Three wise Monkeys, a western spin!

The three wise monkeys are a Japanese pictorial maxim, embodying the proverbial principle “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”. The three monkeys are

Mizaru (見ざる), “does not see”, covering his eyes

Kikazaru (聞かざる), “does not hear”, covering his ears

Iwazaru (言わざる), “does not speak”, covering his mouth.

There are at least two divergent interpretations of the maxim: in Buddhist tradition, it is about avoiding evil thoughts and deeds. In the West, however, it is often interpreted as dealing with impropriety by turning a blind eye. Turning a blind eye is an idiom describing the ignoring of undesirable information.

I think over the next four years there will be lots of turning of blind eyes to Trump actions and inactions in both domestic and international politics.