The Faith of a Heretic

Originally posted on a forum I moderate (click for link):

DARE was reckless and poorly envisioned: arbitrarily telling people that drug use is bad because its against the law is no way to foster sobriety in a culture.

Instead of even bringing up the topic of drugs we should be integrating critical thinking, discussion, rhetoric and philosophy classes beginning in elementary school that teach us to be rational, clear-headed and sober thinkers, so that hopefully in the end we will decide on our own not to use drugs.

As everything in this diseased society (click for link), we fail to ever address the root of the problem and instead attend to the immediate effect that befalls it. People are using drugs, so we must stop them from using drugs. Instead of trying to punish people illegally for a right which should be constitutionally protected – that is – freedom of personal choice and morality, we should be attacking the root of the problem which is usually a lack of self-esteem, coping skills, and a critical thought process.

In a more sane time education’s focus would not be primarily on memorizing trivial minutiae: dates, what the 22nd president’s dogs name was, and other shit that has nothing to do with reality, but instead cultivating empowered thinkers; people with the ability to mentally operate independent of Bill O’Reily’s blathering sophistry. Our education fails again and again to create good, skeptical, rational thinkers in exchange for spelling bee champions, as if that plaque won makes you a good citizen. The fatal problem with our ‘educational’ system is that three most important things in an education are missing. All education must be built upon a foundation of rhetoric, logic and grammar.

These fundamental tools are crucial for properly structuring thoughts, thinking critically, rationally and logically. The powers that be take these tools away from the masses so that they cannot defend themselves, remain bovine and oblivious to deceptions. How is one supposed to encounter ideas in a systematic fashion if he lacks the training in which to consider them? Do we ever stop to consider why we take the actions we do, question why we buy the useless junk that we allow to define our worth? To learn how to examine every cause, to penetrate every layer of gilding, to lay the issue bare and see how pointless it is, that is the goal of a true education.

We should be striving for excellence in all things, children who may conquer the world through sheer will, not mediocrity in alleyways smoking dope. How is this accomplished? Inspire them, push them, drive them toward heroic victory, the earlier the better. Instill in children the will to become emperors, not the will to mop up vommit at McDonalds.

I had a teacher in 6th grade who would always pass me on the way to school in his car. He could have picked me up, given me a ride but he didn’t. Instead he gave a little wink of confidence or a wave that said ‘push on.’ He would never hold my hand through anything but always instilled in you the right sort of push that put you on your way toward victory. This is what education should achieve. Give you that inspiring push, with dramatic examples of character and virtue, but then have the restraint to see you accomplish it on your own.

The destructive nature of drug addiction will become clearly present to the critical thinker, and the addiction that so plagues every aspect of his society will evaporate.

“He only earns his freedom and his life who takes them everyday by storm”

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

126: Consider every matter as a tree. Do not concern yourself with the health of the individual leaves but rather the health and harmony of the overall organism. For leaves can rot to the earth and be replaced but once the trunk or roots have been neglected, the entire structure dies. So when we encounter problems don’t look to the immediate effect but rather the cause of it, otherwise we attempt to fix a broken pipe by mopping up the water it spews rather than sealing the offending rupture. We must transcend this fear of personal death (or suffering) so that we might ensure the life of the whole.

127: ‘You are wise! A philosopher! A genius!’

No. I am an imitator of greater men and reader of a few books not often read. I am Arrian, someone who scribes the sage wisdom of a colossus, of the sages. I have skin, blood, a beating heart, the need to shit, urges of the flesh; I am a talking monkey. And if I ever am so bold as to call myself a philosopher you should surly put me to death, for I am a failure who has forgotten his way and is no longer of any use. Do not listen to me for there are wiser men to consider.

Forced to scorch at the stake of humanity
Our heavy skulls and cumbersome bodies
fastened by straps of fear and mediocrity
Anchored and confused
Confused and naive
We bled upon the oak and iron and sang songs
of revolution and tyranny
The spitting cracks of ember
harmonized our singing voices
as the scent of servitude left our presence
and scaled through the syrupy air
of a new morning
Together forever
Married to illusion
Together forever
The end

Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful

95 injustices why the republic must be restored…

1. things being explained in 30 seconds or in sensational cliches “the terrorists hate our freedom”
2. destructive and anti-republican nature of the labeling proccess: conservative, right, left, liberals, liberal/conservative divide
3. political parties, factions and lobbys underminding republican values
4. alliegance to private interests instead of the state; examples of corruption inspire lesser officers to be corrupt
5. reliance on opinion instead of science and facts
6. intellectual level of leadership: virtuous philosophers to sophists
7. evangelical absolutism permeating government at every level – how its legal to discuss personal beliefs or incorporate abrahamic justifications for state activities – religion should be a private matter, should not even be mentioned within the government, ever.
8. the new mccarthyism
9. domestic morality: republican roman to apathethic hedonism
10. flawed education system: no character, critical thinking, heroism, or self-reliance cultivation
11. moral corruption in government not punished or filtered; no accountability, state traitors not being sorted out
12. corrupt figureheads = corrupt republic, from hamlet (washington) to claudius (bush)
13. political rhetoric not being checked by rhetoricians – sensationalism as the standard form of discourse
14. integration of the media into government – All publications must declare whether they are entertainment- or news-oriented, and if the latter, be subject to review according to their objectivity, as determined by an independent body of our best journalists.
15. tax exemptions for religious institutions
16. the patriot act
17. suspension of habeus corpeus
18. Flagrant, self-righteous disregard for international protocols
19. Illegal warmongering in Iraq and Afghanistan – treason
20. The ‘war on terror’ ‘axis of evil’ ‘a new crusade’
21. presedential theatrics
22. business interests perpetuating conflicts – halliburton
23. alliances with dubai, saudi arabia and other states which actually sponsor terrorism
24. bushs’ religious justification for his ‘new crusade’ (god told me to do it)
25. Tax dollars being used to fund resistance movements in other countries and for ‘allies’
26. Unnecesarily large emphasis on jingoistic military spending and no money allocated for the arts
27. ‘White House Memo’, illegal instigation of war http://www.channel4.com/news/special-reports/special-reports-storypage.jsp?id=1661 http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,,1700881,00.html
28. Partisan, competitive ‘power’ mindset
29. Downing Street Memo http://www.downingstreetmemo.com/ “The President, Vice President, and all civil officers of the United States shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”
30. Guantanamo Bay/Abu Ghraib/Other Hidden Torture Centers/Governmental Torture (also: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/14282)
31. Pentagon Monitoring Peace Activists’ E-Mails http://www.alternet.org/story/43085 32. Government fraud in cleanup activities http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/wastefraudabuse/index.asp
33. No connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda
34. Nebulous/ambiguous evidence to suggest Al Qaeda’s role in 9/11, how it would be impossible for them to know by the time of the Afghanistan invasion, why its unconstitutional/illegal to invade a entire country to punish a small group of private citizens, especially during an emotionally charged time in which people are open to persuasion
35. 9/11 as a pretext to instigate a new paradigm of ‘war on terror’ to justify all administrative decisions, including suspending constitutional rights: “Of course the people don’t want war. But after all, it’s the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it’s always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it’s a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger.” -Goering “Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind. And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar.” – Gaius Julius
36. Governmental database of anti-war activites http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/14624
37. Invasion of iraq and ‘war on terror’ to spawn new wave of terrorism, how evangelicals in government would favor this because they want armageddon http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/14300
38. Policy of bullying ‘allies’ into line with threats of “Be prepared to be bombed. Be prepared to go back to the Stone Age.” unless they concede to whims
39. Republican Platform in 2000 called for ‘removal of saddam hussein’ yet was not discussed until after 9/11 – using fear as a tool to influence scared citizens
40. Legacy of fabricating pretext for wars http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/lieofthecentury.html
41. Political isolationism as the only constitutional policy – george washington’s farewell address
42. Osama Bin Laden a real example of Emmanuel Goldstein – Bin Laden as CIA asset ‘tim osman’ to perpetuate constant feeling of impending attack
43. Reckless spending policy
44. remove from government’s purview all moral and civil causes
45. DU poisoning
46. ‘War on drugs’ and the making illegal of prostitution and drugs, government policing of our own bodies/actions which only effect ourselves
47. Military-Industrial Complex and ike’s speech becoming a reality – military purchases just for the sake of purchases
48. Reckless environmental policy resulting in possible future destruction of the planet – ignoring the Kyoto Accords, fabricating the facts on global warming’s potential future impact
49. World police when our own citizens are freezing to death in the streets
50. Intrusive, inflated police force, overcomplicated and bloated set of laws
51. we want to look closer at reality, and devote less of our time, money and military strength to chasing myths. We want to make life better for our citizens, and to stop playing games that distract us. We’re content to let the rest of the world make its errors and have its own opinions and religions. We want to put our energy toward a better life for all of us here in the USA. It might make you feel good to think you’re helping someone who has been oppressed, or is badly off, or is facing instability in a foreign land. You might feel a sense of pride when you think about big terms like “freedom” and “democracy” fighting against dictators in other countries. These are just feelings; they are not reality. Reality is where you live, and where you work and how much you like it. Reality is how many paper forms you have to fill out, and lines in which you have to wait, in order to get your business accomplished. Reality is whether there is crime all around you, and ugly polluted cities. Reality is how much time you have for your family and community, which is where the real important things in life are. The Pragmatism Party is devoted to reality.
52. whoever has the most money/most talented campaign team wins the presidency, president should be selected on merit, not the stageshow, make campaigning illegal.
53. These issues being entirely up to local government, we will repeal all HUD and affirmative action legislation such that these issues can be decided by local communities.
54. People being jailed for excusable offenses, how jailing people doesn’t accomplish anything and bleeds the finances of the nation 55. Making illegal of the death penalty in federal government in exchange for permenant labor worker or deportation. Death only reserved for state criminals, such as the current president. States and local communities are free to decide this issue according to community will without interference from federal governments. 56. Immigration: for every citizen who leaves our country, one immigrant will be admitted entry, and only legal immigrants who go through the naturalization process
57. No independent auditing of federal agencies results in massive corruption – because they are allowed to police themselves
58. Bloated, costly military detracting funds from other areas of government. A small, elite defensive army wouldn’t need to be so expensive. Founds could be re-allocated to social and enviromental projects.
59. Fraud in the Gore/Bush election of 2000, illegal action by the supreme court to usher in a illegitimate president.
60. Hypocritical international nuclear arms policy – you can’t have arms, but we can!
61. Fantasy explanation for 9/11 – even if it were true – would be impossible to verify in the time leading up to the invasion of Afghanistan, even then, its ludicrous to invade a sovereign nation due to the crimes of it’s private citizens
62. Federal Reserve System: “If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their money, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them, will deprive the people of their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”
63. Executive Order Number 12148 created the Federal Emergency Management Agency to interface with the Department of Defense for civil defense planning and funding. An “emergency czar” was appointed. FEMA has only spent about 6 percent of its budget on national emergencies. The bulk of their funding has been used for the construction of secret underground facilities to assure continuity of government in case of a major emergency, foreign or domestic.
64. Executive Order Number 12656 appointed the National Security Council as the principal body that should consider emergency powers. This allows the government to increase domestic intelligence and surveillance of U.S. citizens and would restrict the freedom of movement within the United States and grant the government the right to isolate large groups of civilians. The National Guard could be federalized to seal all borders and take control of U.S. air space and all ports of entry. 65. Executive Order 10990 allows the government to take over all modes of transportation and control of highways and seaports.
66. Executive Order 10995 allows Seizure of all communications media in the United States.
67. Executive Order 10997 allows Seizure of all electric power fuels and minerals, public and private.
68. Executive Order 10998 allows the government to take over all food resources and farms.
69. Executive Order 10999 allows Seizure of all means of transportation, including personal cars, trucks or vehicles of any kind and total control of highways, seaports and waterways.
70. Executive Order 11000 allows Seizure of all American people for work forces under federal supervision including the splitting of families if the government finds it necessary.
71. Executive Order 11001 allows seizure of all health, education and welfare facilities, public and private.
72. Executive Order 11002 empowered the postmaster general to register all men, women and children in the U.S.
73. Executive Order 11003 allows seizure of all airports and aircraft.
74. Executive Order 11004 allows seizure of all housing and finance authorities to establish Forced Relocation Designated areas to be abandoned as “unsafe.”
75. Executive Order 11005 allows seizure of all railroads, inland waterways and storage facilities, public and private. 76. Executive Order 11051 specifies the responsibility of the Office of Emergency Planning and gives authorization to put all Executive Orders into effect in times of increased international tensions and economic or financial crisis.
77. Executive Order 11921 allows the Federal Emergency Preparedness Agency to develop plans to establish control over the mechanisms of production and distribution, of energy sources, wages, salaries, credit and the flow of money in U.S. financial institution in any undefined national emergency. It also provides that when a state of emergency is declared by the President, Congress cannot review the action for six months.
78. Illegal wiretapping even before 9/11 with the Echelon program.
79. Implantable chips (PLD), digital money, national ID cards – other Orwellian tracking devices currently in development
80. Usage of electronic voting machines in exchange for paper systems allows election fraud – proof of such in testimony and in 2004 ohio precint. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4312730277175242198 1hour30minutes approximately.
81. Refusal to release reports on the amount of national gold being held, audit required to ensure it has not been stolen, illusion of money actually being worth something.
82. No legal justification for income tax, making it illegal. Court cases defining ‘income’ as gains/profits from corporate activity (not wages/private working), and even then, other court cases declaring that the 16th amendment is unconstitutional.
83. Fiscal 99′ 1.1 trillion undocumentable adjustments, fiscal 00′ 3.3 trillion undocumentable adjustments – other government instances of money being stolen.
95. 600,000-655,000 dead just in Iraq – over an illegal war: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/14591 http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/14582, bush is entitled to at least 600,000 life sentences

Let them call me a rebel and I welcome it, I feel
no concern from it; but I should suffer the misery
of demons were I to make a whore of my soul.

This wound cannot be patched
as my blood runs gelatinous, sweet and black
Only to be tasted by the chafed lips of the inflictor, a mirror
The heavy-handed swift punishing judge
whose sentence is lifelong and indifferent
as puddles of stagnant water
You cannot stop the bleeding with patches alone,
as saturation will reject all but infliction
Reparations all slide off into oblivion
The hunter and the hunted have become one
I was borne for self-destruction
Borne to bleed and freeze
Tears used to jimmy dried scabs of blood from these sheets
Pills to control, to redirect, to attempt to unlearn
Unsatisfied with what this world has had to offer
Satisfaction when the heart stiffens and succumbs
to the hunter’s hands, gelatinous, sweet and black
No more pills, no more adjournment
The higher the walls around
the more I will jerk them down upon me
It has become easier to bury the bodies
than to bury the memories and impulsive thoughts
that serve only to confuse and burden
One hand on the shovel, the other around my throat
Borne to bleed and freeze
I have broken all the warm hands that heal
Bones snap and shatter
Muscle tissue around the eyes stretch
and quiver like a fish skinned alive
The only honest satisfaction
Cold and weak, I hope none remember
I will be happy to forget
Forced to scorch at the stake of humanity
Our heavy skulls and cumbersome bodies
fastened by straps of fear and mediocrity
Anchored and confused
Confused and naive
We bled upon the oak and iron and sang songs
of revolution and tyranny
The spitting cracks of ember
harmonized our singing voices
as the scent of servitude left our presence
and scaled through the syrupy air
of a new morning
Together forever
Married to illusion
Together forever
The end
We hide behind what we create,
but this time the product shall consume
and shit us back to what we once were

I stalk a shade with a dead heart.

I am better off than he is–for he knows nothing but thinks he knows, while I neither know nor think I know. . . . If you say to me, . . . you shall be let off, but upon one condition, that you are not to inquire . . . in this way any more, and that if you are caught doing so again you shall die–if this was the condition on which you let me go, I should reply: . . . while I have life and strength I shall never cease from the practice and teaching of philosophy, exhorting anyone whom I meet. . . . Are you not ashamed of heaping up the greatest amount of money and honor and reputation, and caring so little about wisdom and truth? . . . ‘The unexamined life is not worth living. . . . If you suppose that there is no consciousness, but a sleep like the sleep of him that is undisturbed even by dreams, death will be an unspeakable gain. Eternity is then only a single night.