“We’ve Always Done It That Way”

All the more reason to change, and do something that works, rather than merely perpetuating these problems -- as though that was who they are and must be. That is the indoctrination they receive from their earliest experiences with the government, in the form of the schools, that enforce and reinforce this unquestioning conformity -- as its vision of paradise, in which there is no dissent from the authoritarian personalities and culture it perpetuates.

But with the rail issue, those heavy-handed manipulations and deceptions have become transparent. One marvels at how the mayor has managed to take a very powerful sentiment for change, and turn those agents usually for change against him -- because he was not convinced of his own legitimacy. He didn’t believe that he was telling the truth -- but only knew how to convince, persuade and coerce others he was.

It’s a time of authenticity -- in which the simple truth is far more effective than all the manipulations to convince one of what is not so.

There are wonderful products in the world -- but if one can’t tell the difference, he will try to sell you what he has, rather than what the customer (citizen) really wants -- presuming they cannot tell the difference either. So one conditioned in the old manner, thinks all he has to do is call in more experts -- who also conditioned in the old manner, think their job is to tell others what they are being paid to.

That is the unfortunate consequence of “professionalism,” that money becomes the main determiner of what becomes the “truth.” It is the truth, because that is where/how the money is made, and if there is no money to be made in propagating that “truth,” then one as a professional, would be stupid to work for that common knowledge. And so misinformation and disinformation, become the common currency of professionalism one now expects to encounter -- beginning of course, with the lawyers and politicians, who in Hawaii, are conveniently one in the same.

In Plato’s Republic, pure democracy is not the ideal because it allows those who are gifted or intent on manipulating the masses, inordinate power, and so what is preferred, is a republican form of government in which a few of the best, represent the interests of the many -- but only if they are not chosen by that same “demagogic” process.

While most are familiar with the term and concept of “democracy,” much fewer are aware of the terms, concepts and dangers of “demagoguery,” which is always masked as “democracy,” and “democratic,” and even even written in capital letters, as further proof of their honest intentions.