Good lord, now Sheryl Crow has to open her yap on the issue of war in Iraq -- and, I assume, anywhere else for any reason whatsoever. Here's what this great political brain has to say:
"I think war is based in greed and there are huge karmic retributions that will follow. I think war is never the answer to solving any problems. The best way to solve problems is to not have enemies."Well, Miss Crow, I think that you are a pinhead with no more brains than your namesake -- probably less. Just how are we supposed to simply "not have enemies"? What the hell kind of thing is that to say? You might as well say, "The best way to stay out of the hospital is to not get sick." And save us from hippy chicks and their imperfect understanding of Eastern Mysticism™. Methinks she has no more understanding of the term "karma" than a taxi driver in Baghdad -- rather less so. Here, for instance, are Krishna's words to Arjuna on war, from the Hindu epic The Mahabharata:
Krishna: Arjun, I can tell you with absolute conviction, you don’t have a choice between war and peace.Rather more complex than easy notions that wearing a "war is not the answer" shirt is the way to get to heaven, or whatever it is Crow thinks should be her fate, isn't it? What sort of karmic retribution does she imagine awaits those who ignore the pains of oppressed people in favor of saving their own reputation?
Arjuna: Well , Krishna, what is my choice?
Krishna: Between war and another war.
Arjuna: This other war, where will it take place, on the battlefield or in my heart?
Krishna: I don’t see a real difference.
Arjuna: Krishna, I need you to drive my chariot onto the battlefield. I want to see those who wish to fight with me.
Sanjay: Krishna drove Arjuna onto the battlefield. There before him were all his kin. His friends, his family, his teachers. Everyone, who brought him to this moment stood before him on the battlefield.
Arjuna: Oh Krishna, my legs grow weak, my mouth is dry, my body trembles. Uncles, nieces, nephews, my teachers, they are all here. How can I bring death to my own family?
Sanjay: Among the warriors there in full battle dress stood all of the ghosts of Arjuna’s past. Overwhelmed by sorrow and throwing down his bow and his arrows, he sat down in his chariot in the middle of the battlefield.
Krishna: This despair and weakness in a time of crisis are unworthy of you , Arjun. How have you fallen into such a state?
Arjuna: My resolution is gone. My will is paralysed. Krishna, I will not fight.
Krishna: What is this mad and shameful weakness?
Arjuna: Tell me what to do. Teach me.
Sanjay: This is what Arjun said to Sri Krishna and then with the words:
Arjuna: Krishna, I cannot fight.
Sanjay: He fell silent. Standing between the two armies, Sri Krishna smiled. He said:
Krishna: Arjun, you speak sincerely, but your words, your sorrow, they have no cause.
The wise are not deluded by what seems to be. Reality lies in the eternal.
For a warrior nothing is higher than a battle against evil.
A warrior confronted by such a war should be pleased, Arjun.
For it comes as an open gate to freedom.
But if you do not fight this battle you will violate your honour.
Sanjay: These are the words that Sri Krishna spoke to Arjun on that morning when the great warrior stood on the battlefield, unarmed and silent.
(Via Scott Chaffin.)
Posted by Andrea Harris at January 14, 2003 02:12 PM"What sort of karmic retribution does she imagine awaits those who ignore the pains of oppressed people in favor of saving their own reputation?"
I've never seen it said better.
Posted by: denise at January 14, 2003 at 02:19 PMCrows are considered the most intelligent wild bird. I think you owe them an apology. ;)
Posted by: GardenFanny at January 14, 2003 at 02:21 PMCrows are smart. I doubt whether Sheryl could do this.
Posted by: dipnut at January 14, 2003 at 02:29 PM"Anyone who clings to the historically untrue--and thoroughly immoral-- doctrine that 'violence never solves anything' I would advise to conjure up the ghosts of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Duke of Wellington and let them debate it. The Ghost of Hitler could referee, and the jury might well be the Dodo, the Great Auk, and the Passenger Pigeon. Violence, naked force, has settled more disputes in history than has any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst. Breeds that forget this basic truth have always paid for it with their lives and freedoms."
-Robert Heinlein
Posted by: MonkeyPants at January 14, 2003 at 02:36 PMBut, her shirt was so shiny! And Crows like shiny things, right? Ooooh, shiny!
Posted by: Tracey at January 14, 2003 at 02:51 PMIsn't that passage about dharma, not karma? Granted, since good karma comes from following your dharma, I suppose the question is extremely nitpicky...
Posted by: Alex Knapp at January 14, 2003 at 03:23 PMAlex,
This is when someone invariably says "my karma ran over your dogma." Of course, the quote from the Mahabharata is actually meant to do exactly that to the brilliant Ms. Crow.
Posted by: David Jaroslav at January 14, 2003 at 03:44 PMOh, I understood. Just derailed by the weird flashbacks from the Eastern Religions classes I took as an undergrad. Don't mind me... :)
Posted by: Alex Knapp at January 14, 2003 at 04:23 PMI didn't pick the passage to illustrate the concept of karma, but to show that there is more to Hinduism than peaceful meditation and not eating meat.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at January 14, 2003 at 06:51 PMAndrea, could you post the Cliff's Notes summary of that Krishna stuff?
Posted by: Steve H. at January 14, 2003 at 07:03 PMAndrea,
I'm sure you realize everyone in Hollywoood is "spiritual, not religious," so how dare you demand intellectual consistency from The Great Enlightened Sheryl?!
Plus, now you're making me pine for good Indian food which, I'm sure you realize, is not to be found here in Tallahassee. ;-)
Posted by: David Jaroslav at January 14, 2003 at 07:21 PMShouldn't the saying be:
My dogma pissed on your karma.
They always turn rotten after I start to respect them. Crow opened for the stones at the Dec 18th gig I attended. She performed well, and after watching her sing Honky Tonk Women with Mick Jagger, I almost had to change my pants.
Now she's an idiot.
Pete Townshend is an incredible genius, and how he's maybe a pervert.
DAMMIT!
Posted by: Scott Ganz at January 14, 2003 at 08:09 PM"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."--John Stuart Mill.
I think that says it all.
Posted by: James P at January 14, 2003 at 08:09 PMWow, no Indian restaurants in Tallahassee? Glad I decided not to go to FSU... There's loads of Indian restaurants here in O-town and environs. There's a fine one just up the road from me in Longwood. Lamb Vindaloo, yum...
Steve: the Cliff Notes version of what Krishna was saying is -- "Stars are matter, we're matter, and it don't matter."* Kumbaya.
*Who said that?
Posted by: Andrea Harris at January 14, 2003 at 08:17 PMStephen Hawking, back when he still had the strength to lift a bong.
Posted by: Steve H. at January 14, 2003 at 08:44 PMAndrea, if you like the story of the Hindu pantheon, try reading Roger Zelazny's "Lord of Light."
An amazing tour de force, it's a straight ahead science fiction story.
Roger Z is one of my particular favorites.
Posted by: MonkeyPants at January 14, 2003 at 08:45 PMSheryl has heard us and has a new shirt.
Posted by: Aaron's Rantblog at January 14, 2003 at 09:48 PMI didn't say there weren't any Indian restaurants in Tallahassee, just not any good (or even halfway-decent) ones. Of course, I've spent a fair amount of time in London, so I'll admit I've been spoiled. (You want Indian, you go to London; you want Mexican, you go to San Antonio; you want Chinese, you go to Monterey Park, just outside LA. All better than the original, or so the respective natives tell me.)
This city is nowheresville. The work is the only thing that keeps me from going (completely) insane. Consider yourself profoundly lucky. ;-)
Posted by: David Jaroslav at January 14, 2003 at 10:04 PMBTW Aaron,
I don't know if there is a comments section on your blog that's just not working for me, but I thought I should point out that the notorious Bismarck quote is specifically about LAWS and sausages. I work for legislators, so I've heard it enough times to know. ;-)
Posted by: David Jaroslav at January 14, 2003 at 10:08 PMThis is specially rich, coming from her, as she has entertained troops in Bosnia, Kosovo, & Afghanistan. Does she believe those people she
has met, are doing this for greed, or oil. You
this is what happens when you have too many beers
early in the morning, on Santa Monica Boulevard
Andrea, I don't know the Cliff Notes version of what Krishna was saying but "The stars are matter, We're matter, But it doesn't matter" is a quote from Don Van Vliet aka Captain Beefheart.
Posted by: westie at January 15, 2003 at 09:39 AMAs to the t-shirt, what question is war not the answer to, exactly?
Posted by: David Jaroslav at January 15, 2003 at 10:08 AMLOL. I saw that one coming a mile away but still had to invite it, didn't I?
Posted by: David Jaroslav at January 15, 2003 at 11:15 AMDitto on "Lord of Light" as a good read. "Try it, you'll like it!"
Posted by: Frank C at January 16, 2003 at 02:44 AMLord of Light remains one of the 100 all time great SF novels almost 40 years after it was first serialized. It's one of those books that has to be read twice before being understood on all levels since it works both as mythology and SF.
"His followers called him Mahasamatman and said he was a god. He preferred to drop the maha- and -atman, however, and called himself Sam.
He never claimed to be a god. But then, he never claimed not to be..."
Posted by: Eric Pobirs at January 19, 2003 at 08:59 PM