AN ARMY OF MARLEY'S GHOSTS

I thought I'd pass this along. Written by a friend, it has a fascinating and insightful holiday message.


{To properly understand this fable, one must know the Dickens' story of Scrooge. Either read the novel or watch the fine film, "A Christmas Carol."}


It was Christmas season once again. If one is really still and perfectly quiet, looking up into the sky above, imagination makes way for an absolute reality...One that we seldom ever sense. Through the ceiling of powder blue (or gray, depending on where you live), up past any cloud cover or ozone layer, if our focus flows further into the outer spaces... There it is! Some call it heaven, or nirvana, or the Central Sun... Whatever turns you on! And much was going on this Christmas season for we mere mortals. The elders were restless. We can fast forward into a council chamber where many of the adepts and higher souls were in session. Let's listen in:

Lord Krishna - Well, you all know what is going on down there in our realm of focus. Do I have to rehash the obvious?

Jesus The Christ - We get it. What in the heck are they dong to each other down there?!

Mohammed - Boy-o-boy, my followers are allowing such a minute number to lead them down that path of violence...

Abraham - Oh, and you think it is only your followers. What about my Israelis? Did they not learn anything from their holocaust?

Lord Krishna - OK, OK, listen, we all get it. My followers shame me with their disregard for what Ghandi preached...And gave his mortality for. Please...I am so disappointed?

Jesus The Christ - Well, I guess if the shame and disappointment is to go around, I get the largest share. My followers have been doing this throughout the world for centuries.

Lord Krishna - Well, I think it is time for us to act. If we do not intercede, these fools will destroy their planet and create such terrible karma. We have to take the next step.

It was Christmas eve. Georgie Bush, known as Junior Bush, was restless in his attempt at sleep. He had tried everything to relax...Nothing worked. Suddenly, he heard the weirdest noises. It almost sounded like...heavy chains scrapping the floor. The sounds got louder and louder. He looked over to Laura, and she was deep asleep. What in the hell was going on!?

He sat up. As he rubbed his eyes, he could feel the presence of something in the room. Then a bright, bright light almost blinded his tired eyes. It stood there, not more than ten feet from his bed. What!!? NO...How could it be...Ronald Reagan!! Yes, it was Reagan, or, more appropriately, Reagan's Ghost.

Junior Bush - Am I dreaming? What the hell is going on!?

Reagan's Ghost - What are dreams? What is real? Let me tell you Georgie. What is real is what we do in that which is the life you are now living. Me. It is too late for me...Well, let me say it is very late for me, so I must walk in between your world and the next one carrying the chains of my indiscretions and evil deeds.

Junior Bush - I didn't think you were all that bad. I thought you did good deeds. You gave us all hope to be a great country again.

Reagan's Ghost - No! I allowed myself to be used and manipulated by sinister men who cared only for greed and power. I gave away our economy to the very rich and ruined things for the working stiffs. I came from a working stiff background, and I dishonored my own people. I created wars of aggression for the oil interests. I let the banking con men destroy our free enterprise system...Oh, come on son, you must know deep inside that you have done even worse than me.

Junior Bush - Well, I listened to my advisors. You know it was my daddy who pushed me into this whole president thing. I was happy enough being governor and getting to go to the gym and work out and hang out without any pressures. Dick and Rummy and Condi and the others, they ran the government for me. I was just the point man.

Reagan's Ghost - You must take responsibility for what you have done, Junior. The attacks, unwarranted, on Iraq and Afghanistan. The torture, the utter devastation of millions of lives, of cities, of cultures. The giveaways to the cronies of you and your daddy. Junior, I have seen your chains - the ones that await you when you pass over. Repent son! Repent!

And so it was, on this Christmas eve night. Throughout the entire globe, visits like this one were being made. Bibi Netanyahu of Israel was visited by the ghost of Meir Kahane. Bin Laden was visited by the heads of the Black September Movement of the early 70s. Wall Street financiers were visited by men who were called the Robber Barons of the gilded age. Truman's ghost visited Obama, telling him how he was led astray by his advisors to create the National Security State and the Korean War. Allen Dulles ghost visited Don Rumsfeld. Cheney received Joseph Stalin's ghost...And on and on throughout the night. All those who were of the highest classes economically, politically and militarily throughout the world, had to deal with ghastly apparitions carrying heavy and noisy chains. By Christmas morning, just as with Ebenezer Scrooge in the novel, "Peace on earth and good will to men," circled the planet. A new year would bring an end to greed, corruption, hypocrisy, hunger, wars, etc.

Lord Krishna - Well, that was nice. It is good to see that the power of love can triumph over the dark forces...And, of course, the threat of heavy chains around their necks for who knows how long a time! Ha Ha!! How many of you guys will be at the New Years Eve party?



Philip A. Farruggio, (a fabulous political analyst)
Christmas 2010
You can reach his blog at www.opensalon.com