Race and Racism free essay sample

Racism, this simple word conjures up images of abhorrence and suffering. Brother hating brother because of the colour of their skin. Whole ethnicities of people discriminated against because they are different, and the discriminators are not taking the time to understand them and their culture. There is a book called â€Å"Racism, a very short introduction† by Ali Rattansi, in this essay I will justify that this book is superior to the book â€Å"Black in Latin America† by Henry Louis Gates in explaining racism to me. Both books do a sufficient job of explaining racism from a technical analysis and a historic point of view, but I feel that Rattansi has provided an enhanced understanding of racism and how society arrived at that conclusion. These are the reasons why: 1) Rattansi does not restrict himself to one geographic area (the Caribbean) as Gates does. 2) Rattansi discusses a number of definitions connecting science and racism. We will write a custom essay sample on Race and Racism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page (Rattansi 2007: 2) 3) Gates talks mostly about his experiences in various cultures as they relate to his travel through various countries around the Caribbean. (Gates 2011: 2), while Rattansi covers broader topics that are not limited to his personal views and experiences. This essay will explore those reasons and expand on them while defeating the counter arguments against this point of view while educating the reader about the implications of creating an anti-racist society. In the first argument Rattansi looks at racist themes from all different places around the world. For example one area of focus is anti-Semitism, he talks about how the Jewish people are not loyal to any one country but to the Jewish faith all together and that instills fear from Europeans who are loyal to their country. (Rattansi 2007: 56) Rattansi taught us about the 18th century English people and their views on the native Indians from India. The English brutally took over their lands and imposed a foreign culture on them, despite the way that they felt; they adopted native dress and married Indian women. (Rattansi 2007: 47) Also discussed in Rattansi’s book was about the symbolism that occurred in the European Middle Ages. Christianity made the association between darkness with filth and evil, and light which was associated with purity and goodness. This could be seen as the earliest form of racism, judging someone based on their appearance. (Rattansi 2007:17) In chapter 8 the reader learns about British Immigration Policy around the 1940’s, Britain encouraged the immigration of Black and Chinese people for labour purposes. This lead to a â€Å"coloured minority† population explosion. (Rattansi 2007: 151-152) Sadly most of these people were given back breaking labour with little pay and horrible working conditions simply because of the colour of their skin. Secondly Rattansi’s book explores the science behind racist ideals. Eugenics is the study of race, which was supported by â€Å"Social Darwinism†. Basically Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest is reflected here, inferior cultures and races should be supressed or bred out to support only the superior â€Å"master race†. (Rattnasi 2007: 54) Scientific Racism is based on genetics and how each race is different to each other based on their genetic and phonotypical variation. (Rattansi 2007: 72) One study even went as far as to measure the heads of black persons and compared them with heads of white women; both were considered inferior compared to the head of a white male. However scientific racism was deemed as nonsensical and lacked creditability. (Rattansi 2007: 74) The last argument is that Rattansi covers a broader range of topics relating to racism ranging from the Greeks to the medieval era to Immigration in the US and even the case of Enoch Powell and his denial of being a racist. (Rattansi 2007: 93) He looks at the history of racism and provides details behind events leading to discoveries and theories behind them. This essay will now provide a counter argument in favor of Gate’s book for all points listed as my thesis. The first argument is about geographic area, while Gates writes mostly about his experiences in Latin America and the Caribbean he does expand his scope to Africa where the majority of slaves (11. 2 million) were taken from. (Gates 2011: 2). Another point was about how European people emigrated from various countries to provide services of â€Å"whitening†. (Gates 2011: 10) Rattansi did an excellent job of covering racism from a scientific perspective, but in Gate’s defense, he covered the classification of skin colours from all the different countries he visited. That is an aspect of science, botanists and explores have to scientifically classify their discoveries usually using Latin names. A complete list of each country and the way that they distinguish various skin colours ranging from very light to absolute black can be found in the appendix. (Gates 2011: 223) In the argument of broad topics not relating to personal experience can be won by looking at how Gates covers the culture and history of each country’s people. In Haiti he talks about Vodou, (Gates 2011: 157) in Brazil they have Capoeira, which is a martial art disguised as dancing. (Gates 2011: 24-25). Mexicans have their folk hero, a comic book character named Memin Pinguin. African-Americans were outraged claiming that the character was a racist portrayal of blacks, but the Mexicans loved him. (Gates 2011: 82) This just proves that there are many things that Gate’s explains that are not based upon his personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Both books by Gates and Rattansi have explained their positions on race, class, and those who would discriminate against them. I have observed a common theme that both books portray, which is the implication of fighting racism. I believe that it is educating other people about various cultures, races, and ethnicities. Knowledge is the best way to overcome prejudice, and xenophobia. Both books educate the reader about how we as a society are biologically the same. We have families, passions, cultures, and the right to life free from fear. Although there has been a rise in support for neo-fascists in the last decade of the 20th century, there needs to be a movement to end it. (Rattansi 2007: 164) In this essay we have looked at three reasons why I feel that Rattansi’s book has best explained racism to me. We also divulged into a counter argument in the favor of Gate’s book, and looked at the implications of fighting racism. In conclusion the author of this paper would like to suggest some ways to fight racism and abolish it like the way that slavery was abolished in Brazil in 1888. (Gates 2011:16) Education may be the best way to overcome the ignorance that is a main part of racism. One can look at the scientific reasons behind skin colour, which darker pigments evolved as a result of the climates that people lived in, and that human blood types have no co-relation with skin colour. (Rattansi 2007: 74) Taking action against racism can be done by using common sense, embarrassing those with racial beliefs, writing blogs about equality and fairness, and refusing to patronize businesses that promote racism and hatred. Fighting racism can also be accomplished right in your own backyard, if you hear a discriminatory joke coming from a family member, co-worker or friend; stand up to them and mention its inappropriateness. Educate your children that the world’s population comes in many colours and cultures, take them to cultural events and restaurants. It is up to you, gentle reader, to fight racism however you can and make the world a better place.

Sound Progressexxon valdez 5 pgs essays

Sound Progressexxon valdez 5 pgs essays The Exxon Valdez oil spill in the Prince William Sound of Alaska proved to be a disaster on many levels. The coastline, wildlife, and people of the all area were all devastated by the spill. Ten years later, the area is showing remarkable progress. Because of the cleanup efforts and new regulations, the Sound is getting ever closer to recovery. A few minutes after midnight on March 24, 1989, the T/V Exxon Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound. A few minutes later the coast guard received a radio message from the ships captain, Joseph Hazelwood: Weve fetched up ah hard aground north of Goose Island off Bligh Reef, and ah evidently leaking some oil. Were going to be here for a while.(Knickerbocker, Big Spill 12) That radio call was the beginning of the worst oil spill in United States history. The some oil that Hazelwood was referring to ended up being an estimated 11 million gallons of crude oil. The oil covered nearly 1,300 miles of shoreline and eventually reached beaches 470 miles away. (McAllister C14). At the time of the spill, officials had no immediate plan for cleaning up the oil. The spill struck in a remote part of a state where the population of caribou easily outnumbers people. Spokesman for the Govoners office David Ramseur agreed. You need a lot of people and a lot of equipment, and we dont have enough.(McAllister C14) At the time, that statement was sadly true. The area just wasnt prepared to handle a spill of that magnitude. Other than the coastline, the spill also effected the local residents of the area, primarily the regions wildlife. The spill ultimately killed more than 250,000 seabirds, at least 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 150 bald eagles, and 14 to 22 killer whales, along with billions of herring eggs. (number6) This proved to be equally detrimental...

Sustainability with Different Energy Sources Research Paper

Sustainability with Different Energy Sources - Research Paper Example It is therefore necessary to implement measures aimed at sustaining the energy under consideration. This paper takes a stand that energy is a very important element that helps in sustaining life, and making it easier. The term sustainability has a wide reaching effect on the various disciplines that are associated with it. The term sustainability refers to a variety of changes that occurs within a given population and this population is able to maintain these changes over a given period of time. Energy is a very important element that helps in sustaining the life and activities of human beings. People use energy in their day to day activities, and this includes firewood, electricity, solar energy, etc (Beggs, 39). Energy can be used for purposes of lighting homes, cooking food, and even in the manufacturing sector. Another term that directly relates to sustainability is sustainable practices. These are activities, which are responsible for the conservation and utilization of energy products and substances. Sustainable practices is not only limited to energy products, but it also involves other aspects such as protection, and preservation of the environment, health, etc (Simon, 39). Sustainability of energy refers to the methods and ways of preserving the productive capacity of the energy, for purposes of using it to the foreseeable future. This aspect of sustainability includes all the activities that human beings initiate for purposes of preserving energy. This includes the prudent use of natural resources that have the capability of producing energy. These resources are firewood, rivers, and the solar system. The activities that human beings can initiate for purposes of sustaining and preserving energy includes the enactment of laws that prevent illegal logging, and cutting down of trees. This is because trees are an important source of energy, and they help in the

Human Trafficking in the United States Research Paper

Human Trafficking in the United States - Research Paper Example While these impoverished people from South and Central America get into the United States in order to improve their economic wellbeing, evidence suggests that they barely get past acute poverty and only manage to survive. Despite being the richest nation on earth, a significant portion of its inhabitants lives below the poverty line. A large portion of them recently arrives illegal immigrants, who find disillusionment and further misery on their arrival into the country through illegal channels (Lybecker, 2008). This essay will argue that while human trafficking is not solely responsible for poverty in the United States, it does contribute to the growing pool of poor people and is a manifestation of the dark side of the global capitalist economy. Firstly, poverty and homelessness in the United States can be traced back a long way. Even long before political discourse about illegal immigration started, there has been a constant influx of impoverished and oppressed people into the country. As and when immigrants (legal or illegal) arrive into the confines of the country, they start out as homeless people by default. The direct and circumstantial evidence for this is available in literary and performing arts of the last one and half centuries. Prominent among the artists who dealt with this subject are Walt Whitman, Jack London, Charlie Chaplin, Woody Guthrie, John Dos Passos, Bill Mauldin, Jack Kerouac, and John Steinbeck. In the early twentieth century slang, homeless, vagabond immigrants were casually referred to as hoboes, which is a term of denigration. These so-called hoboes had a reputation for being barbaric, wild, lazy and unscrupulous. The first detailed representation of these people living on the fringes of society s tarted appearing after the end of the Civil War.  

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Research Paper

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) - Research Paper Example â€Å"However, defining an addressing system and setting up the correct address on each workstation and server is far from trivial. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol can be a great help.† (Richards, 1997, p. 11). The address assignment of machines on a network is a core issue of network administration and management and is considered a major cost contributor in managing client server environments. There are two options available to network administrators, either they may address each machine on the network themselves, or they may go for a DHCP server to assign IP addresses to all requesting hosts on the network. A DHCP server has a pool of assignable IP addresses and depending on the implementation may also have a pool of IP addresses to be assigned to the restricted users on the network. The address assignment process of DHCP Server, normally called the Lease Process, is an important part of understanding how actually DHCP work and how it can be troubleshoot in case of an a ddress assignment problem. The first step of Lease Process is a DHCP Discover request from a client, which is broadcasted on the network to locate a DHCP server.

The Social Arrangements Made By Organisations Commerce Essay

The Social Arrangements Made By Organisations Commerce Essay An Organisation is social arrangements for achieving controlled performance in pursuit of collective goals (Buchanan Huczynski 1997). The organization can also be defined as, social element developed by humans to serve some purpose. An organization usually consists of more than one people. According to Rollinson, the organizations are goals directed i.e. they are created to serve some purpose. However, this does not mean that everyone in the particular organization has the common goals and neither does it follow that everybody is aware of the goals pursued by the organization. Achieving the purpose or the goals for the organisation normally requires that human activity be deliberately structured and coordinated in some way, thus there will be identifiable parts or activities (Rollinson, 2008). For example, let us take our University as an organisation. The students, teaching staffs, non-teaching staffs, top management, workers, buildings and other resources available in the university form the organisation. The purpose of the university is to provide the quality education to the students. There is a culture being followed up in this organisation. The culture plays a major role in the organisation. But this culture is different from one organisation to another. What is Organisational Behaviour? It is the study of human behavior in organisational contexts, with a focus on individual and group processes and actions. Hence, it involves an exploration of organizational and managerial processes in the dynamic context of the organisation and is primarily concerned with the human implications of such activities (Brooks, 2009). So it is essential to understand the human behaviour and the organisational behaviour. Each and every person in their lives is inevitably involved in some sort of organizations. So it is important to analyse the organisation in which we are involved. The following are about the paradigms, organizational structure and the role of culture in the organisation. 2. PARADIGMS: Paradigm is the name given to the conceptual frameworks within which the knowledge is produced. A paradigm is constituted, in part, by the rules which are generally accepted as necessary to follow in order to produce good knowledge (Jackson and carter, 2007). More significantly, a paradigm consists of the shared beliefs and assumptions of knowledge producers about what knowledge is, which shared beliefs and assumptions are institutionalised through support structure, such as universities, and through training (Corlett and Forster, 2004). The paradigm contains a model for solving the problems faced but it is not a real structure. The concept of knowledge paradigm was introduced by Thomas Kuhn in the year 1962. The schemes are about how people view the reality, what school of thought these people belong to, what kind of scientific tolls their use to carry out the science and what kind of metaphors can describe their way of thinking. In the year 1979, Burrell and Morgan developed this concept as Social paradigm which has been widely accepted by most scientists. A paradigm can be used as a lens through which we can view the world. According to Burrell and Morgan there are four types of paradigm by which the organization can be viewed. They are Functionalist paradigm Interpretative paradigm Radical Humanist paradigm Radical structuralist paradigm. They identified two fundamental core principles that divide researchers in two groups: the Objective dimension and the Subjective dimension. According to Jackson and Carter, the functionalist are the ones which see the organisation in an objective way and beliefs on more a structural and control type in the organisation. Most conventional theories of organisational analysis and organisational behavior will fall under this paradigm. The functionalist beliefs the managerial interests as a hierarchy were the rules and regulations and power in an organisation is an important factor in their organisation. (Jackson and Carter, 2007) http://www.ncjrs.gov/policing/mitar2_1.gif Radical structuralists are the ones which share the view of the functionalist were the organisational power and structure is the important factor where this paradigm concentrate in a structural relationship in an organisation (Jackson and Carter, 2007). Radical humanists are the far opposite of the functionalist. According to Jackson and Carter, this paradigm shares the interpretivist view of organisations as social construction but also shares the radical structuralist view of the organisations as instruments of power and domination. Radical humanist believe in change and structural way of communication in an organisation and more subjective in decision making. Interpretivist paradigms are the ones which are concerned with regulation but understand the real world situation. Interpretivist paradigms are more realistic and believe relationship within the organisation with some rules and regulation is the best work place to work referred from (Jackson and Carter, 2007). I identified my paradigm as an Interpretivist by using the questionnaire model to understand the types of paradigm and their views in radical change and subjective or objective interpretation of an organisation. According to Collins understanding a persons paradigm from a questionnaire cannot give the person the right view of which paradigm we fall in as it is just simple exercise and the mood of the person gives a huge impact when he answers the questionnaire. So, it is subjected to change from one organisation to another. (Collins, 1996) 3. METHODOLOGY OF DATA GATHERING: The name of the organization which we are going to see in this study is Santha Textiles. I have chosen this organization because it is my fathers company. So, it will easy for me to gather the information and analyse the organization to the core. And another reason for choosing this organization is that I will be in the company every weekend while doing my undergraduate studies in India. So, I know what is the culture and the structure followed up in the company. I mainly visit the company to know how well the business is going, what are the techniques involved and to develop my managerial capabilities. These previous experiences will be helpful to bring out my thoughts regarding culture at Santha Textiles when we proceed further. 4. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: Santha Textiles is a textile fabric manufacturing company situated in South India. The company is manufacturing the textile products for more than 30 years. During the years the company has grown steadily and started marketing its product throughout India. The company has a strong reputation in its field. This strong reputation and market share is only due to its quality products. The company employs more than 350 employees and uses latest machines in its state of art factories to manufacture its product right away from raw materials to the finished goods. The company mainly manufactures cotton fabrics which are used for shirts, bed spreads and some Indian traditional wears. The company follows all the rules and regulations which are stated by the Indian Government. The following is my assessment of the structure and the culture in Santha textiles. This mainly elaborates about the structure and the culture followed in the company throughout their business periods. 5. ANALYSING DATA WITH LITERATURE REVIEW: 5.1. DEFINITION OF CULTURE AND CULTURE IN SANTHA TEXTILES: Organisational culture remains a controversial concept. The concept of culture is in itself a social concept. Therefore it follows that the concept of organizational culture should be viewed as the social concept of an organization and is an interpretation of the way how the organization behaves. Basically culture is a very diverse subject as it varies from country to country and from organisation to organisation. Organisational culture is defined as the collection of relatively uniform and enduring values, beliefs, customs, traditions and practices that are shared by an organisations member, learned by new recruits, and transmitted from one generation of employees to the next (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2004). According to this definition culture in one organisation is different from other organisation. Each and every organisation has their own tradition, beliefs, values and practices in them. However, organizational culture is a scientifically accepted concept used to define and descr ibe the collective individual behavior within the organisation. The culture has a significant impact to achieve the organisations aims and on the development of the organisation. Lundbergs seven points make it clear that culture is a soft aspect of an organisation, in which the details are carried in peoples mind, even though these people may not be aware of doing so they use this information to interpret what surrounds them, for example to judge whether something is right or wrong, suitable or unsuitable (Rollinson, 2008). So, people use this information to judge the decision whether it will go right or wrong in the organisation. Each and every organisation has their own unique culture even though they have not tried to create consciously. These cultures would have been created by the top management or by the founders who build that organisation. But in some organisation the top level management tries to change the culture of the organisation based on the location and condition in which the organisation is located. This change of culture will be more useful in decision making, managing and to bring out the success of their organisation. Culture allows for similarity and agreement on some matters but also rely upon differences and in some cases make it safe to disagree (Hatch, 2006). Organisational cultures have complex relationships with the environments in which they operate and from which they recruit their members. When an organisation is created it becomes its own world and the culture in the organisation becomes its foundation. Peoples actions and the work in the organisation are not always their own but are largely influenced by the socialization processes of specific culture to which they belong. According to Schein, organizational culture is the key to organizational excellence and the function of leadership is the creation and management of culture. Hence culture is very difficult to change unless one changes the people in the group. There are many theorists who describes about the culture in the organisation. We are going to see about the Scheins theory of oranisational culture in this assessment. Relating with the Scheins theory we can compare the culture in Santha textiles. 5.2. RELATING SCHEINS MODEL WITH THE ORGANISATION: Edgar Scheins model of culture is among most widely discussed. According to Buchanan and Huczynski, it considers organizational culture in terms of three levels, each distinguished by its visibility to and accessibility by individuals. Organisational culture is the pattern of basic assumption which a group has invented, discovered or developed in learning to cope with its problems of external adaptation and integration, which have worked well enough to be considered valid, and therefore to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to the problems (Schein, 1985). Scheins fundamental view is that culture is the sharing of meaning and the sharing of basic assumptions among organisational employees (Buchanan and Huczynski, 1997). According to Scheins theory of organisational culture there are three levels of culture described. The three levels of cultures are Artifacts, Values and Basic assumptions. 6. LEVELS OF CULTURE: 6.1. Artefacts: This is the first level of culture. Artefacts are considered to be the only visible factor in a culture. Artefacts are manifestations or expressions of the same culture core that produces and maintains the values and norms however, their future distance from the core can make it even more difficult to interpret their cultural significance unambiguously (Hatch, 2006). One of the main Artefact of Santha textiles is, the way in which the production is set up in the factories. The logo of the company can also be considered as an artifact because the logo remains the same from the starting of the company till now and it is a visible factor. The artefacts in the company can be easily visualized and seen. The symbols and the captions used in the company can also be considered as artefacts. The caption used by Santha textiles influences the culture and the type of product they produce. There have been many ritual ceremonies which are being held in Santha textiles. These ritual ceremonies show the culture in the company and how well the company gives importance to the culture that is followed. In Santha textiles, it is believed to act as a positive force in the working of the company. Language is also considered to be one artefact. In Santha textiles, the local language called Tamil is spoken in all the departments and by all the employees. We can see tha t there is a respect shown from one employee to another inside the company. The older employees share their knowledge and experiences with the new comer and they are treated well. The history of an organisation inevitably has a huge impact on its culture and that some cultural elements can be traced back to the values and ideologies of the firms founder. Most of the ideologies followed in Santha textiles are formed by the founder of the company. 6.2. Values: The next level in Scheins layered conceptualization of culture is the values and beliefs. Values are the social principles, goals and standards that cultural members believe have intrinsic worth (Hatch, 2006). Organisational values are those things that have personal or organizational worth or meaning to the founders or senior management. Values are typically based on moral, societal or religious precepts that are learned in childhood and modified through experience (Buchanan and Huczynski, 1997). Where do these values come from? Values are the views of the original founder, as modified by the companys current management (Schein, 2004). The culture in Santha textiles is influenced only by the founder of the company The company is working towards its goal which is the predominant factor in the business. Mostly all the employees in the company were honest and trustworthy. But some of the employees were not honest to their job. This affects the companys production. So, the trust on these employees fails in this condition in the company. Effort is also one of the prevailing factors which influenced the company to grow such an extent for years. Mostly all the employees put their full effort to make the company to reach its goal. So, for their efforts Santha textiles gives a good salary and seasonal bonus. Some tours have also been arranged for the employees twice in a year to relax themselves. The founder feels that this will encourage the employees and it will be better for the company. 6.3. Basic assumptions: Basic Assumption is the third level in Scheins layered conceptualization of culture. In Scheins view they are fundamental beliefs that are so taken for granted that most people in a cultural unit subscribe to them but not in a conscious way (Rollinson, 2008). These assumptions are formed inside the company when it is created. Assumptions which are formed in the beginning dont change often. These assumptions are not seen when the oraganisation is viewed as such. In Santha textiles, we can see a sense of mutual respect between the employees, no matter in what positions are and in what department they are in. As everyone know that the textile market is a competitive one in India. So, there is always a feel of competition between the firms. Santha textile takes more interest in protecting the society around which it operates. They ensure that their factories do not harm the environment and the atmosphere. There has never been an employees strike since beginning of the company as the rela tionship between the employees and the management is good in the company. This indicates that all the employees are satisfied with their work and the salary they get. Employee welfare is a factor that has been prevailing in Santha textiles since it started its operation in the late 1970s. 7. CONCLUSION: This is all about the culture that is prevailing in Santha textiles relating with Scheins layered conceptualization of culture. It was a challenge for me to analyse the culture of Santha textiles relating with the literature review and Scheins layered conceptualization of culture. However, comparing my experiences with Santha textiles and the literatures has brought so much sense. Me being an Interpretivist, I shared the views of both the intrepretivist paradigm and the Radical humanist paradigm. Both these paradigm care for the human values but understands the real world situations. Based on this study I understood that culture in Santha textile is a mixture of value, human welfare, environmental care and local culture in which the company is held. Finally, these analyses tell me that I very much fall in Interpretivist paradigm but also share the views of radical humanist paradigm.

Why is this a Buddhist Poem? Essay -- Literary Analysis, Who Are You?,

The protagonist of the poem, Who Are You, attempts to define his identity in the manner that most humans fall victim to. The inquirer, assumed to be Buddhist, is unsatisfied with his response as it contradicts the Dharma of the enlightened Buddha. Peter, when asked, â€Å"Who are you?† endeavors to label himself by the people that surround him, the place in which he was born, and the traits that he feels connected to. The question, however, is a deception used in the hope of unveiling the flaws of the perception that humans carry for themselves. The Buddhist questioner engages in conversation with the motive of exposing the three marks of existence. The first is Anitya, impermanence, the second is Duhkha, dissatisfactoriness, and the third is Anatman, no self. The no self is a principle that other religions contradict, and most humans have difficulty comprehending. The Buddha replaces the concept of an intrinsic or everlasting soul with the Five Aggregates, thus further illust rating impermanence. In order to eradicate the Duhkha in Peter’s life, he must recognize all these notions within the Buddhist doctrine along with that of Dependent Arising. This further explains the source of Anatman, offers a passage to eradicate the Duhkha, and further cease the existence of Samsara. With the dharma of the Buddha, it is evident that Peter’s ignorance towards life will become replaced by wisdom and comprehension, allowing him a lifestyle liberated from Duhkha. The method, in which Peter desperately attempts to decipher who he is, represents the flaws that the Buddha recognized in most sentient beings. These flaws are epitomized by the three marks of existence. The first mark of existence, reflected in the man’s responses, becomes visible. This... ...t his identity, he finds that no answer seems to satisfy the other. The more perplexed Peter becomes, he discovers how little he truly knows, and upon declaring this, the questioner is appeased. This is because the motive of the Buddhist is to unveil the dharma of the Buddha in hopes of enlightening his disciple. Through his questions, he illustrates the three marks of existence, Anitya, Duhkha, and Anatman. The Buddha replaces Anatman with the Five Aggregates to explain the impermanence and the dissatisfactoriness in the human realm. In addition, the notion of dependent arising is prevalent in hopes of explaining the cause for Duhkha, ignorance, and the method to eliminating it. Through the banter between he who is enlightened, and he who is not, the reader is hopeful that Peter will appreciate the dharma presented and cease the delusion and dissatisfactoriness.

Fool Chapter 21

TWENTY-ONE AT THE WHITE CLIFFS YEARS AGO – â€Å"Pocket,† said Cordelia, â€Å"have you ever heard of this warrior queen named Boudicca?† Cordelia was about fifteen at the time, and she had sent for me because she wished to discuss politics. She lay on her bed with a large leather volume open before her. â€Å"No, lamb, who was she queen of?† â€Å"Why, of the pagan Britons. Of us.† Lear had recently shifted back to the pagan beliefs, thus opening a whole new world of learning for Cordelia. â€Å"Ah, that explains it. Educated in a nunnery, love, I've a very shallow knowledge of pagan ways, although I have to say, their festivals are smashing. Rampant drunken shagging while wearing flower wreaths seems far superior to midnight mass and self-flagellation, but then, I'm a fool.† â€Å"Well, it says here that she kicked nine colors of shit out of the Roman legions when they invaded.† â€Å"Really, that's what it says, nine colors of shit?† â€Å"I'm paraphrasing. Why do you think we've no warrior queens anymore?† â€Å"Well, lamb, war requires swift and resolute action.† â€Å"And you're saying that a woman can't move with swift resolve?† â€Å"I'm saying no such thing. She may move with swiftness and resolve, but only after choosing the correct outfit and shoes, and therein lies the undoing of any potential warrior queen, I suspect.† â€Å"Oh bollocks!† â€Å"I'll wager your Boudicca lived before they invented clothing. Easy days then for a warrior queen. Just hitch up your tits and start taking heads, it was. Now, well, I daresay erosion would take down a country before most women could pick out their invading kit.† â€Å"Most women. But not me?† â€Å"Of course not you, lamb. Them. I meant only weak-willed tarts like your sisters.† â€Å"Pocket, I think I shall be a warrior queen.† â€Å"Of what, the royal petting zoo at Boffingshire?† â€Å"You'll see, Pocket. The whole of the sky will darken with the smoke from my army's fires, the ground will tremble under their horses' hooves, and kings will kneel outside their city walls, crowns in hand, begging to surrender rather than feel the wrath of Queen Cordelia fall upon their people. But I shall be merciful.† â€Å"Goes without saying, doesn't it?† â€Å"And you, fool, will no longer be able to behave like the right shit that you are.† â€Å"Fear and trembling, love, that's all you'll get from me. Fear and bloody trembling.† â€Å"As long as we understand each other.† â€Å"So, it sounds as if you're thinking of conquering more than just the petting zoo?† â€Å"Europe,† said the princess, as if stating the unadorned truth. â€Å"Europe?† said I. â€Å"To start,† said Cordelia. â€Å"Well, then you had better get moving, hadn't you?† â€Å"Yes, I suppose,† said Cordelia, with a great silly grin. â€Å"Dear Pocket, would you help me pick an outfit?† â€Å"She's already taken Normandy, Brittany, and the Aquitaine,† said Edgar, â€Å"and Belgium soils itself at the mention of her name.† â€Å"Cordelia can be a bundle of rumpus when she sets her mind to something,† said I. I smiled at the thought of her barking orders to the troops, all fury and fire from her lips, but those crystal-blue eyes hinting laughter at every turn. I missed her. â€Å"Oh, I did betray her love and flay her sweet heart with stubborn pride,† said Lear, looking madder and weaker than when I'd seen him last. â€Å"Where is Kent?† I asked Edgar, ignoring the old king. Drool and I had found them above a cliff at Dover. They all sat with their backs to a great chalk boulder: Gloucester, Edgar, and Lear. Gloucester snored softly, his head on Edgar's shoulder. We could see smoke from the French camp not two miles away in the distance. â€Å"He's gone to Cordelia, to ask her to accept her father into her camp.† â€Å"Why didn't you go yourself?† I asked Lear. â€Å"I am afraid,† said the old man. He hid his head under his arm, like a bird trying to escape the daylight beneath its wing. It was wrong. I wanted him strong, I wanted him stubborn, I wanted him full of arrogance and cruelty. I wanted to see those parts of him I knew were thriving when he'd thrown my mother on the stones so many years ago. I wanted to scream at him, humiliate him, hurt him in eleven places and watch him crawl in his own shit, dragging his bloody pride and guts behind him in the dirt. There was no revenge to be satisfied on this trembling shell of Lear. I wanted no part of it. â€Å"I'm going to go nap behind those rocks,† said I. â€Å"Drool, keep watch. Wake me when Kent returns.† â€Å"Aye, Pocket.† The Natural went to the far side of Edgar's boulder, sat, and stared out over the sea. If we were attacked by a ship, he'd be Johnny-on-the-spot. I lay down and slept perhaps an hour before there was shouting behind me and I looked over my boulders to see Edgar holding his father's head, steadying him as the old man stood on a rock, perhaps a foot above the ground. â€Å"Are we at the edge?† â€Å"Aye, there are fishermen on the beach below that look like mice. The dogs look like ants.† â€Å"What do the horses look like?† asked Gloucester. â€Å"There aren't any horses. Just fishermen and dogs. Don't you hear the sea crashing below?† â€Å"Yes. Yes, I do. Farewell, Edgar, my son. I am sorry. Gods, do your will!† With that the old man leaped off the rock, expecting to plummet hundreds of feet to his death, I reckon, so he was somewhat surprised when he met the ground in an instant. â€Å"Oh my lord! Oh my lord!† said Edgar, trying to use a different voice and failing completely. â€Å"Sir, you have duly fallen from the cliffs above.† â€Å"I have?† said Gloucester. â€Å"Aye, sir, can you not see?† â€Å"Well, no, you git, my eyes are bandaged and bloody. Can you not see?† â€Å"Sorry. What I saw was you fall from a great height and land as softly as if you were a feather floating down.† â€Å"I am dead, then,† said Gloucester. He sank to his knees and seemed to lose his breath. â€Å"I am dead, yet I still suffer, my grief is manifest, my eyes ache even though they are not there.† â€Å"That's because he's fucking with you,† said I. â€Å"What?† said Gloucester. â€Å"Shhhh,† said Edgar. â€Å"‘Tis a mad beggar, pay him no heed, good sir.† â€Å"Fine, you're dead. Enjoy,† said I. I lay back on the ground, out of the wind, and pulled my coxcomb over my eyes. â€Å"Come, come sit with me,† said Lear. I sat up and watched Lear lead the blind man to his nest beneath the great boulders. â€Å"Let the cruelties of the world slide off our bent backs, friend.† Lear put his arm around Gloucester and held him while he spoke to the sky. â€Å"My king,† said Gloucester. â€Å"I am safe in your mercy. My king.† â€Å"Aye, king. But I have no soldiers, no lands, no subject quakes before me, no servants wait, and even your bastard son hath treated you better than my own daughters.† â€Å"Oh, for fuck's sake,† said I. But I could see that the old blind man was smiling, and for all his suffering, he found comfort in his friend the king, no doubt having been blinded to his scoundrel nature long before Cornwall and Regan took his eyes. Blinded by loyalty. Blinded by title. Blinded by shoddy patriotism and false righteousness. He loved his mad, murdering king. I lay back down to listen. â€Å"Let me kiss your hand,† said Gloucester. â€Å"Let me wipe it first,† said Lear. â€Å"It smells of mortality.† â€Å"I smell nothing, and see nothing evermore. I am not worthy.† â€Å"Art thou mad? See with your ears, Gloucester. Have you never seen a farmer's dog bark at a beggar, and thus chase him off? Is that dog the voice of authority? Is he better than the many for denying the man's hunger? Is a sheriff righteous who whips the whore, when it is for his own lust he punishes her? See, Gloucester. See who is worthy? Now we are stripped of finery, see. Small vices show through tattered clothes, when all is hidden beneath fur and fine robes. Plate sin with gold and the strong lance of justice breaks on decoration. Blessed are you, that you cannot see – for you cannot see me for what I am: wretched.† â€Å"No,† said Edgar. â€Å"Your impertinence comes from madness. Do not weep, good king.† â€Å"Do not weep? We weep when we first smell the air. When we are born, we cry, that we come to this great stage of fools.† â€Å"No, all shall be well again, and – â€Å" And there was a thump, followed by another, and a yowl. â€Å"Die, thou blind mole!† came a familiar voice. I sat up in time to see Oswald standing over Gloucester, a bloodied stone in one hand, his sword driven down through the old earl's chest. â€Å"You'll not poison my lady's cause further.† He twisted the blade, and blood bubbled up out of the old man, but no sound did he make. He was quite dead. Oswald yanked his blade free and kicked Gloucester's body across Lear's lap, as the king cowered against the boulder. Edgar lay unconscious at Oswald's feet. The vermin drew back as if to drive his sword into Edgar's spine. â€Å"Oswald!† I shouted. I stood behind my boulders as I drew a throwing knife from the sheath at my back. The worm turned to me, and pulled his blade up. He dropped the bloody stone he'd used to brain Edgar. â€Å"We have an arrangement,† said I. â€Å"And further slaughter of my cohorts will cause me to doubt your sincerity.† â€Å"Sod off, fool. We've no arrangement. You're a lying cur.† â€Å"Moi?† said I, in perfect fucking French. â€Å"I can give you your lady's heart, and not in the unpleasant, eviscerated, no-shagging-except-the-corpse way.† â€Å"You have no such power. You've not bewitched Regan's heart, neither. ‘Tis she who sent me here to kill this blind traitor who turns minds against our forces. And to deliver this.† He pulled a sealed letter from his jerkin. â€Å"A letter of mark, giving you permission in the name of the Duchess of Cornwall to be a total twatgoblin?† â€Å"Your wit is dull, fool. It is a love letter to Edmund of Gloucester. He set out for here with a scouting party to assess the French forces.† â€Å"My wit is dull? My wit is dull?† â€Å"Yes. Dull,† said Oswald. â€Å"Now, en garde,† said he in barely passable fucking French. â€Å"Yes,† said I, with an exaggerated nod. â€Å"Yes.† And with that, Oswald found himself seized by the throat and dashed several times against the boulders, which relieved him of his sword, his dagger, the love letter, and his coin purse. Drool then held the steward up and squeezed his throat, slowly but sternly, causing wet gurgling noises to bubble from his foul gullet. I said, â€Å"While unscathed by my rapier wit You're choked to death by a giant git By this gentle jester, is argument won I'll leave you two to have your fun.† Oswald seemed somewhat surprised by the turn of events, so much so, that both his eyes and tongue protruded from his face in a wholly unhealthy way. He then began to surrender his various fluids and Drool had to hold him away to keep from being fouled by them. â€Å"Drop him,† said Lear, who still cowered by the boulders. Drool looked to me and I shook my head, ever so slightly. â€Å"Die, thou badger-shagging spunk monkey,† said I. When Oswald stopped kicking and simply hung limp and dripping, I nodded to my apprentice, who tossed the steward's body over the cliff as easily as if it were an apple core. Drool went down on one knee over Gloucester's body. â€Å"I were going to teach him to be a fool.† â€Å"Aye, lad, I know you were.† I stood by my boulders, resisting the urge to comfort the great murderous git with a pat on the shoulder. There was a rustling from over the top of the hill and I thought I heard the sound of metal on metal through the wind. â€Å"Now he's blind and dead,† said the Natural. â€Å"Bugger,† said I, under my breath. Then to Drool, â€Å"Hide, and don't fight, and don't call for me.† I fell flat to the ground as the first soldier topped the hill. Bugger! Bugger! Bugger! Bloody bollocksing buggering bugger! I reflected serenely. Then I heard the voice of the bastard Edmund. â€Å"Look, my fool. And what's this? The king? What good fortune! You'll make a fine hostage to stay the hand of the Queen of France and her forces.† â€Å"Have you no heart?† said Lear, petting the head of his dead friend Gloucester. I peeked out between my rocks. Edmund was looking at his dead father with the expression of someone who has just encountered rat scat in his toast for tea. â€Å"Yes, well, tragic I suppose, but with succession of his title determined and his sight gone, a timely exit was only polite. Who's this other deader?† Edmund kicked his unconscious half brother in the shoulder. â€Å"A beggar,† said Drool. â€Å"He were trying to protect the old man.† â€Å"This is not the sword of a beggar. Neither is this purse.† Edmund picked up Oswald's purse. â€Å"These belong to Goneril's man, Oswald.† â€Å"Aye, milord,† said Drool. â€Å"Well, where is he?† â€Å"On the beach.† â€Å"On the beach? He climbed down and left his purse and sword here?† â€Å"He was a tosser,† said Drool. â€Å"So I tossed him over. He kilt your old da.† â€Å"Oh, quite right. Well done, then.† Edmund threw the purse to Drool. â€Å"Use it to bribe your jailer for a bread crust. Take them.† The bastard motioned for his men to seize Drool and Lear. When the old man had trouble standing, Drool lifted him to his feet and steadied him. â€Å"What about the bodies?† asked Edmund's captain. â€Å"Let the French bury them. Quickly, to the White Tower. I've seen enough.† Lear coughed then, a dry, feeble cough like the creaking of Death's door hinges, until I thought he might collapse into a pile of blue. One of Edmund's men gave the old man a sip of water, which seemed to quell the coughing, but he couldn't stand or support his weight. Drool hoisted him up on one shoulder and carried him up the hill – the old man's bony bottom bouncing on the great git's shoulder as if it was the cushion of a sedan chair. When they were gone I scrambled out of my hiding place and over to Edgar's prostrate body. The wound on his scalp wasn't deep, but it had bled copiously, as scalp wounds are wont to do. The resulting puddle of gore had probably saved Edgar's life. I got him propped against the boulder and brought him around with some gentle smacking and a stout splashing from his water skin. â€Å"What?† Edgar looked around, and shook his head to clear his vision, a motion he clearly regretted immediately. Then he spotted his father's corpse and wailed. â€Å"I'm sorry, Edgar,† said I. â€Å"‘Twas Goneril's steward, Oswald, knocked you out and killed him. Drool strangled the scurvy dog and tossed him over the cliff.† â€Å"Where is Drool? And the king?† â€Å"Taken, by your bastard brother's men. Listen, Edgar, I need to follow them. You go to the French camp. Take them a message.† Edgar's eyes rolled and I thought he might pass out again, so I threw some more water in his face. â€Å"Look at me. Edgar, you must go to the French camp. Tell Cordelia that she should attack the White Tower directly. Tell her to send ships up the Thames and bring a force through London over land as well. Kent will know the plan. Have her sound the trumpet three times before they attack the keep. Do you understand?† â€Å"Three times, the White Tower?† I tore the back off of the dead earl's shirt, wadded it up, and gave it to Edgar. â€Å"Here, hold this on your noggin to staunch the blood.† â€Å"And tell Cordelia not to hold for fear for her father's life. I'll see to it that it's not an issue.† â€Å"Aye,† said Edgar. â€Å"She'll not save the king by holding the attack.†

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