Regarding Obama's attempts at bipartisanship for Health Care Insurance Reform
I saw Mtch McConnell on CSPAN2 as I was channel surfing, and even the 2 second it took to get his face and body language off my screen was enough to trigger a decades-old memory:
In 1976, I had an aikido instructor, a Vietnamese refugee who was also a 7th degree tae kwan do black belt. This was a man who'd had his own army in Vietnam, causing the NVA to put a price on his head (they were probably right -- he was the sort of person who could inspire the "follow me" response in most people).
One day, explaining aikido to some of his tae kwan do students he talked about and demonstrated synchronization with the opponent, the harmonization that puts you on the same side as your attacker, a harmonization that can turn an opponent into a friend...
"So you do aikido, once to make friend... twice to make friend, three times... and then..." and then he demonstrated Suro maki* (Sword Hand) -- fingers extended and closed, hand thrown with the speed of a rattlesnake, full power striking in and under the ribs of the opponent in order to rip out his liver... "because some people just don't want to be your friend."
In 1976, I had an aikido instructor, a Vietnamese refugee who was also a 7th degree tae kwan do black belt. This was a man who'd had his own army in Vietnam, causing the NVA to put a price on his head (they were probably right -- he was the sort of person who could inspire the "follow me" response in most people).
One day, explaining aikido to some of his tae kwan do students he talked about and demonstrated synchronization with the opponent, the harmonization that puts you on the same side as your attacker, a harmonization that can turn an opponent into a friend...
"So you do aikido, once to make friend... twice to make friend, three times... and then..." and then he demonstrated Suro maki* (Sword Hand) -- fingers extended and closed, hand thrown with the speed of a rattlesnake, full power striking in and under the ribs of the opponent in order to rip out his liver... "because some people just don't want to be your friend."
Of course, that "1, 2, 3 and then strike home" approach was not consistent with the philosophy set forth by Founder Morihei Ueshiba. But the look that came onto his face after making the sword hand gesture convinced me that, in his life, his use that technique had not been limited to dojo demonstrations.
That would mean that his later study of aikido (2d degree black belt, insofar as there are belts OR degrees in aikido) was going in the direction of making peace, putting the insanity of war behind him.
President Obama -- you understand that health care can not be a supply-and-demand commodity, but a right, so bear in mind, it's a noble thing to seek bipartisan accord, but:
SOME PEOPLE JUST DO NOT WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND.
That would mean that his later study of aikido (2d degree black belt, insofar as there are belts OR degrees in aikido) was going in the direction of making peace, putting the insanity of war behind him.
President Obama -- you understand that health care can not be a supply-and-demand commodity, but a right, so bear in mind, it's a noble thing to seek bipartisan accord, but:
SOME PEOPLE JUST DO NOT WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND.
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*not sure of the spelling of suro maki
posted by Saintperle at
2:33 PM
