Handbasket Dept: World going to Hades? Ask Socrates...

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Capn Jimbo
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Handbasket Dept: World going to Hades? Ask Socrates...

Post by Capn Jimbo »

The Ring of Gyges?


Yes, this may seem a bizarre post, but because it's all too tempting to put on the blinders. It's like the old saying "If I don't open my bills in the mail, then I don't owe the money", lol. The big news today is the amazing reaction to a prisoner of war being released after five years, at first celebrated, but that's before the corporate politicos got ahold of it.

The prisoner: Bowe Bergdahl, a patriot who chose to go to war he'd been conditioned to believe in, then simply walked away from it when the reality of the useless and viscious acts he was ordered to perform. What makes it doubly interesting is his dedicated hometown and father who never stopped believing in him and fighting for his return. The father is a classic Marlboro Man kind of American - elk hunter, camper, independent, bareback rider of horses. John Wayne, but with a beard and a real brain.


So what's this fackin Ring about?

It's actually a very old tale and dilemma posed by Socrates. The Ring of Gyges was told be a magical ring which if worn, would allow the wearer to turn on his finger as needed to become invisible, and thus able to perform any act whatever without fear of attribution or accountability. In this story, the protagonist finds the ring, and uses its powers to seduce the queen, have jolly sex and thence, to poison or kill the King.

And live happily ever after with not a single soul - including the Queen - knowing his part in it. Socrates uses this allegory to observe:
"And this we may truly affirm to be a great proof that a man is just, not willingly or because he thinks that justice is any good to him individually, but of necessity, for wherever any one thinks that he can safely be unjust, there he is unjust."
Simply - invisibility almost certainly invites injustice by the wearer, and fear of injustice by all others. What you have here is the state of America, Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. It's actually official...


The "Five Eyes Alliance"

That's actually its name, and it is an actual treaty, wherein these five - and most of the large corporation - secretly capture all data and store complete information on everyone, regarding everything they do or say. And it's all secret (read invisible).

These countries and anonymous power brokers are as much as wearing the Ring of Gyges and with the same outcome: hidden measures leading to absolute control and absolute injustice.

Here's the sad news. Many if not most of us are now aware of this and that knowledge is petrifying and legitimately fearful. A few - like Snowden or Bergdahl speak out - and in truth they are really patriots. Others believe them but fearful of injustice, are afraid to speak what they know. And last a certain number of folks are so terrified that they escape into denial, or actually support these secret spying efforts.

"It's all good", right? If you've done nothing wrong, what matter? Actually it seems that the right and good may now be emerging. Deep down, almost all people - the 99% - are good and honest folk who believe in real freedom and real patriotism, not the faux versions marketed by our corporate governments.

And a few will dare to speak out, because in the end it's transparency - not invisibility - that will save us all. The goal of freedom, openness and real democracy, with respect for this once lovely planet - our home - will benefit all as we can then work with and not against one another.

Nicht vahr?
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