Comments on Mental Blog: 9/11

I'm working on a piece about democracy as a result...

2008-09-12T20:30:00.000-04:00

I'm working on a piece about democracy as a result of your earlier comment in "And They Call It Democracy -- a reference to a song by Bruce Cockburn, by the way). I checked up a bit on Socrates, but didn't want to go into too much detail about that one part. But he lived in Athens during the time that Athens was a democratic city-state and was defeated by the Spartans, who were definitely not democratic. Socrates admired many of the Spartan attributes, and this caused him some trouble in Athens, which eventually led to his conviction. The Greeks (specifically the Athenians I guess) are often credited with being the originators of democratic rule.

Mentioning Marx reminded me of supposing that Marx...

2008-09-12T18:20:00.000-04:00

Mentioning Marx reminded me of supposing that Marx was the Father of Socialism, but wondering where and when the concept of democracy has its roots. I wondered did it start with Socrates. Actually I've read now that in a way Socrates was opposed to Democracy. It says that Socrates did not conceal his contempt for Democracy. One paragraph states,

"Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were leaders of a movement that
espoused that truth is real and absolute standards exist. They
opposed the relativism, skepticism, and individualism found in
sophism, a more radical philosophy of the time that was gaining
adherents. Most of our knowledge of sophism comes from Plato, a
severe critic, who disparaged the rise in individualism and the power
of citizens during the flourishing of democracy in Athens in the
middle of the fifth century B.C. As a result, it is not surprising
that Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were all opposed to democracy to
varying degrees.

Wow the concept of democracy then allready existed in the middle of the fifth century.

I also remember that I mentioned a likeness in Socrates' faith and Jesus. Came out of my own brain. Now I read,

" The wisdom shared and example lived in Socrates’ life foreshadowed that of Christ. His death was for similar reasons. He wore no shoes, left no writings, dressed humbly, cared for the common people, had a great many disciples at the time of his death in 399 B.C., and died because he would not compromise on the principles he taught."

I may wanna go back to school.LOL.
Well, Larry you at least led me to asking more questions, seeking more information and understanding, and Mr. Google can help too.

My next question is, "What is sophism?"

I got to be careful though not to get caught in intelectualism. That's bad for my intuition.

WT, you said a mouthful there, but the last paragr...

2008-09-12T15:33:00.000-04:00

WT, you said a mouthful there, but the last paragraph stuck out for me right away...

His name is in poor repute these days, but Marx nailed this phenomenon down in the 1860s when he demonstrated that the capitalist system inevitably fell prey to overproduction, which was one of the factors responsible for capitalism's tendency to experience periodic crashes. The capitalists can't help themselves. They must produce and continue to produce to maintain their accumulation of capital. Eventually, production outstrips the ability or desire of consumers to buy.

We may think that capitalist societies have, since the Great Depression, gone beyond that sort of blind imperative. We would like to think that corporations have learned to plan. But no.

Look at auto manufacturing today. They just build and build and keep on building (apparently the wrong type of autos) until all of a sudden they see that nobody's buying, cuz most people don't need to buy a new vehicle every year. Then the companies start laying off their workers. Laying off workers can start (or amplify) the downward cycle cuz if'n you ain't got a job, ya cain't buy a car! Or a house. Or groceries.

In Lunchbucket, here, there is a major car dealership that has basically had its inventory taken over by the manufacturer...very few cars left on the lot, but lots of pickups...they can't sell cars until the inventory of pickups is reduced. And the owner of the dealership, since he's a franchisee, has little to say about it.

The flaw is in the mode of production itself. Capitalism is certainly not "designed" to aid the poor anywhere.

Also the victims of hurricanes. There must be a co...

2008-09-12T12:10:00.000-04:00

Also the victims of hurricanes. There must be a connection. Not only people, nature itself reacts to all that violence and caused inbalances. Actions and reactions.

From bad to worse.

Not only fear. That feeling of powerlessness. The attitude is bullying and it doesn't work.

Long ago on the Pierre Burton show, that one guy, I can't recall his name, but see his face before me, he stuck up for the Murricans. He was fed up with everybody blasting them, and blaming them for everything. He brought out their good points.

Yes it ofcourse is easy to gather all the evils and load them on one scapegoat. The ones that do the blaming can feel freed of sin then.

I ever had a boss who's philosophy was, "Who works makes mistakes. Who works a lot makes a lot of mistakes."

The Murricans have always been in the fore front of action. Working hard. Canajuns have been laid back, keeping the peace?

According to Reiner Maria Rilke we all have the violence of hurricanes and vulcanoes in us.

Maybe it is not so bad to forget dates. I am not saying forget events. Calendar time, clock dates, are artificial measurements.
Our inner time clock doesn't work that way. We get conditioned.

Life never stays the same. It changes day by day. Minutes by minutes in minute ways.

Big happenings like 9/11, major wars, bring major changes. Not only people's doings. Nature itself causes major changes.

Maybe the key phrase of that psalm is, "I shall not want."

If we do not rot the world with oil, we will be able to lie down in green pastures and be led beside still waters.

Throughout history there have been like messages. Souls that listen hear them.

But we live in a world now of fear, distrust, greed, and violence. And we have to find our place in it without losing our essence.

I heard on the news that big clothing stores, on the end of a season throw out eveything that hasn't been bought with the instructions of not giving it to charity. So it don't go where there is need, it go in landfills. Someone, a regular citizen, found out about that and raised a stink. Now they will allow those boxes and boxes of clothes to go to third world countries. I am not sure they could not be put to good use in our own country. Saves all the paper work and shipping and legalities. The whole idea of throwing out good stuff like that is immoral. The fact that there is so much left over shows we have too much to begin with and so disadvantage other people and make them suffer. I bet the same goes on with food.