The Election
Dear friends,
Well, it's finally over. And if you are like most folks living in California, you are not happy with the results. Some folks here are extremely happy, however. Both camps may well be overstating the impact of what has transpired.
It is not that what happens in this world does not matter. It most assuredly does. But things are usually not as they seem.
The world has gone through many cycles over the centuries. Pendulums swing in one direction and then the other. If they swing especially far in one direction, they swing back equally far the opposite way. Physics mandates this and it is equally so for humanity as a whole.
We tend to look at reality through a keyhole, so there is much that is missed or at the least cannot be seen in perspective given our tiny and short-term view. It will take a generation to see what the recent electoral decision will bring forth.
The US is a huge entity. Turning a battleship is not easy. The Constitution is designed to slow down change. There will be many things that happen that many find distasteful, but that is of course not new. Welcome to Earth! There is always light and dark but somehow humanity seems to move forward. Personal enemies used to boil their foes in oil. Now they just sue you!
Again, I am not saying things don't matter, just that there are greater forces and longer rhythms at work than we can easily see. It is very easy to over-focus on the pebble in the shoe and miss the bigger picture. Taking a step back can give a perspective that is more expansive as well as comforting. After all, we are not in charge as much as we think we are, and things have a way of turning out in an unexpected and unforeseen fashion. And in the larger cycles, we move forward, albeit lurchingly and haltingly sometimes. The US has been through many ups and downs the past two centuries—some of which have been extraordinarily dramatic—and we have always landed on our feet. I see absolutely no reason to believe that this time will be different.
Blessings,
David G., manager
For the staff at East West