I am enjoying reading your posts, good people; CJ Morgan, Csteele and Davidf.

I particularly agree that no single culture has the monopoly on 'good' or 'evil'.

Davidf, in parallel to your experience when you became an Australian citizen, when living in America, I experienced "USA is the greatest, freest, (well it is probably the richest)" ad infinitum and was alternatively amused and insulted when pitied (implied) for not being an American - the prevailing view was that even other western democracies were somehow lacking in freedom. Therefore, I learnt a very valid lesson as you did that, "... was a putdown of all other countries in that statement. I don't believe Australia (USA) is better than all other countries on earth."

I fully endorse Csteele's claim that Jeff Buckley's rendition of Hallelujah is stunning, but have to acknowledge the master who wrote that particular song, Leonard Cohen. Upon reflection I ask, is music the great equaliser? Music certainly contributed to the emancipation of Afro-Americans. Therefore, music is a 'good'?

Then, is it 'evil' to enjoy Wagner? Because I don't mind a bit of Tristan and Isolde when in the mood. Also, I used to share my home with a German Shepherd too (best dog), however neither loves make me a fascist.

Does one's thoughts make one 'evil'? Or is it to act on those thoughts? I think the latter. And I agree with Csteele that we have much to be proud of, such as our increased awareness of 'evil' through our world citizens being the most educated at any point in human history. Admittedly, we still have a long way to go, but people, nations are moving from ignorance into, well, I won't go so far as to say 'enlightenment' but less ignorant. That has to be 'good'.

The Quakers or Society of Friends is one Christian group that attempts to be honest in both language and action. Before the US Civil War many Quakers were extremely active in the anti-slavery movement. At the risk of their lives some helped slaves to escape. However, the Society of Friends refused to pass a resolution against slavery at their annual meeting. Their reasoning was that the annual meeting speaks for all Quakers. Unless they could be sure that all Quakers felt that way about slavery they could not in good conscience pass such a resolution.

Confucian ethics requires one to name names and be accurate in one’s speech. Chinese tradition requires a chronology to be composed to form the yearly annals. This tradition existed under Imperial China and has been kept up by both the Kuomintang and the Communists. They may promulgate propaganda, but the annals have to be truthful.

A historian mentioned in the annals that the emperor was a murderer having unjustly exercised the death penalty. The emperor ordered that the writing be changed. The official historian refused and was executed. The historian’s son was appointed in his place and was also executed when he refused to change the annals. After several historians were executed the emperor gave up, and the annals remained unchanged.

I appreciate the attitude of the Quakers and the Confucians. My children have all had some of their primary education in Friend’s schools.

Truth in language has been a preoccupation of mine.

The first article I wrote for olo was "Lying language".

I am a citizen of both the US and Australia and object to US triumphalism together with the lies that justify that triumphalism. Relda, please note, "Popular democratic governments are a danger to the world" which has come out today is my latest effort.

I object to calling syrup, maple syrup, if it isn’t maple syrup. Labeling is a string I started on Forum link: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3150 to discuss that.

I object to the equation of Christian with "humane, charitable, kind” because it is another lie.

"Buddhist slaughter of the Hindu Tamils"

Pretty evil statement. Do you have any proof apart from Terrorist propoganda? Their numbers have actually increased as a percentage of the population. If genocide is occuring then the Sri Lankan are not very good at it. The genocide claim arose from the rumour that while the north was evacuated for the mines to be cleared the GOSL was going to move muslims, buddhist and christinas into the are there and therefore are polluting the Tamil race with inferior species.

Dear TheMissus,

The Tamil Tigers are on the EU list of terrorist groups. However, that does not justify the Buddhist supported killing.

http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/10/22/sri-lanka-us-war-crimes-report-details-extensive-abuses
Human Rights Watch's own research into the fighting found that both sides repeatedly violated the laws of war. The LTTE used civilians as human shields, employed lethal force to prevent civilians from fleeing to safety, and deployed their forces in densely populated civilian areas. Government forces indiscriminately shelled densely populated areas, including hospitals. Both parties' disregard for civilian life resulted in thousands of civilian casualties. Because independent observers, including the media and human rights organizations, were denied access to the war zone, detailed information on violations of the laws of war by both sides has been limited.
Human Rights Watch has repeatedly called upon the United Nations and member nations of the Security Council and the Human Rights Council to establish an independent international investigation into allegations of laws-of-war violations. The Sri Lankan government has promised to ensure accountability through domestic inquiries. For example, in a joint May statement, President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, underlined the importance of an accountability process for addressing violations of international law and stated that "[t]he Government will take measures to address those grievances." In the five months since the war ended, however, no investigations have taken place.
http://www.genocide.org.uk/genocide/?p=58

Savagery replaces Sri Lanka’s eroded cease-fire
By Somini Sengupta – The New York Times – MONDAY, MAY 15, 2006

… The ethnic Tamils of Trincomalee, who are mostly Hindu and Christian, saw the clandestine raising of the Buddha statue as an act of provocation by Sinhalese Buddhists. The Tamils protested. The man who led the protests, Vanniasingam Vigneswaran, was shot and killed as he went to the bank one morning. Another morning, the bodies of five Tamil youths were found on the beach. The largely Sinhalese security forces came under steady attack by people suspected of being ethnic Tamil guerrillas.

There are many stories regarding the conflict. From what I have read Buddhist monks have blocked attempts at peace, and genocide of Tamils has occurred.

david f,
You said, "I object to the equation of Christian with "humane, charitable, kind” because it is another lie".

The lie lies in the behaviour of those calling themselves Christian while their attitudes, behaviours and motives have no resemblence to the attitudes, actions and motives of Christ Jesus or his teachings. They are the deceived, using an association by name of a religion with a respected character of the humane Jesus of history.

Terrorist never follow the rules, that is their choice. If they use the hospital as command centre then they should move patient elsewhere. Their choice. There are no charges of genocide in any official capacity against the Sri Lankan government so far, only propoganda initiated by the LTTE itself. The foreign journalist would probably be allowed in for a better assessment if they could actually write based on facts rather than cut and paste an opinion piece and offend a antion giving sound reason for their absence.

The truth is we know little of the facts and the reason is because we fail to be good reporters. Iraq is a lesson we should have learned from yet choose to ignore and repeat what suits the US. The US, UN and EU reports focus on the one screening camp and detention. They focus on the last insurgency but currently suggest no geneocide, only detention issues. However both guilty of doing same following wars.

May have happened but we do not get doors opened by making allegations and so fail to be of any assistance. Also the US is obviously unhappy at the alliance of Sri Lanka, China, Iran and Russia and the stragic port that is built by the Chinese. Both EU and US want as few countries as possible on the side of Iran as it wants to stop it becoming nuclear capable and needs the numbers. Anytime the US make even a vague accusation one should know there is politics behind it..and the allegations were vague. I guess they would have to face their own failure to comply with the rule of war if they pushed it. So just a little to allow the propoganda to spread all the while saying very little.

So I do not see how anyone has the proof to make such a allegation. There has been some reports of errant soldiers killing Tamil but whether they are government sanctioned remains to be seen.

Going around like this will never result in peace. So many words on what happens with no evidence.