The "Flipside" of "Unbroken" and "the Great Zamperini"

I just watched the film "Unbroken," the amazing true story of Louis Zamperini.  

Wow.  What an amazing journey and path this man was on.  After watching the film, I really wanted to see Watanabe, "the Bird" speak - and found the following clip from 60 Minutes.


First it's Watanabe in his own words - the clip I'm showing is the one where the translation was reportedly done improperly by 60 Minutes the first time around, and a translator clarifies what he had to say. The differences are subtle but important.

Watanabe says clearly that "(You) Caucasians consider beating and kicking as cruel (torture)."  Meaning, it's not the same for me.  Then he goes on to say "If Zamperini says these things happened, they must have happened."  Completely disassociating himself from the acts of torture.

Gee where have I heard the same words said in defense of torture before?  Let's see... could it be... Dick Cheney?  Here's where he says " "It's not torture if it prevents another 9/11." "We did what had to be done." At least Watanabe didn't claim that what he'd done to Zamperini was justified.




But it's exactly the same.

"It's not torture if we're doing it to save our people."

But let's go beyond that.  The key moment in this story happened after Louis Zamperini returned home and was haunted by nightmares of killing "the Bird" out of revenge for his cruelty.

He went to see Billy Graham speak, who counseled him that forgiveness would alter his path and journey.  And as he says in this 35 minute interview, I highly recommend watching this if you're a fan of the book and film, that the idea of forgiveness caused him to stop dreaming of The Bird, or having nightmares about him.



(it's 35 minutes, highly recommend this Bob Simon award winning short film made for the Olympics)
That the act of forgiveness, or the thought of compassion towards him allowed him to alter his path and journey.  

Science would tell us that the altered the shape of his amygdala with that meditative thought.  That's what the research shows out of Richard Davidson's clinic at the University of Wisconsin.  That a single meditation on compassion can change depression in a human being - and that meditation, or forgiveness to his enemies, caused Louis Zamperini to emerge from his depression a new person.

And now comes the Flipside part.  In "It's a Wonderful Afterlife" volume one, David Bennett talks about his Near Death Experience where in his "life review" he saw that the negative acts of his life reverberated like ripples on a pond.  

But David experienced those acts from the point of view of the victim - so when he was kicking the shit out of a guy in a cowboy bar who made the mistake of making a pass at him earlier in his life, David experienced the blows, the blood, the humiliation all from the victim's point of view.  He said he experience that negativity, plus all the hatred from everyone in the bar who joined in on beating this poor fellow up.

So let that sink in for a moment - that every blow that the Bird rained down on Louis Zamperini, he is likely experiencing that now - all of the pain and suffering that he engendered during his lifetime.  Imagine the feeling of experiencing all of those blows at once - and not only do you experience it, but all of the people in your soul group experience it as well (according to David's account, which was later examined under clinical conditions at the University of Virginia by Dr. Bruce Greyson, and finally reconfirmed during an LBL that David had years after the event, but helped him see it with clarity.)

And conversely, all the joy and happiness and compassion that Louis has created in his life through forgiveness, is reverberating for him now - just as David Bennett (in "Voyage of Purpose") experienced when viewing the positive acts from his lifetime.


So by living this extremely difficult lifetime, and then forgiving those who trespassed against him, Louis Zamperini has given us all a gift that keeps on giving.  The lesson of compassion, the gift of forgiveness.  It not only heals us, but it reverberates throughout the universe as a positive healing wave.

But don't take my word for it, it's in the science. All that's required is to look for it.

Congratulations to Ms. Jolie and her crew for bringing this film to the planet and allowing his story to be one of healing for those that are able to embrace it.  I'm sure Louis is enjoying it from where he is now... back "home."

Sarah Palin is a Bad Disney Movie

Couldn't agree more. Great comment Mr. Damon. Bravo.

Sarah Palin is a bully. She lies, and then covers it up. (Watch the ABC interview - she can't admit she was "for the bridge and then against it." She admits it but won't admit it.) She's already abusing power, and she's only been in office a couple of years. Books banned from libraries. Advocating creationism. Demanding to erase choice as a woman's option, except in the case of her daughter.

Mark my words; the next time you see her daughter on stage with her "fiancee" she will be wearing a wedding band or fake engagement ring put there by the McCain campaign. Not an accusation - who cares? - just an observation.

Sarah Palin is a Bad Disney Movie. The past 8 years have been NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. Lies about going to war, smearing CIA agents from the White House, from the Office of Vice President!! He should be charged with crimes against the Constitution. 8 years of BS.. I'm just sick of it. Enough is enough.

The country is going to be on the edge of its seat everytime John McCain coughs if he's President. A spot appears on his face, and people will be scrambling to build nuclear shelters. What's this country come to? We'll elect anyone because they believe in creationism? Because they go to Church? Because they have a sarcastic streak, and bully those who are beneath them?

Yesterday NPR reported she made employees sign a loyalty oath. That the librarian that she harassed out of her job, wouldn't sign the oath.

THAT'S WHAT A NAZI DOES.

We're at a crossroads in this country. We're nearly bankrupt. Our children's children will be paying the interest on the loans we took out to finance this ridiculous and unjust war. And now more men have died in Afghanistan than in Iraq. The just war, the war that went after the people responsible for 9/11, was shifted to another theater, making the victory in Afghanistan a hollow one. Why is that? It's because the WAR CRIMINALS IN THE WHITE HOUSE took their supplies and intelligence and men away from them so they could satisfy their own cravings for justice, to "spread democracy," to protect the oil supply - whatever it is, they're guilty of throwing our nation in front of a bus. And they're still war profiteering on it as they sail into the sunset.

If McCain had picked someone who wasn't a complete fake - after all, he spoke to John Kerry about being his vice president - if he had any balls, he would have done the same.. but by picking this Bad Disney scenario, he's lost any respect he had. And the world will treat him as they treated Bush - a dolt who doesn't know what he's doing.
It's so sad to see our nation divided once again, over culture wars. The right wing pretending to be blue collar, and the left wing pretending to be blue collar. When neither collar fits them. I'd throw my hands in the air, but when all is said and done, someone's got to go into the White House, and I'd prefer to bet my money on Obama and Biden to lead us into the future.. and not into a comedy from hell.

Sarah Palin is a bully

I frickin' HATE bullies.

Don't get me wrong. I liked her speech. I thought it was pretty funny. I thought she was pretty funny. Sarcastic. Dry.

I thought the pick by McCain was equally maverick like "I don't care what anyone says, this is my pick and I'm sticking to it" and creepy "Yes, Karl, whatever you say Karl, if that will get me elected I'll pick anyone."

I think John McCain is either going Ronald Reagan on us, in the mind dept., or he's a liar. Check out Greenberg's new film on the subject.



But Ms. Palin is a bully. She's a bully with librarians. She's a bully with her inlaws. She's a bully with anyone who disagrees with her. Hmm. She'd make a perfect Mrs. Cheney.

America likes bullies. They like to elect creeps. Just look at the creeps we've had in office. Nixon. Bush Jr. Cheney. And now they're going to vote for McCain because he picked Palin. As Ariana Huffington so aptly put it; "America loves a soap opera." Well we've been living in hell for 8 years with this dimwit in the White House and his team of fascist commandos - and now we're supposed to sit back and let it happen again. Man it makes me nauseous.

But as Senator Obama put it today "Enough is enough." I'm fed up with it. So hence the title of this blog. I don't think McCain would be an awful President. I think Bush is awful. But I think Palin would make an awful President. And that's what will happen if we elect him. So get out your checkbooks America, and pop some cash into Obama's campaign; he's going to need it for all the sleaze and crap they'll throw at him.

I frickin' hate bullies. And hate hypocrisy in Govt, and in our leaders. Hate it. Hate it.

Thank God for Jon Stewart.

Okay, this is my clarion call. Onward and upward.