on the
side of President Bashar Al Assad in the Syria conflict.
Two rockets hit Hezbollah district of Beirut:
Two
rockets hit a district controlled by the Hezbollah organisation,
officials and residents were quoted as saying by news agencies.
Syria - TV crew Russian state TV with Syrian troops in Qusayr -
Video
Syria army says rebels trapped:
Syrian
troops have captured much of the rebel stronghold of Al-Qusayr, in
central Homs province, squeezing opposition fighters into the north of
the strategic town, a military officer told AFP
Pleas for Weapons: Europe Reluctant to Arm Syrian Rebels:
The
FSA could lose its fight against the regime of Bashar Assad within a
few months, warned Idriss in his highly emotional speech
McCain: Without US action, Assad could remain in power:
McCain
advocated a series of alternatives to the diplomatic track in Geneva,
including arming Syrian opposition rebels, imposing a no-fly zone over
Syria similar to the one imposed by NATO over Libya
Israel, in reassessment, thinks Syria's Bashar Assad will last awhile:
Israel
has reversed its assessment about the staying power of Syrian
President Bashar Assad and now thinks he'll remain in control of at
least part of his country for some time to come - a conclusion that
makes it likely, a growing number of officials think, that an
escalation of violence between the two countries may be inevitable.
Between 180-200 French militants have fought in Syria: Le Monde:
Between
180 and 200 French citizens have travelled to Syria in the past year
to join a two-year-old rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad, le
Monde reported on Saturday, citing figures from France's internal DCRI
and external DGSE security services.
Syria confirms role in Geneva peace conference:
Walid
Muallem told reporters in Baghdad that the conference was "a good
opportunity for a political solution to the crisis in Syria".
Ahmadinejad Asks for Stop of Gunfights to Restore Peace in Syria:
Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday called for the cessation of
hostilities and start of national understanding as prerequisite for
free election and peace in Syria.
Iraqi forces strike Sunni militants near Syria:
Iraqi
forces mounted a massive operation on Saturday to better secure the
country's western desert amid concerns it is being used by Sunnis
heading to fight in neighboring Syria. Some 20,000 troops attacked
suspected hideouts of fighters linked to Sunni militant groups,
including Al-Qaeda, and looked to secure a key road leading to Syria,
top officers said.
Six Iranian tourists killed in Iraq:
Six
Iranian religious tourists were killed when a booby-trapped car was
detonated in Salah Al-Deen province, north of Baghdad, on Saturday, a
police source said.
Bomb in Yemeni military vehicle kills two and injures six:
A
remotely-detonated bomb planted in a military vehicle killed a soldier
and a civilian and injured six other soldiers in the Hadramaut region
of eastern Yemen on Saturday evening, a local security official said.
BBC poll: Israel among world's least popular nations:
The
world's opinion of Israel has not improved in the last year: According
to BBC World Service's annual poll, Israel is one of the least popular
countries in the world; the only states less popular are North Korea,
Pakistan and Iran.
Raid on Bahrain cleric's home draws thousands to sit-in:
The
sit-in was called by al-Wefaq, Bahrain's largest opposition political
society, after a late night raid on the home of Sheikh Isa Qassim.
Twelve Taliban Including Five Civilians Killed in Afghanistan:
An
explosion at a masjid in the Andar district of Ghazni province killed
nine, which includes four Taliban on Friday. local officials said.
10 people killed as Armed 'Maoist' rebels attack convoy in India:
Suspected Maoist rebels attack convoy in eastern region killing 10 Congress party members and kidnapping two others.
Four Indian troops killed in militant ambush in Kashmir:
Four Indian soldiers have been killed in an ambush by militants in the Indian-administered Kashmir region, officials say.
Pakistan: 3 killed in Peshawar suicide attack:
A
leader of Afghan religious outfit Jamatul Dawa Alquran and Sunnah
survived a suicide attack which left three dead, including the bomber,
police said on Friday.
At least five killed as Guinea protests escalate:
At
least five people were killed on Saturday when security forces in
Guinea opened fire on protesters in opposition strongholds in the
capital, medical sources and witnesses said.
Two child limit imposed on Myanmar's Muslim, Rohingya:
New measure, which applies to Muslim Rohingya families in western Rakhine state, does not affect Buddhists in the area.
Niger attacks launched from southern Libya:
Islamist
militants who carried out simultaneous suicide attacks on an army base
and a French uranium mine in northern Niger two days ago came from
southern Libya, Niger's president said on Saturday.
US Sponsors Rape in Congo : Video -
A recent UN investigation brining to light crimes against humanity committed by a US-trained Congolese battalion.
New Zealand to pay colonial compensation:
Kiwis wrap up three-decade long process to pay hundreds of millions to indigenous peoples for colonial injustice.
French soldier stabbed in neck outside Paris:
Soldier loses considerable amount of blood after being stabbed, but his condition is reportedly not life threatening.
UK: Attacks on Muslims increase tenfold in the wake of Woolwich machete attack which killed soldier:
Islamophobic
hate crimes are running at more than 10 times their usual rate, with
more than 140 reported to a government-backed hotline in the 48 hours
since the Woolwich killing. They include nine attacks on mosques,
assaults, racial abuse and anti-Muslim graffiti.
Woolwich murder probe: suspect Michael Adebolajo held in Kenya in 2010:
He
was believed to have been preparing to train and fight with Somali
militant group al-Shabab, Boniface Mwaniki, head of Kenya's
anti-terrorism unit, told the Associated Press.
Woolwich terror attack:
Suspect Michael Adebowale saw friend 'literally sliced to pieces' in 2008
Sweden Riots: Unrest Spreads Beyond Stockholm:
Rioting
in Sweden spread to towns outside Stockholm as youths took to the
streets for a sixth successive night. A car and school were set on fire
and a police station attacked in the central town of Orebro, about 100
miles (160km) from the Swedish capital on Friday night and early
Saturday morning.
IMF chief Christine Lagarde escapes formal investigation:
French
magistrates decided on Friday not to place IMF chief Christine Lagarde
under formal investigation over her role in a 285 million euros
arbitration payment made to a supporter of former president Nicolas
Sarkozy.
Ecuador president sworn in for new term:
The
US- and Belgian-educated economist - an outspoken populist in the
mould of his late mentor Hugo Chavez of Venezuela - has brought
stability to a country that went through eight presidents, three of
whom were ousted, in the decade before he was first elected in 2006.
Guatemala extradites ex-leader Alfonso Portillo to US:
Mr
Portillo is accused of having used US banks to launder more than $70m
(£46m) in public funds during his presidency, between 2000 and 2004.
He told local radio he was being unjustly "kidnapped" before boarding a plane to New York.
In Bolivia, Morales faces a challenge from below:
The
general strike and mass protests are part of an attempt by workers
organized through the Bolivian Workers' Central (Central Obrera
Boliviana) to secure higher pensions so poor Bolivians can retire in
dignity.
Mass Rally for Bradley @ Ft. Meade, June 1:
Join
us at Fort Meade on the eve of Bradley's court martial. However, if
you can't make the trip, dozens of solidarity actions are scheduled
worldwide-many local events are being sponsored by Veterans for Peace
chapters. Complete list of solidarity events.
Shining sunlight on a secretive lobby group:
Every citizen needs to know more about ALEC and its stealth efforts to undermine our modern-day democracy.
Fewer Americans Identify as Economic Conservatives in 2013:
Thirty percent say they are liberal on social issues, a new high
I-5 Bridge Collapse Shows Bridge Repair Needs Across U.S:
The
bridge collapse on Interstate 5 north of Seattle this week highlighted
the nation's aging infrastructure and the lack of significant
improvements in the six years since 13 people died when a Minnesota
span fell.
*** Security News ***
Iran fingered for attacks on US power firms
This one's for Stuxnet, you accursed imperialists!
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/27/iran_payback_stuxnet_ics_attacks/
Clearwire to pull Huawei from network
Chinese vendor caught in takeover crossfire
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/27/clearwire_to_pull_huawei_from_network/
Forget the word “cyberwar” says Marcus Ranum
If nobody can win, it's not a war
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/27/marcus_ranum_at_auscert/
Sky News Google Play page defaced
Security? They've heard of it
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/26/sky_news_google_play_hack/
Experts: Network security deteriorating, privacy a lost cause
One suggestion: 'Don't armor the sheep, hunt the wolves'
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/24/network_security_is_bad_and_its_going_to_get_worse/
Wikileaks leaks documentary script about Wikileaks
Simply no teddies left in this pram
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/24/wikileaks_leaks_documentary_transcript/
Security Twitteratti: Twitter's 2FA does sweet FA for biz
Shared accounts? #FacebookIsBetter
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/24/twitter_2fa_analysis/
Feds slam hacker-friendly backdoors in jalopy, grub factories
Kit easily violated by miscreants with 'minimal skill'
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/24/turck_industrial_control_backdoor/
Microsoft exposes green users' privates in web quiz snafu
Web design 101 guys, this is basic stuff
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/24/ms_greener_it_test_spam_snafu/
Did Kim Dotcom invent 2-factor authentication? Er, not exactly...
Pull out your pagers and your Hammer pants, we're going back to the
'90s
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/24/kim_dotcom_2fa_no/
INSIDE GCHQ: Welcome to Cheltenham's cottage industry
'If this nerve centre didn't exist, neither would I' says Reg man
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/24/geeks_guide_gchq/
Google to double encryption key lengths for SSL certs by year's end
2048-bit keys will be the norm
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/23/google_upgrade_ssl_certificates_schedule/
Tipsters exposed after South Africa's national police force hacked
Whistleblowers, crime victims laid bare by 'Anon splinter group'
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/23/saps_anon_hack/
New York cop in alleged love-polyhedron email hack spree
Veteran plod 'blew $4k on romanta-rival logins'
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/23/nypd_black_hat/
Brit spooks bugged Edward VIII's phones, records reveal
Plus Churchill and Stalin had a massive drinkathon in Moscow
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/23/british_government_spied_on_own_king_cabinet_office_papers/
China's exposed crack cyberspy crew dumps 'most' of its kit
APT1 team 'retooling' as they lick their wounds - report
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/23/mandiant_apt1_update/
Aha, I see you switched on your mobile Wi-Fi. YOU FOOL!
PNL bug still leaving door open to hackers - security bod
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/23/wifi_pnl_bug_unpatched/
Spam and the Byzantine Empire: How Bitcoin tech REALLY works
Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/23/bitcoin_spam_byzantine_generals/
Footy lovers hit in Wembley playoff card snatch scam
Man on - in the middle, claims club
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/23/play_off_final_credit_card_fraud_probe/
SCADA security is better and worse than we think
'Kill chains' are long and attack-stopping weak links are many
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/23/scada_security/
Report: China IP theft now equal in value to US exports to Asia
Stricter security testing, sanctions and legal counterhacking needed
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/23/us_government_report_chinese_ip_theft/
US power grid the target of 'numerous and daily' cyber-attacks
Report finds utilities vulnerable, threatened
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/23/us_power_grid_cyber_attack_report/
Twitter locks down logins by adding two-factor authentication
Now please lock out the Syrians!
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/22/twitter_adds_two_factor_authentication/
Press exposure of Federal data security hole leads to legal threats
Hacks accused of hacking, are researchers next?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/22/lifeline_hole_terracom_hacking_threats_scripps/
Big Brother security tech gets $20m
Skyhigh Networks takes VC cash to patrol corporate networks
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/22/skyhigh_networks_funding/
Blue Coat gobbles CCTV-for-network-traffic maker Solera
Packet inspector to aisle two, please
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/22/blue_coat_buys_solera/
Camby cash crypto-coders Cronto chomped on pronto by Vasco
Anti-banking-malware Brit biz gobbled in £15m deal
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/22/vasco_crontosign_buy/
Facebook teens' kimonos - basically never closed
Adolescents overshare, astonishing survey finds
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/22/facebook_privacy_pew_foundation/
Aurora attack tried to pinch secret list of Chinese spies
Oops...looks like another US intelligence FAIL
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/22/google_aurora_hack_spy_data_nabbed/
Embedded systems vendors careless says Metasploit author
'Own five percent of the Internet without even blinking'
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/22/unpatched_embedded_system_threats/
Anonymous threat shutters Gitmo WiFi
Legal black hole becomes internet black hole
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/22/gitmo_wifi_shutdown/
Syrian hacktivists hijack Telegraph's Facebook, Twitter accounts
Why social media needs 2-factor authentication... part VIII
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/21/sea_hijacks_telegraph_twitter_feeds/
A backdoor into Skype for the Feds? You're joking...
Gov-enhanced hacking capability is bad, says PGP dude
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/21/crypto_boffins_oppose_fed_backdoors/
'Lab-smashing' Stuxnet HELPED Iran's nuke effort, says brainiac
'No, it didn't' says former Foreign Secretary
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/21/stuxnet_helped_iran_says_boffin/
Indian 'attacks' Norwegian telco to get at Pakistan, China
A tale of twisted IP tracks
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/21/hangover_india_apt_discovered/
Securo-boffins uncover new GLOBAL cyber-espionage operation
Two-pronged attack hits victims in 100 countries
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/20/safe_cyber_espionage/
Marks & Sparks accused of silently bonking punters over the tills
Bank cards bought stuff ALL BY THEMSELVES, say shoppers
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/20/marks_and_spencer_nfc/
Gooooood morning slaves!
After 4 months of reviewing hours of footage about the Quebec student strike, STREET POLITICS 101 is done!
|
 |
Street Politics 101
premiered at La Belle Epoque in Montreal this past weekend to a
standing room only crowd. The audience reaction was outstanding and the
crowd broke into a singalong during the credit sequence. I couldn't ask
for a better response. Now that this is done, subMedia.tv embarks on
another video to support an ecological struggle, this time in Quebec,
stay tubed for details about that one. The next fuckin show should be
out in late June. Sorry, but I'm only human. As always your support is always appreciated.
Miserable & Magical: A Graduation Speech for Paradoxical Times
--by Nipun Mehta, May 27, 2013
[When
the student body of an elite private school in Silicon Valley was given
the chance to vote on who would give their graduation address this
year, they chose a man named Nipun Mehta. An unexpected choice for these
teenagers, who belong to what Time magazine called the "Me Me Me
Generation". Nipun's journey is the antithesis of self-serving. More
than a decade ago, he walked away from a lucrative career in high-tech,
to explore the connection between inner change and external impact.
ServiceSpace, the nonprofit he founded, has now drawn over 450,000
members across the globe. In this electrifying address that
garnered a standing ovation, he calls out the paradoxical crisis of
disconnection in our hyper-connected world -- and offers up three
powerful keys that hold the antidote.]Thank you Jennifer Gargano, Chris Nikoloff and the entire faculty at Harker. To you, the class of 2013, congratulations! I’m delighted to be with you on your special day, and it is a particular honor since I know you chose your speaker.
So, graduation day is here and this once-in-a-lifetime milestone moment has arrived. In the words of Taylor Swift, I can tell how you’re feeling: “happy, free, confused, and lonely, miserable and magical at the same time.” Who would’ve thought we’d be quoting words of wisdom from Taylor Swift at your commencement. :)
Today, I’m here with some good news and bad news. I’ll give you the good first.
You might be surprised to hear this, but you are about to step out into a world that’s in good shape -- in fact the best shape that that it’s ever been in. The average person has never been better fed than today. Infant mortality has never been lower; on average we’re leading longer, healthier lives. Child labor, illiteracy and unsafe water have ceased to be global norms. Democracy is in, as slavery is disappearing. People don’t have to work as hard to just survive. A bicycle in 1895 used to cost 260 working hours, today we’ve gotten that number down to 7.2.
So, things are progressing. But I’m afraid that’s not the full story. You’ll want to brace yourselves, because this is the bad news part.
This
week, Time Magazine’s cover story labeled you guys as the “Me, Me, Me”
generation; the week before, NY Times reported that the suicide rate for
Gen X went up by 30% in the last decade, and 50% for the boomer
generation. We’ve just learned that atmospheric carbon levels surpassed
400 PPM for the first time in human history. Our honeybee colonies are
collapsing, thereby threatening the future of our food supply. And all
this is just the tip of the iceberg.What we’re handing over to you is a world full of inspiring realities coupled with incredibly daunting ones. In other words: miserable and magical isn't just a pop-song lyric -- it's the paradox that you are inheriting from us.
So, what do you do with that? I’m going to be honest -- I don’t really know. :) I do know this, though:
At the core of all of today's most pressing challenges is one fundamental issue: we have become profoundly disconnected.
Rather ironic, considering that we live in an era where Facebook has spawned 150 billion “connections”, as we collectively shell out 2.7 billion likes on status updates, every single day. Yet, a growing body of science is showing what we already feel deep in our gut: we’re more isolated than ever before. The average American adult reports having just one real friend that they can count on. Just one. And for the first time in 30 years, mental health disabilities such as ADHD outrank physical ones among American children.
Somehow we’ve allowed our relationship to gadgets and things to overtake our real-world ties.
We’ve forgotten how to rescue each other.
Yet, deep inside we all still have that capacity. We know we have it because we saw it at Sandy Hook, in the brave teachers who gave up their lives to save their students. We saw it during the Boston Marathon when runners completed the race and kept running to the nearest blood bank. We saw it just this week in Oklahoma when a waiter at a fast food chain decided to donate all his tips to the tornado relief efforts and triggered a chain of generosity.
So we know that we can tap into our inner goodness when crisis strikes. But can we do it on a run-of-the-mill Monday?
That’s the question in front of you. Will you, class of 2013 step up to rebuild a culture of trust, empathy and compassion? Our crisis of disconnection needs a renaissance of authentic friendship. We need you to upgrade us from Me-Me-Me to We-We-We.
Reflecting on my own journey, there have been three keys that helped me return to a place of connection. I’d like to share those with you today, in the hope that perhaps it might support your journey.
The First Key Is To Give
In the movie Wall Street
-- which originally came out well before you guys were born -- there’s a
character named Gordon Gekko whose credo in life reads: Greed is good.
When I was about your age, Silicon Valley was in the seductive grip of
the dot-com boom. It was a time when it was easy to believe that Greed
was Good. But a small group of us had a different hypothesis:*Maybe* greed is good, but Generosity is better.
We tested that hypothesis. When I started ServiceSpace, our first project was to build websites for nonprofits at no charge. We ended up building and gifting away thousands of sites, but that wasn’t our main goal. Our real purpose was to practice generosity.
In the early days, the media was pretty sure we had a hidden agenda. "We're doing this just to practice giving with no strings attached," we said. The few who actually believed us didn’t think we could sustain it. The thing is -- we did. A decade later, when our work started attracting millions of viewers, entrepreneurs told us that we'd be crazy to not slap on ads or try to monetize our services. The thing is -- we didn't. We probably *were* a bit crazy. And when we started Karma Kitchen, people really thought "No way!" It was a restaurant where your check always read zero, with this note: "Your meal is paid for by someone before you, and now it’s your chance to pay it forward." The thing is -- 25 thousand meals later, the chain continues in several cities around the globe.
People consistently underestimate generosity, but human beings are simply wired to give.
In one study at Harvard, scientists surprised a couple hundred volunteers with an unexpected monetary reward and gave them the choice of keeping it or giving it away. The only catch was that they had to make the decision spontaneously. Lo and behold, the majority chose --- to give away the money! Greed, it turns out, is a calculated after thought. Our natural instinct is, and always has been -- to give.
When you take Econ 101 in college, you will learn that all of economics is rooted in the assumption that people aim to maximize self-interest. I hope you don’t just take that for granted. I hope you challenge it. Consider the likes of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. and Mother Teresa who have rocked the history of our planet with the exact opposite assumption, with the belief in the goodness of our human nature.
Or consider Ruby Bridges.
Six-year-old Ruby was the first African American girl to go to an all-white school on Nov 14, 1960. All the teachers refused to teach her, except for one Mrs. Henry. Ruby received constant death threats and on the way to class every day, people would line up to shout and throw things. Mrs. Henry instructed Ruby to not speak to anyone, as she crossed the jeering crowds every day. But one day, she saw Ruby saying something, so she said, “Ruby, I told you not to speak to anyone.” “No, Mrs. Henry, I didn’t say anything to them.” “Ruby, I saw you talking. I saw your lips moving.” “Oh, I was just praying. I was praying for them,” Ruby responded. Then she recited her prayer, and I quote “Please, God, try to forgive these people. Because even if they say those bad things, they don’t know what they’re doing.”
A six year old! Wishing well for those who were wishing her harm. How generous is that? And what does it say about the power of the human heart?
Our capacity to love is a currency that never runs out.
May each of you tap into that generous ocean and discover every day, what it means to give.
The Second Key Is To Receive
When
we give, we think we are helping others. That's true, but we are also
helping ourselves. With any act of unconditional service, no matter how
small, our bio-chemistry changes, our mind quiets, and we feel a sense
of gratefulness. This inner transformation fundamentally shifts the
direction of our lives.A couple summers ago, we had two 14-year-olds, Neil and Dillan, interning at ServiceSpace. One of their projects was a 30 day kindness challenge -- they had to come up with and do a different act of kindness every day for a month. In the beginning they had to plan "kindness activities", but slowly they learned how to spontaneously turn their daily life into a canvas for giving. Doing the dishes for mom without her asking, stopping to help a stranger with a flat tire, standing up for a bullied kid, gifting all their winnings at the arcade to a child.
Very quickly, kindness shifted from being an activity -- to a way of life.
It wasn't just about who they were helping, it was about who they themselves were becoming through the process. Last weekend, I happened to see Neil after a while, the day after Senior Prom and he had a story to share, "Last night I noticed that the dance floor was too small and a few of the special needs students just couldn't get on. So I grabbed a bunch of my friends, and we started dancing in a little circle around them. Everyone had a great time." Then, he paused for a reflective moment, and asked me, "But I felt so good about doing that. Do you think I was being selfish?"
What a profound question. What Neil experienced was the fact that when we give, we receive many times over.
Or as the Dalai Lama once put it, "Be Selfish, Be Generous.” It is in giving that we receive.
When we think of generosity, we typically think of it as a zero sum game. If I give you a dollar, that’s one less dollar for me. The inner world, though, operates with an entirely different set of rules. The boundaries aren’t so easy to decipher. Your state of being inherently affects my state of being. This isn’t feel-good talk. It’s actual science. Research shows that, in close proximity, when people feel connected, their individual heart-beats actually start to synchronize -- even with zero physical contact. In neuroscience, the discovery of mirror neurons has shown us that we literally do feel each other’s pain -- and joy.
And joy is *definitely* not a zero-sum game. The law of abundance says that if I give you a smile, that's not one less smile for me.
The more I smile, the more I *do* smile. The more I love, the more love I have to give. So, when you give externally, you receive internally. How do the two compare? That's a question only you can answer for yourself, and that answer will keep changing as your awareness deepens.
Yet this much is clear: if you only focus on the externals, you’ll live your life in the deadening pursuit of power and products. But if you stay in touch with your inner truth, you will come alive with joy, purpose, and gratitude. You will tap into the law of abundance.
May you discover that to be truly selfish, you must be generous. In giving, may you fully experience what it means to receive.
The Third Key Is To Dance
Our biggest problem with giving and receiving is that we try and track it. And when we do that, we lose the beat.The best dancers are never singularly focused on the mechanics of their movements. They know how to let go, tune into the rhythm and synchronize with their partners.
It’s like that with giving too. It's a futile exercise to track who is getting what. We just have to dance.
Take one of my friends for example, a very successful entrepreneur.
Along his journey, he realized that it’s not just enough, as the cliché goes, to find your gifts. Gifts are actually meant to be *given*.
In his daily life, he started cultivating some beautiful practices of generosity. For instance, every time he walked into a fancy restaurant, he told the waiter to find a couple that is most madly in love. "Put their tab on my bill, and tell them a stranger paid for their meal, with the hope that they pay it forward somewhere somehow," he would say. Being a fan of Batman, he took his anonymity seriously: "If anyone finds out it was me, the deal is off."
Many restaurants, and waiters, knew him for this. And as a food connoisseur, some of his favorite places were also quite pricey -- upwards of a couple hundred bucks per person.
On one such day, he walks into a nice restaurant and does his usual drill. The person serving him obliges. However, this time, the waiter comes back with a counter request. "Sir, I know you like to be anonymous, but when I told that couple about the tab being covered, the woman just started sobbing. In fact, it’s been ten minutes and she's still tearing up. I think it would make her feel better if you were to just introduce yourself, just this once."
Seeing this, he agree to break his own cardinal rule and walks over to introduce himself. "M'aam, I was only trying to make your day. If it has brought up something, I'm so sorry." The woman excitedly says, "Oh no, not at all. You’ve just made my year, maybe my life. My husband and I, well, we work at a small nonprofit with physically challenged kids, and we have been saving up all year to have this meal here. It is our one year marriage anniversary today.” After a pause, she continues, “We always serve others in small ways, but to receive a kind act like this on our special day, well, it’s just an overwhelming testimonial that what goes around comes around. It renews our faith in humanity. Thank you. Thank you *SO* much."
All of them were in tears. They kept in touch, he joined their board and they are friends to this day.
Now, in that scenario, who was the giver? Who was the receiver? And more importantly, does it even matter? Dancing, tells us to stop keeping track.
Sometimes you're giving and sometimes you're receiving, but it doesn't really matter because the real reward of that give and take doesn’t lie in the value of what’s being exchanged. The real reward lies in what flows between us – our connection.
Conclusion
So, my dear friends, there you have it. The bad news is that we're in the middle of a crisis of disconnection, and the good news is that each and every one of you has the capacity to repair the web -- to give, to receive and to dance.
Sometime last year, I spontaneously treated a homeless woman to something she really wanted -- ice-cream. We walked into a nearby 7-11, she got her ice-cream and I paid for it. Along the way, though, we had a great 3-minute chat about generosity and as we’re leaving the store, she said something remarkable: "I'd like to buy you something. Can I buy you something?" She empties her pockets and holds up a nickel. The cashier looks on, as we all share a beautiful, awkward, empathy-filled moment of silence. Then, I heard my voice responding, “That’s so kind of you. I would be delighted to receive your offering. What if we pay-it-forward by tipping this kind cashier who has just helped us?” Her face breaks into a huge smile. “Good idea,” she says while dropping the nickel into the tip-jar.
No matter what you have, or don’t have, we can all give. The good news is that generosity is not a luxury sport.
Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. said it best, when he said, "Everyone can be
great, because everyone can serve." He didn't say, "You have to be
smart to serve." Or "You have to be famous to serve." Or "You have to be
rich to serve." No, he said, "*Everybody* can be great, because
*everybody* can serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb
agree to serve. You don't need to know the second law of thermodynamics
to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by
love."Harker Class of 2013, may you ALL find greatness in service to life. May you all give, receive -- and never, *ever* stop dancing.
This is a transcript of a commencement address Nipun Mehta delivered at The Harker School, May 2013. He is the founder of ServiceSpace.org, a nonprofit that works at the intersection of gift-economy, technology and volunteerism. Nipun's speech last year at University of Pennsylvania's commencement shares more about his personal journey.
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