I was reading this article about the convoluted use of the term libertarianism by Neo-Cons all over North-America and commented on facebook, so these statements emerged. I am publishing here in hope of outlining some historic facts, trying 2 tie some things 2gether and sort through some rather arbitrary ugliness. And trust me, I’m just trying 2 get through this without getting hurt. Calling it like I see it, the new name of the game.
A friend of mine: “Start with the headline…Bastardized libertarianism. That is incorrect. Libertarianism has not been bastardized. It was always wrong, right from the start. It still exists in its pure form and it is still wrong. It is and always had been a thinly guised pseudo philosophy to justify selfishness. The problem from the start has been its name, which is a bastardization of the terms liberty and liberalism, yet it does not stand for that. A political philosophy must represent a definition that is for the greater good. That has been the rule at least since the time of Plato. Libertarianism has never done that, therefore it is not a political philosophy. Too many people are confused by the etymology of the term which hints at both liberalism and liberty, while the pseudo philosophy of libertarianism has never been about either concept. Think of people who are or were libertarians and you will see a list of people who have something to lose in any other political ideology. Steven Harper, Ron Paul and his son Rand (named after Ron Paul’s heroine and probable lover Ayn Rand, John Wayne, all members of the National Rifleman’s Association. Ye judge a tree by its fruit.”
This is my response, enjoy:
I dread somebody come and arrest me in the middle of the night 4 my facebook posts, but I won’t just trot along 2 my Schaffott, excuse me, my history teachers made me understand how bad it is 4 democracy AND for your own life 2 only obey and hope 4 the better – that is how my people murdered 9 million of their own in a civil war that was so one-sided and viciously executed that it only qualifies 4 murder – 2 defend 1self against whoever will try 2 remove those individuals from their land or property – THAT is also part of the libertarian, republican tradition, in order 2 defend it against the ever mighty feudal ruler, in the name of your own freedom, your right 2 be free from any ARBITRARY state oppression or intrusion, literally, 2 break free from any “kingdom”. And the more I see this black water rising, the more I’d like 2 learn how 2 best defend myself. This is why we need 2 stop the speculators – they r removing us from our property. U missed out on some important periods of time teaching us the following, my friend: Because of feudalism in Europe, when workers and farmers were not owning their land, people starved, were attacked randomly and never could make it in2 any wealth coz the royal rulers skimmed it up b4 it amounted 2 anything substantial. It was theirs by law. THAT IS WHY so many white people came 2 America, THE PROMISED LAND! And they were given land upon arrival – never known prosperity 4 many, apart from pain et misère 4/with First Nations of the area. The north American constitutions were subsequently fundamentally different – any American were 2 own their land – property rights r institutionalized as we all know. The black water tide rising in front of us all is trying 2 erode that, 2, becoz property is such a huge value in America and it’s protected by our own right 2 defend it – in some states that means by the aid of a gun – I mean, u can say what u want about the careless availability and distribution of hand guns in the US – but I am somehow not under the impression that the government thugs rising with the black tide r gonna engage with me in a lengthy discussion about my rights. U gotte see what’s coming, dear. I hate guns, but I won’t fall without a fight, I can assure u that. Right now finding appropriate words 2 tell it like it is is my way of fighting these brutal thugs not bound by any accountability.
Self defense – fundamentally different from attacking somebody 2 take with force what u want from them, even under Canadian law. See, the people u mention embrace that part of republican credo 4 different reasons, it seems twisted and bigot 2 observe Neo-Cons extrapolating onto foreign soil or inner-societal scapegoats such as jews or muslims by default (“they r threatening our freedoms”) – it used to be part of a new world libertarianism – now it seems all those terms r tinted and laden with bitter tasting, brutal connotations. If u like Plato, then u may know the meaning of “republic” (which was also the title of 1 of Plato’s dialogues with Socrates): it stems from the Latin term, “res publica” (with a big shout out 2 my ever so patient Latin teacher), “affairs of the people”, or “public affairs” in opposition 2 a monarchy, where the ruler is almighty and not bound by a constitution. I mean THAT arbitrariness we (some very brave lords who probably had some ego-ambitions of their own if I remember correctly) managed 2 tame over 700 years ago already – even the king’s orders were 2 hold up b4 the Magna Carta.
With regards 2 Plato, he is thought 2 be the founder of Academia, a school in Athens based on the assumption that knowledge can be gathered from observation of the visible world. This is all from Wikipedia:
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"Until philosophers rule as kings or those who are now called kings and leading men genuinely and adequately philosophise, that is, until political power and philosophy entirely coincide, while the many natures who at present pursue either one exclusively are forcibly prevented from doing so, cities will have no rest from evils,... nor, I think, will the human race." (Republic 473c-d) >>
Apparently it is subject 2 controversy which part can be attributed 2 either philosopher, although Plato was Socrates’ scholar, there4 u’ll have 2 bear the mention of them both in this context.
<< In several dialogues, most notably the Republic, Socrates inverts the common man's intuition about what is knowable and what is real. While most people take the objects of their senses to be real if anything is, Socrates is contemptuous of people who think that something has to be graspable in the hands to be real. In the Theaetetus, he says such people are "eu a-mousoi", an expression that means literally, "happily without the muses" (Theaetetus 156a). In other words, such people live without the divine inspiration that gives him, and people like him, access to higher insights about reality.
Socrates's idea that reality is unavailable to those who use their senses is what puts him at odds with the common man, and with common sense. Socrates says that he who sees with his eyes is blind, and this idea is most famously captured in his allegory of the cave, and more explicitly in his description of the divided line. The allegory of the cave (begins Republic 7.514a) is a paradoxical analogy wherein Socrates argues that the invisible world is the most intelligible ("noeton") and that the visible world ("(h)oraton") is the least knowable, and the most obscure. >>
Interesting that poet, philosopher and statesman Vaclav Havel, asked years ago on the CBC if he ever felt like a character in his own play, he answered something along the lines of: “No, rather like a character of somebody else’s play, in a an obscure, absurd theatre.” As It Happens had a segment on the occasion of his passing in the program on Monday: http://www.cbc.ca/video/news/audioplayer.html?clipid=2178438657
Now this is strangely close 2 the explanations Wikipedia offers about the Greek father of all teachers:
Precessing the concept of wisdom from observation, << Socrates says in the Republic that people who take the sun-lit world of the senses to be good and real are living pitifully in a den of evil and ignorance. Socrates admits that few climb out of the den, or cave of ignorance, and those who do, not only have a terrible struggle to attain the heights, but when they go back down for a visit or to help other people up, they find themselves objects of scorn and ridicule.
According to Socrates, physical objects and physical events are "shadows" of their ideal or perfect forms, and exist only to the extent that they instantiate the perfect versions of themselves. Just as shadows are temporary, inconsequential epiphenomena produced by physical objects, physical objects are themselves fleeting phenomena caused by more substantial causes, the ideals of which they are mere instances. For example, Socrates thinks that perfect justice exists (although it is not clear where) and his own trial would be a cheap copy of it.
The allegory of the cave (often said by scholars to represent Plato's own epistemology and metaphysics) is intimately connected to his political ideology (often said to also be Plato's own), that only people who have climbed out of the cave and cast their eyes on a vision of goodness are fit to rule. Socrates claims that the enlightened men of society must be forced from their divine contemplations and be compelled to run the city according to their lofty insights. Thus is born the idea of the "philosopher-king", the wise person who accepts the power thrust upon him by the people who are wise enough to choose a good master. This is the main thesis of Socrates in the Republic, that the most wisdom the masses can muster is the wise choice of a ruler.
The word metaphysics derives from the fact that Aristotle's musings about divine reality came after ("meta") his lecture notes on his treatise on nature ("physics"). The term is in fact applied to Aristotle's own teacher, and Plato's "metaphysics" is understood as Socrates' division of reality into the warring and irreconcilable domains of the material and the spiritual. The theory has been of incalculable influence in the history of Western philosophy and religion. >>
Now these days, some very progressive citizens amongst us, nuevo-republicans if u so want, take that 1 step further:
“(…) upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power.”
What we have coming is feudalism, @ best – and thank u very much, all my history teachers, 2 explain and illustrate that 2 me when I was a student. Feudalism is slavery, and the republic emerged as the free man’s alternative, as in France, as in America.
Now I say:
If nobody owns the land, then why would you fight 4 it?
Instead, the question turns in2: how can we share it and make sure we leave our kids more than we received from our parents? What is the definition of “more”?
This movie I watched recently provided an additional angle on the ides of control. Thank u very much 4 your attention!
Update DEC 6 2011: Mit Richard Carr habe ich auf’m St-Laurent in Montréal Cappuccinos geschlürft – am Samstag werde ich einen Titel von seiner neuen Scheibe spielen! Hier ist ein Artikel mit Hinweis auf eine Blues-Radio-Sendung, der den Montréaler Blues-Musiker auch erwähnt. Bis denne!
2nite on “The National“, income gap in Canada interestingly illustrated, nice choice of voices, but super funny from 9.06 on – they call’em Mr. and Mrs Marcozy – ahahahaha! and that’s not all: very informative overview on reserve life-style all over C (why that would fair behind a Euro-story, even if somewhat epic, 4 a Canadian broadcaster, kinda concerns me a bit) with the corniest Mansbridge in a long time in the end – nothing like the CBC, aeh?
A-and:
Keppler 22b, here I come. I did it once, I can do it again. Love this article: “Personally, I am faintly tired of people just like us. I would dearly love to communicate and commune with entities that have 10 limbs, 15 methods of sound and vision, and no such thing as hockey. ”
Not 2 mention sum more delicate body parts, me thinx, can’t help watching my thoughts go 4 a space walk …
In the meantime, on a planet of weirdos in your home galaxy, instead of assuming responsibility 4 a decade of bureaucratic delays and broken promises failing Canada’s most vulnerable inhabitants, Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan put the Attawapiskat reserve under third party management in form of a banker, who was kicked off reserve promptly upon his arrival this morning.
Ich dachte, dieses alles könnte Euch informieren und diesen sonst zu Trostlosigkeit neigenden Dezember Dienstag etwas aufheitern.
Samstag sind wir wieder auf Sendung. 11 AM EST/17h MEZ EINSCHALTEN!
ON THIRD-PARTY MANAGEMENT:
Duncan: “Last week, I announced plans to put in place a third-party manager to address the urgent needs of the community and to ensure the funding provided to this community is being spent effectively. Today, the chosen third party manager, Jacques Marion from BDO Canada LLP, is on the ground with [Aboriginal Affairs] officials. It is important to remember that the community’s Chief and Council will continue to be in place.”
Spence: “This rationale has been used by the Department to silence us…. It is incredible that the Harper Government’s decision is that instead of offering aid and assistance to Canada’s First Peoples, their solution is to blame the victim, and that the community is guilty, and deserving of their fate.”
Update 10 JAN 2012: And it’s not that they haven’t tried 2 get the government’s attention:
Update DEC 5h 2011: The “ominous” bill C10 just passed the first vote in Canada’s House of Commons.
Anti Crime Bill (C10) protesters in front of Canada's Supreme Court with the West Wing of Parliament in the back in Ottawa SAT 26NOV2011
I heard the demonstrators were 2 meet at Confederation Park @ NOON and then march to Parliament 2 protest the Omnibus Crime Bill C-10. Info here. I caught up on the hill and started taping when some of the protesters stopped on the Western leading 2 lanes of Wellington @ Kent Street. My estimate: there must have been around a 1000 people protesting Saturday, 26th of November 2011. Traffic was passing @ all times, even with some sitting down on that Northern half of the street. Although traffic had 2 slow down 2 pass the protesters, there was a rather supportive reaction from most of the drivers, some of which were sounding their horns and waving their hands. Please press play 2 see 4 yourself.
A number of interesting speakers on the steps of Canada’s highest court of appeal are next, the speeches are all complete, my edits aim 2 make my crappy recordings a little more bearable in a number of ways. In the order of their appearance:
Lokale HeldInnen an Board eines Ottawa City Bus, sie singen eine nur leicht abgeänderte Version von Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” um ihre Unterstützung für den singenden OC Transpo Busfahrer premieren zu lassen. Dem Busfahrer war befohlen worden, während des Fahrens nicht mehr zu singen.
“So you think you can raise rates and cut back on rides. . . ” – I love it!
General Assembly? A tedious, all engulfing, wonderfully connected experience, where r all voices present r heard, until consent is reached, bettering ideas and shaping the planned application while coming up with the solution that all can live with. Una Spenser describes the form of democracy that makes people happy in Daily Kos. What a great article, what great accuracy with the words – thank u, and right on!
personally, I think, 1 could be drawn 2 the sentiment that especially 3b just happened 2 the American people, inflicted by, ouhm, yeah, the military government, and who knows, what kinda foreign interest may lay on it all (3a) – I figure the people in Zuccotti Park are protesting that exact process. The only feature qualifying 4 “occupation” is that it is temporary – until they get what they want.
All power emerges from the people. The people first, speculations later. I don’t think I really qualify as a socialist but 2 me, trading stuff was always a driving force behind economic success of a place – the scientist in me is just embarrassed facing the utter ignorance bout vital processes of our live systems. This is possible coz they r not factored in2 our current budgeting… Wall Street is ours, always has been, coz no resources change place without a worker being involved in that except maybe 4 earthquakes or the very ancient Egyptians and their guests. If there occur problems 4 residents (which should be scientifically monitored by a well qualified, well paid team of independent researchers), then this should translate in2 the exploration/production company having 2 pay 4 restoration and compensation, limiting the long term profits of such enterprise and making it attractive 2 the market 2 take on sustainability as a part of the profit margin. That’s gonna create drive, real drive, free drive and equal drive, with the benefit of more social justice, with all players having the same conditions and goals, that of making the best and environmentally friendliest product being the number 1 common goal. Employees should get a high return on that manual labour, and income of physical labour or performance of a service cannot be taxed. Income from investments can be taxed. If the IRS could respect that, jobs could be coming up like mushrooms in October …
Anyway, just some thoughts 4 which words should be like glass bowls making a good soup look better and a spoiled dish shame the chef b4 it hits the stomach – here is the email:
The World vs Wall Street
FROM: Emma Ruby-Sachs – Avaaz.org
TO: Maren Molthan – abroadcom.net
Message flagged Saturday, October 8, 2011 6:24:43 PM
Dear friends,
Thousands of Americans have taken over Wall Street — joining a global movement from Madrid to Jerusalem to take back democracy from corrupt interests. If millions of us stand with them, we’ll boost their spirits and show the media and leaders that this is no fringe movement. Click below to sign the petition – every signature will be counted on a giant live counter in the middle of the Wall St. occupation:
Thousands of Americans have non-violently occupied Wall St — an epicentre of global financial power and corruption. They are the latest ray of light in a new movement for social justice that is spreading like wildfire from Madrid to Jerusalem to 146 other cities and counting, but they need our help to succeed.
As working families pay the bill for a financial crisis caused by corrupt elites, the protesters are calling for real democracy, social justice and anti-corruption. But they are under severe pressure from authorities, and some media are dismissing them as fringe groups. If millions of us from across the world stand with them, we’ll boost their resolve and show the media and leaders that the protests are part of a massive mainstream movement for change.
This year could be our century’s 1968, but to succeed it must be a movement of all citizens, from every walk of life. Click to join the call for real democracy — a giant live counter of every one of us who signs the petition will be erected in the centre of the occupation in New York, and live webcasted on the petition page:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_world_vs_wall_st/?vl
The worldwide wave of protest is the latest chapter in this year’s story of global people power. In Egypt, people took over Tahrir Square and toppled their dictator. In India, one man’s fast brought millions onto the streets and the government to its knees — winning real action to end corruption. For months, Greek citizens relentlessly protested unfair cuts to public spending. In Spain, thousands of “indignados” defied a ban on pre-election demonstrations and mounted a protest camp in Sol square to speak out against political corruption and the government’s handling of the economic crisis. And this summer across Israel, people have built “tent cities” to protest against the rising costs of housing and for social justice.
These national threads are connected by a global narrative of determination to end the collusion of corrupt elites and politicians — who have in many countries helped cause a damaging financial crisis and now want working families to pay the bill. The mass movement that is responding can not only ensure that the burden of recession doesn’t fall on the most vulnerable, it can also help right the balance of power between democracy and corruption. Click to stand with the movement:
In every uprising, from Cairo to New York, the call for an accountable government that serves the people is clear, and our global community has backed that people power across the world wherever it has broken out. The time of politicians in the pocket of the corrupt few is ending, and in its place we are building real democracies, of, by, and for people.
With hope,
Emma, Maria Paz, Alice, Ricken, Morgan, Brianna, Shibayan and the rest of the Avaaz team
Workin’ on it as I am typing, u can tune in from 11 am EST/17h MEZ via live stream here – anybody heard ’bout the protests on Wall Street in New York? Apparently somebody photoshopped a google earth pic 2 make the crowd look bigger – there is an interesting discussion about that right here. Just click the word “here”!
4 me, this is the most interesting comment, close 2 the 1 question everybody assessing the truthfulness of any publication should ask:
Who is profiting from the notion that the publications evokes? Who is the real author?
This is the comment (left by Jordan October 3, 2011 at 2:46 am)
“I think the real question for this community to get to the bottom of at this point is who is Jason Wettstein and did he even make this image at all? It looks like he stole the image from Scott Lickstein per @Terrence McNally’s comment, and then added his own clownish text commentary on top of it. The difference in writing styles b/w Scott and Jason are like night and day, and the all-caps, mangled grammar of the photo that went viral are clearly Jason’s voice and not Scott’s. Scott has a nice explanation of his work on his site that is not intended to deceive but rather to consciously provoke thought, as any good artist should. The difference in voice and professionalism (for lack of a better word) implies that the original thought provoking work is indeed Scott’s, and that Jason came along after and saw an opportunity to steal the work and create a troll-style image to go viral and provoke people in an unsophisticated, deceitful way.
The remaining question would be who is Jason Wettstein, is he real or a right-winger trying to discredit the movement, and what does Scott think about this? (and why hasn’t anybody – Scott of otherwise – tried to put out a version of the image w/ a different text that is true to the original intent?”
Thursday, April 26th 2012
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Half Moon RuninParis, Köln, Haldern, Osnabrück, BerlinatEuropeBuy tickets
Monday, May 7th 2012
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Layla ZoeinBielefeldatPianoBarBuy tickets
3 years on the air!
In November 2011 it's been 3 years that "BarKanada' has been airing every month. For your following I thank u very much!
"BarKanada" ist schon seit 3 Jahren auf Sendung, jeden Monat! Für Eure Unterstützung und Treue bedanke ich mich herzlich!
Ça fait 3 ans que "BarKanada" soit diffusé sur les ondes de tonkuhle.de. Merci pour votre fidèle appui!
