Isocrates:
“Democracy destroys itself because it abuses its right to freedom and equality. Because it teaches its citizens to consider audacity as a right, lawlessness as a freedom, abrasive speech as equality, and anarchy as progress.”
I'm also putting together some Rene Guenon quotes, brilliant writer along simliar lines. Why is it so hard for the westerner to see his faults, which lie so open to everyone else?
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12 comments:
H.L. Mencken also produced pure gold when he spoke. Thinking of putting a quotes page on my blog. No point in trying to say something that someone with more skill has already nailed.
I dunno what democracy was like in Greek times, but I'd say it destroys itself because it's a system of power, which has the effect of attracting those who seek power. It's inevitable that the bastards of the world would end up running it, just like the monetary system. We should stop trying to shift our responsibilities to institutions, IMO.
http://www.vanityfair.com/business/features/2010/10/greeks-bearing-bonds-201010?printable=true
Now there's one of the oddest articles i've read for a while, see what you make of it.
I'm reading Plutarch's Rise and Fall of Athens, a surprisingly easy read. And it's wierd, going from 2000 odd years ago to today.
Plenty of really good history in there though, and an insight into a culture that we are very clearly based on, yet utterly different to.
From democracy to anarchy, it is one path, i'm just not sure of it's route yet. The only clues are greed and selfishness, same as ever was.
peace and love
Nothing wrong with the Anarchists.
They're just trying to adress the systems of control in the only way left open to them.
Peaceful demonstrations don't work. Writing letters doesn't work. "Working for Change" doesn't work.
The only way seems to be to smash the bastards.
Love,
Terri in Joburg
We lost something though, the greek "arete" ... basic "goodness" or "strength" in mankind. Honour.
The followers of Solon (sophists) were defeated by Plato's writings, although no-one knows for sure why he hated them so much, but i still feel they hold the clue to where our current "logic" and "rationality" fall short.
I think they would have been able to make fun of his seriousness, and self-assuredness. We lost the GRANDEUR of our world, the REVERENCE for being alive.
................
PS where I do have a problem is seeing the hugely overweight teacher holding up a placard saying 'we can't teach on an empty stomach' and nurses assualting colleagues wanting to work...all for more money.
Anarchists don't want any money.
Love,
T in J
Oh yes Terri absolutely, but don't you think it strange that while democracy APPEARS to be the opposite of anarchy, they are clearly cut from the same piece of cloth?
As my last comment, we've been tricked into forgetting something, and it happened to the greeks first. Then the same method was used on the romans, and planet earth still groans under the burden of this delusion.
peace & love ;-)
Money is all that's been left!!!!!
We've removed honour, dignity, community, pride, reward, and all the other "rewards" ... and even a LOT of money, isn't enough :(
Remember, rabid dogs attack the weakest first ...
Agreed, our world view is fundamentally flawed. I'd say what we forgot is that everything is part of the same thing. We think of ourselves as supremely unique and that leads to all this other crap, including money systems and feeling alienated from everyone.
I don't think anarchy is the only other option. We should arrange ourselves into large villages, where (and this is the important part) what is decided directly affects the people who decided it. The current system lacks accountability. Obama flat out fucking lied, to take one example, and now that he's president, who can do anything about it? Organisation is all right IMO, as long as the organisations don't become too large and powerful.
Audio's a bit out of sync on this skit:
WKUK - Anarchy
Ah brilliant!!!
That vid just made my day man! thanks :)
"everything is part of the same thing" .. really that simple? probably.
I'm a huge believer in, small villages as you describe are the "natural way". But then there's "progress", which comes along and kicks everything in the teeth.
And the bigger problem is ... we need to UNLEARN a whole bunch of crap ... thats i think where anarchy comes in, unlearning the crap that gets in the way of simple thinking.
Start again, hungry, and needing shelter, and try not make the same mistakes. Again. Again.
I think the old world is going to take care of its own destruction. :) Especially once what could probably be assumed to be the most creative people leave the system for something better. These people/things that control us have no skills and no creativity.
Progress is definitely something we'll have to deal with. There is probably good and bad progress, and the bad kind I think is the kind that tries to solve a problem like death, but just ends up creating more problems. Example, the medical industry of the day. What a bunch of utter bastards those people are.
We'll have to learn to live with what we can't change, like death. We're messed up. People and family fight with each other when they're alive, and then when someone dies they make a big deal out of it and elevate the dead guy to sainthood, nevermind all the the years that person was alive when all anyone wanted to do was fight and gossip. I think the earth is going to teach us all these lessons, it's already begun.
Yes, it is all one thing.
Love,
T in J
Yes, death. Always lurking in the background ready to fuck up the best laid plans of mice and men. LOL. Death ... that's where all this tech falls apart really, and the medical monkeys are NOT helping.
It's about attitude, we are so programmed into "life at any cost" .. for everyone, whether they want it or not.
Aquila ... *hugs*
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