Sometimes you start off with an idea. Just one small idea that covers something really small. Love. Friends. Acceptance. Some little mini-ideology that everybody has to think about at some point, and some people write whole books about.
_
But if you're not careful, that idea will take off. You piss one of them off, and all of the sudden your synapses revolt, and lock you up the Bastille Lobe until your mutated idea turns into something that breathes.
_
The worst part is the plateaus. Just like anybody who excercises, or works at something hard, there are points where things just level off for a while. If you level off with this mutant-idea in your head, it's like being stuck for a semester with a shitty roommate who won't leave you alone and won't leave your stuff alone.
_
Finally the idea turns into something. It's like a Digimon moving up to the next level; where before it was a pudgy armless critter-thing, now it's some kind of warring monster. And if you're not careful, the monster will start to scare you a little bit.
_
At this point, you're in a relationship with this mutated mini-ideology of yours.
_
And what's the worst part of a relationship? Meeting the family.
_
Along with this idea that's developed in your head comes a whole family of new ideas. Some of them are just like that little mini-ideology you first started out with, all cute and cuddly; others are fully-grown monsters themselves. If at this point you couldn't hold your own with your Chia-Idea by this point, the family will bulldoze you.
_
So what's the moral of this boring little story? There is no moral. Real-life stuff never has "morals", because fairy tales are fabrications of sociocultural content, and the moral is just another thread in that ephemeral tapestry. None of it exists. It's all in our heads. Sorry, no moral.
_
What can we learn from the boring stupid little story I'm wasting your life and breaths with? That the only thing in the universe that doesn't eventually break down, dissolve, rot, and die is the IDEA. And it's precisely that reason why four thousand years of human culture implies that we're somehow divine, somehow chosen, somehow above the animals we are identical to in physiology. The only thing in this world that doesn't fall apart on us is our ideas, which can expand beyond the rules of physics at our whim. That should be really really scary to some people, and pretty cool for others. The End.
_
But if you're not careful, that idea will take off. You piss one of them off, and all of the sudden your synapses revolt, and lock you up the Bastille Lobe until your mutated idea turns into something that breathes.
_
The worst part is the plateaus. Just like anybody who excercises, or works at something hard, there are points where things just level off for a while. If you level off with this mutant-idea in your head, it's like being stuck for a semester with a shitty roommate who won't leave you alone and won't leave your stuff alone.
_
Finally the idea turns into something. It's like a Digimon moving up to the next level; where before it was a pudgy armless critter-thing, now it's some kind of warring monster. And if you're not careful, the monster will start to scare you a little bit.
_
At this point, you're in a relationship with this mutated mini-ideology of yours.
_
And what's the worst part of a relationship? Meeting the family.
_
Along with this idea that's developed in your head comes a whole family of new ideas. Some of them are just like that little mini-ideology you first started out with, all cute and cuddly; others are fully-grown monsters themselves. If at this point you couldn't hold your own with your Chia-Idea by this point, the family will bulldoze you.
_
So what's the moral of this boring little story? There is no moral. Real-life stuff never has "morals", because fairy tales are fabrications of sociocultural content, and the moral is just another thread in that ephemeral tapestry. None of it exists. It's all in our heads. Sorry, no moral.
_
What can we learn from the boring stupid little story I'm wasting your life and breaths with? That the only thing in the universe that doesn't eventually break down, dissolve, rot, and die is the IDEA. And it's precisely that reason why four thousand years of human culture implies that we're somehow divine, somehow chosen, somehow above the animals we are identical to in physiology. The only thing in this world that doesn't fall apart on us is our ideas, which can expand beyond the rules of physics at our whim. That should be really really scary to some people, and pretty cool for others. The End.
VIEW 5 of 5 COMMENTS
I'm reposting this but I think it sort of casts a differnt light on the "they don't want us there arguement
Now the closest I've been to Iraq is the Aegean so I can't claim authority but I think they did greet use with open arms but then we stayed. they thought we would show up, fix everything and then poof they would ave a functioning goverment. I think both sides had unrealistic expectations. I do agree that the civilians in the DOD did not have a handle on what was needed though if we had brought the 4th mechinised division in through turkey it might have been a tiny bit differnt.
the people who are attacking us consits of four major groups
bathists/loyalists. people who have lost alot with saddam gone. I would also guess these are the people who made regualr iraqis disappear.
criminals and poltical groups. muqtada's guys and other religious mitlias along with the criminals saddam let out right before we invaded. the miltias or other groups pay people to make hits.
foreign fighters. active duty personel tell me there are alot of foriegn fighters in iraq. saudis, syrians, iranians, etc. young idealistic lets go fight a war types. a sort of islamic abraham lincoln brigade. red badge of courage fighting the great satan
people who have lost friends, family or property due to us military action. they may be working with other groups to get revenge or working alone. sometime passing along infomation is as deadly as a laying a bomb.
so the first three groups are jerks and the fourth group is very unfourtunate. but it is my belief that most iraqis, however unhappy they are about electricy and gas shortages( untilities are being attacked daily which causes or at least aggravates the shortages) they are glad to be rid of saddam.
so a long post and again I only hear about it from news and active duty people. btw active duty feelings about the war vary widely. I am very interested to read this generations post war writers.
-
and while we continue to take casualties the insurgents are not kicking the shit out of us. that isn't even thier goal. the goal of any insurgency is to convince the enemy the fight isn't worth it. Vietnam, for example was fought just as much in the media coverage and public perception as it was in south east asia and in some ways more so.
when coalition forces find insurgents they kill them. we are better trained, equipped, and organised so all they have is cunning and bravery. check this out btw
http://www.avengerredsix.blogspot.com/
"Death is not the worst thing.
"Death is the end of the involvement of a person's potential for change in a society, so to existentialists and utilitarians alike, yes it is."
this is the most interesting part of your post for me beacuse I wholly disagree with you and I think you misunderstood what I was saying.
I'm saying that Death is not the worst thing in that in many cases it is better to die than: live on your knees, surrender, be dishonored, tortoured, betray your friends and comrades. I know this is romantic but I would rather die a heroic death saving people(who would no doubt die at a later date) than watch and do nothing.
and then in your response death is not the end of a person involvement in society nor is it the end of thier capacity to alter it for the better or worse. the person is no longer active but the words, deeds, and production live on.
both John Stuart Mills and Sarte continue to have a great effect on socities even though they are dead. and any existentialist or utilitarian worth thier salt would agree with me that Death is not the worst thing. Camus said "There is only one really serious philosophical question, and that is suicide. Deciding whether or not life is worth living is to answer the fundamental question in philosophy. All other questions follow from that." so if suicide is an option to chose that would mean the alternative would be worse.
I know this is a godaweful long post but I hope we can keep an exchange going. it is nice to meet someone who does not want to box.
Men are never really willing to die except for the sake of freedom: therefore they do not believe in dying completely.