Jim Choate wrote:
> > in our time, if it exists, it's probably patented.
>
> I'd say there is never any truth, only observations and opinions.
> Everything else is mental masturbation.
that depends a lot. I wouldn't (anymore) doubt that there are simple
truths within context. for example, there IS truth in the field of
mathematics. 1+1=2 is a true mathematical statement. if you apply it to
something else (like biology) you destroy the context, and thus the
truth value.
> > I wasn't. just pointing out that neither of them will be "The" answer.
>
> The point is there isn't an answer in the context you imply.
is that a truth? <scnr> :)
> The only way to protect a political system is to recognize that all
> political systems are open to abuse. And that people are wired to abuse in
> one way or another. Everyone wants to be exempt from the rules or hold a
> special place in the scheme of things. Hubris.
>
> So far today, no political system outside of democracy has recognized this
> fact.
I doubt that. a lot of political systems did, their answer was just
different from ACCEPTING it. many tyrannical government do fully
recognize that the oppressed would like to be not oppressed and
"something special" instead. it's just that their answer is yet more
oppression.
democracy is the only political system that tries to make "being better
then everyone else" a workable illusion for everyone. it's a bit like
that old joke about drivers: 90% of drivers believe they are
above-average.
> > I mean "turn into a tyranny at first opportunity" in this context. I
> > would expect the "ideal state" to be a little more resistent to the
> > stalins and hitlers of our world.
>
> Oh, you're confused. That isn't the ideas, that's the people. Learn to
> seperate their domains distinctly in your mind.
can you do that? people without ideas are hopeless, and ideas without
people are null. you can't seperate ideas from people, or thinkers from
thoughts, or artists from art.
> People have been trained to be victims by a fascist faction of our
> society.
I'd rather say that people are sheep deep in their hearts, since man is
a herd animal. I don't expect "the majority" to do anything anymore. I
do what I believe is right and if it's futile, so be it.
> Now ask yourself how that fascism gets represented over and over in system
> after system?
maybe it's what people really want?
there's this fine part from the principia discordia. it basically
describes how someone is whining to the goddess about all that war and
misery and bad things going on. her reply is "so what, if that's what
you all want?". to which he answers "but nobody wants it! everyone
thinks it's terrible!".
guess what? her reply is "then just stop". it's really that easy. IF
everyone thought war is terrible, there would be no war. obviously, at
least some people do NOT think so, and obviously the majority also
considers it at least acceptable under certain circumstances, or they
wouldn't play along. IF "the people" believe that under certain -
exceptional, whatever - circumstances, war is ok, then all you as a
warmonger need to do is convince them that these circumstances are
there.
which incidently is what we are witnessing these days with "cybercrime"
and more surveillance.
