Learned not to apologize for what I post from WMJ. Del Morrill just posted a YouTube of Kate Smith doing "God Bless America", which I cannot watch. If only for the reason of free press, I am grateful to be an American citizen, though the systemic communality in China is impressive. The following is in the July 4 edition of the Saipan Tribune. I lifted a lot from one of Gene Marshall's take on megalomania and civilization. I tailored it to my audience. Sending it to the listserv with the same caveat as other ones: if curious, welcome; not, see you at the bend. (Probably easier to digest than Yes, we scan! Jaime Patriotism Francis Bellamy, a Baptist pastor in 1892 wrote: I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the republic for which it stands,one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. He considered including equalityand fraternity into the Pledge butknowing that equality for women and African Americans were still a majority"no-no", he was more intent to get the state superintendents ofeducation in the Committee that approved the pledge, than he was in furtheringhis political cause. Upon acceptance, edited to read "my Flag and to the Republic", it was recitedfor 30 years in American classrooms. In1923, it was changed to "the Flagof the United States", and ayear later, "of America" wasadded to "the United States", until 1954, when to "one Nationindivisible" was added the phrase "underGod". The United StatesCongress started uttering the pledge in 1942. The pledge has become a statement of patriotism. Love of country has also become a staple serving of civilizations’megalomaics. Alexander the Great whostarted our social familiar is known as AlexandroMegos, “megos” meaning “great”, with the word as the root of what isobserved as an obsession in the exercise of power, a mental delusion aboutone’s power or importance, megalomania. Alexander might be considered as one of competent greatness alongwith the Caesars Julius and Augustus. Cleopatrawas a conniving female counterpart who orchestrated the killing of her lesscompetent brother so she could rule. In our time, Mao Zedong, with his portrait gracing all currentrenminbi bills, is considered in many quarters as a very competent megalomaniacwho united a disparate and desperate China from the ravages of rapaciousWestern Civilization and westernizing Meiji Japan. Though we grew up being partial to Pat Boone over Elvis Presley, wewere prejudiced against ‘tricky Dick’ Nixon who he is a better Republican thanhis current counterparts. His megalomaniaenergized and brought him down. FDR wasa remarkable presence whose achievements in domestic reorganization andsuccessful waging of war deserve a place in the pantheon of exceptionalAmerican citizens. His five terms inoffice, comfort with power and wielding it, a talent for mobilizing population,he may be counted among the successful “good kings” in the history ofcivilization as opposed to the “bad kings” we like to label Caligula, Hitler,Stalin and Idi Amin! Male or female, forgood or ill, famous wielders of power illustrate the personal mode we callmegalomania in a social ambience that encourages it we call “civilization.” Ordinary members of a civilization honor this megalomania, identifywith it, and derive personal satisfaction in supporting it. Its face today is patriotism. It values competition over cooperation, withpower wielding preference to the male, female counterparts acting and dressingup in definite masculine overtones. Itpromotes social ladder climbing rather than encouraging an appropriate choiceof vocation. There is megalomania in the passion for excessive wealth and inachieving celebrity and notoriety of all kinds. Civilization and megalomania go together. When there is a top-down socialstratification, megalomania resides at its core. While we claim to honor democracy, wetolerate the Koch brothers’ influence on one side, and the mystique of BillGates and Steve Jobs on the other. Our current political challenge is not to find another megalomaniacof any variety from FDR to Obama who will save us, but to work together tobuild something better than the socially stratified civilization of ourfamiliarity. One of my heroes is recorded to have said: You know that inthe world the recognized leaders rule over subjects, and great ones make othersfeel the weight of authority. That is not the way with you: among you, whoeverwants to be great must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must bethe willing slave of all. I once used the same image to illustrate my career choice in aninterview with a Saipan psychiatrist. She saw the first part and ignored the second. I was reported to my ecclesiastical superioras having megalomaniac tendencies! Self-reference to the "peons" of megalomania are always read as self-serving. I was tickled but my Bishop was not amused. Megalomania after all is historically aprerogative of the episcopacy. Iesu and his enlightened followers exemplifieda new kind of power, that of servanthood, and solidarity with others who allowcreative and democratic use of consciousness, talents, and opportunitieswithout resorting to the allure of megalomania. The Pledge will be widely repeated this Fourth of July in America. On the train ride to Chengdu this weekend, Inoticed the preservation of old structures with the cross in front, or onsteeples. Having foresworn theinstitutional company of the followers of the Galilean carpenter, with theirunending edifice complexes, perhaps, it is time to influence the messagecontent within those structures. “One nation under God, indivisible” is the current reading of thePledge. That would be understood as the paramountpower of servanthood by the shores of Galilee. I think I will be patriotic today! j'aime la vie Yesterday, appreciate; tomorrow, anticipate; today, participate. In all, Celebrate!