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2a4all wrote:
I was a History major in college. And from that, I learned one important thing: the only way in which people have substantially changed in the last eight thousand years of recorded history is that we have learned to move bigger and heavier things farther and faster. It's them humans. If we could just get rid of all the humans, the Earth would be just fine.
My father told me that Franklin Roosevelt had often told him when he was little, that everyone has his own agenda; that he will do what he can to give effect to his own agenda; and that he can be bought, manipulated, and sold according to his agenda.
Here's the point: you give someone power, it had better be the right person; one whose agenda is in line with yours. If you don't know how to select the people to whom you give power well, you will only be implementing someone else's agenda.
We humans do not have a good record for selecting people whom we wish to exercise power over us. The only exception I can think of is the story represented in the films, "The Seven Samurai" and the remake, "The Magnificent Seven". Normally, when the peasants in the village hire gunslingers to rid the area of bandits, all they do is bring in a new bunch of bandits.
My personal view is that each of us must see to his own spiritual development first and above all else; the heathens and barbarians are going to keep on doing what they've always done. "Seek ye first the kingdom of Heaven, and all these things will be added unto you."
But don't forget to keep your head (and your butt) down and out of the line of fire.
2a4all wrote:
...
So how do we defend against this mode of tyranny?
I was a History major in college. And from that, I learned one important thing: the only way in which people have substantially changed in the last eight thousand years of recorded history is that we have learned to move bigger and heavier things farther and faster. It's them humans. If we could just get rid of all the humans, the Earth would be just fine.
My father told me that Franklin Roosevelt had often told him when he was little, that everyone has his own agenda; that he will do what he can to give effect to his own agenda; and that he can be bought, manipulated, and sold according to his agenda.
Here's the point: you give someone power, it had better be the right person; one whose agenda is in line with yours. If you don't know how to select the people to whom you give power well, you will only be implementing someone else's agenda.
We humans do not have a good record for selecting people whom we wish to exercise power over us. The only exception I can think of is the story represented in the films, "The Seven Samurai" and the remake, "The Magnificent Seven". Normally, when the peasants in the village hire gunslingers to rid the area of bandits, all they do is bring in a new bunch of bandits.
My personal view is that each of us must see to his own spiritual development first and above all else; the heathens and barbarians are going to keep on doing what they've always done. "Seek ye first the kingdom of Heaven, and all these things will be added unto you."
But don't forget to keep your head (and your butt) down and out of the line of fire.