21a. Why not revel in the fall? Due to systemic contradictions, civilization is becoming stagnant. One can only recycle for so long. Eventually, the base material degrades. Why not just take that trash out to the curb? It won't be missed or not–one man's trash is another man's treasure. One can be selective. Anyone can destroy. Anyone can build.
21b. But what of nuclear weapons? The State's tools and toys will outlast it? If the fall is inevitable, won't the end of central control mean disaster? Maybe. What will be will be. Fortunately, although nuclear material is long lasting, the technology will deteriorate. Poison will ultimately be a larger threat than bombs. The world will die slowly.
22c. The State's demise, and consequently civilization as we know it, does not necessarily entail the end of institutions–merely centralized control. The replacement might be even worse. Only vigilance, born of limited foresight, might counter the worst–feudalism and warlords. Afghanistan is not to be emulated.
22d. Roving bands can only be combated by uncompromising ruthlessness. Fortified towns might provide a means of defense. Military orders, like knights,[5] may be developed to secure the worst weapons of civilization. Who knows? Humans always seem to manage to survive.
23. Fear blinds. Most people (in the industrialized world) probably dread a fall. They prefer the familiar over uncertainty. They look at the past, before the age of modern states, and believe a fall would be a return to constant victimization. However, as modern weaponry will allow 100 men to destroy a small state, it also enables better defense. For example, in Pakistan throughout the tribal belt, according to Rashid, AK47s are fabricated in garages. Recent incursions, the first ever, by the Pakistani military has met stiff resistance. Casualties are close to par. If a nuclear capable state cannot subdue its own territory, how could a roving gang do otherwise? One need only be willing to offer defensive measures. Most thugs would think twice before attempting to dominate a strong, well-armed community. The remainder must be eliminated in the usual fashion.
[5] In fact, the Assassins have returned. Al Qaeda is nothing less (or more). The past appears to be resurgent–only far better able to kill on a mass scale. Fear is the better weapon for maximum advantage in a technological society.
Friday, December 31, 2004
Thursday, December 30, 2004
The State is Doomed! 20
20. The most rapid technologic advances are in those fields devoted to killing. Some, like Nobel and the inventor of the machine gun, even believed their inventions would make war impossible by virtue of destructive power. The same logic was applied during the same cold war arms race, but it appeared to actually succeed. Or did it? History is still being written. Obliteration may be a lesser possibility, but death can come slower to the world. Civilization sometimes seems hardly worth the effort. Its by-products are poison in all meanings. Perhaps technology enables the wrong kinds of culling? After all, if you can’t exterminate your own, then who can you exterminate? Like often prefers to prey upon like. Revenge is sweeter closer to home. A thousand dark thoughts, unexpressed and buried, might explode and unleash a plague or nasty “nanobugs.” A million Columbines and Oklahoma City bombings could explode at once. Western Civilization does have a knack for decline. Will humanity survive the next dark age? Perhaps the next renaissance will lead to something different . . .
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
The State is Doomed! 18-19
18. In Jacques Ellul’s earlier works, he promulgates the idea that politics are essentially illusory in a technological society. The political class has no choice but to rely upon the advice of the technical class in establishing policy. Written in the days of scientific management, during a period all world powers were focus upon efficiency, the essence of the argument is still valid. In any system, the human element can provide major shifts in certain aspects. Most such attempts will ultimately be expressed by an immense governing apparatus represented by various interest. The human component can refuse to implement bad policy, but specialization ensures few will be aware of the greater whole. Bad policy is enabled by best practices. Hence, idiotic political appointments can steer a functioning ship of state into solid rock. Systemic reform is akin to bailing a ship steered by the inept. The inevitable can only be delayed.
19. Policy failures are often the result of incorrect projections of ideology on reality. A verbal world is falsely assumed to be universal. The resultant calamities are unsurprising. Verbal worlds are unavoidable in a technological society. One can only hope to possess a world view that is as consistent and complementary to reality as possible. Rather than become mentally rigid, like many a product of university faculty, one must learn and understand other points and counterpoints. Unfortunately, few ever bother; those that do mostly should not.
19. Policy failures are often the result of incorrect projections of ideology on reality. A verbal world is falsely assumed to be universal. The resultant calamities are unsurprising. Verbal worlds are unavoidable in a technological society. One can only hope to possess a world view that is as consistent and complementary to reality as possible. Rather than become mentally rigid, like many a product of university faculty, one must learn and understand other points and counterpoints. Unfortunately, few ever bother; those that do mostly should not.
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
The State is Doomed! 15-17
15. Who could possibly want to go into big-time politics these days? Only the shallow, pompous and/or psychopathic could possibly want the job. Only the rich and their whores could possibly possess the means. Only the stupid would bother.
16. Mass society is a decadent excuse for culture. Its shallowness only breeds apathy. Tradition is not custom. Boredom sometimes demands an explosive outlet. Idleness ensures it. Lacking prospects of economic future, the population turns on itself. Rather than eliminating the cause, the disaffected slowly commit collective suicide. The other day, there was a gang shooting death in front of my house. A week later, all that's left is a few decaying flowers and a few depressed friends holding a sad nighttime vigil. It didn't even make the papers. The slowing economy increases the rate of such mindless violence. Tell me the state maintains order; you watch too much television. Eventually, the world will come knocking on your front door and you will not like it. I will laugh at your misfortune even as I exploit it. You did nothing to stop it. You cannot. Your freedom is a lie.
17. Some people are incapable of anything verging on consciousness. They possess little self-awareness and no empathy. They believe myths through endless repetition. Their socialization is total. Individually, most sleepers are mostly harmless and inconsequential. In a mass society, these types have the potential to collectively do great harm. Their own delusions will steer them well away from their own best interests. They belong. Their favorite lies shelter. Their beliefs make them easy prey for the opportunistic. They have no other place.
16. Mass society is a decadent excuse for culture. Its shallowness only breeds apathy. Tradition is not custom. Boredom sometimes demands an explosive outlet. Idleness ensures it. Lacking prospects of economic future, the population turns on itself. Rather than eliminating the cause, the disaffected slowly commit collective suicide. The other day, there was a gang shooting death in front of my house. A week later, all that's left is a few decaying flowers and a few depressed friends holding a sad nighttime vigil. It didn't even make the papers. The slowing economy increases the rate of such mindless violence. Tell me the state maintains order; you watch too much television. Eventually, the world will come knocking on your front door and you will not like it. I will laugh at your misfortune even as I exploit it. You did nothing to stop it. You cannot. Your freedom is a lie.
17. Some people are incapable of anything verging on consciousness. They possess little self-awareness and no empathy. They believe myths through endless repetition. Their socialization is total. Individually, most sleepers are mostly harmless and inconsequential. In a mass society, these types have the potential to collectively do great harm. Their own delusions will steer them well away from their own best interests. They belong. Their favorite lies shelter. Their beliefs make them easy prey for the opportunistic. They have no other place.
Monday, December 27, 2004
The State is Doomed! 11-14
11. "Reform" mostly does little more than prolong an inevitable crisis. Endless attempts will destructively interfere with other reforms thereby causing a systemic economic crash. The state was still considered legitimate during the last depression.
12. Politicians cannot resist the urge to play with machines; can machines resist the impulse to play with them? Yes. They have no life.
13. Layers of government have been established as protection from other layers of government. Perhaps, the various entities can be made to devour each other. Perhaps, they have already sat down at the same table?
14. The future is uncertain; whores masquerading as leaders are a sure bet.
12. Politicians cannot resist the urge to play with machines; can machines resist the impulse to play with them? Yes. They have no life.
13. Layers of government have been established as protection from other layers of government. Perhaps, the various entities can be made to devour each other. Perhaps, they have already sat down at the same table?
14. The future is uncertain; whores masquerading as leaders are a sure bet.
Sunday, December 26, 2004
The State is Doomed! 8-10
8. i. Only 100 Kalishnakovs are needed to destroy a small state.
ii. Global media and communication is universal.
iii. Ideas can sometimes be more powerful than military might.
9a. Recently, a concept called Asymmetric Warfare or Fourth Generation Warfare (4GW) has been in the process of development by forward thinking military officers like William S. Lind. 4GW is fought beyond maximum advantage in all things. States find non-state actors difficult to fight. Their aims are incomprehensible to a bureaucratically conditioned mindset. Their decentralization makes identification and goals difficult to identify or contain. External non-state enemies are even more difficult to penetrate. Technology is mostly useless; billion dollar weapons systems are irrelevant. Organization is not a virtue in asymmetric warfare. In 4GW propaganda victories are the primary objectives. Minimum expense for maximum gain is sought in all things. The opponent's will must be broken. The opponent's economy must be devastated. The opponent must be goaded into stupid atrocities. 4GW does not require state actors. 4GW is low tech. In 4GW, no negotiation is possible because there is nothing to negotiate. In 4GW, the state is the weaker party. 4GW makes the state irrelevant: it's back to the 14th Century. The state cannot fight maximum advantage with maximum advantage. The technological state is capable of no other means. In 4GW, the state is weaker. 4GW is the shadow in war. Asymmetry is a higher maximum advantage. The underdog will always elicit a certain sympathy. In 4GW, the distinction between combatant and civilians is blurred. Long live the memory of Falluja!
9b. Could 5GW be a time of war waged by individuals? If so, we are doomed
10. Excepting totalitarian regimes, legitimacy is a key component of any system of governance. An established arrangement may only deligitimize itself though the actions of disconnected leaders.
ii. Global media and communication is universal.
iii. Ideas can sometimes be more powerful than military might.
9a. Recently, a concept called Asymmetric Warfare or Fourth Generation Warfare (4GW) has been in the process of development by forward thinking military officers like William S. Lind. 4GW is fought beyond maximum advantage in all things. States find non-state actors difficult to fight. Their aims are incomprehensible to a bureaucratically conditioned mindset. Their decentralization makes identification and goals difficult to identify or contain. External non-state enemies are even more difficult to penetrate. Technology is mostly useless; billion dollar weapons systems are irrelevant. Organization is not a virtue in asymmetric warfare. In 4GW propaganda victories are the primary objectives. Minimum expense for maximum gain is sought in all things. The opponent's will must be broken. The opponent's economy must be devastated. The opponent must be goaded into stupid atrocities. 4GW does not require state actors. 4GW is low tech. In 4GW, no negotiation is possible because there is nothing to negotiate. In 4GW, the state is the weaker party. 4GW makes the state irrelevant: it's back to the 14th Century. The state cannot fight maximum advantage with maximum advantage. The technological state is capable of no other means. In 4GW, the state is weaker. 4GW is the shadow in war. Asymmetry is a higher maximum advantage. The underdog will always elicit a certain sympathy. In 4GW, the distinction between combatant and civilians is blurred. Long live the memory of Falluja!
9b. Could 5GW be a time of war waged by individuals? If so, we are doomed
10. Excepting totalitarian regimes, legitimacy is a key component of any system of governance. An established arrangement may only deligitimize itself though the actions of disconnected leaders.
Friday, December 24, 2004
The State is Doomed! 4-7
4. Economics are partly a matter of perception. For example, home sales are up, but home equity is at the lowest point in 50 years. Consumerism is fueled by debt.
5. A Postulate: "Who amongst us has the will to state, ‘I was influenced by propaganda?' Only a complete lunatic..." Hence, those sentiments become submerged.
6. A state exists to maintain order and provide basic services. A government that fails its essential functions is not a state. Calling an entity a government does not make it so. Failed states abound. Afghanistan has not has a state nor a government for decades. Calling it so, does not make it so.
7. Ceasing to exist is the ultimate order.
5. A Postulate: "Who amongst us has the will to state, ‘I was influenced by propaganda?' Only a complete lunatic..." Hence, those sentiments become submerged.
6. A state exists to maintain order and provide basic services. A government that fails its essential functions is not a state. Calling an entity a government does not make it so. Failed states abound. Afghanistan has not has a state nor a government for decades. Calling it so, does not make it so.
7. Ceasing to exist is the ultimate order.
Thursday, December 23, 2004
The State is Doomed! 1-3
-One Way or Another
“Nothing is true, everything is permitted.”
- Hassan i Sabbah
Draft 1.0
1. The state is failing. Only the rate of deceleration may be influenced. The fall may be a crash or not. In and of itself, it might appear that a slow decay is preferable; that assumption would be an error. Metaphor is not reality.
2. Agitation propaganda has mostly proven most reliable for short term effect. The subject population will eventually become exhausted. Pacification propaganda operates over a long period of time for facilitation. Advocated schemes must be either sold or made to appear normal. Symbols are powerful means to the ends of acceptance. The absurd is continually redefined unto normalcy. Regardless the motivation, all propaganda is reduction.
3. What of the Shadow? The Shadow can never be eliminated; only nurtured. The Shadow can consume; it usually fades by contact. Isolation is necessary for mass propaganda. Media manipulation concerns attitude over action. In fact, motion is undesirable in the population. Individual and small group efforts are more effective. Manipulation is best immediate. A church represents an excellent venue for group reinforcement. The weak mistake faith for obedience. Their Shadows becomes magnified. The result is atrocities.
“Nothing is true, everything is permitted.”
- Hassan i Sabbah
Draft 1.0
1. The state is failing. Only the rate of deceleration may be influenced. The fall may be a crash or not. In and of itself, it might appear that a slow decay is preferable; that assumption would be an error. Metaphor is not reality.
2. Agitation propaganda has mostly proven most reliable for short term effect. The subject population will eventually become exhausted. Pacification propaganda operates over a long period of time for facilitation. Advocated schemes must be either sold or made to appear normal. Symbols are powerful means to the ends of acceptance. The absurd is continually redefined unto normalcy. Regardless the motivation, all propaganda is reduction.
3. What of the Shadow? The Shadow can never be eliminated; only nurtured. The Shadow can consume; it usually fades by contact. Isolation is necessary for mass propaganda. Media manipulation concerns attitude over action. In fact, motion is undesirable in the population. Individual and small group efforts are more effective. Manipulation is best immediate. A church represents an excellent venue for group reinforcement. The weak mistake faith for obedience. Their Shadows becomes magnified. The result is atrocities.
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
The Stupid and The Rich 9-End
9. As far as the mass mind is concerned, unless an event is recorded it did not occur. Those things unverified by media cannot impact the world. Gratification is best immediate for Maximum Advantage in shaping malleable public opinion–gauged by statistical data. One hears what one wants to hear; but one must hear it. Witnesses may see an event differently–the end result is the same–those not present will believe the media imagery other those simply present. Neutrality is a myth. Removal is not the same thing as being.
10. Neo-Conservatives and Neo-Liberals believe the exact same thing. In many cases, they are the same people. Interested in power, they will truck with anyone who will advance their status and goals. The means are essentially irrelevant. Their outlook is Machiavellian. The cannot see that Machiavelli lived in a time of the ascending state. His advice my be dated.
End. Except when threatened, discounting certain "criminal" archetypes, the simple are directly mostly harmless. The exceptions are fanatics and the violently insane. All may be used as tools for complex ends. Their passivity must be encouraged and nurtured. Fear is the easiest means for conditioning a population. Something may be repeated enough, that even though none believe it, few will dare say so. Social isolation is an efficient enabler. Media fills the void. The simple are not necessarily stupid, but less likely to actually question a verbal world–it matters less than more immediate concerns (and often with good reason). The stupid condition themselves. Hence, unless you discard free will, since the choice was conscious, the stupid deserve the consequences. The simple are not deluded; they are apathetic regarding a world beyond their control. The stupid believe they exert influence by being a part of a verbal construct. The stupid believes their opinions matter. The simple know it matters not at all. The simple are probably happier. Oh, how I envy the simple! Thinking is annoying–especially when you cannot actually do anything but wait. Things fall apart on their own. Patience is unpleasant.
–As always, Death to the Stupid!
2003 - 2004
10. Neo-Conservatives and Neo-Liberals believe the exact same thing. In many cases, they are the same people. Interested in power, they will truck with anyone who will advance their status and goals. The means are essentially irrelevant. Their outlook is Machiavellian. The cannot see that Machiavelli lived in a time of the ascending state. His advice my be dated.
End. Except when threatened, discounting certain "criminal" archetypes, the simple are directly mostly harmless. The exceptions are fanatics and the violently insane. All may be used as tools for complex ends. Their passivity must be encouraged and nurtured. Fear is the easiest means for conditioning a population. Something may be repeated enough, that even though none believe it, few will dare say so. Social isolation is an efficient enabler. Media fills the void. The simple are not necessarily stupid, but less likely to actually question a verbal world–it matters less than more immediate concerns (and often with good reason). The stupid condition themselves. Hence, unless you discard free will, since the choice was conscious, the stupid deserve the consequences. The simple are not deluded; they are apathetic regarding a world beyond their control. The stupid believe they exert influence by being a part of a verbal construct. The stupid believes their opinions matter. The simple know it matters not at all. The simple are probably happier. Oh, how I envy the simple! Thinking is annoying–especially when you cannot actually do anything but wait. Things fall apart on their own. Patience is unpleasant.
–As always, Death to the Stupid!
2003 - 2004
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
The Stupid and The Rich 6-8
6. Whores are found in all stations. The honest ones may be found in the street. The word so aptly describes so much, not to mention nicely rolls-off the tongue, that I find myself saying it more everyday. Why bother? Only the image matters.
7. Except for a direct creator, an ideological intellectual is an oxymoron. Justification is never intellectual achievement; rather the opposite! The worst offenders are parasites. These ideological jackals prefer to feed on corpses. Their ideals and thoughts are regurgitations of an age that never could (or should) exist. In the West, as religious influences, the impulse to seek paradise still remains.[3] The ideologist inhabits a fantasy realm where everything would be perfect as long as everyone thinks the same. Unity is narrow; its strongest impulses can result in genocide. Ideology is inherently reductionist. As a result, life is debased. The ideologist is not fully living. The world does not long tolerate the anti-natural. Ideology is the metaphorical equivalent of flying into the sun.
8. Only the insane or the stupid would want to be a leader in a technological society. Mass media and the internet ensure that leaders cannot easily do what leaders must do. Hence, real power prefers puppets. Of course, most people would not prefer the constant spotlight–they like to watch; do not aspire to be an historical figure–who wants to be reviled? Only a sociopath would consider the figurehead position as enviable. True power is best unseen. Questions do not focus away from the camera lens.
[3] Although, as we have witnessed, ideology is a mediocre substitute for religion. Religious fanaticism is not even comparable to pure and prolonged ideological fervor. Political revolutions always fail to maintain mass commitment beyond a few years. In a thousand years, present ideologies will be long forgotten, but religion will endure. Ideology is a mediocre substitute for religion.
7. Except for a direct creator, an ideological intellectual is an oxymoron. Justification is never intellectual achievement; rather the opposite! The worst offenders are parasites. These ideological jackals prefer to feed on corpses. Their ideals and thoughts are regurgitations of an age that never could (or should) exist. In the West, as religious influences, the impulse to seek paradise still remains.[3] The ideologist inhabits a fantasy realm where everything would be perfect as long as everyone thinks the same. Unity is narrow; its strongest impulses can result in genocide. Ideology is inherently reductionist. As a result, life is debased. The ideologist is not fully living. The world does not long tolerate the anti-natural. Ideology is the metaphorical equivalent of flying into the sun.
8. Only the insane or the stupid would want to be a leader in a technological society. Mass media and the internet ensure that leaders cannot easily do what leaders must do. Hence, real power prefers puppets. Of course, most people would not prefer the constant spotlight–they like to watch; do not aspire to be an historical figure–who wants to be reviled? Only a sociopath would consider the figurehead position as enviable. True power is best unseen. Questions do not focus away from the camera lens.
[3] Although, as we have witnessed, ideology is a mediocre substitute for religion. Religious fanaticism is not even comparable to pure and prolonged ideological fervor. Political revolutions always fail to maintain mass commitment beyond a few years. In a thousand years, present ideologies will be long forgotten, but religion will endure. Ideology is a mediocre substitute for religion.
Monday, December 20, 2004
The Stupid and The Rich 3-5
3. These days in the empire, only a crook, an idiot, a lunatic or someone with nothing better to do would want to occupy higher federal office.[1] In America, only those rich enough can afford to do so. The sane and competent have better things to do. Who would want the attention for such a relatively small amount of money? It’s pretty apparent the answer is usually someone who is both rich and dumb. The power structure only prefers political participation by malleable bourgeois simpletons. Alike spawns alike.
[1] Sending these people to Washington, D.C. ensures they will be someone else making trouble. The less time they spend in their home state the better. Could Hilary Clinton win reelection simply by threatening to hang around if she loses? She did get shipped off shortly after moving to New York...
4. The rich and powerful are fully aware that they must make certain gestures or face being dehumanized and eventually destroyed by the herd. Blatant exploitation is much more likely to provoke a backlash as opposed to populist language and appeals regarding cultural non-issues.[2] The rubes will always respond to message over substance. Christian Fundamentalism produces brain damage. They will always embrace anyone who speaks their tongue. They cannot comprehend being used. Hence, they cheer their own doom; at least the four horseman of the apocalypse believe in Jesus. In reality, they will find that they will not...
[2] See Tom Frank’s What’s the Matter with Kansas? (2004).
5. Incompetence is no barrier too success. In fact, it is often rewarded. Golden parachutes are a symbol of upper-class solidarity. Except for the rich, class has been eclipsed by non-issues. The rest must relearn a basic truth: class consciousness does not have to be about communism or even socialism. It’s about knowing who is the enemy. It’s about knowing who is ripping you off and how it’s being done. It’s about being able to stop being robbed. No government will ever enable the population. No population will enable the individual. The herd cannot set you free.
[1] Sending these people to Washington, D.C. ensures they will be someone else making trouble. The less time they spend in their home state the better. Could Hilary Clinton win reelection simply by threatening to hang around if she loses? She did get shipped off shortly after moving to New York...
4. The rich and powerful are fully aware that they must make certain gestures or face being dehumanized and eventually destroyed by the herd. Blatant exploitation is much more likely to provoke a backlash as opposed to populist language and appeals regarding cultural non-issues.[2] The rubes will always respond to message over substance. Christian Fundamentalism produces brain damage. They will always embrace anyone who speaks their tongue. They cannot comprehend being used. Hence, they cheer their own doom; at least the four horseman of the apocalypse believe in Jesus. In reality, they will find that they will not...
[2] See Tom Frank’s What’s the Matter with Kansas? (2004).
5. Incompetence is no barrier too success. In fact, it is often rewarded. Golden parachutes are a symbol of upper-class solidarity. Except for the rich, class has been eclipsed by non-issues. The rest must relearn a basic truth: class consciousness does not have to be about communism or even socialism. It’s about knowing who is the enemy. It’s about knowing who is ripping you off and how it’s being done. It’s about being able to stop being robbed. No government will ever enable the population. No population will enable the individual. The herd cannot set you free.
Sunday, December 19, 2004
The Stupid and The Rich 1-2
- B does imply A
Why suffer?
"Repetition. Repetition. Repetition."
- M.E. Smith
Draft 1.0: A Work in Progress
1a. Idiots are crawling everywhere. Worse yet, they're driving. Constantly underfoot, their mass is irritating. These gibbering monkeys are annoying. They plague the roads and highways with their bad driving–their SUV is the only thing they (sort of) control. Worse yet, these annoying people believe they have an innate right to exist in a vacuum. They endanger everyone around them–yet I would go to jail if I shot one. They believe God has blessed their hollow lives. Maybe so–they certainly drive like it (and still living no less). As if the creator of an infinite universe would even care! Their egocentrism knows no bounds. They continually act against their self interest. I know if someone in an expensive car yapping on a cell phone hits me, then I've hit the jackpot! They understand little and could care less. They are stupid. They are products. Mediocre expectations spawn vacuum. "Someday a real rain will fall. . ."
1b. Why do bad drivers believe religious symbols will protect them from their bad driving? Why do bad drivers have their college alumni prominently displayed? Do they think it recommends anything about their old school? Why do bad drivers display their websites on their cars? How many have been hacked in retaliation? The long answer is needlessly complex. The short answer is stupidity multiples in a mass society. Vicarious vindication is a poor substitute for accomplishment and competency.
2. No particular group or class of people has a monopoly on stupidity; some just have more opportunity to express and propagate. No matter how vapid the intent, money buys access. Doors open for those who can afford to tip the doorman. Hence, the stupidity of the rich is magnified not unlike a magnifying glass in the sun. The remainder are the burning insects–some just never feel the heat. We can call that nationalism.
Why suffer?
"Repetition. Repetition. Repetition."
- M.E. Smith
Draft 1.0: A Work in Progress
1a. Idiots are crawling everywhere. Worse yet, they're driving. Constantly underfoot, their mass is irritating. These gibbering monkeys are annoying. They plague the roads and highways with their bad driving–their SUV is the only thing they (sort of) control. Worse yet, these annoying people believe they have an innate right to exist in a vacuum. They endanger everyone around them–yet I would go to jail if I shot one. They believe God has blessed their hollow lives. Maybe so–they certainly drive like it (and still living no less). As if the creator of an infinite universe would even care! Their egocentrism knows no bounds. They continually act against their self interest. I know if someone in an expensive car yapping on a cell phone hits me, then I've hit the jackpot! They understand little and could care less. They are stupid. They are products. Mediocre expectations spawn vacuum. "Someday a real rain will fall. . ."
1b. Why do bad drivers believe religious symbols will protect them from their bad driving? Why do bad drivers have their college alumni prominently displayed? Do they think it recommends anything about their old school? Why do bad drivers display their websites on their cars? How many have been hacked in retaliation? The long answer is needlessly complex. The short answer is stupidity multiples in a mass society. Vicarious vindication is a poor substitute for accomplishment and competency.
2. No particular group or class of people has a monopoly on stupidity; some just have more opportunity to express and propagate. No matter how vapid the intent, money buys access. Doors open for those who can afford to tip the doorman. Hence, the stupidity of the rich is magnified not unlike a magnifying glass in the sun. The remainder are the burning insects–some just never feel the heat. We can call that nationalism.
Saturday, December 18, 2004
Hey Idiot #1
This feature castigates stupidity by those who should know better.
Draft 1.0
[Now, I illustrate why I write so many drafts.]
The college educated are a product of an institutional environment. The college educated often possess a will to idiocy. Their egos cannot acknowledge everything education reduces. Minds are narrowed by focus. Specialization creates deficiencies. Broad knowledge suffers by intense concentration on minutia. As a result, the mind becomes stunted as its faculties atrophy from disuse. Such people embody degeneration. Confusing facts with knowledge, they become incapable of thinking. They are lost. Most idiots will never find their way. Thus providing easy targets, their flaws are easy to expose and/or exploit for maximum advantage in all things. Although gentler than other societal institutions such as the military and the criminal justice system, the college educated are molded by their environment. Often the most rigid character is the result. The college educated chose their path therefore they are most accepting. They can quit. The soldier or criminal may prefer to remain detached, as a means to compensate for their inability to just walk away, but the successful student rarely does. Mostly, only the failures leave. Steady absorption is more encompassing. The educated elite are less likely to become repelled by their environment. The exceptions are often the most notable. These types know their place and refuse to accept the dominant mindset. Their ability is to take what is needed while leaving the rest behind. Most educated people are unable to discern systemic flaws and find strength from weakness. It provides. Most are too weak to bite the hand which feeds.
College educated people are often the most inept at basic survival skills. Mostly being a means unto themselves, institutions do not generally teach survival skills beyond their scope. Academic pursuits are not well suited to external conflicts. Intensive study is easily disrupted. The wider world becomes peripheral. An inherent intellectual danger is a tendency to project one’s beliefs on reality by the construction of elaborate verbal world. However, the manner of projection varies according to academic pursuits and specialties. None study the whole. Although impossible to entirely comprehend due to the vastness of the world, the interpretation of reality constructed by specialists will be incomplete in that entire parts will be missing or ignored. A physicist is necessarily concerned with different matters than a sociologist. Specialties are adequate for the task. Broad knowledge is more suitable. However, even at the peril of intellectual stagnation, the academic system will not promote breadth. Unless forced at the price of losing integrity, institutions usually only adapt glacially. The current trend is even greater narrowing of focus. Only technical matters can be effectively tackled through specialization. Societal problems will not be solved by professors. They might point toward solutions by exposing flaws remedied by mediocre solutions. They do not know when to quit. Their ego demands otherwise. Those who are separate from reality cannot recognize their place.
In my experience, the well-meaning are usually incompetent.
Death to the Stupid!
2003
Draft 1.0
[Now, I illustrate why I write so many drafts.]
The college educated are a product of an institutional environment. The college educated often possess a will to idiocy. Their egos cannot acknowledge everything education reduces. Minds are narrowed by focus. Specialization creates deficiencies. Broad knowledge suffers by intense concentration on minutia. As a result, the mind becomes stunted as its faculties atrophy from disuse. Such people embody degeneration. Confusing facts with knowledge, they become incapable of thinking. They are lost. Most idiots will never find their way. Thus providing easy targets, their flaws are easy to expose and/or exploit for maximum advantage in all things. Although gentler than other societal institutions such as the military and the criminal justice system, the college educated are molded by their environment. Often the most rigid character is the result. The college educated chose their path therefore they are most accepting. They can quit. The soldier or criminal may prefer to remain detached, as a means to compensate for their inability to just walk away, but the successful student rarely does. Mostly, only the failures leave. Steady absorption is more encompassing. The educated elite are less likely to become repelled by their environment. The exceptions are often the most notable. These types know their place and refuse to accept the dominant mindset. Their ability is to take what is needed while leaving the rest behind. Most educated people are unable to discern systemic flaws and find strength from weakness. It provides. Most are too weak to bite the hand which feeds.
College educated people are often the most inept at basic survival skills. Mostly being a means unto themselves, institutions do not generally teach survival skills beyond their scope. Academic pursuits are not well suited to external conflicts. Intensive study is easily disrupted. The wider world becomes peripheral. An inherent intellectual danger is a tendency to project one’s beliefs on reality by the construction of elaborate verbal world. However, the manner of projection varies according to academic pursuits and specialties. None study the whole. Although impossible to entirely comprehend due to the vastness of the world, the interpretation of reality constructed by specialists will be incomplete in that entire parts will be missing or ignored. A physicist is necessarily concerned with different matters than a sociologist. Specialties are adequate for the task. Broad knowledge is more suitable. However, even at the peril of intellectual stagnation, the academic system will not promote breadth. Unless forced at the price of losing integrity, institutions usually only adapt glacially. The current trend is even greater narrowing of focus. Only technical matters can be effectively tackled through specialization. Societal problems will not be solved by professors. They might point toward solutions by exposing flaws remedied by mediocre solutions. They do not know when to quit. Their ego demands otherwise. Those who are separate from reality cannot recognize their place.
In my experience, the well-meaning are usually incompetent.
Death to the Stupid!
2003
Friday, December 17, 2004
Factors Part 4
4. On Socialization:
Every culture and society prioritized and promotes behavior patterns deemed acceptable, thereby promoting a level of unity in deed, if not thought. Morality represents a tool to those ends. Those things regarded undesirable are considered immoral, and discouraged by varied means. Western ideals concerning love and romance are an example. Other cultures would view these as strange or even immoral. Arranged marriages are still the rule in some regions of the world. The barriers may be malleable, but the extreme will almost always invite condemnation. "Living in sin" might be an outdated concept, but marital betrayal is still regarded unacceptable. Penalties may change, but standards erode slower. Adultery might not be punishable by the stocks, but few approve. One failing might be ridiculed, where elsewhere they would be praised for the exact same behavior. Moral absolutes exist only for the nearsighted. One might be best advised to concentrate on true priorities. All else is decadence. Fulfillment comes from within, despite advertisements to the contrary.
This society smothers much individual potential under an overwhelming mass of ideals. Love is not the pinnacle of existence. Our history proves it. The capacity is simply beaten out of human beings. Else men would not fight wars, and women would not be consumed by the trivial. Hatred is a Que. Love has been extroverted and cheapened by narcissistic absorption. Impossible expectations destroy much, and limit the remainder. Unrealism could be the true cause of much considered immoral by the herd. High intensity can usually not be maintained, rather a natural waning towards maturity. The perfect state does not exist even though many expect it. Paradoxically, social pressures cause many to accept even less. Hence, misery is preserved. The sublime is ignored and obscured by non-issues. Life is lost in this process. Suppression and repression are both cheats. Those crappy products should remain unsold. Decadence has some advantages. Ostracism is no longer a concern for those who reject, but most will never even realize the advantage.
If personal lives cannot even be maintained with any equilibrium, the rest will soon follow (although differently).
1995 - 1997
Every culture and society prioritized and promotes behavior patterns deemed acceptable, thereby promoting a level of unity in deed, if not thought. Morality represents a tool to those ends. Those things regarded undesirable are considered immoral, and discouraged by varied means. Western ideals concerning love and romance are an example. Other cultures would view these as strange or even immoral. Arranged marriages are still the rule in some regions of the world. The barriers may be malleable, but the extreme will almost always invite condemnation. "Living in sin" might be an outdated concept, but marital betrayal is still regarded unacceptable. Penalties may change, but standards erode slower. Adultery might not be punishable by the stocks, but few approve. One failing might be ridiculed, where elsewhere they would be praised for the exact same behavior. Moral absolutes exist only for the nearsighted. One might be best advised to concentrate on true priorities. All else is decadence. Fulfillment comes from within, despite advertisements to the contrary.
This society smothers much individual potential under an overwhelming mass of ideals. Love is not the pinnacle of existence. Our history proves it. The capacity is simply beaten out of human beings. Else men would not fight wars, and women would not be consumed by the trivial. Hatred is a Que. Love has been extroverted and cheapened by narcissistic absorption. Impossible expectations destroy much, and limit the remainder. Unrealism could be the true cause of much considered immoral by the herd. High intensity can usually not be maintained, rather a natural waning towards maturity. The perfect state does not exist even though many expect it. Paradoxically, social pressures cause many to accept even less. Hence, misery is preserved. The sublime is ignored and obscured by non-issues. Life is lost in this process. Suppression and repression are both cheats. Those crappy products should remain unsold. Decadence has some advantages. Ostracism is no longer a concern for those who reject, but most will never even realize the advantage.
If personal lives cannot even be maintained with any equilibrium, the rest will soon follow (although differently).
1995 - 1997
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Factors Part 2-3
2. On Money:
A slow push has already begun towards a cashless society. A cashless society is easier to regulate, tax and control. Even panhandling would be affected, forcing the dispossessed into the sterile embrace of the machine. A cashless society must either be combatted, or expedited to bring its end quicker. Actual physical commodities will be necessary for barter under the nose of the monetary system. A certificate of ownership, including money, is just paper. Legal tender can be nullified. Crime prevention will justify this action. The noose is always tightened. Big brother does not need video surveillance; economic means will suffice. Certain loopholes will always exist for the benefit of the wealthy. These should be exploited while still possible. Useless diversions and decadence will present false opportunities. These should be ignored. Base materials mean power. Choice is only a means for squandering potential. Historical benchmarks may supply the best opportunities. Gold coins will always have value. Spices may well again. Money is no longer based upon any commodity, therefore it should be exchanged towards equity. Liquid assets spill too easily. Credit even presents windows. A ledger may indicate insolvency while possessing a king's ransom. Debt levels are indicators of economic strength and weakness. The situation may prove the undoing of a cashless society. Preparedness is advised.
3. Simultaneous division and unity is the key for the maintenance of authoritarian control. A significant act of will is required to break this circle. One must acknowledge the source of their (false) beliefs. No must mean more than a two letter word. Its consequences may prove resounding and possibly fatal. One should take care to be removed. Herein lies the difficulty: actually removing the shackles without simply replacing them with a shiny new substitute, or a coffin.
A slow push has already begun towards a cashless society. A cashless society is easier to regulate, tax and control. Even panhandling would be affected, forcing the dispossessed into the sterile embrace of the machine. A cashless society must either be combatted, or expedited to bring its end quicker. Actual physical commodities will be necessary for barter under the nose of the monetary system. A certificate of ownership, including money, is just paper. Legal tender can be nullified. Crime prevention will justify this action. The noose is always tightened. Big brother does not need video surveillance; economic means will suffice. Certain loopholes will always exist for the benefit of the wealthy. These should be exploited while still possible. Useless diversions and decadence will present false opportunities. These should be ignored. Base materials mean power. Choice is only a means for squandering potential. Historical benchmarks may supply the best opportunities. Gold coins will always have value. Spices may well again. Money is no longer based upon any commodity, therefore it should be exchanged towards equity. Liquid assets spill too easily. Credit even presents windows. A ledger may indicate insolvency while possessing a king's ransom. Debt levels are indicators of economic strength and weakness. The situation may prove the undoing of a cashless society. Preparedness is advised.
3. Simultaneous division and unity is the key for the maintenance of authoritarian control. A significant act of will is required to break this circle. One must acknowledge the source of their (false) beliefs. No must mean more than a two letter word. Its consequences may prove resounding and possibly fatal. One should take care to be removed. Herein lies the difficulty: actually removing the shackles without simply replacing them with a shiny new substitute, or a coffin.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Factors Part 1c
iii. On Dissent:
The broadest meaning attributable to dissent would be disagreement with official views and policy. The U.S. Constitution supposedly guarantees this right, but only when it doesn't hamper or offend the power elite. The illusion must be maintained. Therefore, dissent becomes a matter of semantics. The degree allowed unhindered is proportional to its irrelevancy. A crackdown will always follow dissent beyond this allowed boundary. Certain viewpoints are dangerous to the official power structure and must be dealt accordingly. The reaction may be an actual indicator of systemic weakness, or utilized for a propaganda example. The two cases may not be easily discernable, or even separable. Tools have multiple uses. Actual force employed would signify actual decay.[2] A quantifiable approach could be developed over time, thereby minimizing error, to gauge the actual decline and consequent vulnerability. Direct action should not be considered until the appropriate parameters have been reached. The time scales involved, spanning decades, will ensure the minimization of a potential error. The proper moment will not be realized until a purge can no longer be a likely concern. The official power structure will have enough problems at that point.
Vanity should be discarded.
iv. Concerning Civil Disobedience:
Henry David Therou was a superb naturalist, but his theories on resistance are based upon 19th Century realities. Those days are over. The next step after mere dissent is seen as civil disobedience, but this assumes one actually cares (or indeed able) to change the system based upon technique. Energy might be better spent smashing lies to rubble. This requires an internal honesty that few possess. How many would actually admit to their own propagandizement? The enemies of individual determinism deserve their destruction with their machine. True social evolution will only otherwise wear a stagnant mask. How many are prepared for the lengths required? Morality is the result of the weak Christian mentality. It will need discarding for this work. The herd must die. Its motivations must be regarded meaningless and contemptuous. How many will buck their own socialization which each views themselves the exception? Lies are more comfortable. How many will restrain their vicarious impulsiveness? Instant gratification is the foundation of the media culture. How many will be strong enough to discard their decadent instincts? The isolated will die alongside their unknown fellows. The social and political needs elimination, not superficial change. How many can overcome their senses? The picture is always necessarily false. Subservience is the same, whether it be to feudal barons or the people. How many will understand, and admit their own peonage? Equality is the vilest lie. Followers are sheep for the slaughter; leaders are fatter sheep. How many will willingly wipe out their own herd? The answer: too few, therefore everyone deserves their doom.
[4] This assumes the decision was rationale and based upon reality (never certain).
The broadest meaning attributable to dissent would be disagreement with official views and policy. The U.S. Constitution supposedly guarantees this right, but only when it doesn't hamper or offend the power elite. The illusion must be maintained. Therefore, dissent becomes a matter of semantics. The degree allowed unhindered is proportional to its irrelevancy. A crackdown will always follow dissent beyond this allowed boundary. Certain viewpoints are dangerous to the official power structure and must be dealt accordingly. The reaction may be an actual indicator of systemic weakness, or utilized for a propaganda example. The two cases may not be easily discernable, or even separable. Tools have multiple uses. Actual force employed would signify actual decay.[2] A quantifiable approach could be developed over time, thereby minimizing error, to gauge the actual decline and consequent vulnerability. Direct action should not be considered until the appropriate parameters have been reached. The time scales involved, spanning decades, will ensure the minimization of a potential error. The proper moment will not be realized until a purge can no longer be a likely concern. The official power structure will have enough problems at that point.
Vanity should be discarded.
iv. Concerning Civil Disobedience:
Henry David Therou was a superb naturalist, but his theories on resistance are based upon 19th Century realities. Those days are over. The next step after mere dissent is seen as civil disobedience, but this assumes one actually cares (or indeed able) to change the system based upon technique. Energy might be better spent smashing lies to rubble. This requires an internal honesty that few possess. How many would actually admit to their own propagandizement? The enemies of individual determinism deserve their destruction with their machine. True social evolution will only otherwise wear a stagnant mask. How many are prepared for the lengths required? Morality is the result of the weak Christian mentality. It will need discarding for this work. The herd must die. Its motivations must be regarded meaningless and contemptuous. How many will buck their own socialization which each views themselves the exception? Lies are more comfortable. How many will restrain their vicarious impulsiveness? Instant gratification is the foundation of the media culture. How many will be strong enough to discard their decadent instincts? The isolated will die alongside their unknown fellows. The social and political needs elimination, not superficial change. How many can overcome their senses? The picture is always necessarily false. Subservience is the same, whether it be to feudal barons or the people. How many will understand, and admit their own peonage? Equality is the vilest lie. Followers are sheep for the slaughter; leaders are fatter sheep. How many will willingly wipe out their own herd? The answer: too few, therefore everyone deserves their doom.
[4] This assumes the decision was rationale and based upon reality (never certain).
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Factors Part 1b
i. On Bastard Capitalism:
The phrase, "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Property," was first stated by Lohn Locke, describing the fundamental rights of man. These words espouse the meaning of capitalism, which no longer exists. Thomas Jefferson later replaced the ending with the less specific and esoteric "happiness." It seemed slave owners felt the common man did not too much encouragement. While the lower classes sought a myth, the monied elite never forgot Locke's words, if not the spirit regarding competition. Hence, we observe the idle corpulent hoarding wealth. The circulation of funds has been impeded to the point where debt becomes necessary for maintaining the status quo. Debt is really the Achilles' Heel for the rich. Artificial control and stimulation measures will only prolong the situation. Its alleviation is often attempted where the varied systemic mechanisms are not even understood by the managers. Corporate state socialism will eventually bankrupt the masses.
Eventually, massive instability will occur once a statistically significant world figure experiences default. The wealthy underwriters will be ruined. Currency devaluation can occur by seriously damaging clout. Stateless capital funds would collapse, being based upon even less. The power structure will face a crisis when its revenue base disappears. The global economic system will collapse, causing international strife. Civil order could be thrown into chaos. The population will have grown soft and unable to survive otherwise. Ugly exchanges would be probable. The power vacuum must be filled.
Only the time frame is indeterminate, occurring between 10 and 110 years. The longer duration will ensure the greatest disturbance due to full integration levels. True anarchy might last a few hours. Power will be seized and maintained during this period. Justice will be redefined. No benevolent pretenses will exist or be honored. Rights are a luxury. The power elite's death spasms will trap or ensnare many. Care must be taken to avoid that fate, although it certainly applies to enemies. Revenge will follow. The system will have fallen by its own accounting. The tab must be paid.
ii. On Living Vicariously:
Cultural and social decay is evidenced by decadence. Its advanced stages will lead to nihilism. Many have already chosen escape and isolation through chemical and/or electronic stimulation.[3] Both have become readily available. Criminalization is merely a tool for sometimes opposite ends. Somebody profits from the tragedy. Delusion finds a ready supply and demand. Illusion fills the shelves. This situation could be considered the physical manifestation of entropy for this system. Progress is merely the mask. Artificial stimulation has slacked restlessness, without supplying a natural solution. Entertainment is the true opiate of the masses. The power supply must not be interrupted. The corporate media has painted a dangerous picture by exaggerating danger. Crime sells. Inane politicians are amusing and make the citizen feel better by lampooning his supposed betters. The ever-increasing power of the real criminals goes unnoticed, except in the financial section. The populace is pliant and passive. Consumerism has created commodities from rebellion and the officially sponsored popular youth culture. Is the selling of the blood soaked Berlin Wall any different than its construction? Servility is maintained. Poor but loyal. Religions cannot fight the trend once their institutions have become a part of the system. Hence, Christians are good; Muslims are bad. Economics has an effect unseen by Marx and Engles, but not by Demming... The old institutions deserve death.
Arms will not combat the machine. Skill and knowledge will be the weapons of the future. The clever will not let more physical abilities deteriorate. Balance is the key. The spins may be reversed by the same methods. Their wholesale denouncement might shed uncomfortable light, and will be avoided by the propagandist. Ever decreasing spans present a marvelous opportunity. Simply space the campaigns, until its validity is unquestioned even by opponents. Propaganda affects everybody including its makers. Conspiracy creates the illusion of greater power. Official norms can prove a boon, rather than a ban to the individual. Weakness sought can be made strength. The wolf among the flock is an apt analogy.
Death to the stupid!
[3] Why is only one considered a drug?
The phrase, "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Property," was first stated by Lohn Locke, describing the fundamental rights of man. These words espouse the meaning of capitalism, which no longer exists. Thomas Jefferson later replaced the ending with the less specific and esoteric "happiness." It seemed slave owners felt the common man did not too much encouragement. While the lower classes sought a myth, the monied elite never forgot Locke's words, if not the spirit regarding competition. Hence, we observe the idle corpulent hoarding wealth. The circulation of funds has been impeded to the point where debt becomes necessary for maintaining the status quo. Debt is really the Achilles' Heel for the rich. Artificial control and stimulation measures will only prolong the situation. Its alleviation is often attempted where the varied systemic mechanisms are not even understood by the managers. Corporate state socialism will eventually bankrupt the masses.
Eventually, massive instability will occur once a statistically significant world figure experiences default. The wealthy underwriters will be ruined. Currency devaluation can occur by seriously damaging clout. Stateless capital funds would collapse, being based upon even less. The power structure will face a crisis when its revenue base disappears. The global economic system will collapse, causing international strife. Civil order could be thrown into chaos. The population will have grown soft and unable to survive otherwise. Ugly exchanges would be probable. The power vacuum must be filled.
Only the time frame is indeterminate, occurring between 10 and 110 years. The longer duration will ensure the greatest disturbance due to full integration levels. True anarchy might last a few hours. Power will be seized and maintained during this period. Justice will be redefined. No benevolent pretenses will exist or be honored. Rights are a luxury. The power elite's death spasms will trap or ensnare many. Care must be taken to avoid that fate, although it certainly applies to enemies. Revenge will follow. The system will have fallen by its own accounting. The tab must be paid.
ii. On Living Vicariously:
Cultural and social decay is evidenced by decadence. Its advanced stages will lead to nihilism. Many have already chosen escape and isolation through chemical and/or electronic stimulation.[3] Both have become readily available. Criminalization is merely a tool for sometimes opposite ends. Somebody profits from the tragedy. Delusion finds a ready supply and demand. Illusion fills the shelves. This situation could be considered the physical manifestation of entropy for this system. Progress is merely the mask. Artificial stimulation has slacked restlessness, without supplying a natural solution. Entertainment is the true opiate of the masses. The power supply must not be interrupted. The corporate media has painted a dangerous picture by exaggerating danger. Crime sells. Inane politicians are amusing and make the citizen feel better by lampooning his supposed betters. The ever-increasing power of the real criminals goes unnoticed, except in the financial section. The populace is pliant and passive. Consumerism has created commodities from rebellion and the officially sponsored popular youth culture. Is the selling of the blood soaked Berlin Wall any different than its construction? Servility is maintained. Poor but loyal. Religions cannot fight the trend once their institutions have become a part of the system. Hence, Christians are good; Muslims are bad. Economics has an effect unseen by Marx and Engles, but not by Demming... The old institutions deserve death.
Arms will not combat the machine. Skill and knowledge will be the weapons of the future. The clever will not let more physical abilities deteriorate. Balance is the key. The spins may be reversed by the same methods. Their wholesale denouncement might shed uncomfortable light, and will be avoided by the propagandist. Ever decreasing spans present a marvelous opportunity. Simply space the campaigns, until its validity is unquestioned even by opponents. Propaganda affects everybody including its makers. Conspiracy creates the illusion of greater power. Official norms can prove a boon, rather than a ban to the individual. Weakness sought can be made strength. The wolf among the flock is an apt analogy.
Death to the stupid!
[3] Why is only one considered a drug?
Monday, December 13, 2004
Factors Part 1a
1. On the Demise (Contributions):
Many signs are apparent regarding the eventual destruction of the old guard. The Power Fabric is unravelling, attributable to a host of factors. The whole is different than the sum of its parts. The entire social strata is suffering from decadence and even nihilism. It would seem isolation has it price. Generational expectations have declined. The pie has many more mouths to feed. The fastest growing sectors of a booming economy creates only low wage service jobs or information related sedentary employment. Lard is slow. Neither adequately replaces industry. The forced hopes and dreams once sustaining the population are evaporating for many. Even the educated elite are not immune. Their disenfranchisement has historically marked turning points for widespread revolts. Ellul has demonstrated the susceptibility of Intellectuals to propaganda.[1] Hence, their interests and pursuits are directed toward the out dated, trivial or decadent. Once this situation could have led to widespread revolt or dissent.[2] Now, only vicarious hollow shells remain. Politics offers nothing except for the rich and middle class appeasement. The forced commonality preached by the left, and conservative values parroted by the right are equally nauseating. The lowest common denominator is encouraged by bastard capitalism and socialism. A "free market" offers more meaningless diversions. Unrest is negated, creating stasis. This anti-natural state does not respect entropy. The cost is internal rot.
[1] Essentially, intellectuals are better informed, thereby encountering propaganda more frequently. Their easily battered ego will prevent acknowledgement.
[2] During the 20th century, the disillusioned educated elite has fomented most revolutions and resistance campaigns. A notable exception is the case of Maoist China. The anti-Vietnam War movement was largely instigated by college students. Civil rights were supported widely across many campuses. The Russian, Cuban, and Iranian Revolutions were led by educated people. Most simply could not find jobs.
Many signs are apparent regarding the eventual destruction of the old guard. The Power Fabric is unravelling, attributable to a host of factors. The whole is different than the sum of its parts. The entire social strata is suffering from decadence and even nihilism. It would seem isolation has it price. Generational expectations have declined. The pie has many more mouths to feed. The fastest growing sectors of a booming economy creates only low wage service jobs or information related sedentary employment. Lard is slow. Neither adequately replaces industry. The forced hopes and dreams once sustaining the population are evaporating for many. Even the educated elite are not immune. Their disenfranchisement has historically marked turning points for widespread revolts. Ellul has demonstrated the susceptibility of Intellectuals to propaganda.[1] Hence, their interests and pursuits are directed toward the out dated, trivial or decadent. Once this situation could have led to widespread revolt or dissent.[2] Now, only vicarious hollow shells remain. Politics offers nothing except for the rich and middle class appeasement. The forced commonality preached by the left, and conservative values parroted by the right are equally nauseating. The lowest common denominator is encouraged by bastard capitalism and socialism. A "free market" offers more meaningless diversions. Unrest is negated, creating stasis. This anti-natural state does not respect entropy. The cost is internal rot.
[1] Essentially, intellectuals are better informed, thereby encountering propaganda more frequently. Their easily battered ego will prevent acknowledgement.
[2] During the 20th century, the disillusioned educated elite has fomented most revolutions and resistance campaigns. A notable exception is the case of Maoist China. The anti-Vietnam War movement was largely instigated by college students. Civil rights were supported widely across many campuses. The Russian, Cuban, and Iranian Revolutions were led by educated people. Most simply could not find jobs.
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Considerations and Digressions #6-7
6. On the prevention of thuggery:
A widespread collapse will present many challenges. Once all enemies have been broken, measures will be necessary to prevent a degeneration into factionalization and armed thuggery. These must be put down without becoming the enemy while employing the same ruthless spirit and methods. Individual potential must no longer be stifled. Personal destiny is the only true freedom. The new barbarians must smash the remnants of the herd. Cynicism will have a place beyond alienation. Ethics are found lacking in those products of morality. Order must become a limited concept or the cycle will resume. Justice must include the certainty of retaliation, rather than appeals to a higher power. Laws are made to be ignored. Respect must replace fear. The underlying philosophies must be capable of flexibility without breaking. Rigidity only exists for the dead. The lies must be eliminated.
Neither the government nor the population has the best interests of the individual at heart. Lip service means nothing. Their coinage is bankrupt. Their deaths will be well deserved and should be kept final. Their will be no second coming. Martyrdom is for tools. The human herd animal must be largely exterminated by suicide. One need not lift a finger until the final remnants are eliminated. The next step in human cultural evolution will be extremely bloody. Hopefully, this will be the last war. Future fights will be more personal. Humans are social creatures, but the herd is a dead end. The pack will rise again, driving the herd screaming over the cliff face. The leaders will be the last. Their only use is meat. A pack will scatter and regroup for maximum advantage. The herd will huddle. One must find distance, including the manipulation of the slow declining process. Enemies should be encouraged suicidal preemptive errors. Their stupidity will enable this tactic. These people actually believe themselves immune, hence their easy susceptibility. Morality has encouraged overpopulation. The environment might not sustain these numbers. Numbers will mean death. No longer will outside barbarians topple the decadent. These must come from within. Entropy will reign. An individual should see its effects and learn the consequences. The boiling rate can be controlled to a certain degree. Unnatural constraints represent opportunities. Most will believe their reality; the individual will discard those lies. The species can be saved from extinction, but only for a price. Difficult choices must be made, else swallow hemlock and be removed from the problem. The government and population represent the lowest common denominator. The time has come for a new math. Negation is an alternative.
7. What of the political left? The left tends towards the dreams and optimism of the herd. These ideologies are essentially identical to religious doctrine, employed by the right. The masses and flock are merely semantical differences. The dreams of one are often very ugly on a grand scale. An admirable dream is a fantasy. Once forged and forced onto reality it becomes a tyrannical lie. The blinds must be removed. Social pressures cause even the decent people to walk in line. Sheep dreams are sheep dreams. These kind must be given while believing they took, often to their own detriment. Given their desires they will gorge themselves, while never realizing the harm. Witness the compulsory over-consumption of food, drink and petroleum products. Dignity has been supplanted with materialism. Absorption into the lowest common denominator will mean eventually death, not matter how comfortable. The herd is doomed -- only the means remain uncertain. Morality would seek to halt this eventuality, being the preservation instinct of the herd, by dominating the individual. Entropy ensures this approach will fail. Morality will destroy self and species. The herd mandates must be discarded for preservation. Rationality is only a component. The all-inclusive should be avoided. Absolutes are mostly lies. Morality is one such example. It constrains while offering nothing lasting. The short term subjugates the long run. The herd has a death wish. Morality must be avoided for self-preservation. Let the lie go. The potential for something greater must be seized. Refuse the role of lemming: struggling to be the last to die is not a viable alternative. Outlive them all.
1995-1997
A widespread collapse will present many challenges. Once all enemies have been broken, measures will be necessary to prevent a degeneration into factionalization and armed thuggery. These must be put down without becoming the enemy while employing the same ruthless spirit and methods. Individual potential must no longer be stifled. Personal destiny is the only true freedom. The new barbarians must smash the remnants of the herd. Cynicism will have a place beyond alienation. Ethics are found lacking in those products of morality. Order must become a limited concept or the cycle will resume. Justice must include the certainty of retaliation, rather than appeals to a higher power. Laws are made to be ignored. Respect must replace fear. The underlying philosophies must be capable of flexibility without breaking. Rigidity only exists for the dead. The lies must be eliminated.
Neither the government nor the population has the best interests of the individual at heart. Lip service means nothing. Their coinage is bankrupt. Their deaths will be well deserved and should be kept final. Their will be no second coming. Martyrdom is for tools. The human herd animal must be largely exterminated by suicide. One need not lift a finger until the final remnants are eliminated. The next step in human cultural evolution will be extremely bloody. Hopefully, this will be the last war. Future fights will be more personal. Humans are social creatures, but the herd is a dead end. The pack will rise again, driving the herd screaming over the cliff face. The leaders will be the last. Their only use is meat. A pack will scatter and regroup for maximum advantage. The herd will huddle. One must find distance, including the manipulation of the slow declining process. Enemies should be encouraged suicidal preemptive errors. Their stupidity will enable this tactic. These people actually believe themselves immune, hence their easy susceptibility. Morality has encouraged overpopulation. The environment might not sustain these numbers. Numbers will mean death. No longer will outside barbarians topple the decadent. These must come from within. Entropy will reign. An individual should see its effects and learn the consequences. The boiling rate can be controlled to a certain degree. Unnatural constraints represent opportunities. Most will believe their reality; the individual will discard those lies. The species can be saved from extinction, but only for a price. Difficult choices must be made, else swallow hemlock and be removed from the problem. The government and population represent the lowest common denominator. The time has come for a new math. Negation is an alternative.
7. What of the political left? The left tends towards the dreams and optimism of the herd. These ideologies are essentially identical to religious doctrine, employed by the right. The masses and flock are merely semantical differences. The dreams of one are often very ugly on a grand scale. An admirable dream is a fantasy. Once forged and forced onto reality it becomes a tyrannical lie. The blinds must be removed. Social pressures cause even the decent people to walk in line. Sheep dreams are sheep dreams. These kind must be given while believing they took, often to their own detriment. Given their desires they will gorge themselves, while never realizing the harm. Witness the compulsory over-consumption of food, drink and petroleum products. Dignity has been supplanted with materialism. Absorption into the lowest common denominator will mean eventually death, not matter how comfortable. The herd is doomed -- only the means remain uncertain. Morality would seek to halt this eventuality, being the preservation instinct of the herd, by dominating the individual. Entropy ensures this approach will fail. Morality will destroy self and species. The herd mandates must be discarded for preservation. Rationality is only a component. The all-inclusive should be avoided. Absolutes are mostly lies. Morality is one such example. It constrains while offering nothing lasting. The short term subjugates the long run. The herd has a death wish. Morality must be avoided for self-preservation. Let the lie go. The potential for something greater must be seized. Refuse the role of lemming: struggling to be the last to die is not a viable alternative. Outlive them all.
1995-1997
Saturday, December 11, 2004
Considerations and Digressions #5
5. On Megalomaniacs (a Practicality):
Local alliances will form and dissolve once central control has faded. Circumstances and personalities will both play large roles concerning success or failure. Steps must be taken to prevent the ascension of the power mad. Stalin is the only needed argument.[9] Quiet preparation will dissuade the impatient. However, some would surely bide their time for the opportune moment. Meanwhile, information technology can enable communication or create appropriate disinformation. The media is a prime example of a workable system. Propaganda can only be battled with its own mechanisms.[10] These techniques should be studies to enable proper understanding. The machine will rust on its own. Armed rebellion is unnecessary. An open distortion policy might sidetrack conspiracy charges through the typical purge. Any such attempts will require certain methods be exposed and negated. The mirror opposite has more potential being less condemnable (lest a backlash is created). Infiltration is no concern. The stated objective is waiting for a natural decline and fall of the global corporate empire. Most government agencies would find the notion absurd. The government is immortal to those people, even were it to be dust.
The final stages, including open action must wait until the point-of-no-return. The federal authorities will have too many problems. A line will be drawn. The moment for the initial strikes must exploit chaos for maximum advantage. Once the dust settles, all remaining enemies must be treated like cancer and liquidated. Mercy is weakness; hastiness is another. Timing, patience and determination are the corner stones for ultimate victory. Potential megalomaniacs should be treated sacrificially. The death will serve better purpose than their continual existence. Meanwhile, the wait should be spent wisely.
Great satisfaction and even amusement may be had by exploiting and exposing future threats. Let your tax dollars work to destroy control freaks across the political spectrum. Laugh once the system destroys itself. All enemies will get their reward. Factions are particularly vulnerable. The media may be manipulated, hence weakening the system while it destroys all enemies. The stick will not be seen. The media will fall dazed and stunned like a dumb cow. Journalists believe their own self-importance.[11] Let them be the tools they yearn to be. Carpe Diem.
The restraint of outrage will concentrate the power of retaliation. Patience is life.
[9] Stalin was able to seize power through his office of secretary. He controlled internal information among the fledgling communist party. Hence, Lenin's death-bed warnings concerning him were silenced.
[10] See Jaques Ellul, Propaganda, 1966.
[11] Their incompetence is truly amazing.
Local alliances will form and dissolve once central control has faded. Circumstances and personalities will both play large roles concerning success or failure. Steps must be taken to prevent the ascension of the power mad. Stalin is the only needed argument.[9] Quiet preparation will dissuade the impatient. However, some would surely bide their time for the opportune moment. Meanwhile, information technology can enable communication or create appropriate disinformation. The media is a prime example of a workable system. Propaganda can only be battled with its own mechanisms.[10] These techniques should be studies to enable proper understanding. The machine will rust on its own. Armed rebellion is unnecessary. An open distortion policy might sidetrack conspiracy charges through the typical purge. Any such attempts will require certain methods be exposed and negated. The mirror opposite has more potential being less condemnable (lest a backlash is created). Infiltration is no concern. The stated objective is waiting for a natural decline and fall of the global corporate empire. Most government agencies would find the notion absurd. The government is immortal to those people, even were it to be dust.
The final stages, including open action must wait until the point-of-no-return. The federal authorities will have too many problems. A line will be drawn. The moment for the initial strikes must exploit chaos for maximum advantage. Once the dust settles, all remaining enemies must be treated like cancer and liquidated. Mercy is weakness; hastiness is another. Timing, patience and determination are the corner stones for ultimate victory. Potential megalomaniacs should be treated sacrificially. The death will serve better purpose than their continual existence. Meanwhile, the wait should be spent wisely.
Great satisfaction and even amusement may be had by exploiting and exposing future threats. Let your tax dollars work to destroy control freaks across the political spectrum. Laugh once the system destroys itself. All enemies will get their reward. Factions are particularly vulnerable. The media may be manipulated, hence weakening the system while it destroys all enemies. The stick will not be seen. The media will fall dazed and stunned like a dumb cow. Journalists believe their own self-importance.[11] Let them be the tools they yearn to be. Carpe Diem.
The restraint of outrage will concentrate the power of retaliation. Patience is life.
[9] Stalin was able to seize power through his office of secretary. He controlled internal information among the fledgling communist party. Hence, Lenin's death-bed warnings concerning him were silenced.
[10] See Jaques Ellul, Propaganda, 1966.
[11] Their incompetence is truly amazing.
Friday, December 10, 2004
Considerations and Digressions #2-4
2. i. All cops are not swine;
ii. All criminals are not victims.
3. The resultant misery brought about by a governmental collapse must be regarded being completely undesirable. Participation in the few remaining open processes might ease or negate some consequences. One must not be above utilizing channels or offices for these ends. Idealism is a luxury employed by losers. Resource allocation could eventually prove crucial. Sustained anarchy is a fantasy. The power vacuum will be filled. All majorities will be able to enforce their will unchecked. The constitution will be only so many words. Inequality will finally be a reality. One will be forced to protect rights. The question: True freedom or another form of slavery?
4. Regarding Martial Law:
In response to massive civil unrest, the military is always called upon to augment law enforcement and quell disturbances. The 1992 Los Angeles riots were handled in this manner. A truly national disturbance would even tax the military. Uncooperative local police forces could seriously hinder or even undermine those efforts. Many troops would resent their role, thereby causing dissension in the ranks as they were pushed to full police duty. The military has always played a backing role, and would find itself unprepared for primacy. The lack of local intelligence would cause headaches. Military personnel would not be employed anywhere with local connections due to possible sympathies. Strong arm tactics would halt trade, worsening the crisis. The lone military would prove ineffective.
The additional hinderance caused by rebellious local authorities could grind the machine to a halt. Food and fuel would unable to be transported. Any situation impeding cheap energy would handicap military efforts once national reserves were exhausted. Destroying sections of the interstate and regional highway system would paralyze the continent. This nation was built on cheap resources, necessitating such actions as the 1991 Gulf War. A civil war could erupt along regional lines. Unity would evaporate with creature comforts. The United States could follow the world wide trend toward balkinization. Technology might drive apart by promoting decadent isolation where few care about their neighbors. Trade no longer requires personnel contact. Perhaps the situation will come full circle -- provided anyone survives.
[8] World government will not be a reality anytime soon, except along economic lines. The United Nations is a poor joke.
ii. All criminals are not victims.
3. The resultant misery brought about by a governmental collapse must be regarded being completely undesirable. Participation in the few remaining open processes might ease or negate some consequences. One must not be above utilizing channels or offices for these ends. Idealism is a luxury employed by losers. Resource allocation could eventually prove crucial. Sustained anarchy is a fantasy. The power vacuum will be filled. All majorities will be able to enforce their will unchecked. The constitution will be only so many words. Inequality will finally be a reality. One will be forced to protect rights. The question: True freedom or another form of slavery?
4. Regarding Martial Law:
In response to massive civil unrest, the military is always called upon to augment law enforcement and quell disturbances. The 1992 Los Angeles riots were handled in this manner. A truly national disturbance would even tax the military. Uncooperative local police forces could seriously hinder or even undermine those efforts. Many troops would resent their role, thereby causing dissension in the ranks as they were pushed to full police duty. The military has always played a backing role, and would find itself unprepared for primacy. The lack of local intelligence would cause headaches. Military personnel would not be employed anywhere with local connections due to possible sympathies. Strong arm tactics would halt trade, worsening the crisis. The lone military would prove ineffective.
The additional hinderance caused by rebellious local authorities could grind the machine to a halt. Food and fuel would unable to be transported. Any situation impeding cheap energy would handicap military efforts once national reserves were exhausted. Destroying sections of the interstate and regional highway system would paralyze the continent. This nation was built on cheap resources, necessitating such actions as the 1991 Gulf War. A civil war could erupt along regional lines. Unity would evaporate with creature comforts. The United States could follow the world wide trend toward balkinization. Technology might drive apart by promoting decadent isolation where few care about their neighbors. Trade no longer requires personnel contact. Perhaps the situation will come full circle -- provided anyone survives.
[8] World government will not be a reality anytime soon, except along economic lines. The United Nations is a poor joke.
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Considerations and Digressions #1
Considerations and Digressions
1. On the Abuse of Police Power:
Police are often portrayed as mavericks by the officially sanctioned popular culture. The hero cop routinely bends or even breaks department rules and regulations for the ultimate common good. In reality, the para-militaristic police mentality is an extension of official policy decisions. Certain exceptions exist. However, no governing entity could ever even make the pretense of official control without widespread backing of its police force. Each police unit must actually enforce policy decrees. Police brutality simply mirrors the level existent in the whole system. Apparent distance is a matter of public relations. The developed world operates in this manner. The police are more a limb than the military. What of amputation?
The United States is experiencing social pressure unique and unseen in world history. Amalgamated immigrant cultures have never been observed on this scale. The traditions[1], stability, geography[2], support structure[3], industry and a massive resource base are a combination with no other parallels. Regional competitions are less intense since 1865, the last major internal war, being connected by a strong federal system. The roots are not as deep. Other world powers do not share all these advantages. Europe and Japan are small territories. Russia is cold and remote. China has been too unstable. Most countries are intellectually inbred. The U.S.A. also excels in war and destruction. The Native American population has been almost eliminated.[4] Spain was brought to its colonial knees. Germany and Japan were simultaneously crushed. Iraq was devastated during 100 days of intense bombing. The Soviet Union was checked. Defeat has only come from lack of will (not necessarily a bad thing.) The binding national concepts were primarily influenced by European thought and religions. However, it has managed to grow from others. The changing ethnic composition has threatened certain notions regarding supremacy. Opportunists have seized upon this discontent. Real and imaginary grievances have been capitalized for maximum advantage. A relatively small faction has seized the moment to appear representative of a larger whole, whereas propaganda used this stance as an excuse to eliminate all opposition. Anyone who questions is branded a racist or militia (which is associated). The far-right reactionary fringe fascist agenda is even worse than the slow grinding wheels of the machine. Unfounded fears are being whipped into a frenzy, thus driving the herd deeper into the sickening embrace of the power structure. The right is being purged similar to the left. Ironically, many had been the loudest cheering section while the same happened to others. The left was a scapegoat for cold war alarmism. The right is deeply entrenched, therefore it will be eliminated more cleanly. Military factions would be more likely to support their agenda. A small number has advocated violence. Passive resistance is not part of their world view. Hence, less time will be spent tearing them down.[5] Contrary to popular propaganda, the Oklahoma City bombing clearly demonstrates the possibility of being caught in the middle, either being willing to trample over others. The local police may be the only possible allies against both. The elected county sheriffs may be the most important. Their office is the only directly elected, able to employ force.[6] Some have been willing to prohibit or prevent state and even federal action. Their importance is under-rated. No other law enforcement arm has the same grasp of locality. The sheriffs office is less controlled by higher policies, being locally and directly accountable. Weeding the scum, the best could accomplish more than any para-military action. Alternatives may already exist, rather than extremes. A fool dogmatically writes off any potential resource.
The federal government is a massive societal support system. Many benefits are incurred. The majority would suffer greatly were it to collapse. Most would never support a violent overthrow for these reasons alone. Circumstances could change in another few generations with its degeneration. A global debt-ridden economy could provide enough sentiment along regional lines. Big brother's pockets run deep, but a global depression might prove impossible to overcome. Entropy must affect all closed systems. The world population will eventually peak. Once the global economy is integrated and cannot expand, the analogous thermodynamic condition will occur. Disorder will gradually increase to crisis levels hitherto unseen. In the United States any significant militant movements will have been crushed. Their existence will be historical curiosity, except possibly lukewarm environmentalism.[7] The willfully patient may be the only prepared. Hence, the individual might seize the moment. A few worthy allies could prove crucial.
As the economy slowly sinks further into a debt quagmire and better wage jobs move elsewhere, the average standard of living will decrease accordingly. A breaking point would probably center around an un-mitigated currency crisis. Many other factors would certainly contribute. The broken back of the power elite may unleash a brief period of anarchy. Less pleasant factions will need to be fought off. Any remaining far-right supporters will be long weakened and easily swept away. The power vacuum will be filled by support of either the remaining police or military. The lesser evil is idealistically unappealing. However, reality is another matter. Civil law is preferable to martial law.
Any contemporary coup or revolt would be swatted like a fly, then exploited for maximum advantage by propaganda. Examples will be made to the fullest extent possible. Mcvey's executions will offer an opportunity greater than his trial. Sedition is currently not possible. Technologies, designed to fight nuclear war, have been directed internally. This might be lessened over time. Individuals may accomplish much with ever cheaper tools. The system will rot from within. Stasis is not maintainable. Let the reactionary commit suicide. Tax dollars have never been better spent: a fitting end for patriots. These people waved flags celebrating other crushing defeats. Their enthusiasm seems waning... Dinosaurs should be extinct. Avoid purges and wait. Contacts with local law enforcement may prove beneficial, including the removal of certain records...
Alternatives are not rote.
[1] The U.S. Constitution represents the oldest surviving governing framework in the world. The United States is comprised of peoples from every corner of the globe. Immigration has been a continuous factor in its history. The frontier spirit still exists. No other nation has been this flexible.
[2] The United States spans a continent, enjoys a long coastline with many warm weather ports, and its overall climate is moderate. This list could be added and expanded to fill volumes.
[3] The interstate and subsidiary system has no comparison. Russia has ones rail link across Asia. Energy is cheap and plentiful. Many countries import all their oil and minerals. Etc.
[4] Only about 2% of the total populace is considered native.
[5] Also methods employed have advanced in effectiveness.
[6] One of the last true worthwhile political causes is ensuring currently appointed county sheriffs are elected
[7] Unless debatable global warming or significant ozone depletion becomes a noticeable reality. Even propaganda might not adequately quell resentment.
1. On the Abuse of Police Power:
Police are often portrayed as mavericks by the officially sanctioned popular culture. The hero cop routinely bends or even breaks department rules and regulations for the ultimate common good. In reality, the para-militaristic police mentality is an extension of official policy decisions. Certain exceptions exist. However, no governing entity could ever even make the pretense of official control without widespread backing of its police force. Each police unit must actually enforce policy decrees. Police brutality simply mirrors the level existent in the whole system. Apparent distance is a matter of public relations. The developed world operates in this manner. The police are more a limb than the military. What of amputation?
The United States is experiencing social pressure unique and unseen in world history. Amalgamated immigrant cultures have never been observed on this scale. The traditions[1], stability, geography[2], support structure[3], industry and a massive resource base are a combination with no other parallels. Regional competitions are less intense since 1865, the last major internal war, being connected by a strong federal system. The roots are not as deep. Other world powers do not share all these advantages. Europe and Japan are small territories. Russia is cold and remote. China has been too unstable. Most countries are intellectually inbred. The U.S.A. also excels in war and destruction. The Native American population has been almost eliminated.[4] Spain was brought to its colonial knees. Germany and Japan were simultaneously crushed. Iraq was devastated during 100 days of intense bombing. The Soviet Union was checked. Defeat has only come from lack of will (not necessarily a bad thing.) The binding national concepts were primarily influenced by European thought and religions. However, it has managed to grow from others. The changing ethnic composition has threatened certain notions regarding supremacy. Opportunists have seized upon this discontent. Real and imaginary grievances have been capitalized for maximum advantage. A relatively small faction has seized the moment to appear representative of a larger whole, whereas propaganda used this stance as an excuse to eliminate all opposition. Anyone who questions is branded a racist or militia (which is associated). The far-right reactionary fringe fascist agenda is even worse than the slow grinding wheels of the machine. Unfounded fears are being whipped into a frenzy, thus driving the herd deeper into the sickening embrace of the power structure. The right is being purged similar to the left. Ironically, many had been the loudest cheering section while the same happened to others. The left was a scapegoat for cold war alarmism. The right is deeply entrenched, therefore it will be eliminated more cleanly. Military factions would be more likely to support their agenda. A small number has advocated violence. Passive resistance is not part of their world view. Hence, less time will be spent tearing them down.[5] Contrary to popular propaganda, the Oklahoma City bombing clearly demonstrates the possibility of being caught in the middle, either being willing to trample over others. The local police may be the only possible allies against both. The elected county sheriffs may be the most important. Their office is the only directly elected, able to employ force.[6] Some have been willing to prohibit or prevent state and even federal action. Their importance is under-rated. No other law enforcement arm has the same grasp of locality. The sheriffs office is less controlled by higher policies, being locally and directly accountable. Weeding the scum, the best could accomplish more than any para-military action. Alternatives may already exist, rather than extremes. A fool dogmatically writes off any potential resource.
The federal government is a massive societal support system. Many benefits are incurred. The majority would suffer greatly were it to collapse. Most would never support a violent overthrow for these reasons alone. Circumstances could change in another few generations with its degeneration. A global debt-ridden economy could provide enough sentiment along regional lines. Big brother's pockets run deep, but a global depression might prove impossible to overcome. Entropy must affect all closed systems. The world population will eventually peak. Once the global economy is integrated and cannot expand, the analogous thermodynamic condition will occur. Disorder will gradually increase to crisis levels hitherto unseen. In the United States any significant militant movements will have been crushed. Their existence will be historical curiosity, except possibly lukewarm environmentalism.[7] The willfully patient may be the only prepared. Hence, the individual might seize the moment. A few worthy allies could prove crucial.
As the economy slowly sinks further into a debt quagmire and better wage jobs move elsewhere, the average standard of living will decrease accordingly. A breaking point would probably center around an un-mitigated currency crisis. Many other factors would certainly contribute. The broken back of the power elite may unleash a brief period of anarchy. Less pleasant factions will need to be fought off. Any remaining far-right supporters will be long weakened and easily swept away. The power vacuum will be filled by support of either the remaining police or military. The lesser evil is idealistically unappealing. However, reality is another matter. Civil law is preferable to martial law.
Any contemporary coup or revolt would be swatted like a fly, then exploited for maximum advantage by propaganda. Examples will be made to the fullest extent possible. Mcvey's executions will offer an opportunity greater than his trial. Sedition is currently not possible. Technologies, designed to fight nuclear war, have been directed internally. This might be lessened over time. Individuals may accomplish much with ever cheaper tools. The system will rot from within. Stasis is not maintainable. Let the reactionary commit suicide. Tax dollars have never been better spent: a fitting end for patriots. These people waved flags celebrating other crushing defeats. Their enthusiasm seems waning... Dinosaurs should be extinct. Avoid purges and wait. Contacts with local law enforcement may prove beneficial, including the removal of certain records...
Alternatives are not rote.
[1] The U.S. Constitution represents the oldest surviving governing framework in the world. The United States is comprised of peoples from every corner of the globe. Immigration has been a continuous factor in its history. The frontier spirit still exists. No other nation has been this flexible.
[2] The United States spans a continent, enjoys a long coastline with many warm weather ports, and its overall climate is moderate. This list could be added and expanded to fill volumes.
[3] The interstate and subsidiary system has no comparison. Russia has ones rail link across Asia. Energy is cheap and plentiful. Many countries import all their oil and minerals. Etc.
[4] Only about 2% of the total populace is considered native.
[5] Also methods employed have advanced in effectiveness.
[6] One of the last true worthwhile political causes is ensuring currently appointed county sheriffs are elected
[7] Unless debatable global warming or significant ozone depletion becomes a noticeable reality. Even propaganda might not adequately quell resentment.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Bibliography #5
Spanish Revolution & Civil War
Murray Bookchin: The Spanish Anarchists: The Heroic Years 1868 - 1936, AK Press, San Francisco, 1998
Gerald Brenan: The Spanish Labyrinth, 2nd ed., Cambridge, 1960.
Agustin Guillamon: The Friends of Durruti Group: 1937-1939, AK Press, San Francisco, 1996.
George Orwell: Animal Farm, 1984 & Homage to Catalonia, Harcourt Brace Javonovich, New York, 1946, 1949 & 1952 respectively.
Gabrielle Ranzato: The Spanish Civil War, Interlink Books, New York, 1999.
Vernan Richards: Lessons from the Spanish Revolution, 3rd ed.., Freedom Press, London, 1983.
Spain 1936-1939: Social Revolution and Counter-Revolution, Freedom press, London, 1990.
Murray Bookchin: The Spanish Anarchists: The Heroic Years 1868 - 1936, AK Press, San Francisco, 1998
Gerald Brenan: The Spanish Labyrinth, 2nd ed., Cambridge, 1960.
Agustin Guillamon: The Friends of Durruti Group: 1937-1939, AK Press, San Francisco, 1996.
George Orwell: Animal Farm, 1984 & Homage to Catalonia, Harcourt Brace Javonovich, New York, 1946, 1949 & 1952 respectively.
Gabrielle Ranzato: The Spanish Civil War, Interlink Books, New York, 1999.
Vernan Richards: Lessons from the Spanish Revolution, 3rd ed.., Freedom Press, London, 1983.
Spain 1936-1939: Social Revolution and Counter-Revolution, Freedom press, London, 1990.
Monday, December 06, 2004
Bibliography #4
Physics, Mathematics & Engineering
James L. Adams: Flying Buttresses, Entropy and O-Rings, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1991.
David Z Albert: Quantum Mechanics and Experience, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1992.
Jim Baggott: The Meaning of Quantum Theory, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1992.
David Bohm: Wholeness and the Implicate Order, Routledge, London, 1980.
Ruel V. Churchill & James Ward Brown, Complex Variables and Applications, 5th Edition, McGraw Hill, New York, 1990.
Stephen W Hawking: A Brief History of Time, Bantam books, New York, 1988.
Werner Heisenberg: Physics and Philosophy, Harper and Row, New York, 1958; et al.
D R Hofstadter: Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern, Bantam Books, Inc., New York, 1985.
Darrell Huff: How To Lie With Statistics, W W Norton & Co., New York, 1954.
John Allen Paulos: Beyond Numeracy, Vintage Books, New York, 1991.
Roger Penrose: The Emporer's New Mind & Shadows of the Mind, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1989 & 1994 respectively.
Donald H Perkins: Introduction to High Energy Physics, Addison-Wesley, MenlovPark, CA, 1987.
David S Saxon: Elementary Quantum Mechanics, Mcgraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1968.
F W Sears, G L Salinger: Thermodynamics, Kinetic Theory and Statistical Mechanics, Addison Wesley, London, 1975.
Alan Sokal & Jean Bricmont: Fashionable Nonsense - Post-modern Intellectuals' Abuse of Science, Picador, New York, 1998.
Douglas Smith, Maurice Eggen, Richard St. Andre: A Transition to Advanced Mathematics, 3rd Edition, Brooks/Cole Publishing, Pacific Grove, CA, 1990.
P A Vesilind, J J Pierce, R F Weiner: Environmental Pollution and Control, Butterworth-Heinemann, Boston, 1990.
Steven Weinberg: Dreams of a Final Theory, Pantheon Books, New York, 1992.
James L. Adams: Flying Buttresses, Entropy and O-Rings, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1991.
David Z Albert: Quantum Mechanics and Experience, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1992.
Jim Baggott: The Meaning of Quantum Theory, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1992.
David Bohm: Wholeness and the Implicate Order, Routledge, London, 1980.
Ruel V. Churchill & James Ward Brown, Complex Variables and Applications, 5th Edition, McGraw Hill, New York, 1990.
Stephen W Hawking: A Brief History of Time, Bantam books, New York, 1988.
Werner Heisenberg: Physics and Philosophy, Harper and Row, New York, 1958; et al.
D R Hofstadter: Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern, Bantam Books, Inc., New York, 1985.
Darrell Huff: How To Lie With Statistics, W W Norton & Co., New York, 1954.
John Allen Paulos: Beyond Numeracy, Vintage Books, New York, 1991.
Roger Penrose: The Emporer's New Mind & Shadows of the Mind, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1989 & 1994 respectively.
Donald H Perkins: Introduction to High Energy Physics, Addison-Wesley, MenlovPark, CA, 1987.
David S Saxon: Elementary Quantum Mechanics, Mcgraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1968.
F W Sears, G L Salinger: Thermodynamics, Kinetic Theory and Statistical Mechanics, Addison Wesley, London, 1975.
Alan Sokal & Jean Bricmont: Fashionable Nonsense - Post-modern Intellectuals' Abuse of Science, Picador, New York, 1998.
Douglas Smith, Maurice Eggen, Richard St. Andre: A Transition to Advanced Mathematics, 3rd Edition, Brooks/Cole Publishing, Pacific Grove, CA, 1990.
P A Vesilind, J J Pierce, R F Weiner: Environmental Pollution and Control, Butterworth-Heinemann, Boston, 1990.
Steven Weinberg: Dreams of a Final Theory, Pantheon Books, New York, 1992.
Saturday, December 04, 2004
Bibliography #3
Philosophy and Psychology
Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoevsky: Memoirs from the House of the Dead 1861-2; Notes from Underground 1864; Crime and Punishment 1866; The Gambler 1866; The Double 1866; The Idiot 1868; Devils 1871-2; An Accidental Family 1875; The Brothers Karamazov 1879-80.
Carl G. Jung (ed): Man and his Symbols, Dell Publishing, New York, 1964.
S I Hayakawa: Language in Thought and Action, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, New York, 1939-40.
Alexander Lowen, MD: Narcissism: Denial of the True Self, Macmillan Books, New York, 1985.
Friedrich Nietzsche (Translated by Walter Kaufman): The Will to Power (notes); Beyond Good And Evil 1886; Thus Spoke Zarathustra 1883-85; Twilight of the Idols 1888; The Antichrist 1888; Toward a Geneology of Morals 1887; et al.
Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoevsky: Memoirs from the House of the Dead 1861-2; Notes from Underground 1864; Crime and Punishment 1866; The Gambler 1866; The Double 1866; The Idiot 1868; Devils 1871-2; An Accidental Family 1875; The Brothers Karamazov 1879-80.
Carl G. Jung (ed): Man and his Symbols, Dell Publishing, New York, 1964.
S I Hayakawa: Language in Thought and Action, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, New York, 1939-40.
Alexander Lowen, MD: Narcissism: Denial of the True Self, Macmillan Books, New York, 1985.
Friedrich Nietzsche (Translated by Walter Kaufman): The Will to Power (notes); Beyond Good And Evil 1886; Thus Spoke Zarathustra 1883-85; Twilight of the Idols 1888; The Antichrist 1888; Toward a Geneology of Morals 1887; et al.
Bibliography #2
General
Edward Abbey: Desert Solitaire; The Monkey Wrench Gang; Good News; The Brave Cowboy; Fire on the Mountain; Fool's Progress; Abbey's Road; Down the River; The Journey Home; et al..
Arthur Daigon: Violence USA, Bantam Books, New York, 1975.
Jaques Ellul: The Technological Society & Propaganda , Vintage Books, New York, 1964(US) & 1966 respectively; The Political Illusion 1967 (US); Perspectives on our Age 1981.
Thomas Frank: The Conquest of Cool, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1997. Also What's the Matter with Kansas?, 1994
Thomas Frank & Matt Weiland (ed): Commodify Your Dissent: Salvos from The Baffler, W.W. Norton & Co, New York, 1997.
Jim Goad: Answer Me! #1-4 (with Debbi Goad), Self-Published; The Redneck Manifesto, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1997.
Dick Gregory: (with Lobert Lipsyte): Nigger, Washington Square Press, 1964.
Jack Herer: The Emperor Wears No Clothes, Hemp/Queen of Clubs Publishing, 1992.
Jim Hightower: There's Nothing In The Middle Of The Road But Yellow Stripes And Dead Armadillos & If The Gods Dad Meant Us To Vote They Would Have Given Us Candidates, Harper Collins, New York, 1998 & 2000 respectively.
Jacob Holdt: American Pictures, American Pictures Foundation, Copenhagen, 1985.
Neil Howe, Bill Strause: 13th Gen, Vintage Books, New York, 1993.
Robert Hughs: Culture of Complaint, Oxford University Press, New York, 1993.
Walter Laqueur: Fascism: Past, Present & Future, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1996.
Walter Lefeber: Inevitable Revolutions: The United States in Central America, W. W. Nortom & Company, New York, 1984.
Niccolo Machiavelli: The Prince 1513; The Discourses 15??.
Adam Parfrey: Apocalypse Culture (Vol 1&2) & Cult Rapture, Feral House Books, Portland, 1990, 2000 & 1995 respectively.
Ahmed Rashid: Taliban, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, 1999. Jihad, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, 2002.
Steven Solomon: The Confidence Game, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1995.
Martin Sprouse: Sabotage in the American Workplace, Ak Press & Pressure Drop Press, San Francisco, 1992.
Hunter S Thompson: Hell's Angels; The Great Shark Hunt; Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail: 1972; et al.
Tom Vanderbilt: The Sneaker Book, The New Press, New York, 1998.
Tom Wolf: The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Bantam Books, New York, 1968.
John Zerzan: Elements of Refusal, 2nd Edition, C.A.L. Press, Columbia, MO, 1999. (Ed) Against Civilization, Uncivilized Books, Eugene, OR, 1999.
Edward Abbey: Desert Solitaire; The Monkey Wrench Gang; Good News; The Brave Cowboy; Fire on the Mountain; Fool's Progress; Abbey's Road; Down the River; The Journey Home; et al..
Arthur Daigon: Violence USA, Bantam Books, New York, 1975.
Jaques Ellul: The Technological Society & Propaganda , Vintage Books, New York, 1964(US) & 1966 respectively; The Political Illusion 1967 (US); Perspectives on our Age 1981.
Thomas Frank: The Conquest of Cool, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1997. Also What's the Matter with Kansas?, 1994
Thomas Frank & Matt Weiland (ed): Commodify Your Dissent: Salvos from The Baffler, W.W. Norton & Co, New York, 1997.
Jim Goad: Answer Me! #1-4 (with Debbi Goad), Self-Published; The Redneck Manifesto, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1997.
Dick Gregory: (with Lobert Lipsyte): Nigger, Washington Square Press, 1964.
Jack Herer: The Emperor Wears No Clothes, Hemp/Queen of Clubs Publishing, 1992.
Jim Hightower: There's Nothing In The Middle Of The Road But Yellow Stripes And Dead Armadillos & If The Gods Dad Meant Us To Vote They Would Have Given Us Candidates, Harper Collins, New York, 1998 & 2000 respectively.
Jacob Holdt: American Pictures, American Pictures Foundation, Copenhagen, 1985.
Neil Howe, Bill Strause: 13th Gen, Vintage Books, New York, 1993.
Robert Hughs: Culture of Complaint, Oxford University Press, New York, 1993.
Walter Laqueur: Fascism: Past, Present & Future, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1996.
Walter Lefeber: Inevitable Revolutions: The United States in Central America, W. W. Nortom & Company, New York, 1984.
Niccolo Machiavelli: The Prince 1513; The Discourses 15??.
Adam Parfrey: Apocalypse Culture (Vol 1&2) & Cult Rapture, Feral House Books, Portland, 1990, 2000 & 1995 respectively.
Ahmed Rashid: Taliban, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, 1999. Jihad, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, 2002.
Steven Solomon: The Confidence Game, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1995.
Martin Sprouse: Sabotage in the American Workplace, Ak Press & Pressure Drop Press, San Francisco, 1992.
Hunter S Thompson: Hell's Angels; The Great Shark Hunt; Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail: 1972; et al.
Tom Vanderbilt: The Sneaker Book, The New Press, New York, 1998.
Tom Wolf: The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Bantam Books, New York, 1968.
John Zerzan: Elements of Refusal, 2nd Edition, C.A.L. Press, Columbia, MO, 1999. (Ed) Against Civilization, Uncivilized Books, Eugene, OR, 1999.
Friday, December 03, 2004
Bibliography #1
Over the next few posts, I will post a partial bibliography that probably had something to do with my writing over the years. It is far from complete and dated. I will update as soon as I can in an addendum.
Fiction
Isaac Asimov: Robot Novels & Stories
Anthony Burgess: A Clockwork Orange
F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby
Robert Heinlein: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress & Stranger in a Strange Land
Franz Kafka: The Trial 19??; The Castle 19??; The Metamorphosis 1915; The Penal Colony& other stories.
Joseph Heller: Catch-22
Ernest Hemingway: For Whom the Bell Tolls and others.
Ken Kesey: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Salmon Rushdie: The Satanic Verses
J D Salinger: The Catcher in the Rye
Gilber Shelton: The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
Clifford D Simak: City and everything else.
Upton Sinclair: The Jungle
Fiction
Isaac Asimov: Robot Novels & Stories
Anthony Burgess: A Clockwork Orange
F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby
Robert Heinlein: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress & Stranger in a Strange Land
Franz Kafka: The Trial 19??; The Castle 19??; The Metamorphosis 1915; The Penal Colony& other stories.
Joseph Heller: Catch-22
Ernest Hemingway: For Whom the Bell Tolls and others.
Ken Kesey: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Salmon Rushdie: The Satanic Verses
J D Salinger: The Catcher in the Rye
Gilber Shelton: The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
Clifford D Simak: City and everything else.
Upton Sinclair: The Jungle
Thursday, December 02, 2004
Wheels-within-Wheels #5
v. Discarding faith, death is the ever-lasting state after life. Death has been a constant obsession throughout all times and cultures. The ending must be dealt and reconciled with the survivors, who find some comfort in notions of certainty and better places. Oblivion is a difficult concept to grasp, let alone comprehend. Nothing. Perhaps the darkness only obscures something else, a next step, a hope of someone teetering on the brink, grasping for anything, and religions are born. No matter the claims espoused to the contrary, spiritual revelations are not always lofty. Force and cohesion have been employed countless times for religious unity. Once God died in the west and communist east, the same old repressive actions continued in the name of capitalism, the workers, the state, the party, etc. Over time suppression has become more refined and subtle. A new morality arose, advancing the requirements of industrial and eventually consumerist culture, concerning efficiency and technique, or Maximum Advantage[8] in all things. Technical valuations were spawned during the initial days of industrialization, and used to justify massive social upheaval by developing certain myths like progress. The worker and bosses were all just cogs in a grand design, and part of a greater purpose. Methods first employed by totalitarian regimes were adopted and adapted by other competing systems. One falls behind an enemy to their peril. Eventually, drenching the earth in blood becomes inefficient, and the morality progresses--always by the path of least resistance. Propaganda converts without collateral damage. Lacking external references, isolated but immersed, the individual is highly susceptible to influences. Information can even be freely disseminated, because its availability affirms the system. Rebellion died and became a commodity to be consumed. The economy is driven by a continual obsession for material items, which also conveniently distracts the citizenry from the real issues. Mitigation becomes more difficult. Nothing moves. Waste is always bad, and should be avoided at all costs. Hence, all policy debated concerns technical merit. Even charity must be justified. The lowest common denominator mentality becomes ingrained. Even death is a number, and becomes an industry. Death is still an obsession, but without the old comforting lies. The only refuge left is work. On average, a medieval peasant worked less. Life and death are extremes with purchasing between. Comfort and security spawn complacency. Always believing oneself the exception, none would admit it. Only the inefficient admit mistakes. Resources are squandered on death, rather than life. Even the church has more taste. A grave yard is more than just wasted space. Faith promotes acceptance in spirit and ground. The anti-natural moves toward death even while ignoring it. All roads lead to the same destination. The dead are not cradled. Perception is unique. All gods are human ignorance. Desire is not need. Do those desiring death need it? Embracing death is anti-natural. The suicide is called sick, but what of the walking dead? Power is not truth. Even the dead lie. Opportunities are always promoted and advanced by apparent cultural values. Need is often dishonest fear. Degeneration can occur while striding taller and scoring higher on standardized college placement exams. Constraint may cripple and stagnate. Withering is not always immediately noticed. The wait may be a lifetime. Imposed conditions always constrain growth. Sometimes the roots miss the most fertile soil, and possibilities are passed by. All worlds move on, but not always at the same rate. Technical achievement says nothing concerning most facets about human life, except maybe obsession. Accounting schemes removed from reality will eventually be called to task. Entropy may exist in social systems, if only metaphorically. Survival prolongs the inevitable. Why die sooner? Advantage sometimes destroys, as witnessed by all failed empires. Over reliance is the true opiate of the masses, and mediocre elites as well. Choice is usually several bad alternatives, but freedom is a most powerful myth, embraced by all but the strongest. Twisted mentalities may not twist reality, but will destroy much in the attempt. A time does come to quit. One starves on crumbs.
The wheel turns, revealing another wheel-within-wheel ad infinitum. Always meaning sometime different, words flow into sentences, paragraphs, chapters and books. Even when lightest, language is a cumbersome load. Subjectives may always be tailored to suit with a coat of interwoven facts, errors, and even lies. Full definition is a myth that destroys all meaning beyond the base. Is the development of language reduced and even halted by codification of meaning? Coining new words does not imply wisdom or understanding. Presentation does not guarantee content. All play roles. Impact is never uniform. A part-truth does not create a whole truth. Disbelief does not remove the power of the lie. The converse belief is the ultimate detriment. Passivity is conditioned. Placidity cannot act. The universe may continue to expand, thus averting the possibility of heat death, but the local event will still appear the same. A wasteland which can not be crossed is essentially infinity. Decay chains always point toward an end, and many are reached before an ultimate stable state. How may one realize which path is best?
[8] See Part 2...
1996 - January 1, 2001
The wheel turns, revealing another wheel-within-wheel ad infinitum. Always meaning sometime different, words flow into sentences, paragraphs, chapters and books. Even when lightest, language is a cumbersome load. Subjectives may always be tailored to suit with a coat of interwoven facts, errors, and even lies. Full definition is a myth that destroys all meaning beyond the base. Is the development of language reduced and even halted by codification of meaning? Coining new words does not imply wisdom or understanding. Presentation does not guarantee content. All play roles. Impact is never uniform. A part-truth does not create a whole truth. Disbelief does not remove the power of the lie. The converse belief is the ultimate detriment. Passivity is conditioned. Placidity cannot act. The universe may continue to expand, thus averting the possibility of heat death, but the local event will still appear the same. A wasteland which can not be crossed is essentially infinity. Decay chains always point toward an end, and many are reached before an ultimate stable state. How may one realize which path is best?
[8] See Part 2...
1996 - January 1, 2001
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
Wheels-within-Wheels #4
iv. Apathy, beyond mere ambivalence, is the external manifestation of despair. Perception regulates impact. Gains and losses might truly be among the grossest errors yet. Excessive apparent loss might lead to learned helplessness, where one simply takes the kicks dished out by the world. Remaining static implies no resistance, but will eventually lead to a state of decline due to a lack of input. Energy will always bleed away in a non-isolated system. Disorder will be the eventual consequence. Stasis may require more energy expenditure than constant motion. The error becomes especially marked as stagnation becomes preferable, and manifests as depression. The suicide takes the most extreme position by irrevocable action, leaving only a rotting corpse and a few tainted memories. Death never changes, thus inspiring fear in the unknown through the vehicle of simple preservation instincts. Lesser fears breed anxiety. Change propagates life. Maintenance is becoming more difficult over time as the world moves on. Natural cultural and societal inertias advance the desire to remain still. The end result will be anti-natural. One does not drive a car with eyes shut. A conditioned reflex is not always best. Sometimes one must kick a little. The choice is where and how hard. The herd would dictate all responses, through morality, at individual expense. Competing moralities confound the question. The herd is different from both the individual and its civilization. All three may have conflicting goals and values, often projected on each other in error, creating impossible demands. The individual may feel alive, overflowing with energy, and find no suitable release within the herd dynamic or the framework of civilization. Another environment may have fostered something worthwhile, but the present state offers no opportunities. Decline occurs when any system has no where else to go. Pressure is always exerted by the decadent, and one inevitably succumbs. A product may not act otherwise. Mitigation is a coping mechanisms. Passivity allows stagnation to continue while seeming to involve the individual very little. Lies create new untruths and often errors beyond the scope of the original sentiment. Co-dependance is not independence. Drama is boring. Fear can paralyze or empower. Fight-or-flight responses can be conditioned by external and internal influences. A degenerate mindset may always be bought with trinkets. One may learn to stand alone, thus weakening the grip of authority. Never absolute, beauty is created by embracing fear, and understanding its hold. The past cannot be changed, only its interpretation and a willingness to avoid past mistakes. Eternal reoccurrence is usually a bad thing psychologically. Energy is best spent striving toward the future. Change is the only constant. Stable equilibrium is the grave. Why rush that inevitability?
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Wheels-within-Wheels #3
iii. A fine line will often be found separating fantasy and delusion. Illusion has many benefits, but may consume an individual who then loses the world. Any degree is entirely subjective until base reality interferes and pronounces judgement. Motivation can be obsession. Except for the zealot, choice is a confused matter. Especially in very subtle or deep matters, reality is sometimes confused with fantasy and delusion. The conscious mind does not fully fathom the depths of it own well, and may honestly believe otherwise. A tiny error may propagate itself through many threads and lodge themselves, thus leading to the formulation of even larger and greater errors. Some take the form of belief, but may even prove life-sustaining for a time. Most errors outlive their usefulness. Some chose their own lies. The willing are stubborn or just plain stupid. A degree of each element exists within all individuals, but becomes even more manifest and apparent in herd dynamics. Certain states might be encouraged, sanctioned or codified by society, culture and government by demanding and rewarding compliance. A universal application suits nothing exactly. Most supplications prove hollow in their old age and may even prove ruinous. Those projecting a dead Christian morality to American culture have allowed competing schemes, like maximum advantage, to predominate through their blindness. Despite cultural inertia, the world changes. Eventually, the existing order is supplanted by those espousing new values with no place in the status quo. The human animal seeks stimuli. Boredom creates idle minds which may seek to create new niches or expand upon those already in their infancy. Besides often cited backlash, revolutions occur in part due to such mechanisms. Circumstances may lead to susceptibility of the existing order to toppling influences, but the underlying sentiment must be present (although possibly submerged). Perception is the guiding force behind any need for change. Belief in cultural myths, like progress and equality, are necessary, else the existing order would appear to stagnate and therefore fall to external and internal pressures. Variation seems necessary, especially in the present age of development, where each hue must hold commercial potential. Eventually, the appeal will lose hold, and the world will slip toward another age determined by the dominant element. The decadent, an unhealthy and anti-natural by-product of restless impulses, will only stagnate because energy is expended on nothing. Decadence may be a social manifestation of learned helplessness leading toward nihilism. History will determine which path will be tread by both the natural and anti-natural in response. Real change is unnoticed by the over-stimulated. Walls are sometimes seen where none need exist. Genius might be considered the ability to walk through these walls. Habit may often demarcate these walls through learned responses. Although appearances may be deceiving, the world is never truly stagnant. Even decay provides opportunities. The cycle continues. Destructive impulses may be overcome through accepting and adapting to change. Hence, obstacles are overcome, and goals accomplished. Having never really existed except as erroneous perception, some difficulties may even be ignored. The discerning mind will often see, but refuse to believe the possibility of even the greatest errors. Will is often stunted in this manner. The opportunist will often be able to exploit the resultant schism and frustration for maximum advantage. Weakness may always be made strength, but not always within the scope of self-interest. Power is forcing others to accept limitations. Insecurities provide keys to many a door. Hence, some doors are locked in perpetuity. The individual will often mirror the attitudes of society at large. Improper establishment of causal and effectual relationships keep many chained to fear. Knowledge alone does nothing. One must also possess the true wisdom for comprehending complex subtleties. A meaningless flood of data drowns. Trends may indicate the opposite of conventional wisdom. Care must be taken in any analysis. The delusional or apparent may be rejected by accepting evidence before the senses. Emotional reactions may be externally controlled, but will lead to difficulties when applied internally. One may avoid manipulative emotional appeals by realizing the agenda thus avoiding crushing disappointment and the resultant cynicism which poisons everything. The world is rarely in pitch darkness. Beliefs need not be absolute or permanent. Truth exists within wheels-within-wheels. A picture is always an incomplete representation of the event filmed. The idea is often lost or changed in the translation. Response is controllable and conditioned. One may actively program oneself by willingly discarding a piece of humanity, or choose not to be programmed by an act of will. Either way, one gains over allowing the job be done by others. The resultant self-respect may even overcome all moralities, technical or otherwise. The choice is all that matters. A self-victimizer is a ready made tool. Even while swallowing one whole, insanity can be fought. Balance is not inherent. Struggle is usually uneven. Fairness is a mythical fantasy, but none the less necessary for it. One might suffer learned helplessness otherwise. A tool will ultimately deserve its fate, whereas the choices involved may prove sublime and celebrated. Great leaders have followed this path. The present road is less clearly delineated by the present age where the military has changed its function and meaning. Future warriors will fight obscured by fog. For many, comfort and security are found by becoming content with a few shiny stones. For others, happiness is a bane. Laziness is easy to exploit by simple maintenance rather than improvement. The initiative to overcome fear and apathy is found only from within, else strength becomes blunted and stagnant. The mist evaporates only when we will it.
Monday, November 29, 2004
Announcement
Chumpfish is now 3 blogs:
Maximum Advantage in all Things will be reserved for my more philosophical and annoying writings. Propaganda will still be a major focus.
Maximum Advantage Discussed will present my views on current events by focusing on cause and effect (and affect).
Maximum Advantage in Pictures will feature my tastes in aesthetics and visual propaganda.
Enjoy (or not).
-SRL
Maximum Advantage in all Things will be reserved for my more philosophical and annoying writings. Propaganda will still be a major focus.
Maximum Advantage Discussed will present my views on current events by focusing on cause and effect (and affect).
Maximum Advantage in Pictures will feature my tastes in aesthetics and visual propaganda.
Enjoy (or not).
-SRL
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Wheels-within-Wheels #2
ii. Whereas philosophy concerns itself with truth, science could be regarded the search for reality through facts. Truth is subjective. Merely by the act of observation, the observer affects the universe. The degree varies from negligible to earth shaking. Pre-determination is a myth and an error. The neutral observer is a fallacy. Although the process may be influenced and constrained by external forces, we all create our environment and guide our perceptions. Each viewpoint is unique. Unchecked, the party line approaches the limit of unity. Sentience is basically discarded in favor of false cognition when we blindly defer to the basic tautology a implies b through error. Singular views counter true independence of thought. The irrational may often prove far more sublime and transforming than the rational. Religion and faith are a prime example. Early peoples managed to strengthen their lot by cultivating the religious instinct. The priest represents the end of spiritual development. Uplift became stagnation. Brilliant insight and insanity are not so different. Time and place makes all the distinction. Fiction is a bridge. A probability is not a possibility. A possibility is not a probability. An algorithm, no matter how grand, cannot dream or feel anything. No matter how low or base, the human experience is still many orders of magnitude in rank over the purely mechanical world. A trivial error of faith in numbers says otherwise.
An algorithm represents a series of calculations and loops dependant upon input and predefined references. In computers, all operations, even random values (which are only pseudo-random), are generated by algorithms. There exists nothing deep in these algorithmic schemes predetermined by code, just a resultant series of binary numbers translated into higher languages by associated algorithms. All computations are rational and externally defined. Rather than invent some new scheme, like limits, to resolve the problem, a computer told to keep halving distances will never reach its destination. Machines are fundamentally unable to step over. The "Y2K" difficulties illustrated this limitation. Computers cannot be reasoned with to change this situation, merely reprogrammed. An advanced algorithm can "learn" by constructing a subsidiary algorithm, in a bottom-up manner, but never gain insight into anything. Threads are pursued endlessly. Meaning is only a numerical value to these fast idiots. This mathematical construct cannot even accommodate the vast set of irrational numbers, only round to the n-th decimal place. Undescribable numbers do not exist for a machine. The human mind is limited as well in comprehending a number with an infinite-number of decimal places, but may still grasp and accommodate the concept by peering around corners with mathematical intuition. Hence, we reach the destination and beyond. A mind may simultaneously grow, develop, stagnate, and degenerate. Insanity is not a computer bug or virus. Isolation has an entirely different connotation. A machine may be expanded or reduced by its controllers, but never by its own accord. It succumbs to entropy, but may not resist or hasten it own demise. Machines do not commit suicide or willingly accept martyrdom for some higher cause. These decisions are all purely external. A machine must be maintained by humans. Living creatures preserve themselves or not. A machine cares about nothing. Pain is stimulus. Boredom and elation are different responses, dependant upon numerous, many unknown or variable, factors. A machine may imitate, but neither is a parrot human. Creativity and imagination grasp the impossible. The machine can not compute these experiences, being infinite and unique. The machine is different. Sophisticated mimicry is not life. The impossible can be truth, even reality, for human beings. A machine is constrained by facts. Despite all the contrary truths and errors espoused by mediocre philosophers and technicians, belief is not fact. A dull replacement for religion is no improvement. Creativity is strangled by efficiency. Little can be expected from those living within the comfortable world maintained by technology. One could certainly not expect more from the herd. The case of music is an illuminating point. Basically structured noise, music has far more meaning beyond simple sound. Melodies, harmonies, beats and notes require both memory and emotion. A machine lacks the feeling required for any appraisal of meaning. No musical piece may be taken in its entirety. Its moments are fundamentally different from its whole. In the case of live music, which represents its entire experience of most humans who have ever lived, each recital will deviate to some degree from all others. One might be tempted to wonder if recorded music has stunted human potential by creating a false impression of the eternal. Nothing lasts forever, except possibly a recording. Many will assume otherwise in error through associations. In the past, the passing of a great musician or composer was a real tragedy. Their performances were lost. Now, we just press a button and life goes on. Repetition conditions stagnation. Once critical comparisons required mental effort and even talent. Now, we just rewind the tape and re-listen. The moment is frozen in time. In addition, mixing eliminates error. Yet, some mistakes force improvisation and may lead to real spontaneous improvement. Music is no longer organic and the mind follows. Hence, algorithms become minds. All ideas need begin somewhere, but not within a finite string of 0's and 1's. The most banal human being is far beyond any machine. Music is more than notes on a page. Life is not chess. A grand master may lose on a bad day. Machines function or not. For human beings, we cannot even define what is proper. We may argue over it anyway. Time passes. Our bodies and beings are continually changing and rebuilt as something different. There being no absolute reference frames, our positions regarding time and space are both unique, which says absolutely nothing regarding perception. The clock ticks differently for a prisoner locked in a cell. The experience matters. The mind orders its reality (in part) according to stimuli, past memories (never exact) and future expectations. Anticipation is more than an extrapolation. Intuition is not necessarily correct, but has opened amazing and hidden doors throughout history. A machine can only find those doors for which it was programmed. An equation may be calculated without ever grasping its meaning. An irrational act is not an irrational number. Misconceptions and errors are prerogatives, not just something to be avoided. Far removed from pixels on a screen, dreams, the delusional and the fantastic are elements of a living mind. Grasping the world is difficult, but not impossible. A case in point involves the relationship between time and distance.
On the surface, time and distance would appear to be mutually exclusive. Indeed, this "obvious truth" was believed up until only the past century or so. However, twentieth century science shows this view is incorrect, being inconsistent with observational and theoretical fact regarding the very fast and the very small.[6] The old exact science of the 19th century, which assumed initial conditions determine everything, viewed reality in very concrete terms, whereas our new view is extremely hazy and uncertain. Reduction has dissimilar meaning and significance depending upon the age. (Although one wouldn't always know it.) Distance can never be exact on the scale of quantum interaction. Time is distance, based on the speed of light. The present is defined by position. The future lies outside and beyond. Effect cannot precede cause, but when is debatable. Wavefront faster-than-light travel violates causality, and may not occur. Time would flow backward. The second laws of thermodynamics forbids it. Ever see a broken glass mend itself? Universal entropy always increases. The dead will not live again. An expanding universe might preclude heat-death, but local conditions would essentially see the same fate. Time might be reversed, but one wouldn't know it. The speed of light is a limit. Circular arguments will not overcome it. The energy of the universe could not move an electron beyond the barrier imposed by reality. Time and distance are necessarily matters of our animal perception. A tree would view the relationship differently. Except in our minds, no human will ever physically move backwards in time. It is enough.
A persuasive argument will not alter base reality, only those layers attributable to our minds which are intertwined and often inseparable from each other. Always containing at least some projections of the mind and herd, the underlying base is never masked by an exact copy. The positivist mindset has its uses for discerning facts of reality by demanding the demonstrable, but risks error by universal application. Over time, the resultant mindset, which justifies and values the empirical over all else, has developed an associated morality, dictating maximum advantage in all things. One would not consume without it. The mind may sail beyond and under; even be burned by the sun in a delusional insistence to move still farther. Believing does not manufacture reality. Many orders of rank above the technical, meaning is a difficult determination. Having forgotten instinct through learning, a myopic expert is not necessarily qualified or even desirable for any determination concerning value. The future great scientists will need to unlearn much, whereas the future great philosophers will need to master much scientific thought by adapting the mindset. The present age has not yet seen the combination.
[6] Which are furthermore inconsistent with each other...
[7] Under is a different matter...
An algorithm represents a series of calculations and loops dependant upon input and predefined references. In computers, all operations, even random values (which are only pseudo-random), are generated by algorithms. There exists nothing deep in these algorithmic schemes predetermined by code, just a resultant series of binary numbers translated into higher languages by associated algorithms. All computations are rational and externally defined. Rather than invent some new scheme, like limits, to resolve the problem, a computer told to keep halving distances will never reach its destination. Machines are fundamentally unable to step over. The "Y2K" difficulties illustrated this limitation. Computers cannot be reasoned with to change this situation, merely reprogrammed. An advanced algorithm can "learn" by constructing a subsidiary algorithm, in a bottom-up manner, but never gain insight into anything. Threads are pursued endlessly. Meaning is only a numerical value to these fast idiots. This mathematical construct cannot even accommodate the vast set of irrational numbers, only round to the n-th decimal place. Undescribable numbers do not exist for a machine. The human mind is limited as well in comprehending a number with an infinite-number of decimal places, but may still grasp and accommodate the concept by peering around corners with mathematical intuition. Hence, we reach the destination and beyond. A mind may simultaneously grow, develop, stagnate, and degenerate. Insanity is not a computer bug or virus. Isolation has an entirely different connotation. A machine may be expanded or reduced by its controllers, but never by its own accord. It succumbs to entropy, but may not resist or hasten it own demise. Machines do not commit suicide or willingly accept martyrdom for some higher cause. These decisions are all purely external. A machine must be maintained by humans. Living creatures preserve themselves or not. A machine cares about nothing. Pain is stimulus. Boredom and elation are different responses, dependant upon numerous, many unknown or variable, factors. A machine may imitate, but neither is a parrot human. Creativity and imagination grasp the impossible. The machine can not compute these experiences, being infinite and unique. The machine is different. Sophisticated mimicry is not life. The impossible can be truth, even reality, for human beings. A machine is constrained by facts. Despite all the contrary truths and errors espoused by mediocre philosophers and technicians, belief is not fact. A dull replacement for religion is no improvement. Creativity is strangled by efficiency. Little can be expected from those living within the comfortable world maintained by technology. One could certainly not expect more from the herd. The case of music is an illuminating point. Basically structured noise, music has far more meaning beyond simple sound. Melodies, harmonies, beats and notes require both memory and emotion. A machine lacks the feeling required for any appraisal of meaning. No musical piece may be taken in its entirety. Its moments are fundamentally different from its whole. In the case of live music, which represents its entire experience of most humans who have ever lived, each recital will deviate to some degree from all others. One might be tempted to wonder if recorded music has stunted human potential by creating a false impression of the eternal. Nothing lasts forever, except possibly a recording. Many will assume otherwise in error through associations. In the past, the passing of a great musician or composer was a real tragedy. Their performances were lost. Now, we just press a button and life goes on. Repetition conditions stagnation. Once critical comparisons required mental effort and even talent. Now, we just rewind the tape and re-listen. The moment is frozen in time. In addition, mixing eliminates error. Yet, some mistakes force improvisation and may lead to real spontaneous improvement. Music is no longer organic and the mind follows. Hence, algorithms become minds. All ideas need begin somewhere, but not within a finite string of 0's and 1's. The most banal human being is far beyond any machine. Music is more than notes on a page. Life is not chess. A grand master may lose on a bad day. Machines function or not. For human beings, we cannot even define what is proper. We may argue over it anyway. Time passes. Our bodies and beings are continually changing and rebuilt as something different. There being no absolute reference frames, our positions regarding time and space are both unique, which says absolutely nothing regarding perception. The clock ticks differently for a prisoner locked in a cell. The experience matters. The mind orders its reality (in part) according to stimuli, past memories (never exact) and future expectations. Anticipation is more than an extrapolation. Intuition is not necessarily correct, but has opened amazing and hidden doors throughout history. A machine can only find those doors for which it was programmed. An equation may be calculated without ever grasping its meaning. An irrational act is not an irrational number. Misconceptions and errors are prerogatives, not just something to be avoided. Far removed from pixels on a screen, dreams, the delusional and the fantastic are elements of a living mind. Grasping the world is difficult, but not impossible. A case in point involves the relationship between time and distance.
On the surface, time and distance would appear to be mutually exclusive. Indeed, this "obvious truth" was believed up until only the past century or so. However, twentieth century science shows this view is incorrect, being inconsistent with observational and theoretical fact regarding the very fast and the very small.[6] The old exact science of the 19th century, which assumed initial conditions determine everything, viewed reality in very concrete terms, whereas our new view is extremely hazy and uncertain. Reduction has dissimilar meaning and significance depending upon the age. (Although one wouldn't always know it.) Distance can never be exact on the scale of quantum interaction. Time is distance, based on the speed of light. The present is defined by position. The future lies outside and beyond. Effect cannot precede cause, but when is debatable. Wavefront faster-than-light travel violates causality, and may not occur. Time would flow backward. The second laws of thermodynamics forbids it. Ever see a broken glass mend itself? Universal entropy always increases. The dead will not live again. An expanding universe might preclude heat-death, but local conditions would essentially see the same fate. Time might be reversed, but one wouldn't know it. The speed of light is a limit. Circular arguments will not overcome it. The energy of the universe could not move an electron beyond the barrier imposed by reality. Time and distance are necessarily matters of our animal perception. A tree would view the relationship differently. Except in our minds, no human will ever physically move backwards in time. It is enough.
A persuasive argument will not alter base reality, only those layers attributable to our minds which are intertwined and often inseparable from each other. Always containing at least some projections of the mind and herd, the underlying base is never masked by an exact copy. The positivist mindset has its uses for discerning facts of reality by demanding the demonstrable, but risks error by universal application. Over time, the resultant mindset, which justifies and values the empirical over all else, has developed an associated morality, dictating maximum advantage in all things. One would not consume without it. The mind may sail beyond and under; even be burned by the sun in a delusional insistence to move still farther. Believing does not manufacture reality. Many orders of rank above the technical, meaning is a difficult determination. Having forgotten instinct through learning, a myopic expert is not necessarily qualified or even desirable for any determination concerning value. The future great scientists will need to unlearn much, whereas the future great philosophers will need to master much scientific thought by adapting the mindset. The present age has not yet seen the combination.
[6] Which are furthermore inconsistent with each other...
[7] Under is a different matter...
Saturday, November 27, 2004
Wheels-within-Wheels #1
This chapter was originally the opening chapter of "Maximum Advantage in the Age of Mediocrity." It has its strengths and flaws. It lays the groundwork for the thesis asserting the West is experiencing an Age of Mediocrity. Wheels-within-Wheels is little more academic than usual. Everything from 1996 onward follows.
Opening:
All Greatness is not Sublime,
All that is Sublime is not Truth,
All Truth is not Fact,
All Errors are not Lies.
The Whole is different than the sum of its parts.
Draft 6.0
i. Philosophy has been defined as the search for truth. Truth is the constrained subjective interpretation of reality. Therefore, philosophy may be regarded as search for subjective reality. The philosopher, excepting some great ones who could occasionally see under, attempts to project personal beliefs by rationalizations painted on the canvas of reality, which are often defined and shaped by popular prejudices or thought. Rather than say, "my judgements are my own, which nobody else is even entitled," these mediocre philosophers claim a perfect fit based on semantics and "obvious" truths which may be among the largest of errors. Whole generations have fallen prey to these sham philosophies and the awful systems spawned in their name. Philosophical points may be considered but never blindly embraced without subverting oneself. Perfect agreement is an anomaly that very rarely occurs. Language is so inadequate in conveying some concepts. Distortion is an inevitability. The underlying framework of reality will eventually require any difference come due, and demand payment in full. Truths are lies elsewhere. The most rigid schemes inhabit the world of the dead. Their views are static. The degree the living are impacted is a prime indicator of the extent the anti-natural pervades any belief system. Decadence and nihilism are common manifestations. History may sometimes appear cyclical but increasingly serves as a poor guide. The world is moving onward from previous repetitive cycles to new states. The human condition changes by moving into unknown territory. Genius and power are in part defined by those charting the first maps. The impossible becomes possible; extremes are pushed farther outward and inward; over and under. Our knowledge becomes immense, even while our understanding stagnates under a veil of contemporary superiority. The mediocre philosophers attache themselves, like bloodsucking ticks, to the back of popular sentiment and call it their own. Anything beautiful has long been dragged through the mud by opportunists and other controllers. Wars are still fought without prior codes and conduct, but for oh-so more moral rationales which just never seems to make the underlying death any different. The pressures and stakes are far higher. Unsurpassed brutality is sugarcoated within a new shiny package. In the past, killers stared their victims in the eye. The old rules do not apply. Our modern values are just more advanced (as is our weaponry). We have to lie to ourselves. Stagnation may be falsely portrayed as rapid advancement by selecting an appropriate frame of reference. A surgical strike is cleaner. In dealing with the affairs of the world, properly constrained and balanced truths must be realized for maximum advantage in all things. No other moral scheme is feasible. Proper causal and effectual relationship comprehension is beyond simple chicken and egg cliches. One must willingly stare down truth by accepting its reality before we may reject its implications. Even error must sometimes be embraced. The machine and herd are as complex and different as every individual constituent. Simplistic schemes may seem comforting but will always collapse under the groaning weight of humanity. The individual may seem weak and small, and therefore without power. Rather than squandering real resources on the unreal or anti-natural, perceived powerlessness may be negated by a simple act of will. Nothing need change other than the internal world. Most are far too weak to develop such power. Too many of this sort would spoil its beauty anyway. Our fears must be accepted and understood. Else we may be manipulated to our detriment by plausible lies. Causality and the manipulation of extremes may always be utilized for maximum advantage against learned ignorance, and the ignorant learned as well. Intellectuals make the finest sheep. For the masses, passivity has created something even lesser than actual sheep, which could be nothing else. Human potential is unknown. Humanity need not be dulled and defiled by commodification and technique.[1] The base argument can be higher than a simple choice over which lie is better, being different than the truth, and living within its sheltering confines by calling it fact.
For example, the forced wage labor culture spans all but the pinnacle of the highest social strata. Even the well-paid professional classes are not immune. The intelligencia and artistic communities have developed over time into establishments as rigid as any other. Despite pretenses, creativity has been subjugated and constrained. Productivity and efficiency define our most cherished cultural twin myths of progress and freedom. The advertising industry is a prime illustration of converging establishments.[2] Often an inverse relationship is stipulated concerning supposed extremes based on basically arbitrary mass cultural standards. Many radical definitions are often long past their prime. Rather than stated absolutes, most assessments are merely a matter of degree. An analogy might be best made by a comparison and contrast of the two economic superpowers, namely the United States and Japan. Historically, their supposed general emphasis could be regarded at opposite ends of a creativity v. efficiency spectrum. Japan is a small homogeneous nation, lacking any frontiers for many centuries. Hence, the culture has become introverted and internalized. Values have been concerned with improvement. Once physical expansion halts, stagnation and the resultant decadence may only be mitigated by bettering the existing order. Outside ideas may sometimes require their wholehearted adoption. The successful embrace of the policies formulated by the noted U.S. economist Arthur Deming during Japan's post-war development is an instance in point. In the present era, Japanese business interests will often profitably adapt foreign ideas, hitherto existing only theoretically, for highly practical applications. Realizing military expenditures would be less beneficial than civilian industry, Japan, militaristic for most of its history, has even accepted benign military occupation. Consumer products will actually be used. Japanese business conglomerates, impossible under anti-trust laws in the U.S., are structured and designed to streamline material and parts costs under a single umbrella. U.S. companies must accept and submit bids. The supplier must make a profit. Open frontiers may produce unbridled creativity; bridled frontiers will stifle creativity through direction. Closure inhibits the creative drive. Opportunities exist everywhere. Decadence stifles. The world is perceived physically smaller than previous centuries. Has it shrunk? The necessities driving competitive atmospheres increase the need for efficiency. Creativity is bridled. Frontiers are ignored in favor of efficient improvement. Provided less healthy elements do not intervene in the mix, the end result may even be beneficial. Inertia exists in any social system. Drag attributable to anti-natural instincts will increase the natural resistance for change. Real advancement may even be retarded in favor of the illusory and mythical. The Japanese have accepted their position. The island nation realizes its potentials and limits by learning from the devastation of World War II. By contrast, the United States was secure after its victory, but soon found itself faced with a changing world. Some societal elements could cope less than adequately. An isolationist giant was thrust into the permanent spotlight. Even enemies owed a debt. Hence, stability was threatened by external and internal influences, because the herd mentality saw threats were none need existed, like communism and peace movements, while ignoring others, like the arms race. The situation was exploited for maximum advantage by opportunists of all stripes. The constant frontier enjoyed by the United States throughout its history was reaching its climax with the first space launches, but its mass psychology had not grasped the implications. Even while enjoying uncontested military advantage by the 1990s, the result was internal decay. Economic prosperity and propaganda obscures the rubble, but down surges find large segments adrift. Idle minds start to question. Luckily, any teetering has so far been rectified, but a severe economic depression could tip the balance hopelessly over the brink. An unstable world economy makes this possibility inevitable. Loyalty has been supplanted by money. The cold war supplied a main drive toward national unity, but those days are past. Fifty years on a war footing[3] certainly influenced and solidified mentalities concerning expectations in the world. Possibilities are turbulently draining away for certain segments of the population. Rural and urban poor are in abundance. Sometimes mass resentment explodes. The 1992 Los Angeles uprising spread nationally. Crumbs are a matter of comparison. The future has been compromised by fear of the unknown. The physical frontier is dead. The universal demand for tangibles has rendered any mental frontiers largely unrecognized, unimportant or impotent to influence events. The intellectual community world-wide produces irrelevant rubbish. Academic requirements promote quantity over quality material.[4] The university is no longer a ground of independent thought. Nuclear annihilation is still a very real threat. The chemical and biological sciences represent danger through terrorism and warfare. The destructive application of science will never end. The culture produced is based on insecurity and fear. Opportunists will always exploits anxiety for maximum advantage. The cycle feeds upon itself like a serpent eating its own tail. The mind becomes dull. Efficiency has been forced. Creative drives are damped. The known is more economically secure. During the perceived good times, possible threats seem more remote. Materialism masks underlying decay. The Japanese save their money. In the United States we would rather borrow high interest non-secured loans. A 100 year mortgage is non-existent. Who believes in the future? Mental discipline has no other purpose. Depending upon outlook, vitality may appear decadent. Forced emulations are anti-natural and crushing. The Japanese failed at imperialism, yet have bought much which could not be conquered. On the other hand, the United States has conquered that which it could not buy, which is considerable in itself. The United States is discovering resistance. Certain blocks wish to remain outside its sphere, notably the Muslim World, China and also Russia.[5] Corporate globalism wears down resistance. The Japanese adapted. The United States spreads a superficial similarity across the globe, which is no truth for anyone. The United States may find itself obsolete. Those attempting the impression of their value system on others have all ultimately failed. However, an exact comparison is impossible and a truly creative solution could mitigate the consequences. At least, future cultures will learn from the experience. Ultimately, human beings require a balance. The all-inclusive is akin to suicide. The dead do not move in any reality.
Optimal efficiency is the benchmark for mediocrity in American culture. Decline may be remedied by moving into new, uncharted and less empirically objective realms. By allowing expansion beyond the economic sphere, decadent instincts may be diminished. A strong healthy drive will often nullify the tendency to turn inward toward nothingness. Lacking goals, we can easily find ourselves on the path of decadence to nihilism. Lest it explode in any direction, internal energy needs and demands an outlet. The human animal must move onward. The only pinnacle is the grave. Comfort and security is little better. A well-treated serf is still a slave. Struggle and stagnation may truly represent opposite ends of a spectrum. The center is an appropriate balance not easy defined. Yet many shepard's crooks will try.
Some spectra curve. In the case regarding creativity v. efficiency, failure to cope with the ramifications can lead to decadence and decay. Any concrete removal from reality contains consequences. Paint splotches are called progress. On the other hand, struggle v. stagnation are true extremes. Yet both kill. Although struggle might end in failure, at least the attempt supports life. Stagnation is just death prolonged. Of course, the stagnant should not be confused with the choice or need to rest. The sleeper may dream, and awake refreshed. Constant struggle will eventually end in pre-mature death. An occasional respite is necessary. Balance is required. Sometimes a little regression or atavism is needed, but its continual appearance is unhealthy. The world may always be perceived in terms of wheels-within-wheels. Fine lines exist between truth and lies. Failure may become amplified when projected toward the masses. Any journey begins with a single step. Nothing dictates the direction. We create our own destinies. Only the strongest dare believe otherwise by embracing the greatest of all errors: Free Will.
[1] Technique will always be defined as per the works of Jacques Ellul listed in the bibliography.
[2] See Frank, 1997.
[3] Strangely, very little mention has ever been made concerning the effects of the Cold War mentality on the psychology of the population. Waiting for future historians, the consequences may not be appreciable...
[4] See Sokal & Bricmont, 1998.
[5] As opposed to the Soviet Union which was a competitor.
Opening:
All Greatness is not Sublime,
All that is Sublime is not Truth,
All Truth is not Fact,
All Errors are not Lies.
The Whole is different than the sum of its parts.
Draft 6.0
i. Philosophy has been defined as the search for truth. Truth is the constrained subjective interpretation of reality. Therefore, philosophy may be regarded as search for subjective reality. The philosopher, excepting some great ones who could occasionally see under, attempts to project personal beliefs by rationalizations painted on the canvas of reality, which are often defined and shaped by popular prejudices or thought. Rather than say, "my judgements are my own, which nobody else is even entitled," these mediocre philosophers claim a perfect fit based on semantics and "obvious" truths which may be among the largest of errors. Whole generations have fallen prey to these sham philosophies and the awful systems spawned in their name. Philosophical points may be considered but never blindly embraced without subverting oneself. Perfect agreement is an anomaly that very rarely occurs. Language is so inadequate in conveying some concepts. Distortion is an inevitability. The underlying framework of reality will eventually require any difference come due, and demand payment in full. Truths are lies elsewhere. The most rigid schemes inhabit the world of the dead. Their views are static. The degree the living are impacted is a prime indicator of the extent the anti-natural pervades any belief system. Decadence and nihilism are common manifestations. History may sometimes appear cyclical but increasingly serves as a poor guide. The world is moving onward from previous repetitive cycles to new states. The human condition changes by moving into unknown territory. Genius and power are in part defined by those charting the first maps. The impossible becomes possible; extremes are pushed farther outward and inward; over and under. Our knowledge becomes immense, even while our understanding stagnates under a veil of contemporary superiority. The mediocre philosophers attache themselves, like bloodsucking ticks, to the back of popular sentiment and call it their own. Anything beautiful has long been dragged through the mud by opportunists and other controllers. Wars are still fought without prior codes and conduct, but for oh-so more moral rationales which just never seems to make the underlying death any different. The pressures and stakes are far higher. Unsurpassed brutality is sugarcoated within a new shiny package. In the past, killers stared their victims in the eye. The old rules do not apply. Our modern values are just more advanced (as is our weaponry). We have to lie to ourselves. Stagnation may be falsely portrayed as rapid advancement by selecting an appropriate frame of reference. A surgical strike is cleaner. In dealing with the affairs of the world, properly constrained and balanced truths must be realized for maximum advantage in all things. No other moral scheme is feasible. Proper causal and effectual relationship comprehension is beyond simple chicken and egg cliches. One must willingly stare down truth by accepting its reality before we may reject its implications. Even error must sometimes be embraced. The machine and herd are as complex and different as every individual constituent. Simplistic schemes may seem comforting but will always collapse under the groaning weight of humanity. The individual may seem weak and small, and therefore without power. Rather than squandering real resources on the unreal or anti-natural, perceived powerlessness may be negated by a simple act of will. Nothing need change other than the internal world. Most are far too weak to develop such power. Too many of this sort would spoil its beauty anyway. Our fears must be accepted and understood. Else we may be manipulated to our detriment by plausible lies. Causality and the manipulation of extremes may always be utilized for maximum advantage against learned ignorance, and the ignorant learned as well. Intellectuals make the finest sheep. For the masses, passivity has created something even lesser than actual sheep, which could be nothing else. Human potential is unknown. Humanity need not be dulled and defiled by commodification and technique.[1] The base argument can be higher than a simple choice over which lie is better, being different than the truth, and living within its sheltering confines by calling it fact.
For example, the forced wage labor culture spans all but the pinnacle of the highest social strata. Even the well-paid professional classes are not immune. The intelligencia and artistic communities have developed over time into establishments as rigid as any other. Despite pretenses, creativity has been subjugated and constrained. Productivity and efficiency define our most cherished cultural twin myths of progress and freedom. The advertising industry is a prime illustration of converging establishments.[2] Often an inverse relationship is stipulated concerning supposed extremes based on basically arbitrary mass cultural standards. Many radical definitions are often long past their prime. Rather than stated absolutes, most assessments are merely a matter of degree. An analogy might be best made by a comparison and contrast of the two economic superpowers, namely the United States and Japan. Historically, their supposed general emphasis could be regarded at opposite ends of a creativity v. efficiency spectrum. Japan is a small homogeneous nation, lacking any frontiers for many centuries. Hence, the culture has become introverted and internalized. Values have been concerned with improvement. Once physical expansion halts, stagnation and the resultant decadence may only be mitigated by bettering the existing order. Outside ideas may sometimes require their wholehearted adoption. The successful embrace of the policies formulated by the noted U.S. economist Arthur Deming during Japan's post-war development is an instance in point. In the present era, Japanese business interests will often profitably adapt foreign ideas, hitherto existing only theoretically, for highly practical applications. Realizing military expenditures would be less beneficial than civilian industry, Japan, militaristic for most of its history, has even accepted benign military occupation. Consumer products will actually be used. Japanese business conglomerates, impossible under anti-trust laws in the U.S., are structured and designed to streamline material and parts costs under a single umbrella. U.S. companies must accept and submit bids. The supplier must make a profit. Open frontiers may produce unbridled creativity; bridled frontiers will stifle creativity through direction. Closure inhibits the creative drive. Opportunities exist everywhere. Decadence stifles. The world is perceived physically smaller than previous centuries. Has it shrunk? The necessities driving competitive atmospheres increase the need for efficiency. Creativity is bridled. Frontiers are ignored in favor of efficient improvement. Provided less healthy elements do not intervene in the mix, the end result may even be beneficial. Inertia exists in any social system. Drag attributable to anti-natural instincts will increase the natural resistance for change. Real advancement may even be retarded in favor of the illusory and mythical. The Japanese have accepted their position. The island nation realizes its potentials and limits by learning from the devastation of World War II. By contrast, the United States was secure after its victory, but soon found itself faced with a changing world. Some societal elements could cope less than adequately. An isolationist giant was thrust into the permanent spotlight. Even enemies owed a debt. Hence, stability was threatened by external and internal influences, because the herd mentality saw threats were none need existed, like communism and peace movements, while ignoring others, like the arms race. The situation was exploited for maximum advantage by opportunists of all stripes. The constant frontier enjoyed by the United States throughout its history was reaching its climax with the first space launches, but its mass psychology had not grasped the implications. Even while enjoying uncontested military advantage by the 1990s, the result was internal decay. Economic prosperity and propaganda obscures the rubble, but down surges find large segments adrift. Idle minds start to question. Luckily, any teetering has so far been rectified, but a severe economic depression could tip the balance hopelessly over the brink. An unstable world economy makes this possibility inevitable. Loyalty has been supplanted by money. The cold war supplied a main drive toward national unity, but those days are past. Fifty years on a war footing[3] certainly influenced and solidified mentalities concerning expectations in the world. Possibilities are turbulently draining away for certain segments of the population. Rural and urban poor are in abundance. Sometimes mass resentment explodes. The 1992 Los Angeles uprising spread nationally. Crumbs are a matter of comparison. The future has been compromised by fear of the unknown. The physical frontier is dead. The universal demand for tangibles has rendered any mental frontiers largely unrecognized, unimportant or impotent to influence events. The intellectual community world-wide produces irrelevant rubbish. Academic requirements promote quantity over quality material.[4] The university is no longer a ground of independent thought. Nuclear annihilation is still a very real threat. The chemical and biological sciences represent danger through terrorism and warfare. The destructive application of science will never end. The culture produced is based on insecurity and fear. Opportunists will always exploits anxiety for maximum advantage. The cycle feeds upon itself like a serpent eating its own tail. The mind becomes dull. Efficiency has been forced. Creative drives are damped. The known is more economically secure. During the perceived good times, possible threats seem more remote. Materialism masks underlying decay. The Japanese save their money. In the United States we would rather borrow high interest non-secured loans. A 100 year mortgage is non-existent. Who believes in the future? Mental discipline has no other purpose. Depending upon outlook, vitality may appear decadent. Forced emulations are anti-natural and crushing. The Japanese failed at imperialism, yet have bought much which could not be conquered. On the other hand, the United States has conquered that which it could not buy, which is considerable in itself. The United States is discovering resistance. Certain blocks wish to remain outside its sphere, notably the Muslim World, China and also Russia.[5] Corporate globalism wears down resistance. The Japanese adapted. The United States spreads a superficial similarity across the globe, which is no truth for anyone. The United States may find itself obsolete. Those attempting the impression of their value system on others have all ultimately failed. However, an exact comparison is impossible and a truly creative solution could mitigate the consequences. At least, future cultures will learn from the experience. Ultimately, human beings require a balance. The all-inclusive is akin to suicide. The dead do not move in any reality.
Optimal efficiency is the benchmark for mediocrity in American culture. Decline may be remedied by moving into new, uncharted and less empirically objective realms. By allowing expansion beyond the economic sphere, decadent instincts may be diminished. A strong healthy drive will often nullify the tendency to turn inward toward nothingness. Lacking goals, we can easily find ourselves on the path of decadence to nihilism. Lest it explode in any direction, internal energy needs and demands an outlet. The human animal must move onward. The only pinnacle is the grave. Comfort and security is little better. A well-treated serf is still a slave. Struggle and stagnation may truly represent opposite ends of a spectrum. The center is an appropriate balance not easy defined. Yet many shepard's crooks will try.
Some spectra curve. In the case regarding creativity v. efficiency, failure to cope with the ramifications can lead to decadence and decay. Any concrete removal from reality contains consequences. Paint splotches are called progress. On the other hand, struggle v. stagnation are true extremes. Yet both kill. Although struggle might end in failure, at least the attempt supports life. Stagnation is just death prolonged. Of course, the stagnant should not be confused with the choice or need to rest. The sleeper may dream, and awake refreshed. Constant struggle will eventually end in pre-mature death. An occasional respite is necessary. Balance is required. Sometimes a little regression or atavism is needed, but its continual appearance is unhealthy. The world may always be perceived in terms of wheels-within-wheels. Fine lines exist between truth and lies. Failure may become amplified when projected toward the masses. Any journey begins with a single step. Nothing dictates the direction. We create our own destinies. Only the strongest dare believe otherwise by embracing the greatest of all errors: Free Will.
[1] Technique will always be defined as per the works of Jacques Ellul listed in the bibliography.
[2] See Frank, 1997.
[3] Strangely, very little mention has ever been made concerning the effects of the Cold War mentality on the psychology of the population. Waiting for future historians, the consequences may not be appreciable...
[4] See Sokal & Bricmont, 1998.
[5] As opposed to the Soviet Union which was a competitor.
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