Systemic Sanity: Recent Comments

Comment on The Season of Importance

Rodney Owen — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:38:53 GMT

Unfortunately, I haven't seen it yet. Sometimes life happens, and it's been happening around here. But it's still on the short list. I don't know anything about a Punisher movie.
Thanks for the comment. Great blog you have going there.

Comment on The Season of Importance

Pete — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:19:03 GMT

What'd you think of the flick? I just heard that a new Punisher movie is coming out soon, do you know if that's true?

Comment on What Can You Say?

Rodney Owen — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 21:26:02 GMT

Great point! I suppose if one goes around grumbling to one's self only, as I often do, it is not so useful. Which is part of my motivation for this blog and my other @ Veterans for America. As far as voting, I am beginning to believe it is a big waste of time and energy, much like writing your representative--as if they cared.

Comment on The Folly of Representative Government

Rodney Owen — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 21:15:42 GMT

Hey, wow. Thanks for the feedback.

The intention behind the ideas of the Founding Fathers was that the idea of a 'Divine Right to rule' is ridiculous--Tom Paine, "Common Sense"; that all men are created equal--Tom Jefferson; that taxation without representation is tyrany; and that the only way people can live in any modicum of harmony is if they have a stake in their own self interests, rather than being pawns in the plans of others, or dictated by a ruler. Of course these ideas are philosophical, and tyrants have always found ways to subvert the system, any system. But they are still the true ideas behind the Revolution. As far as the wealthy protecting their wealth, that is of course what one would expect. This leaves those with material possessions the right to do with them as they please, including donating said wealth to the poor if they choose. But the key here is the right to choose and have a say over one's possessions. Somehow, in the years of political dialogue the concept of 'self-interest' has been given a pejorative connotation. While it can indeed be a negative thing in some situations, self-interest as a whole is not bad, but, I would argue, a morally positive thing (reference: Ayn Rand, "The Virtue of Selfishness"; Adam Smith "The Wealth of Nations"; Murray Rothbard, "The Ethics of Liberty"; and St. Thomas Aquinas, "Summa Theologica"). The most common occuring alternative in history is Socialism, which takes from those who have and gives to those who don't. In other words, a majority legalize theft, rename it, and make it policy because they are the majority, and usually because they have the guns. But in the end, theft is still theft--whether it is codified in society's laws or not. On this point I am reminded of a cartoon of Karl Marx sitting atop a pile of skulls, with a caption below that reads something to the effect: "OK, maybe I was wrong."

I am very taken by your sentence: "Ultimately an effort to bring about an ideal for humanity will have to be based on the ideal itself living within the souls of the visionaries." This, I think, is the very essence of what I am talking about, and of the concept of rational individuality, or enlightened self-interest. For there is no will of the people, only the collective wills of each and every individual--together. We are, or can be, the visionaries.

Again, thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Comment on The Folly of Representative Government

sheila — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:55:26 GMT

I would be able to relate to this more easily if I shared your belief in the integrity of intention behind the ideas of the Founding Fathers and their motivations for stirring up the masses to revolt against England in the first place. As it is, I sometimes think America is a failed experiment because, from its inception, the general public was mislead by fiery rhetoric to support the interests of the wealthy in their efforts to secure their resources without regard for the general condition of their fellow colonists. Ultimately an effort to bring about an ideal for humanity will have to be based on the ideal itself living within the souls of the visionaries (like Ghandi). If the vision is a mask for self interest, it will fall apart in the end.

Comment on What Can You Say?

sheila — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:36:16 GMT

I'm not certain speaking up is as important as speaking where and to whom; there are multitudinous alternative publications and websites to air views and read other people's; what action to take seems to me to be more critical. Besides voting, which has a questionable chance of being counted, depending on where you live, what your ethnicity is, what your income is, etc etc.