http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2009/20090215_Damocles.pdf

James Hansen new. Then of course we could ask our selves the question is it knowledge we are looking for and of what knowledge is the wisdom or is there another way.

Can’t we just suppress freedom of expression for people that don’t agree with us?

I see no possible downside…

The sword of Damocles
Dionysius was a fourth century B.C. tyrant of Syracuse, a city in Magna Graecia, the Greek area of southern Italy. To all appearances Dionysius was very rich and comfortable, with all the luxuries money could buy, tasteful clothing and jewelry, and delectable food. He even had court flatterers (adsentatores) to inflate his ego. One of these ingratiators was the court sycophant, Damocles. Damocles used to make comments to the king about his wealth and luxurious life. One day when Damocles complimented the tyrant on his abundance and power, Dionysius turned to Damocles and said, “If you think I’m so lucky, how would you like to try out my life?”

Damocles readily agreed, and so Dionysius ordered everything to be prepared for Damocles to experience what life as Dionysius was like. Damocles was enjoying himself immensely… until he noticed a sharp sword hovering over his head, that was suspended from the ceiling by a horse hair. This, the tyrant explained to Damocles, was what life as ruler was really like.

Damocles, alarmed, quickly revised his idea of what made up a good life, and asked to be excused. He then eagerly returned to his poorer, but safer life.

Revised his idea of what made up a good life. Call call now, take a pill, listen to your leaders and watch your parking meters, ten minute attention span, how old is Earth in years, I love Gold, a good cup of coffee.

Then of course we could ask our selves the question what box with wall’s made of lies am I in the one where the people have there heads up and you can see them and see no downside in suppressing freedom of expression for people that don’t agree with them if they could or the box with the people that have there heads down and we can’t see you because you don’t agree with us? Remember no matter which one still a box of lie’s and soon many fly’s as the ocean’s rise and who is wise among the lie’s that is the question to surmise. Anyway what about those car companies?

Don

In an irrational culture, such as is found in the US, Britain, and Japan, there is no longer debate, social organization, communication, intimacy, solidarity, or humanity as we know it. Society becomes something else entirely. Society becomes something to fear, instead of something to welcome and partake in. It becomes something to hate, something to instigate nostalgic memories, something to long for.

Atomization follows from this change in conception of society from positive to negative. After the fear, hate, longing, and nostalgia take hold there is television, video games, drugs, internet browsing, “being busy”, working long hours, among other obsessions.

Likewise, totalitarianism follows from this reconception of society. The elite seizes upon the newly weakened populace and takes advantage of it.

It doesn’t work to simply tell people to be rational. They tried that already, and it failed. That’s why they are irrational now. What needs to be undertaken is a rational plan, a rational goal and context, a point A to point B so that people can once again see value in rationality, and see the type of rationality to have faith in.

Now color me crazy and you probably will after I write this. England is it like the States where you have very rich people and poor? The middle class maybe 10 around and headed into poor. The people who peacefully protest are they poor? There is nothing wrong with being poor it is a very good way to live the best way if you know how. You must understand it fully to work right. These very rich have you taken a good look at them as I have and they seem to be disturbed not only in there lives but how they think of others. Books are free knowledge is free all you have to do is want it. The World needs philosophers, painters, pottery makers, writers, thinkers. You get the idea. For me to think like these so called elites is a place I don’t want to go. Somehow we need to turn this around where the poor are looked up to not the rich. I guess we need to not think of using your mind not for profit but something you want to do as poor but the best way to live.

Viva Karl Marx.

Best to you.

Not so amused are the 850 car workers dismissed this morning in Oxford by BMW with an hour’s notice and with no redundancy money as they were employed by an agency. They join the ever growing dole queue estimated to be 3 million by the end of the year. Their plight is nothing to be laughed at as they have no hope of getting another job yet have mortgages and utility and food bills to pay.

BTW I thought that London Bridge was now in Arizona! And which one of us will have the last laugh?

I like that definition of Englishness…what is it again? lmao.

If Popeye’s not available for the job of leading the nation down the drain, with so much up in the air at present, how about contracting the Little Rascals? Couldn’t hurt to ask.

Nice piece, thanks for the lighter side contribution, James.

Best to you.