tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9768932228930251922024-02-19T15:02:08.730-08:00SimplyGeeA.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-47924370168566628382015-05-23T11:45:00.000-07:002016-01-26T01:00:17.587-08:00Game of Thrones as Never Before<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Game of Thrones</i> is
an exciting, albeit violent, medieval fantasy novel and TV series. The special
effects are incredible, the characters interesting as they are disturbing, and
the story writers extremely good at getting you to watch the next episode. But
behind the stunning visuals is a story that goes largely unseen by the viewers.
Whether you are a die-hard fan, or a casual viewer, hopefully in the next few
paragraphs I can open your mind to whole new levels of meaning in the epic
fantasy <i>Game of Thrones. </i>I will divide
my review into three parts, the magic and its meaning, the politics of <i>Thrones</i>, and finally critiques and inconsistencies. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<h4>
Part 1: The magic and its meaning. </h4>
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<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Magic and the medieval era seem to always go hand in hand,
but <i>Game of Thrones</i> is almost void of
it except for a few elements, the white walkers in the north, and the dragons
of Daenerys Targaryen and a few other minor elements. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Magic in literature can almost always be taken as a symbol
of insanity. Probably the best example is the beloved children’s series <i>Harry Potter</i>, which is the imaginative
re-telling of the trip of a severely abused and neglected boy (Harry) to a
mental institution (Hogwarts). <o:p></o:p></div>
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The “White Walkers” are essentially a zombie army in the
frozen land of the north. The only people who have seen the White Walkers are
the “Night’s Watch” a group of men who through choice, or through force (mostly
force) have given up everything, i.e. the company of the opposite sex, the
chance to see or have a family, and more, in order to supposedly “protect the
kingdom.” Many are there because of incredibly traumatic reasons, such as being
abandoned by family or as part of a plea bargain. Like many military situations, abuse, anger, and fighting are rampant.</div>
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After making all these sacrifices and living in
this near hell, the realization that no real threat existed would be horrific. The wall is
ridiculously large, and no one could ever get in, and it is in the middle of a
frozen desert. They have to stay on the wall their entire lives with this supposed important job of protecting the Kingdom, yet no protection is needed. The acceptance of that reality would be ridiculously difficult and
painful. The desire to have a real enemy and a purpose for your existence would
be enormous. Traumatized people are forced into alternate universes where the
trauma and pain can, if nothing else, be meaningful. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“The White Walkers” are easily interpreted as nothing more
than the creations of severely traumatized soldiers. The parallels to our own
world and soldiers should be apparent, where imaginary white walkers are the
least of our problems, but the men having the illusions could be. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The dragons follow a similar pattern. Khaleesi (among my
favorite characters) is a girl whose only family member, her brother, is a
complete sociopath who is happy to have a whole army rape her if it will be
beneficial to him. After being told this absolutely horrific thing by her
brother, that same brother essentially sells her to be the wife of a borderline
rapist who for entertainment at their wedding watches women being raped and men
being killed. If trauma exists, this is it. If this were your lot in life,
suddenly being the “mother of dragons” who could birth all-powerful dragons
that caused men to do whatever you pleased would sound pretty nice, especially
since it is men who ruthlessly and harshly disregarded her life. Being able to
control men with her family’s emblem, the dragon, would be almost infinitely
appealing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Magic makes movies fun and interesting because we see shadows of our own life traumas and recognize, either consciously or not, realities about our trauma and coping mechanisms.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<h4>
Part 2: The politics of <i>Thrones</i> and the politics of now. </h4>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Most everybody is appalled by Joffrey, the young boy king in
the movie. He is brutal, he is mean, and he is a coward, unlikeable in every
possible way. But the people around him,
such as his mother and the other kings vying for the throne, are not much
better. Basically the show is about a bunch of sociopaths who go around
ordering people around and killing whoever gets in their way or for whatever
whim they have. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It is kind of crazy that these characters are even
relatable, because they are nothing like you or me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A testament to the messed up nature of the show (and the
world that cheers it on), is that deep down we are cheering for Ned Stark and
his family. Ned Stark and his family seem to be the only good guys. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But remember something about Ned Stark. He opens the show by
chopping off a head of a man he has barely met and to whom he had only listened to for about 30 minutes of testimony or defense. Chops off his head! To make things worse, he forces
his 10 year old son to watch. In what planet is that man a good guy? The
political planet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ned Stark only seems like a good guy because next to Joffrey
and the like he is a saint. Compared to prostitutes we may all seem like chaste
virgins, but that does not make it so. Our virtue is not increased
by being surrounded by people that lack any. Ned Stark, despite what virtues he
may exude is a man who abandons family for power and who kills men without
trial in front of children. </div>
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This is the supposed good guy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The parallels to today are painfully clear. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Ned Stark (and his family), are the “good politicians” The
guys who are finally going to “fix the system.” They are loving, they are
caring, they are compassionate. They will get rid of the bad guys and restore
order, rule in justice, end the war, etc. etc. That may sound far-fetched and
ridiculous, but listen to the rhetoric around any politician running for
president this coming year: it will sound the same. If you are in team [enter
candidates name] that candidate can do no evil. This is what we think. If only Rob
Stark (i.e. Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton) gets into power,
then the system will be fixed. That is what we tell ourselves every single
year. And just like in <i>Game of Thrones</i>,
we keep watching hoping “Joffery” will be killed and the murders will stop, but
just like in the show the murders, the killings, the rapes, and the brutality never
stop. The Ned Starks of the world keep the system going, by keeping us hoping a
violent system can in some way become non-violent.<br />
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<i>Game of Thrones</i>
is not about medieval war, it is about the wars of the post-industrial western
world. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The <i>Game of Thrones</i>
is the modern world. The U.S. government has been at war almost
non-stop since World War II. It has propped up dictators around
the world, set up governments to support their causes, and torn down governments it found them inconvenient. The government today is the real life <i>Game of Thrones</i>, and it is every bit as
bloody as the medieval drama. And as much as we would like to exonerate Ned
Stark, no man’s (or woman’s) hands are clean. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We like to think our politicians are beyond the brutality of
these medieval barbarians, but look at the drone strikes which kill school
children and wedding guests. These are the people who will send down bombs on
an innocent family gathering, and hardly feel remorse about it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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These are people who will send thousands of men into Iraq to
die, and hardly flinch or worry about the validity/necessity of the war. <o:p></o:p></div>
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These are people who prop up dictators in foreign countries
and sell weapons to brutal regimes around the world. <o:p></o:p></div>
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These are people who will take a mother from a child simply
because they don’t have the proper piece of paper. <o:p></o:p></div>
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These are people who will throw thousands in prison because
they don’t agree with the vegetation they keep. <o:p></o:p></div>
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And it all just keeps going because we keep believing it is
somehow necessary, keep believing that somehow “the good guy” will finally come
in and kill Joffery and there will be peace! This is the
great fallacy of the human race. The belief that somehow we can destroy
violence with violence. It never works. The violence will never stop, the wars
will never cease. Just like <i>Game of
Thrones</i>, as long as people keep watching, the violence continues, but the
moment we turn away, is the moment it disappears and the show will cease to be
aired. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<h4>
<b>Part 3: Critiques, irrationalities/inconsistencies, and
economics</b></h4>
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<i>Game of Thrones</i>
has some compelling and well done story telling. There is a reason I got as far
as I did. And as stated at the beginning, visually, aesthetically, etc. the
movie is great. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The biggest problem is the show’s plot and premise are so
completely irrational and inconsistent that the whole thing gets so utterly
ridiculous that it requires too much suspension of the rational mind. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A story can contain magic and dragons and it is okay, as
long as the movie is internally consistent. That is fire cannot move in one
direction one minute, and a different the next, unless the rule is fire
constantly moves (which would be interesting).<o:p></o:p></div>
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First and foremost, <i>Game
of Thrones</i> deals with human entities, so there are some basic rules that a
storyteller must accept when using humans.</div>
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1. Hu<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">mans do not like/want to die and will do most
anything to avoid it. </span></div>
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2. Hu<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">mans</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> need food to live</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Not too complicated, and pretty indisputable. Sure there are
some humans who want to die, but those are a very small fraction of society at
any given moment. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Game of Thrones</i>
breaks both of these rules unceasingly. Most of the characters are
completely given over to the author’s whims to keep the plot going, without any
sort sense of desire to survive, or any ability to get food. Every level of the society is either irrational
or ignored. The peasants and lower-classes are ignored and killed on whims by
the other classes without any reference to the essential function they carry
out in society. Kings, knights, soldiers all depended heavily on peasants and
the lower-classes for everything, sure they could kill a few to make a point,
but they were a valuable resource which the kings would not have been able to
just slaughter at the drop of a hat.<br />
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The soldiers are assumed to have no sense of will or
morality whatsoever. This is the stereotype and in many ways the reality of soldiers,
but many soldiers do maintain some level of morality, and even more than that, the
desire to survive. The show assumes that not only do soldiers have zero regard
for the lives of other people (which is semi-believable), they also have zero
regard for their own lives (which is not believable).</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The ruling class does irrational things right and left
because they want to, and because it makes the story last longer. The whole
story is the story of the irrational decisions of the ruling class (much like
our history books). But what makes this unbelievable (as opposed to the history
books) is the rulers often act against their own self-interest in ways that
would decrease their wealth or chance of survival. Sure rulers do a lot of crazy and irrational
things, like invading Iraq, but we can look back on that event and realize there was a lot of self-interest driving those decisions
(and bloody ruthlessness). What wouldn’t make sense if George Bush had instead
decided to invade Uruguay, kill everyone in the country, burn all the resources
in the country, have half the army kill themselves, take what was remaining of
the army and send them into Indiana where they did the same thing. That would
make no sense, but that is about the level of rationality that goes on among
the <i>Thrones</i> rulers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Like so many modern stories, the people who make them have
no sense of technology or economics, or just the basic reality that people need
food to survive. <o:p></o:p></div>
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People look at the medieval ages as a brutal time, but life
expectancy actually took a small bump from Roman times, mostly because there
weren’t so many wars. Yes you read that right, less fighting. Sure there were
really long wars, but our conception of warfare is nothing like medieval
warfare. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In modern (as in post-US Civil War) warfare, wars
generally last 2-10 years with frequent fighting and battles. World War I
lasted 4 years, with men constantly in the trenches and having battles every
few months. By the Korean and Vietnam wars soldiers faced near constant fighting.
Compare this to medieval war. In the 100 years’ war, which was at the pinnacle
of the medieval times (1337-1453) there was on average less than one battle every
two years! A king would call for all the Lords, they would bring the men and
they would go fight, <i>for one day</i>, and
that would be it for the whole year. If the battle was particularly bloody
there would be no battles for multiple years as the kingdoms recouped. <o:p></o:p></div>
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When people write these ridiculous stories they have no idea
the crazy amount of resources it takes to go to war. In medieval times these
resources were simply not available for large constant warfare. You could not
have year-long wars because your soldiers would starve to death. There just was
not enough food. This is the same reason that peasants did not go to war, and
why you simply did not kill peasants like they were potatoes in a Idaho. Each peasant dead meant less
food and resources for you and your army. <o:p></o:p><br />
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Another thing to note is the size of the battles. From
the shows it is difficult to get clear statistics about the demographics of the
“seven kingdoms.” To be fair, in Roman times, larger armies and battles were
able to be created simply because there was a larger government with a large
kingdom. However, in the typical battle in the 100 years’ war there would be
5-10 thousand men on each side going into the battle. The winner would lose a
few hundred men; the loser would lose a few thousand men. In other words all of
France or England would be able to field one army of approximately 8000 men for
one battle for a whole year. That was it. In all of England only 8000 men would
be in battle for the whole year. Of those 200-2000 would likely be killed in
any given year to war. And that is it. Why? Because they could not afford to go
to war more, there was not enough food. One can only steal so much food from a
farmer, before the farmer is on the verge of starvation himself; when it gets
to this point, threats of violence become meaningless. As the ruler the option
is to steal what is left of the food (and the farmer dies of starvation) or
kill the farmer, either way this means less food the coming year because there
is one less farmer. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It is these fundamental realities about life and economics to which the writers of <i>Thrones</i> are completely
oblivious. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A king makes a calculation just like anyone else. Put
yourself in their shoes. You are the Lord/King of the north. You control a
large area where people pay tribute to you and you get food. What should you
do? Take your huge army, lose thousands of men, and go attack the capital? Or
a neighboring lordship? Maybe, if you could steal more resources than you would
lose through the war, but the reality is that going to war takes a LOT of
resources, so one has to be pretty dang confident it is going to work, because
it is a huge risk. This is why in medieval times the operations were generally
small and calculated. Sure kings made mistakes and were even irrational and
lost thousands of men at times on bad decisions, but their decisions were reined
in by economic realities. Just this one rational thought makes much of <i>Game of Thrones</i> nonsensical. But
unfortunately it does not stop there.<br />
<br />
What is the motivation of the soldiers to fight? They are
paid, so that keeps them going for the routine task, but when going to war, no
amount of money is worth a person’s life (i.e. almost no one would say, “I’ll
kill myself if you give me X dollars”) This is what people often don’t
understand about war. Soldiers do not fight for love of country, or whatever
B.S. propaganda says. Soldiers fight because they take a calculated risk about
money and their chance of survival or (as is more often the case) there are men standing behind them who will
kill them if they do not fight.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The common soldier is stuck between two enemies: The enemy
on the other side that is coming to destroy them, and their commanding officers
who will kill them if they desert. Once again people, even most soldiers, care
about their lives and will not risk it without some pretty compelling reasons,
like getting killed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This makes lots of the scenes with soldiers completely
nonsensical, because the soldiers are treated as people without morals and the will
to live. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I have illustrated in generalities why much of the plot line of Game of Thrones is nonsensical, but let's look at some specific examples, starting with the scene where King Joffery has all the bastard sons of the previous King killed.<br />
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First problem is that there is no way they could track down those
sons. The previous king had sex with prostitutes regularly. These prostitutes
had sex with tons of men regularly (they are prostitutes after all). It would
be impossible to track down whose sons were whose, so that whole thing is
ridiculous. Then to add on some ridiculous crème, a group of three soldiers go
and search out this one bastard son, who has joined “the night’s watch.” The
leader of “the night’s watch” group threatens them with violence. There are two
or three soldiers. What would they do? They would leave and just say they
couldn’t find the boy (or even that they found him and killed him, because honestly
who is going to know?), that is the way that involves the least violence and
risk to their own lives. The fact that they come back and try to fight for some
random boy is just absurd. Also in this episode, soldiers literally pull babies
from mother’s arms and kill them. I find it extremely difficult to believe that
this would not lead to full-scale, all out revolution. People are not easily
pushed to revolution, but seeing babies murdered by the king would probably do
it if anything did.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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The list could go on and on with irrationalities and inconsistencies
and plot holes. The general problem is that people consistently act contrary to
their own self-interest, which in real life rarely (if ever) happens. People
make miscalculations and mistakes, but to consistently do opposite what any rational
human being would do makes things real difficult to take seriously. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Ned Stark's wife, at risk of treason, lets Jayme Lannister go, the man who tried to kill her son, because meh, no reason. Then some random guy kills some kids for no good
reason, then Rob Stark kills the guy despite knowing he is going to lose
half his army. Basically the author decided bad things needed to happen to Rob
Stark’s army to keep things interesting, so let’s have everyone in his army go
completely insane and irrationally start killing each other.<o:p></o:p></div>
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No family is saved from the irrationality. I do not except
people to be moral, in fact all the opposite, people in power rarely are moral,
which is one thing the show actually does represent well. But what it does a
horrible job of showing is the economic cost of
violence. The high cost of violence is what keeps society safe controls how kings and countries act in wars,
how long the wars last, and how many men fight etc. To just ignore the economic
drivers behind war and assume everything (or even anything) is about sitting on
some stupid throne, allegiances, loyalties, and other inconsequential matters is
to completely misunderstand the very thing the show is supposed to be about. <o:p></o:p></div>
A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-58113136582506595542015-03-18T07:43:00.001-07:002015-03-18T08:55:06.078-07:00Basketball according to various political ideologies. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4-jOVe7Zgh4mIynmjVUUZxDlmI2F_DUSGgptVjD_z5UPFA7X3c7ArwJ-HzEtophkSvg78v7KSlI5T8rnBmJx7YMUvYev5CLXw7L5E17bt4EWPPvpKlusTgs_8EzAGnqB9WygbIHQ4Bs/s1600/Basketball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4-jOVe7Zgh4mIynmjVUUZxDlmI2F_DUSGgptVjD_z5UPFA7X3c7ArwJ-HzEtophkSvg78v7KSlI5T8rnBmJx7YMUvYev5CLXw7L5E17bt4EWPPvpKlusTgs_8EzAGnqB9WygbIHQ4Bs/s1600/Basketball.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Communism:<br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The refs say everyone will get the same number
of points regardless of what happens in the game. All the players just sit on
the court and don’t play. The refs go eat at a buffet using the money from the
ticket sales to the game. The players starve to death.</span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Feminism:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">The teams are divided by gender. Males have to score three points to earn one,
and in the end, regardless of the outcome the girl’s team is declared the
winner. All males on the court or elsewhere are put on trial for rape. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Libertarian:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">There are no referees and everyone does whatever
they want. Mostly the players sit on the court and try to start businesses with Bitcoin and weed. Everyone goes home high or rich. </span><br />
<br />
Theocracy:<br />
Game goes as normal, except all players have to do religious rites every time after scoring, before the game, after the game, and during half time. A group of people sit in the VIP section wearing strange costumes, they are given all the proceeds of the game, the players get nothing, but do it willingly to 'glorify God.' The guy in the funny costume can choose to change the outcome of the game if he feels 'guided by God.'<br />
<br />
Democracy:<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A vote of the audience is held to determine the winner of the game. The blue
team bribes a few advertising agencies to say a lot of good things about them,
as well as to catch a member of the red team breaking the rules. The blue team
wins, takes all the profits from the game. The process is repeated for the next game except this time the red
team does the bribery and framing. The result is still the same: the players
and refs get all the money and the audience gets screwed, no game is really played, and everyone is convinced that next time it will be better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
Anarcho-Communism:<br />
Everyone gets angry, refuses to play because they are getting exploited by the capitalist overlords who run the team. They kill them and eat all their food and spend all their money. After all the wealth and food is gone they sit around arguing about how a commune should be run. After a few days they are out of food and starvation sets in. Most die. One wanders off and manages to find a group of anarcho-capitalists who are sitting around drinking champagne, discussing philosophy, and what factory to open next. They give some food and water to the starved wanderer to help him regain his strength and composure. After recovering, he gets angry, stands up and says "You are all violent oppressors! You need to redistribute your goods equally to me." The anarcho-capitalists say "no." To which the anarcho-communist pulls out his gun. .5 seconds later he has 2 grenade launchers, a AK47, and a bazooka, all pointing at him. He is forced to put down his gun. They offer to continue to pay him if he will wash dishes and clean. He reluctantly agrees and spends all his time while working grumbling about the oppression of the proletariat. The anarcho-capitalists start a basketball team and decide to never hire communists.<br />
<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-22970842401232082652014-07-24T13:56:00.000-07:002015-10-24T18:42:33.276-07:00Slaughterhouse-Five: An Anarchist Review<div class="MsoNormal">
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Title: Slaughterhouse-Five</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Author: Kurt Vonnegut<o:p></o:p></div>
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Published: 1969<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rating: 4.5 (out of
5) <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://chrissywilson.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/61guqmk-el-_sl1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://chrissywilson.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/61guqmk-el-_sl1500_.jpg" height="320" width="188" /></a></div>
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The alternate title for the book is <i>A Children’s Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death.</i> At The beginning of
the book the author claims to be writing a book about the battle of Dresden, a
lesser known allied air-strike where more people died than at Hiroshima. A wife
of one of the author’s friends is angry he is writing a war book because war
books always glorify war. She says they were just children fighting in the war.
He agrees to call it <i>A Children’s Crusade</i>.
In many ways, modern wars are no different from the children’s crusades of the
middle ages. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In war we send out 18 or 19 year old men, but in many
ways they are children, they do not know what they are doing. This sets the
tone for the rest of the book which I find to be symbolic of war, even though
the actual war is talked about very little. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Most the book is nonsensical.
The story is told in a completely non-linear fashion. The first part which
talks about the author, but the rest is about an optometrist named Billy
Pilgrim. Billy claims to have been abducted by aliens that see in the fourth
dimension. They teach him the “true nature” of time. They can all go to any moment
at any time. They can look at moments in time like we look at the rocky
mountains. This leads to the convoluted story telling. Billy believes this and
can somehow jump from moment to moment. He tells about part of his story during
the war when he is in Dresden, then he is back in the states before the war,
then back in the war, then at another point in the war, then getting married
after the war, then when he is old, then when he is in school, and so on. By
the end the reader is able to piece together his whole life, but it is like
putting a puzzle together. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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This is in many ways like war. It doesn’t make sense. After
we see destroyed buildings and bits of pieces of information from different
survivors and with that a story is pieced together which eventually becomes the
narrative thousands of school children will recite on tests. Yet it is not the
story of the war. We learn a broad story of events that logically follow one
another and culminate in victory for the good guys. The history of America’s
wars in most history books read more like a Victorian novel or an epic Greek
poem. For the actual soldiers, it doesn’t make sense. There are bombs, explosions,
going here and there and they don’t even knowing why. There is a reason tons
come back with PTSD and other ailments: they just went through hell, and the
worst part about it is that it is senseless hell. This is the reason the bombing of Dresden is
not well known, because it does not fit the narrative. The good-guys don’t just
bomb a completely unprotected city for no reason and kill thousands of
civilians for no apparent reason. So what do we do, we skip over that. We get
Hitler Bad, Hitler attack, Winston Churchill good, Churchill save day, American
fighting men save the day, allies win, world saved! Yet this is not the story
of war: this is the fantasy of those that don’t want to understand. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.kurzweilai.net/images/Slaughterhouse-Five-book-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kurzweilai.net/images/Slaughterhouse-Five-book-cover.jpg" height="400" width="307" /></a>In this story Billy talks about visiting space aliens and going
through time warps and all this stuff. It is all kind of crazy, but nothing
compared to the craziness of sending bombs down on innocent people, but so it goes.
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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The aliens Billy meets are also very deterministic. There is
no ability to change the course of events. Each moment happens because that is just
how it is constructed. Billy knows when he is going to die, but he does nothing
because that is just how it is. Throughout the book whenever someone dies
(which is almost every other paragraph) it is followed by the sentence: So it
goes. As if that is just how it is. Of course, to the man in the army this is
how life feels, this is how war feels. You cannot choose where you go, or when
you leave, or even when you go to the bathroom. It is all controlled by some
external and seemingly arbitrary force. Life is completely controlled. You are
a mere pawn in some scheme that you are completely incapable of fathoming. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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And that is slaughterhouse five. It is not a story about a crazy
optometrist who gets abducted by aliens. It is about some children, 18 and 19
year old children, sent on a crusade they didn’t understand. It is about the crazy
stories they have to create to make sense of their lives. Billy Pilgrim is not
insane for seeing aliens; the world around him is insane that escape to aliens is a better alternative than reality. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
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The book is definitely worth a read, so read it, or don't: this
is the anarchist review: reading without rulers. <o:p></o:p></div>
A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-45145593094486218222014-07-21T16:13:00.002-07:002015-10-24T18:42:33.294-07:00Burma, The Book of Mormon, and the Immigration Conundrum <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://markashwill.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/immigration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://markashwill.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/immigration.jpg" height="250" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was raised conservative. My political views have
shifted significantly over the past 20 years of my life, but I come from
conservative background, and in many ways still identify more with “conservative”
than I do “liberal.” However one thing that I have never been able to grasp is
the stance of many conservatives against immigration. Even in my truest reddest
Republican days, I never could make sense of this position. Open immigration is
a free-market idea. Being pro free-trade and anti-immigration is a completely contradictory
and hypocritical stance. Recent events have made the stance of conservatives
further isolate them from being successful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I
always hated the term “compassionate conservative” applied to some
conservatives because it implies that conservatives are not compassionate,
which I do not think is true. However, recent events in Texas and on the border
have tested my thesis, so I bet conservatives everywhere to prove that they are
indeed compassionate people by their treatment of individuals as individuals
regardless of what side of an imaginary line they happened to be born on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
The Current Situation<o:p></o:p></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The most important thing to understand about the
current border situation is that the flood of immigrants is almost entirely
driven by U.S. foreign and drug policy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The immigrants are not coming from Mexico; they are
coming from Central America. Central America is a place that has been
repeatedly destroyed by U.S. foreign policy. There is hardly a country in Central
America that has not had the slimy octopus tentacles of U.S. intervention. The
U.S. has propped up multiple dictators, helped dispose of democratically
elected governments, supported rebels. You name it; the U.S. has done it in Central
America. It is no wonder that the place is in complete turmoil. As is obvious
now from Iraq, U.S. intervention rarely helps to eliminate violence and
increase stability, in fact all the opposite. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The drug war in the United States has forced the
militarization of an entire industry to protect itself from the U.S. military
and the DEA. This has turned the drug war into a real war with real human
casualties. It replaces peaceful voluntary exchange with violence. It does
nothing to eliminate or lower drug usage, and it creates violence both here in
the U.S. and abroad, particularly in south and Central America. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The U.S. government through foreign intervention and
drug policy has turned entire countries into war-zones. Honduras is one of the most violent and
dangerous countries in the world. Central America is loaded with violence, much
of which can be directly attributed to U.S. involvement. With this in mind, the
idea that we would turn away children fleeing from violence that <i>our government</i> created, is so repulsive
and disgusting to me, I do not see how any loving human being could embrace
this idea. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The bottom line these are people; real life human
beings who happened to be born on the other side of an imaginary line. They have
cares, dreams, and hopes. They have been on one of the most treacherous and
dangerous journeys imaginable. They are victims of violence sewn by our
government, and they arrive at our door step and we are going to say we hate
you and get out? Where is our humanity? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In this essay I want to give some examples that will
hopefully appeal to conservatives as to why they, more than anyone, should be
more open and loving towards immigration and immigrants. There is no excuse for
the hate being spread against immigrants. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
The Karen people from Burma<o:p></o:p></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The
Karen are an ethnic group from Burma (Myanmar). During World War II they supported
the British in Burma, which caused a lot of animosity from the majority ethnic
group: the Burmese. In 1949 just after Burma was granted independence, conflict
arose. Since 1949, there has been conflict between the Karen people and the
Burmese government. It is one of the longest civil wars on the planet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Burmese have attempted
to carry out a systematic extermination and genocide of the Karen people. Many
Karen fled the terror in Burma to neighboring Thailand. Had the Thai government
done nothing except to grant these victims free exercise of their rights of
life, liberty, and property, this large work force and potential market would
have built and helped lift a struggling Thai economy. Besides basic police
protection they would have had essentially no burden on the government while benefiting
the economy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Instead the strict
immigration policies would not allow the entrance of the persecuted people into
Thailand. People in Thailand were so worried about having more job competition
that they turned away people who were on the brink of starvation. People who
were eating tree bark just to make their hunger pains not be so intense, people
who had had their entire villages livelihoods burned to the ground, people who
had seen brothers and fathers and cousins tortured in the most horrific of
ways. Can you imagine? Oh, but they might take a job, they may want to work to
support their family. That of course cannot be. We cannot have people working
to support their families here, so send them back, send them back face death
and starvation on the other side of this imaginary line. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tMxUY7jz8_z5-mLLcCsE3y-s8sMAQZ0kt3TbHeYUsUPPp_1uAv9Jk_GX5MtAS7_hzInxzVWYl1AUSNUp4ATih99AEUKqZm3yyMlCR6thJQRiDwfk4-XYREKhOEq5ENKRAM-fwwp-Wxo/s1600/IMG_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tMxUY7jz8_z5-mLLcCsE3y-s8sMAQZ0kt3TbHeYUsUPPp_1uAv9Jk_GX5MtAS7_hzInxzVWYl1AUSNUp4ATih99AEUKqZm3yyMlCR6thJQRiDwfk4-XYREKhOEq5ENKRAM-fwwp-Wxo/s1600/IMG_0016.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A group of Karen refugees eat traditional food in Salt Lake City</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Karen people were
forced for many years to straddle the border. When the Burmese military was
getting close they would flee to the Thai side, when the Thai police came, they
would flee to the Burma side. Needless to say, living conditions were far from
ideal and people died. Eventually because of international pressure, refugee
camps were set up. These camps granted some (limited) protection from the
aggression of the Burmese military, but did not grant the refugees much
opportunity. They could not work and chase their dreams, they had to live their
entire lives in a few acre area. If they did leave they were outlaws and were
constantly at risk of being caught by the Thai police who were notoriously corrupt.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What is one of the
saddest parts about the whole situation is that instead of working and contributing
to the Thai economy as would have been the case had they been granted entrance,
the refugees became a burden on the economy. The Thai government (with the UN) had
to feed the refugees, and the refugees with little to no opportunities in the
camp were left with no motivation to get an education and succeed. Drug use and
other problems became rampant. Hopelessness became epidemic. Of course if
anyone was put in a small compound with no opportunity for growth or ever
leaving that small area, they would get infected with hopelessness as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So not only did the
Thai government turn away the victims of violence, they hurt themselves and
destroyed even more lives through complete enabling and taking of opportunity
from those that did survive. (For more information on Karen refugees and the Karen people see KarenRefugeeVoices.com.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How is the situation of
the Karen people and the Thai government, any different than the United States
current immigration “problems”? There is essentially none. The option is clear.
We either treat these victims of violence as human beings and let them work and
contribute in our economy, or we shun them. We turn them back to their
homelands to be killed, or we put them in some sort of refugee camp where they
will become dependent on the government, cost the government money, destroy their
own lives, and not help anyone else either. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The choice is clear and
easy: acceptance and love is the only way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
For LDS readers, Examples from The Book of Mormon.<o:p></o:p></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> A
few years back in Utah, the immigration debate exploded. Rarely does the L.D.S.
church take a stance on any political issue, but with immigration they did,
with not </span></span><a href="http://newsroom.lds.org/article/church-supports-principles-of-utah-compact-on-immigration,%20http://newsroom.lds.org/article/immigration-church-issues-new-statement" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;" target="_blank">one</a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> but </span></span><a href="http://newsroom.lds.org/article/governor-bishop-burton-immigration" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;" target="_blank">multiple press releases</a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">. Although not extremely direct the
first went against any SB270 Arizona type law and supported compassion and
caring in regards to immigration. They then supported a guest worker program
that was supported by the Utah legislature. The church </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">referred</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> people to <a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700113896/Editorial-A-model-for-the-nation.html" target="_blank">this</a> editorial from the Deseret News when
asked about immigration</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I
thought for sure this would lead to Utah becoming a model of compassionate
immigration reform. The legislature passed HB116 as a guest worker program
focused on getting people here legally, instead of keeping people out. It
appeared as if Utah was at least open to a more rational and compassionate
approach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> However,
just when everything was going so well, the Republican caucus met and voted for
a repeal of HB 116. They even went to so far as to <a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705369648/Opponents-of-Utah-guest-worker-program-for-illegal-immigrants-launch-website.html" target="_blank">call those that passed</a> it
“<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705387934/Illegal-immigration-bill-repeal-backer-calls-lawmakers-who-drafted-it-traitors-to-Utah.html" target="_blank">traitors to Utah</a>”.
Many of the caucus also called for a stricter, Arizona-style immigration law. It
seemed as if not even the state’s prominent religion was able to curb the
vitriol of some conservatives. It was very discouraging. However, <a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705374670/New-poll-finds-Utahns-back-guest-worker-program-dont-want-GOP-delegates-to-call-for-repeal.html" target="_blank">based on polls</a>, it appeared that those “hard-liners” <a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700146317/Who-voted-for-HB116.html" target="_blank">were a small vocal minority</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I would hope that the U.S. and particularly Utah
would be an example of welcoming immigrants with compassion and love. The Book
of Mormon has many examples that support the idea of a more open immigration
policy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Case 1: Omni 1: 12-14<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> In
these versus the people of Nephi are the immigrants (or refugees) escaping aggression
from the Lamanites and were probably a good-sized group of people. They find the land of Zarahemla. One might think with this huge influx of
people from another group that the native inhabitants would be angry. But the
Book of Mormon says nothing about rallies and protests because these “immigrants
were taking their jobs.” There does not appear to be any anger or animosity
from the Mulekites (the people already living in the land of Zarahemla) toward
the people of Nephi. In fact it appears to be all the opposite: “There was
great rejoicing among the people of Zarahemla.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Case 2: Mosiah 24:25 - Mosiah 25<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> In
this section of the Book of Mormon the people of Zeniff and the people of Alma
return to the land of Zarahemla after being away for a couple of generations in
the land of the Lamanites. This group was also the victim of violence from the
Lamanites, and fled to live with the people of Zarahemla. The groups were also of
considerable size and yet once again the Book or Mormon makes no mention of
anger or contention about a competitive job market or education possibilities.
Rather, just the opposite: “King Mosiah did also receive them with joy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Case 3: Alma 27:5-23<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> In
these versus a group of the Lamanites (bitter enemies of the Nephites at the
time) converts to the religion of the Nephites. As this group is now a
persecuted group among the Lamanites they decide to seek refuge in the
neighboring nation of the Nephites, their former enemies (sounds somewhat
familiar to some similar modern situations). Once again this group of people is
not turned away with the excuse of not having the proper documentation. They
were not subject to all sorts of legal obstacles, or put in tight refugee
camps, but rather welcomed as fellow-citizens, given freedom, land, and
protection. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> All
of these are interesting cases from the Book of Mormon on how immigration was
handled, and I feel case enough to support compassion and understanding in the
immigration debate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
The New Testament and Final Comments<o:p></o:p></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Conservatives
more than anyone should embrace a more-open immigration policy: it is based in
free-markets and free-trade and encourages more freedom. David Brooks quotes a
study from the National Opinion Research center that shows that, “<a href="http://brooks.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/mental-redistribution/" target="_blank">Those who express less tolerance toward a variety of minority groups also are more hostile to capitalism</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.”
Capitalism is all about freedom and trust of other people to do what is right.
If conservatives claim to be those that support capitalism, freedom, and the
“American Dream” they must be willing to grant freedom, capitalism, and the
opportunity to live the American Dream to those on the other side of the
imaginary line. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Christ
said the second great commandment was to “love they neighbor as thyself.”
Neighbor means any human being. Christ even gives an example of someone from a
different group and place as being a “neighbor.” There is no asterisk in the verse
that says only those of the same nationality. In fact the New Testament does
not give much credence at all to nationality. Regardless of the nation they are
born in, regardless of what side of the line they were born on they are still
people, they are still neighbors, and as such deserve our love and compassion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-65173965565488500612014-07-17T07:09:00.004-07:002014-07-17T07:10:50.547-07:00The Attorney Generals: An adventure of Haysis and Mal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://utahpoliticalcapitol.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/John-Swallow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://utahpoliticalcapitol.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/John-Swallow.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I am guessing you have seen the news?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You know I make a point to avoid the newspapers.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes, I never understood that.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You wouldn’t.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“How does the person most capable of understanding and
interpreting current events not read the newspaper?” Mal looked right at Haysis
with her slightly crooked smile begging for some reaction.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Does a scientist read <i>Scientific
American</i>?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well yes, I think so.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Then they are idiots.” There was an awkward pause where Mal
looked around not sure if he was insulting scientists or her for not knowing
much about them. “Anyways, why do you ask? What sensational piece of worthless
knowledge are the public so curious to know about that they will pay a dollar
and waste 15 minutes reading about just so they can sound like experts to their
friends?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Pier 49 where they were eating suddenly went quiet, and
Mal didn’t know what to say with multiple people looking at her companion. The
man taking orders was the only one to speak.
“Two slices is all, any drink with that?” The moment ended and people
went back to their conversations. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mal, feeling a bit awkward, leaned over to Haysis and
whispered, “perhaps you should talk a bit quieter.” Haysis rolled his eyes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“They are only a bunch of Goldman Sachs employees. They all
know it is true. Look how they watch the sports news, as if it mattered. They
talk as if they were talking about <i>something</i>.
That one over there thinks he is such a big shot because he got a job at
Goldman Sachs. He is going to reach the big time. He is going to have so much
money! What a joke.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Quiet!” Mal lifted her finger to her mouth. “They may be
listening!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“And? Do you think one of them is cute or something? There
is a room filled with men in business attire here, I am sure anyone would
gladly take you home, regardless of what we said.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Please. Even if I wanted to, most are probably married.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So? You think they have standards? I think you are forgetting
that they work for Goldman Sachs.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mal looked around at the stares of people who were obviously
trying to avoid looking but were unable to help it. “Come on, let’s go!” She
grabbed Haysis by the sleeve, pulling him up while he anxiously reached for his
pizza.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I was enjoying my pizza, my dear senorita!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You were making sure no one could enjoy their pizza.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It is not my fault they didn’t find the truth pleasurable.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They walked down the main street past Sam Weller’s bookstore
and out of the financial district of Salt Lake City, Haysis, perturbed and finishing
his pizza. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I was saying the case of the Attorney Generals. John
Swallow and Mark Shurtleff were arrested on felony charges.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh that. Who cares?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Who cares? This is one of the biggest stories to come out
of the state of Utah this year, and you don’t even care? This means corruption
at the highest places in our government, and you don’t even care?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Haysis simply laughed and kept walking. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What? I don’t get it. What is the joke your highness?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Haysis looked around at the intersection. “Hey, I have a bit
of sweet tooth (what a silly expression), I’m going to jump into that Judge
bakery or whatever it is.” With that he crossed the street, and Mal followed
quickly behind.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Tell me, what is funny about the Attorney general’s case?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Besides their names?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mal smiled. “Yes, besides their names.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Nothing really.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Gosh Haysis, I thought you were not so juvenile. Of all the
people in the world, I would have expected you to be the one capable of taking
something seriously.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I can.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Okay, then what do you think about the case? Are they
guilty? Are you going to try and work on it?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Are they guilty?” Haysis made his “please” face. “Are you
serious? How long have you known me Mal?” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“A few years why?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Haysis was distracted by the lady at the food booth. “What
would you like?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“One of those cookies please. Thank you. Here.” He handed
the women his card.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Here you are sir.” Haysis grabbed the card and the cookie. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Two years. Two years and you ask me if two bureaucrats are
guilty? I am beginning to question your value beyond your shapely figure and
gorgeous face.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That wasn’t a compliment.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I know.” They stopped and looked at each other for a
moment. Haysis turned and kept walking toward State Street. “Let me tell you
something about criminals. Being a criminal is a job for some, a career for
many. And just like most careers, there is stratification. There are managers
who run one store; there are managers that are CEOs of multi-billion dollar
organizations. That is a pretty large spectrum. Crime is the same way. Some
criminals steal bikes and televisions and cars. These people are like regular
store workers. The smarter and more capable criminals are in charge of
organized crime groups, mafia leaders. But do you know what the smartest
criminals do? What do the cleverest sociopaths do?” Haysis gave a condescending
smile, Mal humored him. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Sociopaths want to hurt people for their benefit. They
steal to put someone else down and them up. But you know, it is not that easy being
a criminal. There is a lot of risk, someone could catch you. Someone could
shoot you. Sometimes you have to actually see the people you steal from and
confront the reality that you are hurting them. That all sucks. There are
better ways to go about satisfying your sociopathic urges. You can become a
policeman. Then you can control people. Take from people, carry a gun, hurt
people at your benefit, and be generally viewed positively by society. But even
there is risk, and there is not that much money or prestige in it. The best of
the best sociopaths is not going to be a common criminal, they are not going to
be a policeman. The best place is controlling the policeman. Politician. Bureaucrat.
These are the geniuses and CEOs of the criminal world.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Psh. Be serious Haysis.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I am being serious. Goodness girl. Wake up. Don’t tell me
you are as blind to the world around you as those Goldman Sachs employees. I
gave you more credit than that. Look at politicians. They get to control
people. They get to control armies and police forces. They get to say who goes
to prison and who doesn’t. They can tell people what light bulbs to use and
what ones they can’t. They can order the deaths of people and steal from entire
populations. However, that is not even the best perk. Oh no. The head of a very
successful mafia boss can do most of that. But know what the real perk of being
a ‘public servant’ is?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Praise.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Exactly. I am glad you are not completely lost.” Haysis
smiled and appreciated Mal’s equally warm response. “Politicians get the praise
of people for doing all the evil stuff they want to do. They can control what
kind of light bulb people are using and feel like they are ‘helping the world.’
They can send down bombs on all sorts of people in other countries and pass it
off as ‘protecting their people.’ They can be involved in wars and still earn
Nobel Peace prizes. They can steal from a whole population and never have to
individually see the faces of those they are stealing from. It really is a
great gig.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m not sure if I agree with you completely, but I see your
point. I’ll have to think about it. But what does this have to do with John
Swallow?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Aaah! Are you serious? He is a politician, did you miss my
talks about politicians?!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mal laughed. “Well, in the normal paradigm, is he guilty?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I don’t know. I don’t even know what the normal paradigm
is. Sure he probably took some campaign contributions he shouldn’t have. He possibly tampered with evidence. I don’t
care. These are political fights. This is like two mafia bosses fighting over
who broke the rules. They’re mafia bosses. They make their money from stealing
and deceiving and intimidating and blackmail. When the tide of Mafia politics
brings accusations against one Mafia member and they find stuff about him, is
he guilty for breaking mafia rules? Well probably, but does it matter? They are
all breaking rules. They are mafia members for Christ’s sake.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So you are saying his accusers are just as guilty as he is?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Of course, whatever guilty means in this case. There are
thousands of rules and completely insane regulations that have nothing to do with
reality. If I say I have made a whole bunch of random and likely frequently
contradicting rules in my imaginary universe, are you ‘guilty’ for not
following them? I guess so if you have agreed to follow them, as Swallow had.
Of course the ‘laws’ are so complicated and insane that everyone is breaking
them. It is just a matter of searching long and hard enough on any given
person. You have probably committed a few felonies and misdemeanors just this
week.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So should they go to jail?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Sure, why not,” Haysis remarked flippantly, “Should mafia
boss A put mafia boss B in jail? Yeah why not? I wish mafia boss A would lock
himself up while he was at it, but oh well, take what you can get I suppose.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Okay. I can tell I am not going to get much of anywhere on
this one.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No you are not.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Fair, let’s get to the library, we are late for the
meeting.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh, there is something I do find very humorous about this
case.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That one of the ‘crimes’ they are accused of is misuse of
public funds. That made me laugh. In other words they are going to jail for
being politicians.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ha! Well good point there.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Thank you.” Haysis
smiled. “And you look great in that dress.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You are still not earning any points. Come on.” Mal led the
way into the building. <o:p></o:p></div>
A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-5878269729310931632014-07-07T17:59:00.000-07:002014-07-08T09:42:29.233-07:00The Fault in Our Stars: An Anarchist Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkPsaF1lShnSqhLBqO0Vq_PxQmhAhVc2i6NjaJmStkEWapPkKulpIlZ209rz3oTgxTR7AeFYFvTerMIN0R0E-86DyHQHN9mgPDw4IslGHsuMTSzJSkqSig2fvxZr84JFcstOvYHFl8m8/s1600/fault-in-our-stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkPsaF1lShnSqhLBqO0Vq_PxQmhAhVc2i6NjaJmStkEWapPkKulpIlZ209rz3oTgxTR7AeFYFvTerMIN0R0E-86DyHQHN9mgPDw4IslGHsuMTSzJSkqSig2fvxZr84JFcstOvYHFl8m8/s1600/fault-in-our-stars.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Title: The
Fault in Our Stars<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Author: John
Green<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Published:
Dutton Books, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Rating: 4.5
(out of 5) stars<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First off I need to tell you: I am a teenage girl. Not in
the anatomical way, but in the “I still believe in the happily ever after
prince and princess story.” I guess most people would just call that the
naïve way. But this is not regular naivete. I've been through my cynicism and
heart break and all that, and have decided sometimes naivete is the best. This brings me to<i> The Fault in Our Stars.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is curious. The book prides itself on being non-ideal.
This is the book about the “real story” not the romance story you see in the
movies. This is the book where people have real sicknesses and are
not pretty, and die and don’t have the typical happy love story. The irony is that it <i>is</i> the movie with
the ideal love story, where the guy and girl love each other despite all
obstacles. If we wanted a story that was not ideal we would just go talk to our
neighbor or uncle or sister about how their boyfriend/girlfriend hooked up with
them and then left/cheated/was not emotionally present. But those stories are
cheap, you don’t pay for that. This story became popular because it is <i>not </i> real, because it is incredible and beautiful
in a way few actually experience and in many ways that <i>no one</i> will ever experience.
However, before we get into that, the
best aspects of the book are its philosophical and thematic discussions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
The Meta Aspect <o:p></o:p></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The book revolves around another book: <i>An Imperial Affliction</i>. As
it turns out, this is not a real book. We get glimpses of the book that binds
Augustus and Hazel together and drives lots of the plot through the quotes that
are shared from it and what Hazel tells us about it. Many of the best quotes in the
book are actually quotes from <i>An Imperial
Affliction</i>. It<i> </i>is a book about a
girl with cancer and how she and her family deal with it. What is <i>The Fault in Our Stars</i> about? Well the
same thing actually. <i>AIA</i> helps Hazel cope with life in many of the
same ways as I am guessing John Green imagined <i>TFIOS</i> would help people understand and cope with life.
Interestingly the author of <i>AIA,</i>
Peter Van Houten, is not helpful at all to Hazel and Augustus. He doesn’t
answer their questions and is a jerk to them. What is John Green trying to tell
us? Perhaps that he as the author is not some sort of God or genius or miracle
worker, but rather it is the power of fiction, the power of <i>the story</i> that can really help and heal
people. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The levels and possible interpretations about the
meaning of the relationship between the
real author and the fictional author created by the real author and the
fictional book created in the real book that is fictional are virtually
endless, and fascinating. The idea of the Author of a book as a character
within a book has been explored in the Spanish tradition, but is not that
common. <i>AIA</i> is a book within a book that is itself the book that it is in.
It is like we are looking at one of those pictures of a guy holding the picture
of the picture itself. It is somewhat
mind-bending. And awesome. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
The Theme<o:p></o:p></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The best part of the book, and movie, are the philosophical
discussions. There is a lot about God and the afterlife, and the meaning or
lack thereof of life. But what is the overall theme?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I make the case that the theme is the idea of “oblivion”
versus meaning (maybe you disagree, so please, write your argument and send it
to me). One of the first things we hear Augustus Waters say is, “I fear
oblivion.” To which the protagonist, Hazel Grace replies: “There will come a
time, when all of us are dead. All of us. There will come a time when there are
no human beings remaining to remember that anyone ever existed or that our
species ever did anything. There will be no one left to remember Aristotle or
Cleopatra, let alone you. Everything that we did and built and wrote and
thought and discovered will be forgotten and all of this will have been for
naught… If the inevitability of human oblivion worries you, I encourage you to
ignore it. God knows, that's what everyone else does.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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This battle between meaning and senselessness continues throughout the book. These are young cancer patients predicted to die before
they reach middle-age, who better to pose the question: Does my suffering <i>mean </i>anything? “Cancer kids are
essentially side effects of the relentless mutation that made diversity of life
on earth possible,” writes the protagonist, Hazel. She represents the position
that it is all random chance, there is no glory or purpose in any of it, and
she seems to stubbornly hold to her position, despite spending many afternoons
in the “Literal Heart of Jesus” (the room in the church where she meets for her
cancer support group). Augustus represents the optimism that there is a “purpose.”
He, like many, is filled with the notion that his life should <i>mean</i> something. That when he dies newspapers will mark his passing
and thousands of people will morn his death. I once thought this is what
everyone wanted in life, because I did and assumed everyone thought the same. I
was surprised when I met people who were satisfied with a few close relatives
being present. This is likely the the healthier view, and what wins out in <i>The Fault in Our Stars.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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Therefore neither Hazel nor Augustus’s view has the day, but
rather both. As Augustus laments his lack of notoriety, Hazel responds, “You
say you’re not special because the world doesn’t know about you, but that’s an
insult to me. <i>I </i>know about you.” He
will not be known by thousands like Cleopatra or Aristotle, but will be known by all those that matter, the ones closest to him. His suffering and life <i>meant</i> something. It is put most
beautifully by Hazel in Augustus’s “pre-funeral” the funeral Augustus holds for
himself before he dies, because he always wanted to attend his own funeral. “Some
infinities are bigger than other infinities.”* “… There are days, many of them,
when I resent the size of my unbounded set. I want more numbers than I’m likely
to get, and God, I want more numbers for Augustus Waters than he got. But, Gus,
my love, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity.” There love
meant something. It meant <i>infinitely </i>much,
even if it was only for a short time. And that is the most beautiful aspect and
idea in the book. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<h2>
Book Versus Movie<o:p></o:p></h2>
<div>
There is not much difference between the book and the movie. The movie’s plot is a little more succinct, as in some of the details are rearranged and some parts taken out. I would go so far as to say the movie story line was superior to the book, but of course the book had some added emotion, and extra philosophical discussion. And obviously there is a visual aspect to the movie that is not in the book which tends to favor slightly better-looking people than the average person. Overall the movies follows the book about as closely as you see in a book to movie adaption.</div>
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<h2>
The Departure From Reality<o:p></o:p></h2>
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Every book has to obey by its own rules. A book can have any
sort of crazy laws and physics and creatures, but it has to obey those
established rules. Gravity can’t pull people up in the first chapter and down
in the second chapter (unless of course the established rule is gravity is
always changing, which would be an interesting concept for a book). This book
chose our own world, the world we all know. In particular young cancer patients
in Indiana, so the rules are set. John Green, the author, obviously knows what
he is talking about; he lives in Indiana, and has spent lots of time working
with kids who have cancer. So he gets it all right, with one flaw, one
over-sight, one breach of reality. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The book (and particularly the movie) panders to teenage
girls. This departure from reality explains my infatuation with the book, and
likely the story’s success. Many movies pander to men by having girls
who are incredibly gorgeous (and don’t know that they are) fall in love with
the shy, awkward guy. This is of course the fantasy of thousands (if not
millions) of men, and the key to the success of these stories. This book is simply the reverse. Here is a guy
who is “hot” and athletic. He was a successful basketball player and
has an excellent physique. Girls love him. He is happy and outgoing,
charismatic charming, and did I mention, hot? Yet despite all this he falls in love with a
girl of average (at best) looks who does not play sports or go to pool parties or wear sexy clothes. He loves her
because of her intellect and personality. The guy is 17 years old. Pretty
standard right? Sorry to burst your proverbial love bubbles my dear fellow
teenage girls: But there is no such thing as an Augustus Waters. Hot guys know
they are hot, and hot teenage guys who are good at sports are generally as
into beauty as they themselves are beautiful. So despite the fact that you may
have read Dickens, Hemingway, Voltaire, and all the other intellectual books,
it still will not help you get the basketball captain with perfect muscles and face. There may be some exceptions, and maybe it has
something to do with having cancer (though Augustus says in the book that
cancer patients are just as vain, silly, and irrational as the rest of us), but
I don’t think there are many high-school aged Augustus Waters out there,
however I would like to think so. (To be completely honest, I don’t think there
are many Hazel Grace’s out there either, but I keep hoping, and when I do find
her, I plan on being her Augustus Waters, albeit minus the muscles and
good-looks.) <o:p></o:p></div>
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That said, this ripple in reality, does not detract from the overall
awesomeness of the book. This may be because I am a teenage girl, or it may be
because it actually is a great book that most anyone with a heart will enjoy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Have fun reading! Or don’t. This is the
Anarchist Review: reading without rulers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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*A small note on the mathematics of set theory and Hazel
Grace. Mathematically there are indeed infinities that are bigger than
others. However, Hazel’s examples are bad ones. She chose infinities that are
the same size. There are only two types of infinities, countable and
uncountable. I actually think John Green knows the difference and the error,
but chose to leave it in because it sounds better. Really she should have said
something like: the natural numbers 1,2, 3, etc. go on forever and are
infinite, but are smaller than the infinite number of real numbers between 0
and 1, but that is a tad complicated so instead Green just used between 0 and 1
and between 0 and 2, which is easier to grasp. However, in that strange twist
of mathematical craziness, there are actually the same number of numbers
between 0 and 1 as there are between 0 and 2. I know, weird. Math is not a tame
lion. <o:p></o:p></div>
A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-24199232535080507622014-07-04T07:56:00.001-07:002014-07-04T08:13:58.012-07:00Politics is not for you<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghtQ0YUlQ_5Et5Rmj7mPSD0d_C0HyrGCZu6oezebCZ6yrOzTCfD1HoZAttvy3ifkrQw9XeDf8id8ycAVmPE8iDnf7uVR7GHs8GuArqZ7xlS8bNapJLW3nLIceLwtz29NCuVTXhHe6U5kI/s1600/votingballot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghtQ0YUlQ_5Et5Rmj7mPSD0d_C0HyrGCZu6oezebCZ6yrOzTCfD1HoZAttvy3ifkrQw9XeDf8id8ycAVmPE8iDnf7uVR7GHs8GuArqZ7xlS8bNapJLW3nLIceLwtz29NCuVTXhHe6U5kI/s1600/votingballot.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a></div>
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After having been involved in politics for years I have come
to the conclusion that politics is not for me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now before you start making assumptions, keep reading. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I fell in love with politics before high school, when I was
younger than 15. For 10 years I talked about politics, thought about politics,
and wrote about politics. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There were the inevitable setbacks. 2000, 2004, 2008 were all pretty depressing, along with every other year. But 2012 brought a new hope. Like a young boy raised by his
uncle in a distant planet, this man could perhaps bring balance to the insanity
around us. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I wrote blogs. I told my friends. I went to rallies. I put
stickers on my car. I even hoisted the man above my shoulders as he
crowd-surfed at a rally in Salt Lake City. It was our time. Victory was ours. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Then it fell apart. Election night came and went, and
not only had we not won, we had not even garnered a fraction of what we had
hoped. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I was completely and utterly distraught. What had it all
been for? I even thought for a moment that I should let it all go, and give up
on ever changing the political situation and just let the whole government go
to hell in a hand basket made of federal reserve notes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I went to my father with the frustration. It was one of
those moments that we all have, when life slowed down, the air draws in, the movement
of every leaf and door seems more poignant and memorable. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Here you may be expecting that my father told me: “You
selfish kid. Politics is not for you, it is for everyone else. It is not
about making yourself happy, it is about concern yourself with the success and
happiness of others!”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Well guess what? He did not say that. He said something about
how politicians only do what millionaire campaign contributors want them to do and vented his own frustration with the
system and gave little hope it would ever change. <o:p></o:p></div>
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And guess what? He was right! Nothing will ever change!
Before you think I am being sarcastic or cynical, let’s look at reality.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Just recently Northwestern and Princeton universities
carried out a study to figure out how much the opinions of the general populace
had on federal government policy. What was the result? None! <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/apr/21/americas-oligarchy-not-democracy-or-republic-unive/" target="_blank">Our opinions have essentially zero effect on what happens in government.</a> Now, before I overstate,
let me add a caveat. If you happen to be the CEO of a large corporation, or the
head of a large Union, or run a hedge fund, then yes, you do have a say in government. In that case, your millions of dollars of donations actually do affect
policy. But a 10$ donation to Republicrat A or Third-Party B? It does nothing.
Sorry to be blunt, but your vote for Obama, or Romney, or Johnson, or whoever,
does nothing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vljeu4wur3SEpPJFYDfaomOxHPMBnoX5HhY3nYu-_hR2ZIVlpEEB1dl15DQUasm-MbEWWcb3LCbvB7nByCRSh4TwkgtZo6gcws5HPj8soONwwNJ-QMsQ6NF8lrOgyW9pDBhYEQoxiHw/s1600/censorship.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vljeu4wur3SEpPJFYDfaomOxHPMBnoX5HhY3nYu-_hR2ZIVlpEEB1dl15DQUasm-MbEWWcb3LCbvB7nByCRSh4TwkgtZo6gcws5HPj8soONwwNJ-QMsQ6NF8lrOgyW9pDBhYEQoxiHw/s1600/censorship.bmp" height="193" width="320" /></a></div>
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You have zero effect on federal politics, so stop pretending
like you do. Wake up! Politics is not for you! Unless you are prepared to donate a million dollars,
you are like the football fan watching ESPN and thinking that the louder you
scream the more points your team will score. Sorry, but no go. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Is there any hope of change and progress? Of course! But it
won’t come through politics. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You change the world by how you treat your neighbor and
friends and family, not by throwing name in a box. We end hunger by
donating ten dollars to feed someone who is hungry, not by donating ten greenbacks to a
narcissistic politician who claims he cares about the poor. I don’t know how to
make this more clear: but we fix the problems we see in the world by fixing the
problems we see in the world, not be using more guns and violence (i.e.
government), nor by giving money to some idiot to use guns and violence (i.e.
campaign contributions). <o:p></o:p></div>
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If you want to help the world, if you want to make people’s
lives better, then for goodness sake go do it and stop wasting your time on
politics as if you were going to change something. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You won’t, because politics is not for you. <o:p></o:p></div>
A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-1237955869880480702014-06-11T21:58:00.003-07:002015-10-24T18:42:33.271-07:00All Wars Begin and End in the Home: Gladiator, An Anarchist Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Vm4r-0MykOdwxH89SgFYdsEZ3iDEUnUvRB8hZ2W5_aEXrjS76lS-pPKwWTdJ2u6208cr_RFfBl49sBzEvTkrVPr1NEgEt6Jll9REY-clsVgVX0ANf-akWIabuxiTx4v9B-hRl5zuolM/s1600/LargeGladiator+Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Vm4r-0MykOdwxH89SgFYdsEZ3iDEUnUvRB8hZ2W5_aEXrjS76lS-pPKwWTdJ2u6208cr_RFfBl49sBzEvTkrVPr1NEgEt6Jll9REY-clsVgVX0ANf-akWIabuxiTx4v9B-hRl5zuolM/s1600/LargeGladiator+Image.jpg" height="400" width="640" /></a></div>
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There are really three aspects to the movie <i>Gladiator</i>, the religious, the political
and the familial. The political aspect is interesting, but the familial aspect is really the driver behind the whole story. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There are two families, that of Marcus Aurelius, and that of Maximus the general. (note: the movie has some historical flaws but for the
sake of this review it will be taken has history.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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It starts with Emperor Aurelius overlooking the war, as he
has spent 16 of his 20 years as emperor. The movie suggests he was war-like in
his early years as emperor but then had an awaking. Of course the fact that he
dies at war somewhat flies in the face of this. Furthermore it seems Rome is
going to hell in a hand-basket during his tenure. However he did end the
gladiator fights (not historically accurate) and wrote some good words down on
paper. By empirical reality probably not the best of men, but emotionally we
are supposed to identify and respect him in the movie, or at the very least not
hate him. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflPhs0QCwwiq0oOLZqz7eFjTQkN_Qt1rsCH0uOCXjb0RZAgYSnwvkU0jPQPTUCIx4nuUmXpVs6S5xlGt6iasNBeL8lyP7zVgqjkPvrWvJGefv0WkyNcfKaVoPOqv4n6oj9KTWtTRHsU4/s1600/Emperor-Watches-Frail.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflPhs0QCwwiq0oOLZqz7eFjTQkN_Qt1rsCH0uOCXjb0RZAgYSnwvkU0jPQPTUCIx4nuUmXpVs6S5xlGt6iasNBeL8lyP7zVgqjkPvrWvJGefv0WkyNcfKaVoPOqv4n6oj9KTWtTRHsU4/s1600/Emperor-Watches-Frail.png" height="167" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marcus Aurelius Overlooks the battlefield- a position he was used to.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Interestingly the man we are supposed to hate is Marcus Aurelius’
son, Commodus. This is a difficult task for the movie accomplish. The movie has
to somehow make us love the father while hating the son, but deep down we know
this cannot be. When Commodus is talking about his “bad” qualities, we know
that he did not get them from watching Roman TV shows, he got them from <i>his father.</i> The movie even points Aurelius’
bad parenting out. He says to his daughter, “Let us pretend that you are a
loving daughter and I am a good father.” To which his daughter responds, “This
is a pleasant fiction, is it not?” More blatantly Aurelius says to Commodus, “Your
faults as a son is my failings as a father.” Aurelius was of course away at war
<i>for 16 years.</i> How could he be a good
father? Or even a father for that matter. He was a sightseer and war monger who
occasionally took a break to say hello to some children back at home. The movie
attempts to make it appear as if Commodus is a bad egg that randomly hatched
out of nowhere but deep down we know this is not true. We know instinctively
that Commodus is who he is largely because of his father. It is apparent that Aurelius
was gone during much of his children’s lives. He was likely gone during many of
the most crucial years. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This is the story of the movie: that national disasters and
wars <i>do not</i> begin on the battlefield,
in negotiation rooms, nor in state buildings. Wars begin in living rooms,
kitchens, and classrooms. Particularly detrimental are the disastrous homes of
the political elite. The horrors that happen in those living rooms are acted
out in grand scale with bombs and soldiers. Furthermore the movie shows that not
only do wars not begin in the battlefield, they do not end there either. <i>All wars begin and end in the home. </i>The
war pulls fathers away and families apart and sews the seeds of further
conflict, destruction, and sadness. This cycle is the story of the movie.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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After the opening battle sequence that is there largely to
draw us in, we are shot into the actual meat of the story, the familial
dysfunction. The battle with all of its evils and flaming arrows and dying
people are simply the bloody manifestations of the familial dysfunction juxtaposed
in the movie just after the battle sequence. To make it more complete the movie
should have opened with the familial politics and then gone to the battle
scene, but cinematic demands make you come in with a more visual stunning bang
(mad props to the special effects crew and all that, the battle scene does have
some pretty breath-taking images.). <o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course the war itself makes no rational sense (as
always). But wars are not rational, they never are they never were, they are emotional
manifestations of familial dysfunction and are not based at all on their supposed
political goals. The movie claims that after the Romans fight this final battle
against the Germans the whole empire will be safe and at peace. So this was not
the first, or last, “War to end all wars.” <i>Every</i>
war is the war to end all wars. That is how politicians get people to fight “Just
fight this war, and then there will be peace and all your children and
grandchildren will be able to live in peace! Do it for your children and future
generations! Fight for peace!” And so, people sign up. This is what they said
during World War I. The war to end all wars. Fight for peace, so your children
can live in peace. Was there peace for their children? No of course not. The
children had to fight in the bloodiest conflict in human history, WWII. Politicians
have been saying this is “the last war” since before ancient Rome, you think <i>this time</i> it will finally be true?
Marcus Aurelius is of course aware of this; shortly after the battle he says “There
will always be people to fight.”</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Clearly, they did not need to fight this random Germanic
tribe. “People need to know when they are conquered,” says one general. It is
about being in charge, not actual threats or safety. What were a bunch of hairy
men in the mountains really going to do to the Roman Empire? Indeed it makes
about as much sense as our wars and military bases throughout the world that do
not make us safer, but do give us a superiority complex. Did Rome really need
the northern half of Germania to survive? Surely the Roman army could not think
they were “helping them out?” Like we so daringly say about our wars in the Middle
East, “We are there to help them out.” Say that to the Iraqi who is dead and to
all of his family. How much did we “help them out?” Similarly the Germanic
tribes who were slaughtered probably did not feel so “helped” by the Roman
army.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Ar9nvwLUkOqerwdjnPUM-Rx-33lgJD3P048isb-OPvugXJXeJE0aVFgcpiwFlMu1ELH55cnTA3n5Uiuh-Zr7Xj6ZbJV8vAbeXYAtPttr1kzG-l0ythIrg21-ghhxAYn8Q7ftdCAP2hU/s1600/OpeningBattle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Ar9nvwLUkOqerwdjnPUM-Rx-33lgJD3P048isb-OPvugXJXeJE0aVFgcpiwFlMu1ELH55cnTA3n5Uiuh-Zr7Xj6ZbJV8vAbeXYAtPttr1kzG-l0ythIrg21-ghhxAYn8Q7ftdCAP2hU/s1600/OpeningBattle.jpg" height="226" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The opening battle is great cinematography</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The worst part about war is that it always lays the seeds
for future wars and familial dysfunction. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is not far into the movie when Commodus kills his father.
He does this just after his father tells him that he does not trust him enough to
be the next emperor. Commodus murders his father to become emperor. Is this not
what his father taught him? Aurelius has “murdered” to maintain the empire, in
fact he has sent thousands of young men to their deaths, as well as ordered the
deaths of “barbarians.” So though we are supposed to hate Commodus for killing
his father, and love Aurelius for his valor in battle, they are the same thing.
Commodus is doing exactly what his father has taught him to do his whole life,
or at least 16 years of it, to go out and kill <i>anyone</i> who threatens your hold on the empire. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What is more, the physical killing of Aurelius is his son’s retribution
for his father’s killing of him. You cannot kill unless you have first been
killed inside. Aurelius, through lack of love toward his child, through
abandonment as he was off to war, killed his son inside, leading to his own
eventual murder. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most people see the villain and his lust for power as the
drive behind the movie, but this is not the case, that is the mere outward manifestation
of the abandonment because of the wars and ambitions of his father. This is the
tragedy behind the horrors of the movie. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The war, as all wars, is fundamentally a war against
families, not against Germanians. The Romans were told they were going to kill
Germanians, but they were killing Roman families. Similarly when we go to Iraq
or Afghanistan, or wherever else, the war is not against whoever the supposed
bad guys are, the war is against American families and children who lose fathers
for years or forever and who come back with PTSD and an inability to function
in society. The war is caused by dysfunctional families and it then spreads
that disease of dysfunction and violence to others. Maximus loved his family
and his children. Apparently (as far as the movie showed) he had a good home.
Then he had to leave for war, as he says he hasn’t seen his family for “2
years, 264 days and this morning.” His boy was only a few years old. During
those crucial years he was left without a father. His family is fundamentally
wounded. To make this clear the movie shows the Roman troops crucifying and
burning Maximus’ wife and children. This is simply physically doing to his
family what the Roman army had already done emotionally. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No family involved in war can be spared this fate. They lose their father, or get a father severely
wounded coming home. Many soldiers and families are able to survive and live
well, but others’ lives are almost as that of Maximus, half-awake nightmares. This is shown by the fact that soldiers are <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/nation/2014/04/25/suicide-rates-army-military-pentagon/8060059/" target="_blank">more likely to commit suicide</a> and <a href="http://www.veteransandptsd.com/PTSD-statistics.html" target="_blank">about 20% of those involved in Iraq and Afghanistan have PTSD and/or depression</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUmEH6fYQGfARXRLFHCVXPemsNFuBGAIYne4QeJ0G_kLP3L-EADXQJCvzrovqeoT5cfsPwzikV0hyhW_VJHPUvzhp_R1yrmxU9XeOls57U3mgbzBQGxkr9kiHYoWpg5S4-pOijazcpY4/s1600/FamilyMaximus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUmEH6fYQGfARXRLFHCVXPemsNFuBGAIYne4QeJ0G_kLP3L-EADXQJCvzrovqeoT5cfsPwzikV0hyhW_VJHPUvzhp_R1yrmxU9XeOls57U3mgbzBQGxkr9kiHYoWpg5S4-pOijazcpY4/s1600/FamilyMaximus.jpg" height="167" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maximus' family who he never sees again in the flesh. Family is the true cost of war.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the death of Maximus’s family the story line splits.
Maximus through some truly strange circumstances is picked up by slavers and
becomes a gladiator, while Commodus is in the capitol scheming to eliminate the
senate.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here there are some interesting political discussions. Commodus
talks to his sister about the need to get rid of the senate. Commodus is
completely unable to negotiate or connect with people. This is seen in the
scene at the senate where he simply plays with his sword and ignores the
senators, then gets mad at them for nonsensical reasons and walks off in anger.
This of course is a manifestation of his inability to connect with his father,
but he extends that to everyone. He can’t make real connections or do real
negotiations so for this reason he wants totalitarian power. If only there were
not people in the way he could do what is right. If he just didn’t have to
negotiate. This is also why he basically holds his sister captive. She becomes
his “connection” the person he can relate to, even though she is completely
scared of him. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She tells Commodus in her attempt to get him to step down
from his ambitions, “leave the people their illusions, their traditions.” Isn’t
that so fitting to what we see today? Princeton and Northwestern proved that the <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/apr/21/americas-oligarchy-not-democracy-or-republic-unive/" target="_blank">whole democracy thing is just that, a sham, an illusion, a tradition</a> (at least in the United States). In reality “the people” have no
control over what takes place in Washington. We are just like the people in
Rome, kept with our “illusions.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Commodus desperately wants the respect of the people,
because he thinks it will fill that gaping hole in his soul where his father
should be. He thinks being loved by the people will finally make him feel
secure, complete, and not scared of being alone. “What do the people care
about?” he yells. His sister suggests they care about the war, about the
victory. “They never saw the battles – what do the people care about Germania?”
Interesting because it is so true. What do they care about random fighting of
people in a distant land they will never see. Yet that is war. It becomes
important only because we are told it is. And so we grow to worship it as our
defender when it is really all the opposite. “They care about the greatness of
Rome.” Says his sister, which really just shows the lack of connection with
people. People care about their families, they care about their businesses,
they care about their hobbies, they care about their friends. It is these mere
abstractions that people put up as important when they are unable to connect to
those more important things. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The whole political section is extremely fascinating because
it is so relevant to our current political condition, as well as for the fact
of its slightly conservative bend which is almost non-existent in
Hollywood. All the politicians are represented,
rightfully so, as out of touch, entitled jerks. There is of course an exception:
The “good” politician. The existence of a “good” politician is more Hollywood
fiction than reality, but I suppose relative to other politicians, some do look
good. The good guy is Gracchus. He is wealthy (as all the senators were and
are), intellectual, and well-read. When he shows up to the gladiator games, one
of the other senators is surprised that he would show up to see the “mob.” “I
never pretended to be a man of the people,” says Gracchus, “I do strive to be a
man for the people.” In the Senate we see him discussing minutia such as how to
fix the water supply and ward off a growing plague. He isn’t talking about
grandiose ideas. He is an Edmund Burke politician, the intellectual father of
conservatism. He has a pragmatic, gradual change, virtue to him. He is not
pretentious, but straightforward and pragmatic. Ironically this is the opposite
of all Hollywood stands for, which is why it is not often glorified. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3nqvuFBrwZSOEOkQANwsVlreN92_El0G_Re05zUeziJiP70YiuA7DG6cAQOqrqy9POET46Wn5DxZth6Z2ctcByRJxQ_UA-to_ViZh2tociHB-C48N6ClBSSE2RjAmGOti1QXF_hRg-nU/s1600/Gracchus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3nqvuFBrwZSOEOkQANwsVlreN92_El0G_Re05zUeziJiP70YiuA7DG6cAQOqrqy9POET46Wn5DxZth6Z2ctcByRJxQ_UA-to_ViZh2tociHB-C48N6ClBSSE2RjAmGOti1QXF_hRg-nU/s1600/Gracchus.jpg" height="203" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gracchus, the "good" politician (as if that existed).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In what Gracchus calls a “brilliant” move, Commodus brings
back the gladiator games (his father had ended them for moral reasons). Gracchus
doesn’t think the action is good or right, just politically brilliant. He knows
how people think. The people are losing what little political control they
have, so Commodus says, “here is some entertainment,” and everyone cheers. Is
this any different than today? We all know we essentially have no political
voice, and we all know the government is going to hell in hand basket, and the
debt is a mess, and people are dying because of our facetious wars. And what do
we do? We wonder what the last thing Miley Cyrus did at her concert. We get
together and drink beer and watch some guys run into each other gladiator-like
in stadiums modeled after the very coliseum where the gladiator games were
held. Have we really advanced that much? We still fall for this stupid gag.
Throw some games and put out some celebrity, and BAM they don’t even care or
notice that we are financially raping them and they can do <i>nothing</i> about it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is also interesting that at the beginning of one of the
games people go around the stadium throwing out bread; loafs of bread for all
to share, a gift from the emperor. Well how about that for original? Using food
and money as a way to buy popularity. This is of course exactly what politicians
continue to do. Promise benefits and a constant stream of free food and goodies
so that people will show up and vote for them. Humans have changed little since
the days of Rome. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Throughout the movie we see poor Commodus in a desperate
attempt to gather the love of the crowd. He thinks he must be everything and
everyone must care about him. This narcissistic megalomania is what makes politicians.
It is not about helping people or changing the world. They are up there
searching for the praise and love to fill the void they cannot fill in their
lives. Every vote they receive is one more badge on their ego to cover their
empty souls. Look at politicians: a group of people who cheat on their wives
and steel from the public purse to enforce their vision on the world. They are
up their building their Utopia for us as if we did not know how to live our own
lives and we need their superior knowledge on every subject imaginable to guide
us. Nothing short of complete narcissistic megalomania leads you to that. Notice
that there are two “i’s” in narcissist, and three “i’s” in politician.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKf2im7BfnsTUvo4hqf0tzeNEbs8xVHNmUuGiLsEiKDM9R_a60T0KN7yuWsooG1Y1V0M2U9Wznc02LViU0Khvsd9MPMbOCUbOGV8gA8LYPB6ZDOSvZzPDK1PBzvirHnlIDndK53aWJFJk/s1600/EvilEmperor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKf2im7BfnsTUvo4hqf0tzeNEbs8xVHNmUuGiLsEiKDM9R_a60T0KN7yuWsooG1Y1V0M2U9Wznc02LViU0Khvsd9MPMbOCUbOGV8gA8LYPB6ZDOSvZzPDK1PBzvirHnlIDndK53aWJFJk/s1600/EvilEmperor.jpg" height="226" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In a vain attempt to gain approval of the crowd, Commodus brings back the gladiator games. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In fact, the reason we like completely evil politicians and villains
in our movies is because they make our sick system, our corrupted and evil
leaders, seem less evil by comparison. This is why we like the Hunger Games and
movies with emperors that kill their father. We can suddenly feel comforted
that though our “leaders” lie to us, steal from us, start frivolous wars, sell
off our children’s futures to foreign bankers, arrest people for carrying the
wrong forms of vegetation in their pockets, and just about every other evil
imaginable, at least they are not killing their own fathers. At least we are
not that bad.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After being a movie that has so ingeniously and beautifully
opened up our minds to truth, the movie ends with what I call the great myth. The
movie shows evil after evil of political power, shows the horrific effects of
violence and war, and then at the end, says that the good guy wins and he wins
by using violence. This is the great myth that so many movies disseminate in
the minds of people. Our minds for some reason identify it. We want the good
guy to rise up and kill the bad guy and make everything right. We want the
white knight to save the day. This is of course why society, keeps trying to
use this same solution over and over again. We cannot see that this “solution”
is the very cause of the problems in the first place. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Violence cannot solve
the problems violence creates.</i> I don’t know when Hollywood and society will
catch on to this one, but that is the great myth. I will rewrite this statement
in a few other ways that will maybe relate to leftists and rightists. All these
statements are forms of the same thing: <i>War
cannot solve the problems war creates. Government cannot solve the problems
government creates, Abuse cannot solve the problems abuse creates, rape cannot
solve the problems rape creates. </i>Take any one of those statements that
resonates with you and simply universalize it. War is violence, and violence
can’t solve violence because war cannot solve war. Government is violence, rape
is violence, abuse is violence. All these things are different form of the same
thing: violent and coercive force over people. For some reason we keep thinking
some Maximus will come in and kill the emperor and make everything right. We
think some Hero will ride to victory and kill all these violent oppressors.
Guess what? It is never going to happen. You cannot play with evil at its own
game and win. You can’t expect to walk onto a basketball court with Michael
Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and Karl Malone and expect to come out as
the winner. If you attempt to take down tyrants with violence, one of two
things will happen: you will lose and get brutally killed either physically or
emotionally, or you will become an even more horrible tyrant than the one you
are trying to take down. This is a game you cannot win. The only way to win is
to not play. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIW2o5F9YbHTS208D0uG4u4GR1qtfl9yRGMENbQmfqrMeLAQyZsxXYhMdpkFsjDjsYrPQXSVNlR_eudF_3LjOU_N1JLANQOURLv6Xz-2apCjLj_ndyg_t9UB4naAX6Yr6cb5StQxl6zvA/s1600/FinalFight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIW2o5F9YbHTS208D0uG4u4GR1qtfl9yRGMENbQmfqrMeLAQyZsxXYhMdpkFsjDjsYrPQXSVNlR_eudF_3LjOU_N1JLANQOURLv6Xz-2apCjLj_ndyg_t9UB4naAX6Yr6cb5StQxl6zvA/s1600/FinalFight.jpg" height="170" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hollywood myth: being able to end violence with more violence. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stop waiting for Maximus. Be a hero today. Not with guns
or violence. Guns and violence just create more guns and violence. The only
solution is to first eliminate the desire for violence in us and spread love to
others. We first must fix our homes before we can fix the world. Until we love
our children and our wives and our husbands, we cannot spread love to others. We
cannot expect to end war and end violence against other races and cultures when
we cannot even love our very own children and neighbors. We cannot expect to
expand tolerance of other world views when we do not even allow our children to
view the world differently than we do. Until each child wakes up every day
confident the he is loved regardless of his ideas. Until each child wakes up
confident there are people around him protecting him, until that day comes, we
have not seen the end of war. For war begins, and ends, in the home.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not on historicity: Aurelius really did have a son named Commodus who succeeded him as emperor. Also it is generally considered that Aurelius was a "good" emperor and his son was a complete narcissistic failure. However, there is no evidence to suggest that Aurelius appointed someone else besides his son to be emperor, though it has been speculated. Aurelius died of the plague, and was not assassinated, and his son had already been serving as emperor for multiple years. Furthermore Commodus ruled for 12 years, not just a short while as depicted. Furthermore Rome never returned to a Republic, as the movie suggests would happen. On an interesting note, Commodus was killed by a fighter, a wrestler not a gladiator, whose name was Narcissus. </div>
</div>
A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-46014806721327364052014-05-02T19:02:00.002-07:002014-05-02T19:03:42.305-07:00Tuxedos and Smiling Faces<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
And they sat
in their tuxedo-ed dinner parties <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Discussed
tomorrow<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The future<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
No harm was
meant. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
No evil
thought of<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Yet they
were alone<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In their
revelry<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In their
white halls<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Where
politicians and celebrities alike<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Meant no
harm to<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Masses they
purpoted to help<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
While living
off their ignorance<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
And their
honesty<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
And liberty <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sitting comfortably<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
While their
actions<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Or inactions<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Led to the
deaths of thousands<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The poverty of millions</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Innocents<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
School children<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
And wedding
guests<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Die in
rubble<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Dust blowing
over their diseased corpses<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
While the
heroes, the celebrities, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Nobel peace prize winners<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Laugh over
jokes and selfies<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
And they
call it <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Democracy<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
They call it
Justice<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
They call it </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
peace</div>
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A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-2520789407732121092014-04-24T12:07:00.000-07:002015-10-24T18:42:33.282-07:00The Sixth Floor Museum: An Anarchist Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgnWIdquGwysaeNKzqWc3LOBdUm4ivMDZzFuYVtppuCfVBQTmMz7PcD_A6t8tsuvePTIyX_AG7Gork4Pu2Ow6JQp7Z2nvIskGKzwIaNskpbNYrAF81RrjnbLwZ7QHsoSuAQbE5Wjfulk/s1600/JFK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgnWIdquGwysaeNKzqWc3LOBdUm4ivMDZzFuYVtppuCfVBQTmMz7PcD_A6t8tsuvePTIyX_AG7Gork4Pu2Ow6JQp7Z2nvIskGKzwIaNskpbNYrAF81RrjnbLwZ7QHsoSuAQbE5Wjfulk/s1600/JFK.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was just in Dallas and wanted to see the sights. As it
turns out, the only real sight in Dallas is the museum that commemorates John
F. Kennedy’s assassination. It must be sad to be a city only known for where
someone was shot. But I digress.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What nuggets of wisdom did <i>The Anarchist Review</i> glean from the experience? Did I finally crack
the case? Figure out Lee Harvey Oswald’s true motives? Unfortunately the answer
is no. Despite walking over the same area thousands of people have walked over,
and watching the same footage thousands of people have pored over, no new
revelations on this great criminal mystery came to my keen mind. But some important observations I do
have. (My thoughts on the crime
investigation at the end).</div>
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<o:p></o:p>The museum is a government museum, and as with all things
coming from that fountain of guns and propaganda, must be taken with a grain of
libertarian salt, if you will. However, to be fair I do feel the government is
not trying to hide things in the museum and does its best to give accurate
information. You just need to understand their engrained biases. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the most interesting aspects (outside of the intriguing
criminal investigation) was a board near the end of the museum about results of
the shootings. The first thing on the
list is that congress passed a law that made it a federal crime to kill a
president or vice president. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Are you kidding me? What is the government’s solution to everything:
write some words down on a paper to add to the long list of laws that no one
reads. The layers of lunacy in this are just too much. If only there had been a
federal law against killing the president, I am sure Lee Harvey Oswald would
have put down his rifle, traded it for an American flag, and joined the crowds
of people cheering the visit of President Kennedy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The other even more disturbing thing about the law is that it
means the death of us commoners is not a federal crime. What does this say
about a government <i>By the people, for the
people, and of the people</i>? If the governments put protection of itself over
protection of the people, does that not make it government <i>By government, for government, and of government</i>?<o:p></o:p></div>
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What was the number two listed outcome from the shooting? A
large increase in security spending. More money to the secret service and CIA.
It is curious every tragedy almost inevitably leads to an increase in federal
spending. 9/11 led to an explosion in the security state, Kennedy’s assassination
did the same for the secret service. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After the section on the direct results was a section on the
legacy of President Kennedy. This is wear government bias comes in strong.
Clearly it is a museum memorializing Kennedy’s death, so it is not going to air
all his dirty laundry. Kennedy adoration is particularly strong. The clips from
his speeches are eloquent. He is smooth and good-looking. Definitely the Barak
Obama of his time. The video
presentation focuses on four things considered his legacy: The Civil Rights
Act, the space race, volunteerism, and the arts. There are major issues with
his approaches to these things but those will be covered in other anarchist
reviews. I want to note a particular paragraph at the end of the exhibit.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The paragraph states that historians debate the
effectiveness of JFK’s time and what benefit he actually created. But after
discussing all the different opinions, the paragraph states his effect has been
“overwhelmingly positive.” So basically, regardless of the facts or whatever
happened, despite what historians say, JFK is a huge success because we say so.
As is typical of government the guy has to be a success because he was part of
government and what government does is always right. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Even I was almost brought to tears by the video they made
about his life. Inspiring music, inspiring speeches, apparently good causes.
What is not to love? They also show some polls that confirm how American’s have
consistently rated JFK as the best or among the best presidents of all time. Is
this based on data and reality, or a successful PR campaign? Based on what I
saw at the museum, it is fully and entirely the result of nice speeches and a
smiling face, good video shots and not a scrap of reality. <o:p></o:p></div>
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RIP JFK<o:p></o:p></div>
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Notes: I don't really buy into most or any of the conspiracy theories. However I do find it interesting that the group that most clearly benefited from the assassination was the CIA an secret service. If there was some organization behind it, that would be my guess. Likely of course they would work through a mob group, not themselves, an only a very few would know about it. But honestly it seems unlikely. It appears as if Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, but I would not be surprised if he did not. </div>
A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-3075829103406889032014-04-21T16:22:00.000-07:002014-04-21T16:25:39.488-07:00The Hunger Games: Fantasy or The Day After Tomorrow for America? An Anarchist Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0AKetwebIYdRgkKn_sxopmiWnssiHIasbheBkj65LFHCuq1lejrD8tmCg2i9An6d7yuRsONkHvyq-o5Qwveq3uCkl5kYZ2CCP7bv5x_A0ySImIgBEtcP0Y3wuCo4A9vZMxy8a8JJfzQ/s1600/HungerGamesImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0AKetwebIYdRgkKn_sxopmiWnssiHIasbheBkj65LFHCuq1lejrD8tmCg2i9An6d7yuRsONkHvyq-o5Qwveq3uCkl5kYZ2CCP7bv5x_A0ySImIgBEtcP0Y3wuCo4A9vZMxy8a8JJfzQ/s1600/HungerGamesImage.jpg" height="280" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>The Hunger Games</i>
has captivated readers and audiences alike over the past years since its
release. It has sold over a million copies and pulling in almost 700 million at the
international box office. It is easy to guess why. The book is a fun
and full of non-stop excitement. The read is well-paced and keeps you on edge.
Love, romantic conflict, violence, beauty, sex, nostalgia, the book has it all.
Here at <i>The Anarchist Review</i> the question we put forward to the reader is what does <i>The Hunger Games </i>mean to our society? That is a question we attempt to answer. (<i>Note: this is a review of The Hunger Games book not its sequels or the movie.</i>)<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is no shortage of doom porn floating
around libertarian circles. <i>The Hunger Games</i> feels like it could fit in nicely next to <i>1984, Fahrenheit 451</i>, and <i>Brave New World </i> for a perfect libertarian doom salad. The common theme of such libertarian reviewers is that our future is held in these books unless we change something. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Indeed, there are many parallels between Panem and our current situation, but first for the benefit
of the .1% of the population who has not seen or read <i>The Hunger Games</i> let me give a recap of the scenario. A country called Panem in North America is
divided into 12 districts and the Capitol. Each district specializes in
producing some item, most of which goes to the Capitol. The districts are
varying in wealth, but are mostly poor. The closer the connections one has to
the capital, the wealthier. The protagonist is from the coal-producing District
12 which is located in current Appalachia. The Capitol is in the Rockies (Salt Lake
City?). The Capitol rules the citizenry
with an iron fist. To further demonstrate its power over the districts and
avoid rebellion, once a year they hold the Hunger Games. Basically two people
(a boy and a girl) between the ages 12 and 18 are chosen from each district to
battle to the death for the entertainment of the Capitol. Every year 24 kids are thrown together and
only one survives, the Victor, who is lavished with wealth and fame. Obviously
going to the games is a death sentence, so it is dreaded in the districts. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As of now Washington D.C. does not hold gladiator type games
between teenagers from the different states. Also, D.C. is much closer to Appalachia
than to the Rockies. So not a perfect fit, however there are some very relevant
comparisons between <i>The Hunger Games</i>
and today’s society. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In Panem your wealth is tied not to your work ethic or good
ideas, but rather where you were born, or rather how close to the capitol you
were born. The Capitol controls who is wealthy, who succeeds, who is poor and
who fails. With federal spending exceeding three trillion dollars, and billions
more handed out to Wall-Street via QE and other monetary trickery of the
Federal Reserve, the Panem system is not that much different than our own. Maybe you are laughing at me saying this is a
ridiculous comparison. But is it? <o:p></o:p></div>
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The U.S. government spends 40% of GDP. That means if you
take everything that all 300 million people make, the government spends 40% of
it. That is a load of money. Google had revenues of 15.7 billion last year,
Wal-Mart did 469 billion. The U.S Government spent 3,455 billion dollars in
2013. That means the spending power of the largest company in the world was less
than half, less than a seventh of what the U.S government unleashes in terms of
spending power. Google, the supposed king of the internet can only unleash 0.5
% of what the Federal government can. Companies make or sell products that we choose to use. The
U.S. government simply pulls the money out of our paychecks without permission.
Imagine how much you can influence who is wealthy and who is poor when you can
outspend any other single entity by seven times? Also when you are able to take
arbitrary amounts of money from people’s pocket books and distribute it to
whoever you wish? <o:p></o:p></div>
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The unfortunate reality is that so much of success is not
based on a company’s ability to provide a good or cheap product. It is based on
the company’s ability to get on the government’s good side. Look at the Sugar
industry in the United States. In 2013 The Florida Sugar Cane League, the
American Sugar Alliance, and American Crystal sugar spent over 3.5 million
dollars in lobbying. As a result Sugar in the United States has a large
protective tariff and over the past 40 years has cost as much as double in the
U.S. as opposed to outside it. Every regular person in the United States is
essentially paying for politicians to get wined and dined by the Sugar Lobby.
They pay in higher sugar prices, increasing the price of all their food and
increasing the wealth of lobbyists, politicians, and Sugar corporations. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Look at the successful business in the world. Look what
industries are hiring and giving big bonuses to their CEOs? Go to job fair.
What businesses are there? If it is a technical/engineering job fair I can
almost guarantee who you will see: government supported monopolies (i.e.
utilities) the government (bureau of land/water management), and government
defense contractors (Boeing and Lockheed Martin). Why is that? It is because
they have a steady stream of “guaranteed” dollars flowing in from the Capitol. 625
Billion dollars were spent last year alone on building the war machine. That is
625 billion dollars taken out of people’s pockets, people that actually produce
something people use, like computers and software and hotels and houses, in
order to pay for bombs and a bunch of engineers to sit around and make death
machines. If they produce a product that
no person would ever buy, it matters not. The money is there. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Go to none-engineering career fair. There will be a large
swab of companies from education, healthcare, and finance. Three industries
which are heavily regulated and subsidized by federal and state governments.
Once again the government has chosen who succeeds and who fails. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In <i>The Hunger Games, </i>the
people in the Capitol do not work at all; they spend all their time on
frivolous activities. The people in the Districts have incredibly strict laws
that they cannot leave their areas, and barely have enough food to live. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What about here? For the most part, the capitol is not
filled with people who spend their time dying their hair other colors and
getting plastic surgery. Washington D.C I have heard actually has a pretty hard
working atmosphere; everyone is a busybody trying to get things done. Which is
scary. However, what do they really
accomplish? They write words on a piece of paper. They make laws. The tell
people well where to move their guns. They produce nothing. They produce
nothing that people can use. Their paper-passing is just as frivolous as the
lives of the hair and prep team from the <i>Hunger
Games</i>. The protagonist says this of them “It’s funny, because even though
they’re rattling on about the Games, it’s all about where they were or what
they were doing or how they felt when a specific event occurred. ‘I was still
in bed!’ ‘I had just had my eyebrows dyed!’ ‘I swear I nearly fainted!’
Everything is about them, not the dying boys and girls in the arena.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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Is it too much of a stretch to assume that politicians may
be just or even more callous than these hair-dressers? They get their money by
looking good and sounding nice and not offending people. They get their money
by getting donations from wealthy people in trade for special privileges that
hurt everyone else. They send thousands of men and women to die in Iraq and
Afghanistan and they sleep peacefully at night in their suburban homes paid for
by the labor of productive Americans. They argue about laws and send papers
around from one office to another while men are dying because of their actions.
Is this any less frivolous, any less callous than the speech of the hair
dressers?<o:p></o:p></div>
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True, we do not have most the country working to pay for the
lavish lifestyle for the politically connected, except we do. We do not
callously ignore the deaths of people who die in the name of the country, yet
we do. Since 2004, when drone attacks begin, as many as 951 civilians, which
includes 200 children, have been killed by drones in Pakistan alone. This does not include the wedding guests who died in Yemen and other deaths around the world</div>
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Are we that far from <i>The
Hunger Games</i>? Is our society really that much different than the one we
look upon with such abhorrence? We let over 4,000 of our own die in Iraq so we
could be unified and patriotic. Are we that much different than a society that
lets 24 of its own fight to the death to maintain peace and order in society?
Is this not exactly what the deaths of all our military is all about? That is
why we have parades and ceremonies for the survivors, for the Victors if you
will. Is there a difference? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Hopefully by now the reader is questioning if we are not
exactly who the <i>Hunger </i>Games is
talking about. You may be convinced that <i>The
Hunger Games</i> is the day after tomorrow for America. Well I hate to burst
your doomsday bubble, but it is not. Despite my radical political opinions, I
affirm that this will never happen. There will be no Hunger Games here. Ever.
How can I say that? What evidence is there?<o:p></o:p></div>
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We are not at the base of state power, we are at the pinnacle
of it. This three-thousand year-old paradigm of the state is fading with
Slavery and other barbaric institutions of the past. Will the powers that be
relinquish voluntarily? No, of course not. Evil will not relent. Evil people
will hold on with all they have to the source of power and livelihood. The
state has created millions of dependents. This is of course to the state’s
advantage because it means millions are interested in keeping it alive and
well. But in the end it cannot. The state is simply inefficient. Violence and
evil do not help people, do not produce good results, and do not produce
anything of value. The state cannot compete with ingenious and innovation and
entrepreneurship. It just cannot. Despite all the taxes, all the regulation and
other violent actions the state will raise against free people attempting to
serve others, but in the end it will be to no avail. The progress of man cannot
be stopped. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Generally the villain is not taken down by the good guy, the
villain is taken down through his (or her) own vanity, pride, irrationality,
lust for power, or whatever it be. His own arbitrary authority is what will
implode and destroy the bad guy. And so it will be with the state. Technology
will get better so that free-seeking people will be better able to escape the
state. Bitcoin. Sea-steading. The internet. All sorts of things will help to
set us free. And the state will be left alone, and all the evil it harbors,
crumbling under its own complete inefficiency. There is no stopping the
revolution. There is no stopping the revolution. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In these hunger games it will only be evil that will be
starving. And I can’t wait. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Let the games begin. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-52214959722204094062014-04-07T20:42:00.002-07:002015-10-24T18:42:33.304-07:00Les Miserables on revolution: An Anarchist Review <div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Can you hear the
people sing, singing the songs of angry men, that is the music of a people who
will not be slaves again!</i> - From <i>Can You Hear the People Sing </i>in <i>Les Miserables<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Here they talked of revolution<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Here it was they lit
the flame<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Here they sang about
tomorrow<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>And tomorrow never
came<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Oh my friends, my
friends, don’t ask me<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>What your sacrifice
was for<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Empty chairs and empty
tables<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Where my friends will
sing no more<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>-</i>From <i>Empty Chairs and Empty Tables</i> in <i>Les Miserables<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Les Miserables</i> is
a fantastic tale of love and loss, justice and mercy, revolution and power. It
has enchanted and inspired millions. The interplay of personal stories interwoven
into the grand story of the failed French Revolution of 1832 is fantastic.
There are so many applicable topics <i>The
Anarchist Review</i> could cover in this story: religious freedom versus
political freedom or Justice versus mercy, but I have chosen the topic of <i>revolution. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Multiple questions are brought up by this tale: <i>What is Revolution? Who starts revolutions? What
is Revolution good for?</i> <o:p></o:p></div>
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A little background on Victor Hugo, the author, and why he
wrote about this. Hugo personally witnessed some of the proceedings of the 1832
revolution or <i>June Uprising </i>as it is referred
to. As in the play/book/movie, the uprising lasted only two days: from June 5
to June 6. It was in fact a pretty minor blurb, especially considering the
large number of uprisings and revolutions that France has been through. If it
were not for Victor Hugo this uprising of 3,000 people, would have faded into the
annals of history known by only to a few erudite historians. </div>
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<o:p></o:p>Thanks to Hugo, however it is one of the most well-known
events in history. Hugo himself was a Republican, and strongly sided with the
republican revolutionaries. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now to the tale of revolution. During the song <i>Red and Black, </i>Enjolras, the
revolutionary leader, asks if revolution is “simply a game for rich young boys
to play?” He says (or rather sings) this at the ABC pub where wealthy
middle-class men come to discuss politics. Most are young,
some are sons of aristocrats. These young men feel they are liberating the
poor from oppression and “They will come one and all. They will come one and
all” to support them in their just cause. However, their prediction is fatally
wrong.</div>
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<o:p></o:p>Revolution is often assumed to start with poor disgruntled
workers who rise up to shake off the shackles of their oppressive governments.
Yet <i>Les Miserables</i> is saying the
opposite, that it is a bunch of wealthy middle class men who get angry and try to
stir up the masses. </div>
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So what is the revolutionary story? As one who has
considered tattooing, “Liberty or Death” across his back, it would be nice to
sympathize with revolutionaries. Perhaps, however, the story of <i>Les Miserables </i>has lessons, particularly
for young fire-brands like me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So without further ado, <i>The
Anarchist Review</i> takes a quick plunge into the history of revolutions to uncover
the truth. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Revolutions generally go through three stages, the fall of the
old regime and rise of a moderate regime based on the old paradigm just
adjusted, rise of a radical (and often tyrannical) government, and a return to
moderate in the so-called Thermidorian reaction. Crane Brinton notably analyzed
this in his book <i>The Anatomy of
Revolution. </i>Though it is not a perfect fit for all revolutions, many of the
large revolutions in history have followed this pattern, most notably the
English, the French, and the Russian.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Brinton points out that it is not the super poor who start
revolutions. Genuine lower-class revolutions are almost non-existent with the
notable exception of Haiti’s slave revolution. The revolutionaries are
generally idealistic middle-class white guys, “born of hope,” as Brinton puts
it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the first stage, the moderate stage, the relatively
unorganized middle-class men who have gained support of the lower-classes often
because of extreme conditions are able to take down the first regime. This is
the exciting stage where the lower-classes are involved. They are not the
instigators, but they jump on the cause, mostly because they assume things cannot
get worse than the status quo. This
group often is unorganized and lacking a strong leader, they often do not want
to completely oust the former government as much as they simply want to change
it. In France this meant forming a constitutional monarchy. They wanted to keep
the king, just add restraints and grant more power to the middle-class. After
all it is a middle-class revolution, the poor are involved in creating chaos,
but when the tables come out and negotiation begins, they are not present. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The next stage is where an organized radical group with a strong
leader sweeps in and takes control. In England it was Oliver Cromwell, in
France, Robespierre, in Russia, Lenin. Are
these men from humble backgrounds who strive to help their fellow poor brothers?
Let us have a look:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Oliver Cromwell: He was born into the middle-gentry, i.e.
upper-middle class. He was a land-owner and politician for most of his life.
Not exactly what we would consider a “worker.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Robespierre: A politician and lawyer descended from lawyers.
Robespierre, despite being from a somewhat troubled home (born out of wed-lock),
he was just about as middle-class and white-collar as they come.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHW5EGJNjXWHJmTJF6WV_ZSOxXxvFUNB9KOraHlsXSQgsMXcB3YR4sUUTAZLP4E4En0Ni2O0uO7C5RjmBUCfRdZg3E_dVCuHGI7BU8majhtJPm6Onxhxk5-KWbeu1mTpnZhNR0zbvqZDQ/s1600/robes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHW5EGJNjXWHJmTJF6WV_ZSOxXxvFUNB9KOraHlsXSQgsMXcB3YR4sUUTAZLP4E4En0Ni2O0uO7C5RjmBUCfRdZg3E_dVCuHGI7BU8majhtJPm6Onxhxk5-KWbeu1mTpnZhNR0zbvqZDQ/s1600/robes.jpg" height="320" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some revolutionary spirit during Robespierre's Reign of Terror</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Lenin: He was born to nobility. Yes, you read that right,
Lenin, the Marxist radical of Russia was born into a noble family. It is not
true that his parents were not born noble, however they were born rich. Before
Lenin was born they were basically awarded a title and became “hereditary nobility.”
Lenin, like so many Marxists, knew more about the plight of finding a good chef
then they did about the plight of workers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This is not meant to be an exposé or surprising revelation.
These men are not really considered great men of history. All three were at the
helms of extremely violent and bloody regimes. But they fit the bill of the
radical revolutionaries of the world. Men with great idealistic visions which
when attempted to put into practice end up killing loads of people. For
example, Robespierre’s short rule in France led to over 40,000 deaths.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After the radical stage there is a return to a moderate
stage, and often, in the long run a return to the former government. In France
and England a King was returned to the throne (albeit with constitutional restraints),
and Russia, well Russia <i>still </i>has the
sort of strong dictatorial leaders it has head since the time of the Russian empire.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Revolutions results? Day to day life of workers ends up
being basically the same. Religions and habits remain unchanged. As Brinton
says, “[The revolutions’] results look rather petty as measured by the brotherhood of man and the achievement of justice on this earth. The blood of the martyrs seems hardly necessary to establish decimal coinage." Basically in the end the revolutions are, like most wars, fights between rich
people about who can exploit who, with the lives of poor people often being
tossed around as collateral. A few of the rich kids playing the revolutionary
game die as symbols, but most of the blood shed is the blood of workers whom
the revolution is supposed to benefit. The Reign of Terror in France which was meant
to uproot all royalist support, killed far more people from the lower classes
then it did nobility or royals. </div>
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<o:p></o:p>From looking back at history it seems Victor Hugo had
revolutions about right. One of two things happens. The middle-class revolution
gets support from the lower-classes and causes chaos and uprising. The
government changes three or four times and ends up basically how it started. The
other possible scenario is the one told by Hugo. The lower-classes do not come
to support the cause because of misjudgment of how bad their plight actually or
unwillingness to die for the cause. In either case if you start the revolution
you probably end up dead with your friends wondering what your sacrifice was
for. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Here at <i>The Anarchist
Review</i> we have plenty of revolutionary blood. Those that know me know I am anti-establishment
and idealist. Lots of people probably assume I would be the first one running
down the street waving a Gadsden flag to start the next American revolution. <o:p></o:p></div>
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However, I have to side with history. Revolution in the end
is a game for rich white boys to play which almost always ends in meaningless
violence. It is a bunch of rich kids who look at the lower-classes and say, “I know
what they need.” When in reality they care more about aggrandizing themselves,
then helping the poor. They have grandiose ideas not rooted in reality. They
claim to fight for liberty when in the reality they are seeking power. Outside of the American Revolution, it is
difficult/impossible to find a revolution which could be remotely described as “successful.”
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Despite all my fiery gusto for change and revolution, I am
afraid it is the slow gradual changes that win out. Why? Because people are
gradual changers, society changes gradually. And while government is not
society (a common error); government, at least partially, reflects society.
Ultimately government only changes because it has to. Society changes
government, it is impossible to do it the other way around. People, not power,
rule the world. So despite my radical leanings and position, I feel I must give
deference to that great conservative thinker Edmund Burke who predicted the
French Revolution spiraling out of control. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“It is a general popular error to suppose the loudest
complainers for the public to be the most anxious for its welfare.” – Edmund Burke<o:p></o:p></div>
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My suggestion for young men like me who so greatly yearn for
change in the world is not to turn to guns, violence, and revolution, but
rather to reason and technology, thinking and persuasion, that is how we will
win the war.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Do not go start political revolution. Stay home, get
married, have children, raise them peacefully, write a book, and live another
day. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If we go the path of
revolution we will end up like those of Les Miserables, with “empty chairs and
empty tables, where [our] friends will sit no more.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-57339091350149004012014-02-19T18:29:00.001-08:002014-02-19T18:44:32.352-08:00The Lower Classes and the Empty Souls of the Wealthy Political Class: How living among poverty has shaped my views. <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have lived much of my life among the lower classes. I grew
up in a lower middle class home. I have spent hours in the poorest
neighborhoods in my city. I also lived in Uruguay and visited many homes that
were literally made from garbage, the poorest of the poor. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many of those around whom I have worked and lived are strong advocates of government welfare programs. I have walked into the homes of an immigrant family with multiple people living in it, and their only income is from government programs. Many of those I visit get their food from food-stamps. In many cases their homes or apartments are subsidized. Government aide is omnipresent when among the less-privileged areas of society. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because of this, I can see why many who work with them would be for these government programs. After visiting the poor and seeing the exuberant wealth of others in society, I get why people rage against the wealthy and against those that do not support government programs. I understand that. I understand why someone would vote into office based on their claim to support these programs. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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People assume I am also for government welfare when I am among them. When I tell them I am not they assume it is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">despite </i>my time
spent with the poor. This is not true. I am against government programs <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">because</i> of my time spent among the
under-privileged.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The government does not help the poor. There I said it. What
the government does is rob the poor blind, limit their economic ability, and
then throw them a handful of change back and say, “See we are helping you.” If you break someones leg and then hand them a crutch, you can hardly be praised for "curing" them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_Oo_F9JxgleiSMMTi9jL2tXqetDi27VSQGzqJK4UrgQooAnMGN-szUIZvkLqiO-Nt12j-EkEKGF3ihXGrGUOxIU-pxeL6XY4jIJ2xox1TWS0rJ7lq1yefRhGG8HbYYbEXZvoL5J2KSc/s1600/PoorInAmerica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_Oo_F9JxgleiSMMTi9jL2tXqetDi27VSQGzqJK4UrgQooAnMGN-szUIZvkLqiO-Nt12j-EkEKGF3ihXGrGUOxIU-pxeL6XY4jIJ2xox1TWS0rJ7lq1yefRhGG8HbYYbEXZvoL5J2KSc/s1600/PoorInAmerica.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First, giving
someone money is not helping them necessarily. If only it were that easy.
Helping is talking to someone, finding out where they are trying to go and
life, and see what you can do to help them get from point A to point B. This
could of course involve monetary assistance. It could involve a hundred million
things. But to say that you are helping the poor by signing a piece of paper
and then taking money from one group and giving it to another is absurdly and
profoundly flawed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Government aide does not help the poor. Ever since the “war
on poverty” began under Lyndon Johnson’s "Great Society," poverty has remained stagnant,
while it had been steadily decreasing before. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But even if we assume throwing money at the poor helps them, and government programs actually do benefit the poor, the idea that government protects the
little guy at the expense of the wealthy is absurd. The reality is all the
opposite, the government protects the wealthy and politically connected at the expense of everybody else. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6WqM1vILmF2CudnGKM7uC7F_neNwKnFEo_zj3K_cX1-1pFa_bQdo_LwdjRhvs5aL2k6UP5O6uZ5Koc8u9FnBYLc78PZcvGhMGIHyUcEr_lSt5KFq4UQ0sVmiV3lrxtBMhPgMK6rzOLY/s1600/GovernmentAssistance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6WqM1vILmF2CudnGKM7uC7F_neNwKnFEo_zj3K_cX1-1pFa_bQdo_LwdjRhvs5aL2k6UP5O6uZ5Koc8u9FnBYLc78PZcvGhMGIHyUcEr_lSt5KFq4UQ0sVmiV3lrxtBMhPgMK6rzOLY/s1600/GovernmentAssistance.jpg" height="468" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most of the money the government spends is not given
to the poor. It is spent on military, on corporate welfare, paying off debts, and
on employing a lot of wealthy middle class bureaucrats that run the system (i.e
clerks, IRS workers, welfare agents, etc.). In other words to pay politician's friends. Almost all congressman and senators (Republican and Democrat) are heavily funded by big business. Many of the senators or their aides have sat or currently sit on the boards of large corporations. To think the government is “protecting
us from corporations” is absurd. The government is a giant cartel of the big
banks, big business, and big labor. Barack Obama was paid millions of dollars
from Wall Street to get elected. Is it honestly possible to think he will turn
around and hurt the big banks in order to help the poor? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XVw5ulexj3r2QpE_-gNG8HNg8Iu_sHJaDkW0RnYhDciZtRG0crS8epcNzo0XGuqeyNddx60YX6XtqU3AOT8eQ9DwdUoIGanXW9xpsVt7HYlR7ftOy1kj4jIzua5tiqsYpm_BKlPFyP4/s1600/CongressFinancing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XVw5ulexj3r2QpE_-gNG8HNg8Iu_sHJaDkW0RnYhDciZtRG0crS8epcNzo0XGuqeyNddx60YX6XtqU3AOT8eQ9DwdUoIGanXW9xpsVt7HYlR7ftOy1kj4jIzua5tiqsYpm_BKlPFyP4/s1600/CongressFinancing.JPG" height="456" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If Congress members were seated according to who gave them the most money. From Dave Gilson, motherjones.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The government hurts the poor in multiple ways. First, licensing,
fees, and other barriers to entry the government sets up. It is in the wealthy
class’s best interest to protect itself from the young and poor, because the
young and poor are often motivated, ambitious, and eager to pull themselves out
of poverty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is more they will
generally charge less for services. This is why professionals run to the government
to get them to create all sorts of licensing and tests that increase the amount
of time it takes to enter a given profession, therefore decreasing supply of
their product and allowing them to artificially inflate their prices. The
original “healthcare crisis” was that healthcare costs were too low so doctors
went to the government to create licenses and other <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>barriers to entry to decrease supply and
increase prices. A personal example is a mechanic my family knows who is a great mechanic but because
of business license fees and zoning rules do not allow him to operate a
mechanic’s shop from his house, he instead works at McDonald's. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The government is constantly taking money from the poor
through taxes (i.e. sales tax), and most insidiously through inflation. The wages of
the poor drop because the government is printing money and giving it to the
wealthy and politically connected. Inflating the currency always happens at the
expense of the poor who now can buy less with their dollars than they did a
year ago, or even a month ago. While the minimum wage used to fill up a tank of
gas perhaps with some extra to buy a soda, now it is barely enough to get the
car out of the parking lot. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Big government is robbing the poor blind. They are limiting
their opportunities for growth by throwing up barriers to entry for business
and limiting the growth of business through regulation. The government mortgages the lives of the poor
through national debt. The government takes money from the poor to hand out all
sorts of goodies to their wealthy friends, lobbyists, and banksters. The
government is constantly financially raping the poor and then
they throw the poor a chunk of change and say “without me you would die.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is disgusting. This is wrong. I cannot and will not
support this evil system. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I love being among the poorer classes. I love siting in
their humble homes and talking with them, learning from them. I know they are
strong and capable of rising to their dreams and aspirations if the government
would just get out of the way. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The truth is they are not poor, in money perhaps, but not in
character and love and honesty. The only poor I see are the hearts of those men
who take money from poor and middle class, give most of it out to their
friends, throw a little bit back, and
have the audacity to call it charity. Those are poor, empty souls. </div>
A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-84577542751939010672014-02-17T17:23:00.000-08:002014-07-24T15:54:59.148-07:00A Racist, a Tyrant, a President: Lessons from President Lincoln<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Hero or Tyrant? </div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Abraham_Lincoln_November_1863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Abraham_Lincoln_November_1863.jpg" height="400" width="322" /></a></div>
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Today we celebrate the lives of those men that hold the
highest political office of the land. Unfortunately there is little to
celebrate about any of these men. They have done little of good and much evil.
Some may disagree with this thesis, but I submit they are not looking at the
reality of the situation. Recent presidents are easy targets. Obama and Bush have
spied on most everyone and dropped bombs on innocent people in Yemen, Pakistan,
and Iraq. It is some of the presidents further back who tend to have a larger illusions of grandeur. In particular, Abraham
Lincoln. </div>
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Often in polls President Lincoln comes out as the favorite
or “best” president. Lots of people think of him as a “founding father” even
though at the time of the American Revolution he was still 30 years from being
a twinkle in his mother’s eye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is
praised because he “freed the slaves” and “liberated the south.” Not only is
this not true, it is almost the opposite of true. Abraham Lincoln was a racist
tyrant, who let power corrupt him, as it inevitably does. </div>
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Before I delve further, let me say that this article is in
no way a promotion of slavery or even the south and the confederacy. Slavery is
an incredibly evil system and wrong. What this article is about is the cult of
Abraham Lincoln which is both misinformed and harmful.</div>
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To start, let us consider a few examples. A group of boys
are building sandcastles. There are multiple groups of boys all working on
different sandcastle. They decide to all get together and put all their
sandcastles in an unified system with one giant sandcastle in the middle. One
boy is chosen to be the “head engineer” of the project. </div>
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After some time, one group of boys decides they do not like
how the giant sandcastle project is going and disconnect theirs from the group,
focusing on their own once more. What would be the correct action of the “head
engineer”? Get a stick and beat the boys who do not want to work with them
until they cooperate? Of course not, no parents would promote that. The correct
thing would maybe be talk to them and try to reason with them. So why when we
change sandcastles for government, attacking, sending armies and guns suddenly
becomes okay?</div>
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This is exactly what Abraham Lincoln did. He was the leader
of this group of sandcastles that were united under the constitution. The
government of South Carolina felt the U.S. government had breached the
contract, so they hopped out. There is nothing inherently wrong with this. If
you make a contract with someone and they don’t uphold it, you are under no
obligation to stay in that contract. This is common law. </div>
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If you offer a subscription service and you stop delivering
magazines or whatever you sell, you cannot go to that person’s house and stick
a gun at their head and tell them they have to keep paying. If you did,
everyone would recognize that as wrong and evil. Yet when Abraham Lincoln does
just that, sending armies, causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of
people in order to keep power and force people into his contract, he for some
reason is praised as a hero. This is incredibly wrong and destructive. </div>
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The war was not over slavery. Period. The notion is somewhat
ridiculous. Slavery was legal and practiced in the north. To say that Abraham
Lincoln attacked the South to end slavery is so ridiculous it is laughable.
This would be equivalent to if California decided to leave the union today and
the U.S. government deployed an army to bring them back and then saying it is a
war to end pornography because California produces pornography. That is absurd because
Pornography is legally produced in many states, to say the government is attacking
California to end pornography after it leaves the union is clearly
manipulation. The government is attacking them to maintain power over them, to
continue bringing in their tax revenue. It has nothing to do with morality. The
same was the case with the North. They attacked to maintain power. That is all.
</div>
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“I have no purpose directly or indirectly to interfere with
the institution of slavery in the states where it exists. I believe I have no
lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-Abraham Lincoln before the southern
rebellion. </div>
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“But Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves!” say many. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No he did not. After a year into the war the
north was weary of killing people, often their own family. They were tired of
having to pay taxes to fund a war effort. As is the case with all wars, the
leaders deceive the public to get them to follow their cause, but when the
reality of the war hits, along with its shear, disgusting immorality, the
public wants out. People generally do not want to fund the bloody ambitions of
tyrants. So what do tyrants do? They search for a moral rallying cry. People do
not want to die for power, but they will for justice and virtue. </div>
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At this time is when the idea of The Emancipation
Proclamation came up. It “freed the slaves” in the South. Interestingly, only
in the South, a place that Abraham Lincoln had no control over. However in the
areas where he was president, i.e. the north, slavery was still legal. This of
course was to not upset the slave-dependent people in the north, while at the
same time rallying people to his cause in the name of “ending slavery.” To go
back to the pornography example, this would be equivalent to California leaving
the union, Barack Obama sending an army to “bring them back” and then when
support was waning for his war, sending out a decree that made pornography
illegal in California, and so we are fighting to end Pornography! Then what
would happen? Pornography producers in New York and Texas would say, “well what
about us?” to which Obama would say, “oh no, your fine, just give me your
income tax.” Well then clearly the war is not about pornography and Obama no more
ended pornography than I have ended taxation. Anyone can see this. Yet Lincoln
somehow gets a pass. He is a hero for doing just that. The truth is Lincoln was
racist tyrant and cared no more for enslaved blacks than he cared for the shoes
on his foot. During the election campaign he said this, “I, as well as Judge
Douglas, am in favor of the race to which I belong having the superior
position.” He only issued the Emancipation as a political shenanigan to get
people to keep giving him money and to keep sending their children to be
killed. That is horrendously evil. And yet this man is praised as a hero.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghEFJ5SVMfonWmelsa2cRZL7SYqjLyjJxAUU8NjwngJVt3G5JH2tOGEs2I80DqtZefrDXrI01C_jAGLwkn1mBPOKfrg5KzWyOre7TyW3-AdddVW44DODDl8KFaZc-T2-MrGfSHMEvSlIBS/s640/Abraham+Lincoln+Tyrant.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghEFJ5SVMfonWmelsa2cRZL7SYqjLyjJxAUU8NjwngJVt3G5JH2tOGEs2I80DqtZefrDXrI01C_jAGLwkn1mBPOKfrg5KzWyOre7TyW3-AdddVW44DODDl8KFaZc-T2-MrGfSHMEvSlIBS/s640/Abraham+Lincoln+Tyrant.png" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
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There is plenty more to explore on the evils of Abraham
Lincoln, this is just the surface, and I have not gone into much detail,
however if you are interested there is plenty more out there, Thomas DiLorenzo’s
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How Capitalism Saved America</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Real Lincoln</i> are both pretty brutal
exposés of a man we have been taught to revere. Similarly <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil
War</i> also show sides of the civil war that are generally ignored. But I want
to say detail is not needed. We do not need to know the details of Napoleon’s
life to know he was not the best guy. Any person that sends men to their deaths
to further his own power cannot in my mind be considered a hero or a good
guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Case closed. But let us just go a
bit further to look at some of the results of Lincoln. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The United States is the only country in the Western world
that ended slavery with a war. In Brazil they just stopped doing it. Slavery
was dying off. However some say that slavery would not have ended, and only
Lincoln’s war made it go away, that it paved the way to the 13<sup>th</sup> amendment
that ended slavery. I disagree. Slavery did not really even end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Black’s in the south were not treated as
equals for over 100 years after the war. Some argue that still they are not
treated as equals. The result of the Civil war was not emancipation. It was
over 100 years of inequality and horrible treatment of blacks based on color of
skin. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The greater lesson from Abraham Lincoln is that violence
does not end a system of violence. However you try to force it to end with however
many guns you have, violence does not end violence. “For never here / Do hatreds
cease by hatred. / By freedom from hatred they cease: /This is a perennial
truth.” The Buddha declared this hundreds of years ago, and western culture still
has not learned it. Violence and force do not change people. Shooting guns and
brandishing weapons does not change people, it only kills then or makes them
angry and more determined. “So how could society have ended slavery?” The same
way it did in the rest the world, the same way we get people to change in our
everyday interactions. When we disagree with someone we do not pull out a gun
and tell them they have to agree with us. Of course not, that would be crazy. We
reason, we attempt to show the superior logic, or most importantly we live in a
way that shows the superiority of our ideas. The same thing happened for
slavery in the rest of the world. People just stopped doing it. They recognized
it was wrong. They stopped buying slave-made products. If no one is buying your
product, you go out of business pretty quick. You stop trading in slaves, you
stop associating with people who are in anyway associated with slavery. That is
how you end slavery. No pressure is more powerful than social pressure. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If we want to change the world, we must change ourselves. No
number of guns will do it, even if your name is Abraham Lincoln. </div>
A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-1118797550273728162014-01-16T10:29:00.001-08:002014-01-16T10:36:52.880-08:00Politics and Tribe Action<br />
<br />
<br />
New videos coming weekly (on Thursday)! <br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/qOoDcc5r-5w" width="480"></iframe>A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-18777131182114578642013-03-07T05:50:00.001-08:002013-03-12T20:15:24.885-07:00Leaf in the Wind<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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As the wind
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And trees
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On dark
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I shall
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Far off in the distant hills,
where now travelers seldom journey, there grows a mighty oak tree, a pillar
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Through some miracle of nature,
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great journey of life, which began with no man recording it, and has lasted
longer than for any man to note its end. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One bright, glowing spring, the
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at every angle and on every branch to soak in the warm bath of sunlight.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They grew quickly in the
idealistic conditions, all eager to enjoy the plenty the sun had to offer. They
felt the glow and enjoyed the tingle of the wind rustling between them, with
the companionship of hundreds of other leaves talking and moving around them.
It truly was a bustling spring, with all sorts of life in the air, unfolding as
a sublime dance in the sky and earth, tree, grass, and water. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Yet there was one leaf which
opened slowly and weak. When he finally emerged, he was curved and did not move
easily in the wind like the others, but he kept growing and straightening. Soon,
he stretched the tips of his green veins to their full length and could bath
fully in the sunlight. He had missed some of the most radiant days of spring,
but was determined to enjoy it no less. Perched near the top of the tree, he
could see far the grasses making their wistful patterns in the evening wind,
and the water tumbling in its dynamic formations. At his height the stronger
winds allowed him to flip and flutter with more eagerness than all those around
him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Leafs near enjoyed his company
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slightly below and easily visible by him, particularly enjoyed his constant
motion, and together they flickered sun towards each other in a golden dance of
rays. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Quickly though, the liveliness
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golden sun and windy dance. Some even fell quietly to the ground, leaving the
sun and wind for the cooler, shade-filled ground. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But not the leaf near the top of
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were gone, but most stayed. They did not dance as much as he, but once in a
while, when the wind was just right, he could get them to. And the leaf just
below, his favorite, still flickered back messages in the resplendent sun, and
together they made music of light and green. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The months rolled on and with
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come, it was not the exciting time as before, but a drudgery to be past. Except
for a few, like the leaf at the top for the tree, who swayed gleefully with
each new drop. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But the rains grew colder and
nights longer and leaves began to change color more and with each change of
color, more drifted gracefully to join the others on the grassy ground. Soon
most all his friends had left, and one day, even his friend just below made
a last glimmer of her now yellow surface, then broke off, going back and forth
in the air, as if waving an unwilling farewell to the friend above, and finally
landing, joining old friends on the soft earth. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He almost fell as well, in an
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glimpse which seemed so deeply burned into him. But he couldn’t. He didn’t. He
held on, whirling in the wind.<br />
In the early evenings, though much colder, the wind spiraled around his
now dry, and yellow-brown self, and for a moment he remembered those few spring
days when the beautiful beams of the sun and moon glimmered and the warmth and
light of life all around filled the grasses and the air completely. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then the wind would stop, night filled
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Shortly, snow fell and the few
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the lone leaf, in a lone tree in a gray field of white. He saw his friends on
the distant ground, including his golden friend, just before the snow comforter
covered them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The snow piled high, and
continued to stack up, yet the leaf held firm in the tree in the cold stale
air. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One day a traveler, rare as they
are, walked over the small snow-covered hill where the oak tree stood. Looking
up into the tree he thought to himself how curious that one leaf alone stood in
the top of the tree. Though the man was tired, cold, and eager to return to his
distant cabin, the peculiarity of the situation pushed him to take some snow in
his hands, form it into a ball, and direct it toward the top of the tree. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Flying just past the lone leaf,
it made the stale air rush around him, and for a moment, the warmth and
excitement of the event caused him to remember vague distant memories of
sunbeams, dancing grasses, running water, and a leaf flickering back golden
beams at him. The emotion and happiness of days gone by engulfed him as he
broke from his perch and glided down onto the white plainness below. There he
landed as one dark spot on the white background. All his friends feet below, he
was alone, cold, and dead in a field of white. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The traveler was about to trudge
on to his cabin before night fell, but looked to the leaf and felt he could
almost hear it mumbling a cry to itself, “I cannot ask you for anything, for
what am I to you, but I am cold and alone, and impossibly distant from all I
have ever known and loved sitting alone in this cold wasteland, because of my desire to dance in the wind.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The traveler, half smiling, for
hearing what perhaps was not there, turned quietly and
moved meaningfully towards the lone dark dot. And though the air was getting colder, and the
night was settling fast, the man pulled from his pack a small shovel, and began
to dig into the pack of snow. Once his hole reached the earth, where grasses
and leafs and water had already begun to melt together to create nutrients for
new life, the man put the leaf quietly into his hands, looked at it with a
smile that showed overwhelming covering sadness and disappointment, then
dropped the leaf into the bottom of the hole. The hole was covered, and the
traveler hurried on his way. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The leaf in the wind now lay
silently, under the white blanket, finally at peace. <br />
Standing quietly and firmly in the field, the oak tree still stands out from its surroundings of white, resilient despite sometimes harsh conditions, and grows from the nutrients of the leaves and grasses dancing together with earth and water, just beneath the snow. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“To
everything there is a season,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A time to
every purpose under the heaven…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A time to
weep, and a time to laugh;</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A time to
mourn, and a time to dance…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
-Ecclesiastes
3: 1, 4</div>
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<![endif]-->A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-70023922957289856792013-03-05T18:56:00.000-08:002013-03-12T20:22:44.804-07:00The New Moon Rises, Dark and Stealth<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Through the
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The New Moon
rises dark and stealth</div>
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The world
around is bleak and gray </div>
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With no ray
to light the wanderer’s way</div>
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<br /></div>
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Away the
sun, Away the moon</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The New Moon
rises dark and stealth</div>
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There is no
light, no glory is seen</div>
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No hidden
quality or golden beam</div>
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<br /></div>
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Yet it is
the future, a deep black hope</div>
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While the
New Moon rises dark and stealth</div>
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There is no
fanfare, nor honor there</div>
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Simply the
dark new moon, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
an empty sky, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
and a future so near</div>
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<br /></div>
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The New Moon
rises, dark and stealth. </div>
A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-75603267985477704432013-03-03T21:20:00.002-08:002014-01-21T14:23:06.211-08:00Ree Reh's Smile<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are few people who I have met that always have a smile
on their face. Every time I see Ree Reh, he smiles, gives me a hug, and jokes
with me. He will go up and talk to anyone and just start joking and smiling.
His smile and good looks are contagious, and makes all those around him smile
as well. The interesting thing about his jokes though is that I have never
heard them. Ever. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ree Reh
is what I would call one of the ultimate minorities. Maybe he isn’t a Helen
Keller, but close. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
Karenni are a minority group in Burma, about 1% of the population (reliable numbers are hard to find). They
speak their own language, Karenni, and unlike their cousins the Karen, most of
them don’t speak Burmese. They are about 90% Catholic.
Burma is about 70% Burmese, and 90% Buddhist. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Because of their Christianity,
among other things, they have been attacked, had their villages burned, and
forced to flee from their homeland. Via refugee camps, a portion of those
million or so Karenni people have made their way to the United States, and a
portion of those to Utah. Here in Utah there are about 100 or so
Karenni in a state
of over 3 million, the only ones that speak their language. Ree Reh is one of
them, but he is a small minority of those 100, he is deaf. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When
Ree Reh came to America a few years ago he could not read or write any
language. He was 14. He could limitedly communicate to his family through
signs, who could in turn communicate with approximately 100 or so individuals
who could speak Karenni. Needless to say, there was a communication barrier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fortunately,
through the amazing efforts of people like my brother Andrew, Ree Reh can now
read and write English. He can speak American Sign Language decently, and so
communicate with an ever growing number of people. And this last Saturday,
through holding up his hand next to my brother’s mouth to feel how the air
comes out, Ree Reh triumphantly said “How are you?” to my family. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">His is
a story of optimism and cheerfulness in the face of all obstacles. I would find
it difficult to be cheerful if I could not hear and not communicate with most
anyone around me, I know this because when I arrived in Uruguay and couldn’t
communicate well it was difficult to be cheerful. Ree Reh, however, never stops
smiling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why
someone would want to hurt someone like this, I will never know, and cannot
imagine. But just that happened about a month ago, when two 18-20 year olds
(who remain unidentified) took to punching Ree Reh in the face and back. One
had brass knuckles. And after knocking him partially unconscious, they threw
him in the Jordan River, on one of the coldest nights of the year. He had to
climb through the snow and over fences, dripping blood along the way to get
back to his apartment without running into the “men” (for how could they deserve
such a title?). My brother interviewed him about the event and it is on his
blog, <a href="http://evening-walks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a> (the interview is about half way down, the whole article is
interesting though).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
first time I saw Ree Reh, a while after the event, his face was still cut up and
his back still had scars. He greeted me with a smile. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wQUA2aW0xuqJLzu9IMZP3mXgzrlIU5IuvUv8WXH0UvXnJTE788Z6Mhyo-igOzLgYAe-dPQw4exh8Ev-M82rEgyxVgBnGyndTr4UAPfnTGNC_iUzQPwRN262uI0DWYs5ssLddiAJZcoE/s1600/DSC01359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wQUA2aW0xuqJLzu9IMZP3mXgzrlIU5IuvUv8WXH0UvXnJTE788Z6Mhyo-igOzLgYAe-dPQw4exh8Ev-M82rEgyxVgBnGyndTr4UAPfnTGNC_iUzQPwRN262uI0DWYs5ssLddiAJZcoE/s1600/DSC01359.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
This photo was taken last saturday (you can see how quickly he has recovered, see <a href="http://evening-walks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Andrew's blog</a> for pictures just after the incident). Here is messing around with my brother and some friends. He is in the middle in the white t-shirt with blue letters. A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-49409281166551015422013-02-24T21:25:00.000-08:002013-02-24T21:25:40.488-08:00Mormonism 21st Century: A Talk For Our Time<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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The year was 1837; just a few years ago the Mormon Saints in
Kirtland Ohio had experienced what many had likened to the day of Pentecost<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Grant 1844)</span>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many saw angels; others spoke in tongues<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Smith 1978, 2: 378-436)</span>, and even felt
inclined to say, “That day strikingly demonstrated that [Joseph Smith] was,
indeed, a prophet of God raised up for the deliverance of Israel.<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Grant 1844, 8,9)</span>”</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Yet
somehow, just a few years later those same saints, who had seen angels, were
calling Joseph Smith a fallen prophet<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Smith 1978, 2:529)</span>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No exact account of how many left the church
is available, however estimates put it at about 13% of the church membership, including
a third of the general authorities and all of the witnesses to the Book of
Mormon<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Backman 1989)</span>. Hundreds,
particularly leaders, left the fledgling church they had been so supportive of
just years before. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Never
in the history of the church has there been such an exodus of members, until
now. On January 31 2012 <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/31/us-mormonchurch-idUSTRE80T1CM20120131">Reuters
reported on a discussion about the statistics of the church led by Marlin
Jensen the LDS church historian</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>According to the article a woman asked Jensen if the Church leadership
was aware that people are “leaving in droves” from the church. To which Jensen
replied, “We are aware and I'm speaking of the 15 men that are above me in the
hierarchy of the church.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also said,
“Not since a famous troublespot in Mormon history, the 1837 failure of a church
bank in Kirtland, Ohio, have so many left the church.” <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-06-30/news/sns-rt-us-usa-utah-mormonsbre86000n-20120630_1_mormon-culture-church-spokesman-president-brigham-young">This
exodus has been highlighted by events such as the mass resignation which took
place in Salt Lake City in June of 2012</a>. Further evidence of the exodus is
in the explosion of sites for former members such as exmormon.org and postmormon.org.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Why the exodus? In many ways the
reasons are similar to those of the Kirtland saints in 1937-38. Doubts about
the legitimacy of Joseph Smith’s prophethood, secular and monetary pressures
and lives not in accordance with church standards have likely all contributed
now as then. Young members and some not so young have found out more of the
truth behind the history of the church and felt deceived by the stories told
them their whole lives. Joseph Smith’s wives, changes in the Book of Mormon and
Doctrine and Covenants, details about the manuscript of the Book of Abraham,
and more. Quickly they begin to doubt the faith they have grown up with, loved,
lived in, and in many cases preached. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Everything’s out there for them to consume if
they want to Google it.” Marlin Jensen stated, “My own daughter has come to me
and said, 'Dad, why didn't you ever tell me that Joseph Smith was a polygamist?’” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/culture/5611/mormon_numbers_not_adding_up/">Members
and on-members alike have dug into church statistics and found some disturbing
trends</a>. Showing that not only is the church no longer the fastest growing
religion, but in many ways is struggling to maintain its current membership,
with fewer births per person, fewer baptisms per missionary, and more people
leaving per congregation*. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And so where do we go from here?
What is in the future? Perhaps looking back to the time of 1837 would be
helpful. The apostasy of Kirtland was followed by one of the greatest
explosions in doctrine and liberalization since the founding. The endowment,
plural marriage, and the work for the dead all began to unfold in their
fullness. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
What do I expect from the church in
the 21<sup>st</sup> century? One of the greatest expansions of doctrinal
understanding in the history of the church, and nothing less. A talk given on a
Sunday night to the youth is a clue. It was not coincidental that it was to the
youth, as the future leaders of a less-dogmatic, more-open, and more-liberal
church. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The talk entitled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/ces-devotionals/2013/01/what-is-truth?lang=eng">What
Is Truth?</a></i> is destined to become a classic. President Uchtdorf addressed
the reasons many are leaving the church, pointing to the same ones I and <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2012-06-17/mormon-lds-ex-mormon/55654242/1">others</a>
have seen, just giving different explanations behind them. Though he does rest
some of the blame on “the advisory” for “[spreading] seeds of doubt” he also
recognizes much of it is because of our own culture and deliberate attempts to
not fully seek for truth and the whole truth. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
A common accusation against the
church is that members claim belief as knowledge. This has caused outsiders to
criticize and some insiders to become outsiders. Uchtdorf acknowledged the
error of this way of thinking. “We too often confuse belief with truth,” he
said, “thinking that because something makes sense or is convenient, it must be
true. Conversely, we sometimes don’t believe truth or reject it – because it
would require us to change or admit that we were wrong. Often, truth is
rejected because it doesn’t appear to be consistent with previous experiences.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
He continued “when the opinions or
‘truths’ of the others contradict our own, instead of considering the
possibility that there could be information that might be helpful and augment
or complement what we know, we often jump to conclusions or make assumptions
that other person is misinformed, mentally challenged, or even intentionally
trying to deceive.” This is counsel needed for Latter-day Saints. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Another common accusation against
the church is that its members often accept what their leaders say on blind
faith without ever questioning. This is, unfortunately, something characteristic
of too many Latter-day Saints. President Uchtdorf acknowledges this and condemns
it. “Latter-day Saints are not asked to blindly accept everything they hear. We
are encouraged to think and discover truth for ourselves. We are expected to
ponder, to search, to evaluate, and thereby to come to a personal knowledge of
the truth.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
He used some classic quotes from
early church leaders to support his argument about the importance of truth in Mormonism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quoting Brigham Young, “I am … afraid that
this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire
for themselves of God whether they are led by him. I am fearful they settle
down in a state of blind self-security. … Let every man and woman know, by the
whispering of the Spirit of God to themselves, whether their leaders are
walking in the path the Lord dictates.” Most non-members would not believe that
this quote comes from a Mormon prophet, many inside the church might ask “Is it
really not part of our religion to blindly follow our leaders?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Pres. Uchtdorf also used one of my
favorite quotes from Joseph Smith “Mormonism is truth. … The first and
fundamental principle of our holy religion is, that we believe that we have a
right to embrace all, and every item of truth, without limitation or… being … prohibited
by creeds superstitious notions of men.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The idea that Mormons embrace truth
from Hinduism, Buddhism, and even humanism seems so hipster, so liberal, so
modern, so contrary to what people think about dogmatic Mormonism. Yet there it
is as “The first and fundamental principal of our holy religion.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Youth hearing this, will not
readily forsake it. They will be leaders who seek truth in all its forms. What
will we see in the 21<sup>st</sup> century church? Well I am no prophet, but I
believe we will begin to get a glimpse of what Joseph Smith meant when he said,
“truth without limitation.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
We will see liberalization in
homosexual policy (as already being seen), on understanding and working with
other faiths, on women in the priesthood, on our own history. Will women get
the priesthood? I doubt it (but who knows!), however will women be able to give
blessings again as they did during earlier times in the church, perhaps. Will
we see a re-introduction of polygamy? I extremely doubt it. However I do expect
a much more openness about the history of church involvement in the practice.
Church history in general will become increasingly open (as we are starting to
see in many ways) as will be necessary with an increasingly open world. This
increased openness was seen when Gordon B. Hinckley recommended reading of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rough Stone Rolling</i> by Richard Bushman
and will continue and accelerate. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will
some future prophet suggest we read D. Michael Quinn’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mormon Hierarchy</i>? Maybe not. But the openness that allowed the
creation of many of D. Michael Quinn’s books will be restored and even expanded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Perhaps we will finally get a few
new additions to the Doctrine and Covenants, embracing those words of Joseph
Smith that God “will yet reveal many great and important truths.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I believe we are about to embark on
an era of truth seeking akin to Joseph Smith’s original search for truth and
perhaps even greater, where we will no longer rely on “the statements of Elders
as much as we will the searching of our own heart and conscience.” There will
be more questioning, more understanding, and more knowledge coming forth. To
put it in a slightly more controversial terms, I believe the future will hold a
lot more Holland and Uchtdorf. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The new generation will live the
words of President Uchtdorf, “[by accepting] the responsibility to seek after
truth with an open mind and a humble heart, you will become tolerant of others,
more open to listen, more prepared to understand, more inclined to build up
instead of tearing down, and more willing to go were the Lord wants you to go.”
And that can only be a good thing for a church that is far too often too eager
to ignore, too quick to judge, and too confident to question.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
If you are one of those considering
leaving, I would ask you to reconsider, as you may be missing a most
interesting ride. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<h1>
Works Cited<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></h1>
<div class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Backman, Milton V. Jr. "A Warning from
Kirtland." <i>Ensign</i>, April 1989.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Grant, Jedediah M. <i>Collection of Facts, Relative
to the Course Taken by Elder Signey Rigdon in the States of Ohio, Missouri,
Illinois, and Pennsylvania.</i> Philidelphia: Bicking & Guilbert, 1844.8,9</span></div>
<div class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Smith, Joseph. <i>History of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2d. ed. rev., 7 vols. .</i> Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book Co. , 1978.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">see also </span><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://www.believeallthings.com/4355/kirtland-temple-pentecost/#footnote_6_4355">http://www.believeallthings.com/4355/kirtland-temple-pentecost/#footnote_6_4355</a></div>
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*Church statistics are an interesting topic. This analysis
by Joanna Brooks is far from sufficient. Others who actually know something
about statics have done better analyses, however a more complete study would be
extremely interesting and I believe beneficial for the church. I am guessing
the church actually has most of these numbers, they just don’t release them to
the general public. </div>
A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-77254363180410459682013-02-12T22:41:00.001-08:002013-02-13T21:27:47.636-08:00 A Challenge to Christians -- Accepted <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Steve Wells, noted skeptic and annotator of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Skeptic’s Annotated Bible</i> posted <a href="http://dwindlinginunbelief.blogspot.com/2009/11/challenge-to-christians.html">a
challenge to Christians</a> on his Blog <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dwindling
in Unbelief</i> on November 12. This paper is a response to said challenge. In
doing this I ask Mr. Wells’ consideration in trying to understand my position,
as I try to understand his. I do not feel that atheism is bad or wrong, nor do
I think him wrong for thinking how he does. He simply has a different world
view which I fully respect and indeed recognize the clear logic of his
position. I am not doing this to show that he is “wrong” and I am “right” but
rather to show that though we have different world views, both can respect the
other’s position and understand one another. That said, here goes. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The killings in the Bible have always baffled me especially
in light of these passages in the bible: “These things I command you, that ye
love one another (John 15:17).” “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these
three; but the greatest of these is charity (1 Corinth. 13:13)” “Thou shalt not
kill (Exodus 20:13).” And “God is love (1 John 4:8).” So the Bible admonishes
over and over to love and not kill, so how could this God that not only loves,
but indeed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> love command men to
kill entire towns and peoples as happens in Joshua 6, and other parts
throughout the Old Testament, particularly in Joshua? It seems to be a
contradiction. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One possible solution is that the Bible writers were in
error, that perhaps they were not inspired in their killings, but just said
they were to justify, or perhaps our version is not fully-telling of the
situation. These are solutions which I do not disregard as I do not believe in
Biblical perfection, and such an explanation in no way precludes a belief in
God or Christ. However the more interesting case to consider is the case where
we take the biblical account as true, and assume that these prophets were
indeed told to kill, how could this be? That is a more difficult and
less-trivial question. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To understand the answer one must understand the believer’s
position. If you believe this is world is our only life, then yes these killings
seem harsh. However if you do believe in life after death and an all-knowing
and all-loving God, then there could be an explanation. Consider this situation
in a school: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a school (perhaps elementary), the principal may see it
fit to take a certain student out of his school and place him in another
school, perhaps a remedial school, or a school particularly designed for his
needs. Does he hate the child? No, clearly not if he is a good principal (and
we are assuming he is). Is the principal evil? No, he is indeed doing the best
thing for that child, the most loving thin by trying to insure is future and
eventual success. For the child, who has friends at the school he is at it may
seem harsh, even wrong. “How could he take me away from my friends?” he might
say. But that is because the student only sees his current position, not his
whole future as his principal does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now
does this in anyway justify another student removing his fellow student? No. It
is wrong for a student to forcibly remove a fellow student from school or tell
another student to leave or even to make another student feel uncomfortable to
be in the school. However if a student was somehow in a position (perhaps a
school/class president?) to speak for the principal, that could be a different
story. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Though the comparison is imperfect, I believe it illustrates
my position. For me, this life is nothing but a school and God the principal,
he can take us from it, for he is a good principal (I believe) and will only do
such for our benefit. Is it my place to remove any students from the school? No
it is not. Is it for others to remove people? No it is not. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The question may arise, so what if God tells someone
to kill another. Let us put the situation in our time. A man somewhere in the
U.S kills multiple people and claims God told him to kill all
Muslims/Blacks/Mormons/Whites/etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and
he was only following God. Well if God really did tell him then it may be okay
with God, but it is clearly against the Law of the Land, and as such he should
face the full penalty for his actions (i.e. death or life imprisonment or
whatever is protocol in the particular state).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Was he inspired by God? Well I doubt it, but in reality it is a moot
question. He broke the law and must face the penalty for his crimes, if he is
led by God, then let God save him, but for us it is to execute the just laws of
the land. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I foresee that Steve (or others) could have questions/arguments,
I am happy to except any on the principle that all involved first try to
understand before trying to accuse.</div>
A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-52089257336237669162013-01-25T23:58:00.001-08:002013-01-25T23:58:32.073-08:00The Snowy Rain of Ice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4bdYciiH8II6bOwdBvbCzYtsz4CgxD9slid-9AkbKc9099uCXWmczGPe-IKJAndBAokRfOij5J7FPV3MS-9wtSf0Q4jlEiChYnnwxLhicehbeBjlwyIZN05tkbIsYLxUtoID7pjLLvB8/s1600/BillowIceSnow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4bdYciiH8II6bOwdBvbCzYtsz4CgxD9slid-9AkbKc9099uCXWmczGPe-IKJAndBAokRfOij5J7FPV3MS-9wtSf0Q4jlEiChYnnwxLhicehbeBjlwyIZN05tkbIsYLxUtoID7pjLLvB8/s1600/BillowIceSnow.JPG" height="210" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Never have I seen it ice like this, it covers
everything, cars, sidewalks, garbage and snow. Many complain of its dangers, I marvel
at its beauty. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The snow appears to be artificial, a plastic covering for a
mall Christmas display. Shining with its clear glaze made to make the fake snow
gleam like real, but it always falls short. Yet here the snow outside looks
identical, especially when it is in billowing stacks on top of post or bushes,
as if nature finally imitated the store windows in their attempt to imitate it.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And what is more, it cracks. Everything does. It is just
like breaking the ice that freezes over street puddles on cold mornings, but
instead of water underneath, there is snow, soft and caving in. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I walk down fourth east I struggle between the decision
to “break” the snow, hear it crack and watch it cave in, or to simply look at
its beauty and keep it for other pedestrians passing by. I feel the more noble
is to leave it, but every time I crack something, even just a bit, a small
tingly of joy runs down my spine, and I have to break more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Smiling, I am taken back to many wonderful cold mornings as
a child. “Oh if this had only happened when we were children,” I think to myself.
The children who ran through the neighborhood cracking the ice in every puddle
we could find. We would have loved an event like this, an ice-coated snow. We
would have run from yard to yard jumping into the “snow-puddles” and relishing
the cracking sound as we fell into the soft snow underneath. We likely would
have used up all the snow in our yard and ran to the park to do the same. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can only hope that somewhere in this wide valley there are
many, or at least a few, children enjoying it as much as we would have. <o:p></o:p></div>
A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-12931217941939353412013-01-17T17:00:00.001-08:002013-01-17T17:02:10.565-08:00My Salt Lake<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I was just a boy I took a trip to Florida. I remember
flying into the Miami International airport late at night, and looking through
that small porthole window of the plane with my young, innocent eyes to see lights
sprawling as far as visible. Lights which seemed more numerous, and just as far
reaching, as the stars. I felt like I was reaching a city so great and large it
could only have existed in a science fiction movie like <i>Star Wars</i>. Yet, there it was, before me as real as could be. Of
course I had never seen any big city in my life, and therefore realize there
was actually nothing particularly special about this city. In reality there
were many other cities around the world, and even country, larger and more
expansive. However, to me the sight was incredible.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Salt Lake at that time, though large, was a valley where the
south and west were still filled with large farms that made black spots by
night. That moment flying into Miami-day was bigger and newer than anything
seen before, indeed a moment to remember. However it was largely forgotten from
my memory for many years, until something brought it back. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The other night I drove back into Salt Lake from Utah Valley
and pulled over the point of the mountain as I have done so many times, but
this time it was different. Perhaps I was paying more attention to the scenery,
or perhaps I was just more pensive. For whatever reason, this time as I looked
out into that vast valley, perched on the shelf above the prison, I was taken
to Miami International airport, flying in on a late night plane over 10 years
ago. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The valley I have known since I was a boy has changed from a
valley half rural, half suburban, with few urban areas, to a sprawling city
that fills everything from mountain range to mountain range, east to west and
south to north. This valley where I have loved and lived has changed so much in
just these short 25 years of my life. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yet it still is the valley I love. More crowded, yes, but
filled with even more, wonders, interesting things, and most important, kind
and amazing people. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think of how taken back I am by peering into this valley
of my youth, and think how much more would those hardy pioneers who first came
here would be. Looking into the valley
that was empty except sage when they came, they would now see houses, lights,
and bustling businesses even more prevalent than the sagebrush had been. Indeed
they may whisper quietly to themselves while standing on some nearby peak, “this
place surely has blossomed like a rose, beyond what I could ever have imagined.”<o:p></o:p></div>
A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-38190614500527575982012-11-08T00:29:00.001-08:002012-11-08T00:47:49.488-08:00An open letter to conservatives (Part 3): What the GOP must change to be viable<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The Republican Party has some major problems.
Isolating voters, branding, inconsistency, and hypocrisy come to mind. These 6
changes need to happen for them to become viable, without losing their true
principles. What is more, this will bring them more in line with constitutional principles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">6 things (discussed below): a rational foreign
policy, a rational immigration policy, a reasonable approach to climate change
and the environment, a more accepting and federalist approach to social issues,
real fiscal conservatism, and learning to negotiate and compromise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A rational foreign policy</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">.
The Republican Party must adopt a rational foreign policy. For too long the
party has supported fighting wars of aggression oversees and spend valuable tax
dollars bombing civilians and propping up foreign dictators. The party that was
voted got us out of Vietnam and Korea needs to start promoting the kind of
foreign policy it used to have and that George Washington suggested: worry about
problems here at home, and not in Europe or anywhere else. Looking back on
history the sad truth is that despite our often good intentions, the United
States’ involvement in oversees conflicts has led to wasted lives and turmoil
in those country. Afghanistan (the first time), and central and south America have
been evidence of that. Can we say we are pro-liberty while propping up
dictators oversees who happen to be our friends? Can we say we are pro-life
when we kill thousands of innocent civilians? Our people are needlessly dying,
as are those of other foreign countries, it is time for the GOP to take a
rational approach to this issue. Yes we need a strong national defense, but we
don’t need to be oversees building other people’s bridges, when we have bridges
here that need fixing. We already spend over 4 times any other country on
military. When will it stop? More money on military makes us safer as more
money on education makes us smarter. It doesn’t. Yes there needs to be an
investment, but we need to be rational, endless foreign wars of aggression is
not the answer. We should focus on working with Democrats to bring the troops
home, close oversees bases to save money, and in general downsize the military
focusing purely on defense, not offense. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A rational immigration policy</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">.
This election made it clear, the republicans need Latinos. What is more,
Americans need Latinos. It is time the Republican party take a more open
approach to immigration by realizing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">immigration
is a good thing</i>. Once again this is more aligned with conservative
principles of Liberty and Life. Why can’t we let people freely move here? If we
believe in Liberty we must. I don’t want this to come across wrong, but it is
essentially the same principle as free-trade. If they can do a better job for a
better price, why not let them do it, that will drop the cost for everyone, and
free workers up to be able to do things where they can benefit more people. Obviously
we can take a hard line on illegal immigration, but fences are just ridiculous,
communist countries build walls and fences, not free countries. Most illegal
problems would be solved by making legal immigration (at least a work-visa situation)
easy and cheap. Anyone who wants to come should be able to with a nominal fee
and background check. Then we can truly live the saying on the statue of
liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to
breathe free.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Rational approach to the environment
and climate change.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Accept the Science. Republicans cannot
deny it, and should not as it will only make them come across and bigoted and
anti-intellectual. That is an image the Republicans desperately need to shake.
Republicans should be the party of intellect and education. The message needs
to be one of truth, and therefore accept what science is accepting as fact. Climate
change and global warming are real, why any politician would or should deny
this is beyond me. Now the causes of climate change are not so clear, and how
much man has played a part. There are clear signs that lots of it is our fault.
And I don’t think anyone would deny that being environmentally conscience is a
good thing. We can accept it is real, and recognize it is up to individuals
mostly to make changes. Companies and individuals are doing this voluntarily
and it will continue, we ought to be encouraging this, as that is what we want,
less government, more people. Also stats could be encouraged to work out their
own particular environmental policies to encourage a clean future for everyone.
In general have a genuine and honest discusion about what, if anything, the federal government could/should do to change anything. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">On social issues, focus on
federalism</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">. Here is another inconsistency and hypocrisy that
sends people packing from the GOP. We want freedom, yet we want to tell people
in other states about their personal lives and what they can consume. There is
a logical approach to this that does not alienate social conservatives and is
more in line with principles of liberty than even the libertarian view (in my
opinion) it is called federalism, I wrote an article on it <a href="http://ageewriter.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-problem-with-this-election-and-true.html" target="_blank">here</a>. This should be
our approach. Also on LGBTQ issues, if we adopted a fair tax, or closed
loopholes and benefits in the tax code, then gay marriage would not be such a
big issue. At that point it literally becomes about the definition of a word.
That could easily be left to the states to hash out, other words change meaning
from New York to Texas, I don’t see why this word couldn’t either, as long as
we eliminate the tax code loopholes and benefits that benefit people living in
a married relationship. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Be real fiscal-conservatives</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">.
The supposedly “fiscally conservative” party has been anything but in recent
years. George W. Bush out spent and out-debted his democratic predecessor by a
pretty unhealthy margin, and we wonder why people can’t identify with the
party? If we actually pursued this principle half as hard as we doggedly pursue
keeping “our guys” in office we would be doing pretty well. This is a branding
issue. This should be our brand: true fiscal conservatives. Most Americans
identify with the need to keep a budget; it is something Republicans should be
able to deliver. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Learn to negotiate</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">.
If we have the truth, we should be willing to talk to anyone and not fear. We
shouldn’t have to shut people out of debates or speeches, especially one of our
own. Let’s recognize that the other side has legitimate reasons to believe why
they do and engage them in constructive conversation. Let’s learn to compromise,
if it means raising taxes on the super-rich for significant spending cuts, why
not? A lot could be negotiated with things we should not even be defending,
like military cuts, cuts in foreign aid, closing loopholes for corporations,
and more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">These changes will not only widen the appeal of the
GOP. They are more aligned with core principles of life, liberty, and love. We
do not need to abandon our principles to win, we need to abandon the principles
of the few crazies who have captivated the party and mistaken their social
agenda for constitutional principles, when they are not. The party needs to
rebrand itself not as the anti-intellectual, anti-immigrant, white party, but
as the intellectual, rational, fiscally-conservative, open-minded party. If
some inside the party get mad, those people will just have to realize what the
party is about. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Life, Liberty, and Love: these should be our guiding
principles. Following the constitution could go a long way, especially for
Republicans. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-26030267441880048482012-11-07T18:37:00.001-08:002012-11-07T21:31:04.717-08:00An open letter to conservatives (Part 1): why the election does not matter, but you do.<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As was inevitable Tuesday night, half of the country felt
elated, while half were overwhelmed with a wave of depression, anxiety, and
ulcers. I also fell into this emotional whirlpool despite my attempt to
distance myself from it by voting third party. Secretly, deep down somewhere, I
really hoped Mitt Romney would come out victorious, even if it was just to prove
some pollsters wrong. Furthermore some of the local races didn’t go my way
either. And so gloom surrounded me.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I began
analyzing these feelings and had to slap myself, as should the rest of Conservadum.
Was I a different person because of the outcome of the election? Were the
people of the United States any different? NO! We are the exact same people as
we were Tuesday night at 6 p.m. as we were at 10 p.m. We were personally no
more “losers” than the other guys were “winners." So why were so many depressed
then? The reason is because we believed a false idea completely contrary to the
ideas of liberty: that government can solve our problems. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The
questions we have to ask ourselves is whether we are personally more
independent? Are we personally more capable of being free from government than
we were before? Are we more capable of helping our fellow man?<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-tab-count: 1;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">These
are the question that matter, not who for whom we will vote.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The
sooner conservatives realize that liberty will <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not </i>come from spending millions on TV adds to try and get someone
elected, the better. Liberty will come when those millions are instead spent on
private charity to help people get food, job training, and health care. That is
when liberty will come, when the American people stand up and show that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we can</i> do it, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we can do it without government</i>. This is our fight for winning. If
you truly believe in liberty’s message, you understand that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">people solve problems,</i> not government.
That means while others are petitioning government, and spending money to get
government to do something about problem X, we should be out actually doing
something about problem X. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In
reality a Mitt Romney win would have been just as false as this supposed loss.
If he had won would people have understood liberty any more than they do now? Would
people be any different, depend on government any less than they do now? NO!
Simply advertisements and publicity got them to vote for Mitt Romney for being
slightly better (often for reasons not having anything to do with real
principles) better than Barak Obama. It is not like anyone would have come to
understand truth any better, and that is what matters.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">T</span>he
battles for America’s future will not happen at the ballot box. Forget all that
junk Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh say about this being the most important decision
of our lives. It is not, it was not, it never will be. The most important
decisions of our lives are decisions to tell the truth even though it is advantageous
to lie, decisions to live our beliefs, even when it would be convenient to
forget them, decisions to live morally, to serve others, and be good citizens.
Those are the decisions that matter; those are decisions that actually change
people’s minds, decisions that truly help people understand liberty. Our
decision to help our neighbors read, and volunteering at schools, and sharing
the great books of history does more to influence America’s future than any
decision you will ever make at the ballot box. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Elections
follow automatically if the principles of honesty and liberty are being
practiced in homes and communities. The people get the leaders they deserve. If
we want to change America, we need to change ourselves. We need to live
independently, we need to live charitably, and compassionately, we need to love
all people regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual-orientation, or
whatever else. The principles of liberty can only survive if we have an honest,
hard-working, and indeed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">loving</i>
people. If we don’t become those people, we can never win. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As we
become those people and work on converting people to Liberty and Truth, and not
Mitt Romney, or whoever else, we will win. People will see the difference
and know the truth. We can be better every day. We can become more educated and
search for truth in everything. If we spend our time understanding truth,
instead of arguing over personalities and trivialities, we will win. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It is
ours to win, but it takes a people who are dedicated to living honestly and
justly every day of the year, not just on Election Day. People who believe
government can solve all of our problems ask for your vote. People who believe
in Liberty ask much, much more, they ask for your life and your responsibility.
This is not an easy task, but it is possible. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The election should simply be a thermometer
of where we are, and why spend millions changing the thermometer? We should
spend our time and effort changing what it is measuring, and it is measuring ourselves.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The
long and short is this: Truth will win if we stand up and live truth, if we
shun government entitlements at all costs, and embrace independence,
philanthropy, service, and charity. Love is the most powerful force on this
earth, if we employ it on our side, we will win, if we don’t, we will lose. It
really is all about love, conservatives need to realize that and live it. That
is their only hope.</span> <o:p></o:p></span>A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-976893222893025192.post-31068204927718041402012-10-25T20:14:00.000-07:002014-01-11T20:48:48.252-08:00The myth of "throwing your vote away" <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When I get asked who I am voting for, and the name I
say is not one of the two expected, the response is inevitably, “So you are
throwing your vote away?”</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> This
is a myth. In reality, a vote for a non-major party candidate actually does <i>much more</i> than a vote for either of the major-party candidates.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The
truth is, I live in Utah, and as a Utahn, my vote for president was thrown away the day I registered
to vote in this deep red state. I know all my electoral votes are going towards
Mr. Romney. I knew this the day the man became the Republican nominee. If you
vote in Texas, the Dakotas, or Idaho you had similar knowledge. Likewise if you
live in New York, Massachusetts, or Oregon you have known for the past four
years your electoral votes would be under Mr. Obama’s name. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> In
which case, why not vote for someone who actually stands up for principles you
agree with, as opposed to someone whose opinions are based entirely on politics
and not principles? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Sure
if you live in Nevada, Ohio, or any other state feasibly close to “swinging” go
ahead and vote for the guy you agree with 50% of the time over the guy you agree
with 30% of the time just because “he’s better.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> But
if not, take a stand for someone you really believe in. Really, what will do
more? If Utah goes Romney 75% to 25%? Or Utah going Romney 55%, 25%, 20% with
20% going to Gary Johnson, the super fiscally conservative anti-war
candidate? No one would say backgammon
or anything else over Utah going strong Romney. Yet if any politician sees a large
portion of the electorate going to a non-major party, they will notice and
start changing to gather that demographic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Perhaps
you actually believe in Romney/Obama, in which case vote for them. Yet you are
likely kidding yourself. Essentially if you believe in <i>anything</i> strongly you likely do not agree with them. The
major-party candidates’ views are made to appease (appease not please) the
largest segment of the electorate as possible. Almost none of their stances are
based on principles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> You
say “I believe in limited government and reducing the debt so I am voting for
Mitt Romney.” Yet if you really believe in that, do not vote for a guy who says
he will balance the budget in 8 years<sup>1</sup>, vote for someone like Gary
Johnson or Virgil Goode who actually believe in balancing the budget <i>now</i>. A sizable electorate voting for Gary
Johnson will do more to get Washington to start cutting than any number of
votes for quasi –fiscal conservative Romney. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Maybe
you care about the environment, then vote for someone who will take radical
government action to fix the environment, such as green party candidate Jill
Stein. Or if your concern is getting out of foreign wars, why would you vote
for a man who sponsors clone attacks, involved us in wars in Libya and Syria (in
a limited manner), and still has us in Afghanistan? Send a clear message to
Washington, that you want to get out of Afghanistan <i>now</i> and vote for Gary Johnson or Rocky Anderson.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Basically
your vote in the presidential election can count, even in Utah, if you are
willing to jump outside the box of “mainstream” and vote for someone you
actually agree with. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.Romney claims he will balance the budget in 8-10 years. The LA times says he will in 28.<br />
<span style="font-size: 7pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Come on our website. You look at how we get to a balanced budget within eight to 10 years. We do it by getting — by reducing spending in a whole series of programs."</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Los Angeles Times http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-nn-romney-balanced-budget-20121016,0,2393874.story <o:p></o:p><br />
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<br />A.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316755132464823059noreply@blogger.com0