Changing Hawaii
The problem with being “paradise,” is that one is led to believe that nothing needs to be changed, to be improved, could be done any better -- which of course is the familiar complacency and indifference that is often our greatest frustration, living here. While tolerance for that which cannot be changed or is superficial, is wisdom, tolerance for that which can be changed and must be changed, is folly. Unfortunately, those who should know the difference, are famously proud that they cannot distinguish any difference -- and so we are on our own, to be those who can discern such things and make that difference.
To expect that others might be able to appreciate that -- would also be futile, as that would require that they knew beforehand, what was trying to be accomplished. In fact, that anything was being attempted at all, would elicit from them, a knee-jerk response to discourage and undermine any attempts to change the status quo -- of their unsatisfactory “perfection.” “Life,” they would philosophically lament, “is supposed to be this veil of tears, lamentations and frustrations,” and those who would tempt the gods otherwise, risked bringing down the wrath and displeasure of the gods themselves -- in whatever calamity of the day it was convenient to point out. And everyone would nod knowingly in agreement.
The modern high priests of knowledge -- the media, schools, universities -- would also add, that their authority on such matters should not be challenged, or even questioned -- and the usual annual increases in tribute, devotion and sacrifice must be continued, as the gods would be very angry, if their “chosen ones” were upset and inconvenienced in the least. After all, the reason they were exulted in the first place, was to be the servants of the people -- and so they were accepting the bounty of the people, “for the people” -- and not for their own benefit. In their minds, everything they had done in their lives “for the people,” could never be compensated but would always remain an entitled debt society owed them.
Even such privileges, status, and greatly higher than the median pay, were a meager acknowledgement of the much, much greater worth they were entitled to -- over everybody else in this world, in this life. Only in the next life, would they receive their proper due, sitting at the right hand of God, directing Him in all the right moves -- piling up another infinite debt from those less worthy.
posted by Mike Hu @ 8:56 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
People who live in societies in which there is no freedom or real choice, are given the illusion that they have a choice -- but only of more or less, and never that the choices could be entirely different than the ultimatums they are given. “More torture or less?” “More pay or less?” “More education or less?” Never is it suggested that there can be anything other than the same old thing -- even if obviously, they are not the answer to the problem, and actually may be simply enabling the problem, pouring fuel onto the fire.
The problem with government is that many think the primary objective is to create more high-paying jobs (for themselves), which means the problems have to get worse, out-of-control, hopeless so there is this great sense of urgency that overpowers and overwhelms clear thinking without the crisis compelling immediate (continued) action. That is problem-solving by crisis management -- and so always there must be a crisis, for if things worked well, there would not be a need for more (government) jobs, or to do anything. We could just enjoy that prosperity-- rather than be compelled into action by the latest calamity.
It is the cessation of all these problems that is the meaning and purpose of work -- and not to create more problems so that we cam create more high-paying jobs, under the pretense of solving them. That is the well-known liberal hypocrisy of having “good and noble intentions,” yet doing everything they can to subvert and undermine that effort. Thus we may have congressmen, who while expressing support of maintaining a strong military and defense, propose laws to weaken and undermine those forces.
The words and the actuality contradict one another -- while the media, schools and universities will vouchsafe for the validity of such contradictory realities -- that the more education people have, the more they need to be educated -- in an endless cycle of ignorance and gullibility. Of course, if the military forces are weak, there also is no end to the threats in the world. In the news business, information consumed leads to more information needed -- rather than that, with the right information, one does not need to look for “more.” One has the information that suffices.
In the 20th century, for the first time, unprecedented affluence and leisure became a widespread reality for many in leading edge societies -- but much of its culture and institutions were still rooted deeply in the problems of the past, and when those could be eliminated, the choice instead was made to perpetuate them indefinitely and infinitely. That is the lifestyle and choices of dysfunction -- to perpetuate the problems of the past -- because that’s what we are used to. Otherwise, we have to begin life all over, learning new things, and while that is what the young are expected to do, how could anyone expect that one who has already learned and now has the proper certifications of this achievement, could ever be expected to learn all over again, as though they knew nothing?
But it is only in such a state of mind, that any true learning is possible -- otherwise, one is only confirming what he already knows, which increasingly, is likely to be obsolete if not erroneous. Truths are the best that is known in its time -- but are not truths for all times, in every situation. That truth has to be discovered in every moment; it is not just a remembered thing, a habit, belief, tradition, an unquestioned truth henceforth. The truth is discovered freshly -- in the actuality of our living, and not just what self-satisfied experts claim, is that which they pass on to the rest, directly from God, as His chosen representatives.
And thus they are deserving, of more than all the rest.
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