US Mid-Term Elections

[Apech]

Getting back on to topic (or what was behind my original question)... i.e. why are the right wing in ascendancy everywhere in the 'West' ... this article is worth reading...

 

http://http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/14/the-right-has-won-control-of-the-english-speaking-world-thanks-to-the-weakness-of-the-left

 

 

Besides the 5-Eyes spying agreement, the English-speaking democracies of the North Atlantic and the South Pacific are frequently said to have a few things in common. British prime minister David Cameron recited them perfectly before the Australian parliament on Friday: “open economies and open societies”, a free press, and “real democracy and the rule of law” safeguarded by liberal institutions.

 

These fantasies underpin the canonical history of what the rightwing calls the Anglosphere. Conservative thinktankers get misty-eyed when they hear speeches like these, which downplay the way in which these English traditions were imposed by settler colonists on countries stolen from their indigenous inhabitants.

...

Each country has its own internal political dynamics. In each case the right has come to power in different ways. But these groupings share a lot of ideological common ground. This is no accident — multinational corporate lobbying, a global network of thinktanks, and the planetary echo chamber afforded by organisations like Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation keeps right wing ideas circulating and resonating throughout the English speaking world.

Edited November 14, 2014 by Apech

[Marblehead]

It's all about control by the wealthy and powerful. The only difference is what type of control, overt or covert.

[Brian]

Getting back on to topic (or what was behind my original question)... i.e. why are the right wing in ascendancy everywhere in the 'West' ... this article is worth reading...

 

http://http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/14/the-right-has-won-control-of-the-english-speaking-world-thanks-to-the-weakness-of-the-left

 

 

...

Indeed.

 

If only we could silence or eliminate the right-wing rabble-rousing corporate propagandists who are rousing the rabble by filling their puny brains with discredited mush like open societies, free press and rule of law. I mean, such silly concepts, as well as the notions of self-determination, personal rights & responsibilities, and the ability of individuals to make rational choices, have been clearly disproven by the State -- they are obsolete and must be weeded out, along with the mis-educated amongst the masses who repeat that tripe. These lost souls have demonstrated that they are incapable of rational thought by rejecting the correct education of the State; after all, if they were capable of rational thought, they'd be community organizers. QED.

 

If only we could eliminate them, then we could have homogeneity. The State would no longer have to waste precious resources on combating & squelching such pointless opposition, and the workers would settle into their yolks without all this silliness. Once the masses stop trying to spit out the bit, they will understand that their superiors know best. The urban workers should be held up as shining examples for their unfortunate cousins who have not yet been rescued from the idiocy of rural life. In fact, we ought to come up with a way to dilute their influence on decision-making until they have been properly re-educated and accept that feudalism is good. I mean, it's not like they won't still have choices in life! They'll get to choose which TV show they watch and stuff. Besides, freedom is over-rated, anyhow. In time, they will forget all about their dreams and will come to understand that communism socialism fascism neofeudalism assimilation Progressivism is not only the inevitable ultimate evolution of mankind, it is mandatory and a goal to be achieved by any means necessary.

 

After all, it worked for Romney Wordsworth...

 

 

 

[Marblehead]

I almost felt like you were talking about me and those similar to me.

[Vmarco]

what's the opposite of money

http://hermetic.com/bey/millennium/religion.html

[Vmarco]

Getting back on to topic (or what was behind my original question)... i.e. why are the right wing in ascendancy everywhere in the 'West'

A socially conservative media that media-tes the sheeple to vote right,...of course, those who vote right-wing will deny that they can be media-ted so easily.

 

"too few people (Rupert Murdoch, Bain Capital, Sumner Redstone) own too many media organizations." Ted Turner,..and promote extremist conservative agendas and Republican policies.

 

The above shouldn't suggest that the few media outlets which lean Left, don't media-te,...but it is much easier to brainwash conservatives because of their predisposition towards fear.

 

http://liberalslikechrist.org/about/conservativepsyche.html

Edited November 14, 2014 by Vmarco

[CloudHands]

great freaking question...

 

What's the opposite to a chair ?

[Apech]

Indeed.

 

If only we could silence or eliminate the right-wing rabble-rousing corporate propagandists who are rousing the rabble by filling their puny brains with discredited mush like open societies, free press and rule of law. I mean, such silly concepts, as well as the notions of self-determination, personal rights & responsibilities, and the ability of individuals to make rational choices, have been clearly disproven by the State -- they are obsolete and must be weeded out, along with the mis-educated amongst the masses who repeat that tripe. These lost souls have demonstrated that they are incapable of rational thought by rejecting the correct education of the State; after all, if they were capable of rational thought, they'd be community organizers. QED.

 

 

 

...

 

 

You american chaps don't do irony do you.

 

Here's the point of that article:

 

 

British prime minister David Cameron recited them perfectly before the Australian parliament on Friday:

 

“open economies - UK economy far from open and as protectivist as it can get while still in Europe

 

and open societies - surveillance society and various measures to curb freedoms justified by war on terror and fighting pornography and so on”,

 

a free press, - press owned by media barons actively encouraged and courted by PM and senior politicians and

 

“real democracy and the rule of law” - democratic standards on the wane and massive interference in judicial freedoms

 

safeguarded by liberal institutions - all institutions under attack unless owned by corporate business.

[Brian]

 

 

You american chaps don't do irony do you.

 

Here's the point of that article:

 

 

British prime minister David Cameron recited them perfectly before the Australian parliament on Friday:

 

“open economies - UK economy far from open and as protectivist as it can get while still in Europe

 

and open societies - surveillance society and various measures to curb freedoms justified by war on terror and fighting pornography and so on”,

 

a free press, - press owned by media barons actively encouraged and courted by PM and senior politicians and

 

“real democracy and the rule of law” - democratic standards on the wane and massive interference in judicial freedoms

 

safeguarded by liberal institutions - all institutions under attack unless owned by corporate business.

 

I think we just differ on the question of who is driving the herd into the chutes...

 

 

 

 

EDIT: Oh, and I did see the irony -- it is precisely the same as was found in this statement:

I’ve abandoned free market principles to save the free market system.

Edited November 14, 2014 by Brian

[Vmarco]

 

I think we just differ on the question of who is driving the herd into the chutes...

 

"any one who gives you a belief system is your enemy" Osho

[Apech]

@Brian,

 

I think the fight is really totalitarianism versus individual liberty. Whether the totalitarianism expresses itself from the left or right is almost immaterial. There are both left and right positions which oppose the idea of the supremacy of the State. So there would be more agreement between some forms of left and right activists.

 

The swing towards the Republican right coupled with low turnout is actually, probably a symptom of general disaffection with the system as a whole. Many people are just plain confused and others are not so much apathetic but without any motivation to get involved because of perceived sameness. In fact the 'democratic' system which we are so keen to export is running out of steam. One reason is that nobody really supports the set of values that Cameron spoke about.

[CloudHands]

Why do you fear so much the "supremacy of the state" ? They are powerless to do what matter... aren't we living in a bankster/corporationnal world ?

[zerostao]

we have structure and agency, people can 'vote' by choosing to move where the climate better suits their individuality,

those choices are dwindling if you havnt noticed.

the political choices we have are very discouraging and reflected by the voter turnout.

the senator that my state returned to dc, mcconnell, trust me, very few here in ky actually like this guy, we know he is a problem,

and yet, what choice were we really presented with to oust him?

the entire g20 was just a pick on putin because he wont bow down to the bankster/corporatists that have every politician in their hip pocket

the defacto rule of law is complete corruption and it isnt much of a secret

[Apech]

Why do you fear so much the "supremacy of the state" ? They are powerless to do what matter... aren't we living in a bankster/corporationnal world ?

 

 

Nation States are more and more becoming lackeys of the corporations.

[Brian]

An unholy alliance between two imaginary opponents, I'd say, which allows both to pretend to be at odds with the other for the purpose of confusing the casual observer who doesn't notice that the players frequently change teams.

[CloudHands]

Same page, same date.

[Vmarco]

 

 

I think the fight is really totalitarianism versus individual liberty. Whether the totalitarianism expresses itself from the left or right is almost immaterial.

From an ultimate Taoist/Buddhist POV,...there is no "individual liberty,"...but there is a need to understand Dependent Origination. What humanity needs IMO, is a Spiritual Totalitarianism,...where compassion,...consideration for other's before one's perceived self,...is the ideal.

 

To understand "individual liberty," study the life of a cancer cell,...that which puts the individual above harmony with the whole.

 

Cancer cells are rogue cells, that strive towards individualism, and separation from the company of the Harmonic Balanced Interchange of healthy cells. Politically, cancer cells are as "Tea Party" cells,...perceived individuals, fully into themselves, not the harmony of the Whole, who join with other fear based cancer cells, to disrupt the Whole.

 

One of the main propagators of rogue cells are the Abrahamic religions,...who are fully against plurality.

 

 

"I want you to let a wave of hatred wash over you. Yes, hate is good . . . our goal is a Christian nation. We have the biblical duty, we are called on by God to conquer this country. We don't want equal time. We don't want pluralism..." Randall Terry, Director of Operation Rescue

 

"Reason should be destroyed in all Christians." -- Martin Luther

 

If the bible had said that Jonah swallowed the whale, I would believe it. -- William Jennings Bryan

 

 

"We don't have to protect the environment, the Second Coming is at hand....after the last tree is felled, Christ will come back." Secretary of the Interior James Watt on Global Warming, as told by Bill Moyers.

 

"There is no heresy or no philosophy which is so abhorrent to Christianity as a human being." James Joyce

[Apech]

From an ultimate Taoist/Buddhist POV,...there is no "individual liberty,"...but there is a need to understand Dependent Origination. What humanity needs IMO, is a Spiritual Totalitarianism,...where compassion,...consideration for other's before one's perceived self,...is the ideal.

 

...

 

 

Spiritual Totalitarianism! No thanks. What I value is being left alone to live life according to my own understanding and ethics. A third of the Buddhist path is moral ... without the ability to make decisions you cannot be a moral entity. I think you are confusing the doctrine of anatman with just being nada. Yes I will put others first but ironically it is I who have to choose to do that. If someone else chooses for me then it is no decision at all.

[silent thunder]

I've been reminding myself about the fact that average IQ is 100.

and half of the world is below that...

[Marblehead]

I've been reminding myself about the fact that average IQ is 100.

and half of the world is below that...

Hehehe. And half of those need a lot of help.

[silent thunder]

Seriously...

Sometimes I shake my head and marvel at the sheer power of our fertility to outpace our stupidity.

Edited November 16, 2014 by silent thunder

[Brian]

I've been reminding myself about the fact that average IQ is 100.

and half of the world is below that...

That would be the median rather than the average. 100 is the average (or mean) score but the curve is asymmetric with a short lower tail and a long upper tail (this is one of the things I've poked fun at ZOOM over but he didn't follow) and THIS means the median is below the mean.

[Brian]

@Brian,

 

I think the fight is really totalitarianism versus individual liberty. Whether the totalitarianism expresses itself from the left or right is almost immaterial. There are both left and right positions which oppose the idea of the supremacy of the State. So there would be more agreement between some forms of left and right activists.

 

The swing towards the Republican right coupled with low turnout is actually, probably a symptom of general disaffection with the system as a whole. Many people are just plain confused and others are not so much apathetic but without any motivation to get involved because of perceived sameness. In fact the 'democratic' system which we are so keen to export is running out of steam. One reason is that nobody really supports the set of values that Cameron spoke about.

We may not be on exactly the same page all the time but I think we singing from the same hymnal.

[Vmarco]

 

 

Spiritual Totalitarianism! No thanks. What I value is being left alone to live life according to my own understanding and ethics. A third of the Buddhist path is moral ... without the ability to make decisions you cannot be a moral entity. I think you are confusing the doctrine of anatman with just being nada. Yes I will put others first but ironically it is I who have to choose to do that. If someone else chooses for me then it is no decision at all.

In a Spiritualized society, which cannot occur as long as people's ego's grasp for the delusion of independent liberty and insanity of moral identity,...the latter being an indoctrination accumulated to force upon others to keep them asleep,...the illusion of choice vanishes. Choice arises through the skandhas,...that is,...through what people think themselves to be,...which is always the mirage of being separate from the Tao.

 

Osho, very correctly stated:

 

“Morality can only be imposed from without when we are asleep. It can only be pseudo, false, a façade, it cannot become your real being…morality is bound to be nothing but a deep suppression. You cannot do anything while asleep; you can only suppress. And through morality, you will become false. You will not be a person, but simply a “persona”—just a pseudo-entity. . . . Only a dishonest person can be moral.”

 

The preachers have convinced the whole world that “you are all sinners.” This is good for them because unless you are convinced, their profession cannot continue. You must be sinners; only then can churches, temples and mosques continue to prosper. Your being in sin is their success. [Churches] are built on your guilt, on your sin, on your inferiority complex. Thus, they have created an inferior humanity.

 

We condemn the real and we enforce the unreal, because the unreal is going to be helpful in an unreal society and the unreal is going to be convenient…A child is born in a society, and a society is already there with its fixed rules, regulations, behaviors and moralities which the child has to learn.

 

When he will grow he will become false. Then children will be born to him, and he will help make them false, and this goes on and on."

[Apech]

In a Spiritualized society, which cannot occur as long as people's ego's grasp for the delusion of independent liberty and insanity of moral identity,...the latter being an indoctrination accumulated to force upon others to keep them asleep,...the illusion of choice vanishes. Choice arises through the skandhas,...that is,...through what people think themselves to be,...which is always the mirage of being separate from the Tao.

 

.....

 

I think you are equating morality with externally imposed rules of behaviour. As a condemner of Abrahamic religion this is very Abrahamic of you. As in the 10 commandments which are written for man by God. While I am talking out the reality of making choices. Action and the effect of action. It does matter what you do but not because God says so but because of the effect it causes.

 

The skandhas as the heaps or accumulations which through dependent origination give rise to apparent existence are not evaporated through realisation but transformed into aspects of wisdom.

 

It could be argued I suppose that action in accordance with the Tao is amoral, in that there are no boundaries of morality in nature but equally I could argue that action in accordance with Tao gathers Te and thus is a kind of ultimate morality - a kind of ultimate value in itself beyond all other values. I think I could easily contrast the actions of the Taoist sage with the amorality which arises from self indulgence or a confused reaction to being oppressed.

 

Either way, anything 'totalitarian' is to substitute some kind of imagined authority for the genuine responsiveness of action non-action. The pathway is about individuation - to become more ourselves, more our true nature if you like. Have you ever met an advanced or realised being who is not in possession of a strong individual personality?