<font color='black' size='2' face='arial'><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;">The
Last Samurai</b><br>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;">The
fuss over the role of Jiang Zemin, China's last "paramount leader,"
indicates that the CPC is not an 80-million-member Party marching in tandem
following orders. In China, intra-politics is a steady spice on the regular
menu. Jiang Zemin at 88, in a readjustment process, will die in peace though
his reputation may not remain intact, similar to that of Mao and Deng before
him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;">Japan's
warfare technology modernizes and puts down a recalcitrant <i>samurai </i>in the movie of our title. After
the noble warrior in the move is defeated (superbly played by Ken Watanabe), the
young Emperor asked an American soldier who fought with the <i>samurai:</i> "Tell me how he died."
Tom Cruise who played the soldier replies: "No, but I will tell you how he
lived."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;">("Tell
me how the Micronesian navigator and land tiller died?" The sailors gave up canoe and the Chinese, easy
victims of homicide, replaced the tillers while the rest and the best were sunshine
lured to The Casino!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;">Living
and dying are both sides of the same coin.
I began a conscious journey into dying this year. That's "physical"
death when my 14 billion-year-old carbon returns to the universal pool, and my
viruses are added to the gene bank. "Spirit" life is my conscious
participation in the cessation of my cellular make-up, the end of a way of
life, stoppage of a social pattern, the terminus of a group-promoted behavior.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;">At a
conference in Saipan, I conversed with a Pohnpeian and a UH professor where I described
my experience in Micronesia while living in Majuro in '82. I said that girls played snookers at a
downtown pool hall in Pohnpei wearing nothing but bra. The Pohnpeian explained
that girls were no longer allowed to parade bare<i> </i>in public places<i>.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;">A
Navy Officer who heard our conversation told of a trip to the outer islands of
Yap where the girls and boys were still innocently oblivious of the moral
notion of attire to hide body parts not displayed in "civilized"
society. In the tropical islands where one is endowed with melanin that
allows for convenient exposure to the sun, there was no reluctance to bask in
one's birthday suit<i>.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt;"><font size="4">Sh*ft happens. The professor ranted against modernity
vulgarizing islanders' innocence. He probably viewed too many of Paul
Gauguin </font><i style="font-size: 18px;">faux </i><font size="4">romantic canvases depicting simple elegance in Polynesia.
Gauguin's primitive art did call attention to the artform of Africa, Micronesia
and Native America after he oiled the virtues of Tahiti on canvas, so we thank
him for that. </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;">The
professor asked if anyone thought modern changes in the islands should be
allowed. Duh. Like anyone can stop global change, and we
are pleased to know that Club Med dispenses with the bra in its shores!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;">Myanmar
was the last nation to shy from history's mainstream though now we know that
gas had as much weight on the Generals' decision to keep a tight grip on the
culture from the taint of modern influence. The DPRK has minerals but it is its
<i>Jurche </i>self-reliant philosophy that keeps it isolated in the peninsula,
railing against consumer avarice and consumptive greed south of Panmunjom.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;">Social
structures are in the process of dying. The nation-state as a political
entity is collapsing. Folks in smaller units are discovering the power of
self-reliance. The CNMI can explore what this means if its kowtow stance
to Uncle Sam's uniformed demands on Pagan is to shift towards considering its interest.
Similarly, in the Age of Obama, US misplaced imperial hegemony is best kept at
bay.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;">China's
"one country, two systems" offers 55 ethnic minorities a chance
beyond showcase display oddity. Meanwhile, states and military alliances
are redrawn in the western Pacific where the CNMI holds strategic military purpose
crafted by the US more than half a century ago, to "ride" the
disciplined passion of militant Japan in providing logistics in Korea and Vietnam,
anchor the dollar in <b>$</b>eoul, and
contain the alleged expansionist bent of Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;">America
is racist at the corner of Elm and Main, with color allowed behind service
counters but dominantly lilywhite in the manager's closed doors. Micronesians dreaming of parity in Covenant
live in illusion. The 1861-65 US Civil War
avoided secession but left a nation divided; the struggle for civil rights was revived
a century later, and fifty years after, Ferguson MO's polarity reveals the continuing
struggle for parity in diversity. We might even actually see Darren
Wilson get away with murder!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;">Lincoln's
GOP dances a discordant <i>do-si-do</i> with
Mitch McConnell and John Boehner to derail a President's final two years. White southern Democrats voted Republican en
masse in the midterm elections. We are
not done vilifying the WH occupant yet, Obama's
resolve to stay the course, notwithstanding.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18px;">The <i>samurai </i>influenced Japan's code of ethics <i>(bushido), </i>but the
warrior became a <i>ronin</i>, a sword-for-hire, now, Tokyo's lawyers. </span>Y<span style="font-size: 18px;">esterday is history, the future
is m</span>ystery, but today is a gift; that's why we call it "The
Present"! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"> </div>
<br>
<div style="font-size: 18px; clear: both;"><i>j'aime la vie</i><br>
<a href="mailto:pinoypanda2031@aol.com">pinoypanda2031@aol.com</a><br>
<div><i>yesterday, appreciate; tomorrow, anticipate; today. participate. In all, celebrate!</i></div>
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