Buskers Guide to Foolish Local Regional & Global Exceptionalism

As a busker, “itinerant entertainer,” and the least competent musician at Old Monterey Tuesday Market, I am an expert and practitioner of exceptionalism. I feel no stigma with my inability to differentiate between in key, out, self and other. Like you, Barbie, and Gloria, I fight stigma for, you, myself, and everyone else who manifests mental disorders as we approach an election raising barriers to mental health among our brethren and sisterhood across the globe. As Ecofeminists, the gender concept enables all of us to analyse the relationships between humans and the noosphere.

Exceptionalism, foolish or otherwise, holds that a species, country, society, institution, movement, individual, or time period is exceptional/superior in some way resulting in our complex relationship between us and other animals.

Exceptionalist practices foster stigma and contribute to delays in seeking behavioral health care, increases in infant mortality, maternal mortality, journalist death rates, misery, and a premature end of the world even before we finish off the biosphere. Still, it isn’t greedy or self- serving, is it?

An Exceptionally Foolish Reflection List: Nihonjinron – Why would Japan want collaboration with other Asian countries to win WW2? Religiocentrism – “God/Allah/ Buddha/Shiva etc. will it” (Everywhere except the South Park episode where Cartman goes into the future and the atheist have to nuke the world to take out the heretic atheists. Religious exclusivism – Divide and conquer Apartheid in Northern Ireland, India, Myanmar etc. Feeneyism – Only Catholics can go to heaven. Hindutva – India’s excuse for mistreating less well- to-do nonHindus. Jews as the chosen people – It’s back in the news. Unification Church – One Korean family’s right to take over the Job cut short by the Crucifixion. Debate on Exclusivism in the SDA Church – Seventh Day Adventist are the last Christians and Catholics are Babylonian. Sonderweg – Only Germans and their cousins have held on to civilization. “HIV exceptionalism” – AIDS entails “benefits” not available to those suffering from other diseases. Cultural Exception – France’s protectionist laws against the diffusion of foreign artistic work with quotas and subsidies as cultural policy. Han chauvinism – Ethnic Han Chinese people and its uniqueness throughout human history and their costumes opening of Olympic Games. Third Rome – That’s getting the Roman Empire back together in Europe, Russia, and the Mediterranean. Tough luck Finland, Poland et al. Pinoy Pride – Being Phillipino/a nationalist is the best. Extrajudicial executions of alleged addicts are reasonable. One wouldn’t want to dilute the blood. Thai exceptionalism – Thai culture is the best, and immune to colonialism thanks to Thai language and peace despite all the coups d’état and massacres. Egocentrism – Allegedly adults appear to be less egocentric than children because they are occasionally sneakier with their egocentric perspective. Chosen People – Judaism, Christianity and derivatives (Seventh-day Adventism, Mormonism, Christian Identity) along with Mandaeism, Rastafari, Unification Church, Nation of Islam, Maasai religion et al. (God wants you to take it all.) Christ of Europe – A Polish messianic belief that Poland has been crucified so often in history that it is on the verge of a leading us all into a great period of love, kindness and sharing. I hope their right.

WARNING – Your choice to read Foolish Times may bind all of us to the very EXCEPTIONALITY that keeps us mentally, physically, morally and socially, the incapacitating infection guides us. Steer clear of jingoism. Keep laughing while you do it and we’ll all be fine. Views and opinions in this article are not those of anyone reading or writing them. Blame Wikipedia for anything you don’t like. Any use of real ideas is accidental and coincidental. Tip all your servers well. Watch what you say and make each day better than the last.