5.23.2008

What's the Big Idea?



Every election cycle we'uns hear yakkity-yak about the "Better idea" or a "New Idea" or, God help us, the "Big Idea."

Sometimes these notions hide under the euphemism of "Change."

We done heard all that before.

THERE IS NO BIG IDEA.


There is no secret key to world peace (I prefer Whirled Peas!). There is no discovery of a political strategy that will advance the right causes or people. Global peace cannot be achieved by a global parliament under whatever guise ( See U.N.'s patronage for "the poor" or for "the environment" or for "a peace army.")

There is not even a local foolproof political system (feudalism, monarchism, communism, socialism, democratic republics, totalitarianism, despotism or any combo of same).

The problem, to borrow from Pogo, is that we are our own enemies--no matter what system we lives under--whenever we live against the higher nature of human beings--that is, beings wif' a soul.


(I know animals is dear, precious, loved and even some of us'uns think they's soulful--but they doan contemplate their existence or future or think about if they are "good.")

I reckon I'se sayin' doan be fooled by no call to a Big Idea or a New Idea. Ain't none.

So then, what?

To have a civilization we humans gotta organize ourselves such that we ain't always at each other's throats. Thas' why we have taboos, make laws, set boundaries --so we'uns can get along.

But it ain't ever gonna be perfect 'cause mankind ain't perfect NOR IS HE PERFECTIBLE! (hence, the need fer laws--the fewer the better). Wanna say it plain: there is no hope in the Big Idea that if we had a chicken in every pot or a BMW in every garage a fiddy cent a gallon petrol that there would be peace on earth. Socialism din't make no wise heroes. Nor Marxism.

Capitalism works decently--but hyper competition and hyper capitalism morphs into monopolies--an thas' socialism. Besides, makin' money cannot be the prime focus of no actual civilization. Money is a tool to achieve a goal. Thas' all.

What good to be a billionaire who is despised? Who is never valued fer himself, only fer her money? Better to be an artist, a composer, a writer, a cobbler, butcher, baker candlestick maker who knows the transcendent joy of family and friends and satisfying work.

No Big Idea ( or gubmint) will make man better. That is an individual project.

If ya'll wants the gubmint to do stuff for ya' thas' the wrong idea. You do it. You make it. You build it. Your take care of it. Doan be tryin' to use the muscle of the gubmint to make yore dream happen. Some folks will always be envious of what others done. But doan moan over it. Life ain't equal and the principle of equality is NOT to make all folks have equal outcomes. The principle is simply to apply the law in equal manner to all citizens.

Under the idea some folks have of equality I ought apply to play wif' the Lakers iffin' I want, and be assured of gettin' on the team. How stoopid is that? The object of basketball is to make baskets. Iffin' I ain't got what it takes in height, speed, hand -eye coordination, an' all that, how in the hail is I gonna make baskets against 7 foot fast boys? But that doan mean the Basketball industry is ignorin' my "rights" to equality. Heck the Basketball boys does me a FAVOR when they show me I ain't fit material for them. That frees me to focus on a better dream fer my own talents, a dream that I can achieve.

The only thing gubmint needs to do is to keep others from taking what ya did do, did make, did build. An' to protect ya from systematic assaults beyond your ability to engage (like other gubmints or organized crime and organized terrorism).

The role of gubmint/ king/ feudal lord is to insure that each person has the best chance to tackle that individual project (we Americans call it "liberty" and "pursuit of happiness"--note that ain't NO guarantee of happiness. )

Iffin' yore idea of happiness is destructive to the whole culture, then gubmit/king/lord ought shut you down in order to conserve the good of the whole.

Heh. Conserve. Thas' the best idea, an' it is small--not a big. Big Ideas mean Big Gubmint. That is bad fer all.

Conserve and preserve. That doan mean anything about throwback to "better days" but it does mean to conserve the wisdom of the weight of human experience while we apply new techo-wizardry.

So when ya hears a siren call to a Big Idea or a New Idea go beat the hail out of it wif' a club.
It is a lie.













11 comments:

Gnomeself Be True said...

I've said it many times. Politicians are sales people. They must first sell you a problem, then they sell themselves as the solution.

moi said...

Your logic is impeccable and you won't get an argument from me.

All this talk of "change" but no one's asking the most pertinent question regarding the concept:

By what means will these politicians enforce their policy of chicken-in-every-pot-change?

Funny, one side decries the Republi-fascist policies of pointing our guns outward, to the rest of the world. I wonder how they will feel when the Democrats swing the barrel inwards, towards you and me?

Because the only way a government can do for the people what the people should be doing for themselves is with the barrel of a gun. You don't fight tyranny with more tyranny, no matter how broad the smile or shiny the suit.

Aunty Belle said...

Hey Iamnot and Moi!

Funny thang is that the sitemeter shows a fair number of readers of this post--but few wanna share their thoughts...why is that I wonder? heh.

I worry that too many is either confused about what's really will work,or enticed by a false hope for a real change.

Like ya said Moi, the trouble is WHAT KIND OF CHANGE AND HOW IS IT GONNA BE ACCOMPLISHED??

Remember, Hitler was a change too--them German folks hated life under Versailles, so Hitler sounded good--beware when ya hear easy street callin'.

This is what worries Aunty the most--used to be that the political parties had differences, but they was differences over method, not goals.

If the goal is to get to Atlanta, me an Uncle might hold different ideas on how to go--mule wagon or skateboard, but at least we's agreed on the goal.

But Iffin' Uncle wants to go to Miami, an I wanna git to Atlanta--the method doan matter now do it?

So ain't that where we is as nation. We ain't debatin' the HOW to achieve the goal, but WHAT IS the goal--now thas' a problem.

h said...

I challenge the notion that the traitor-democrat party-of-filth represents "change" and offers any "new ideas".

They control 3 of the 4 branches of Government NOW. They have near monopoly control of the media NOW.

Their "new ideas" were, essentially, born in the 30s, radicalized in the 70s, and dumbed down for today's Generation Yo!

Aunty Belle said...

Yeah Troll-man, thas' exactly it--the "change" they wants is tyranny.

I Akshully heered the first ever conversation on "when would ya fight back" t'other day. The question was
iffin' the next administration come fer yore guns, will ya hand them over? When they change the laws to make havin' guns illegal in most ways,
is ya gonna comply or stash them guns fer the next round?

Ya know folks, it is not scary that such a question is asked. But it IS scary that when such a question is asked it doan seem too far fetched.

moi said...

Troll's right. Same old shit, shiny new spin. Real change to me is less government. Period. No one wants to fully explore that option, though. As for taking my guns? Well, you know how spitting mad that would make me. Then again, I got two acres in the mountains. I'll bury the things if I have to.

Anonymous said...

Auntie, your friends are dwindling. Not many relish a life on the run in the hinterlands. Why don't you acknowledge that?

moi said...

What a pointless comment. If you disagree, it's much more interesting if you state WHY.

sparringK9 said...

clowns to the left of me
jokers to the right

here i am....stuck in the middle with you

grrrherhahahahaha

good to see ya aunty!

i cant add to this perfect sentiment.

to anon: friendship is measured by quality not quantity. speaking for myself, the hinterlands look great to me. weeds out the bed-wetters

Anonymous said...

Reading backwards, Auntie:Your Obama post is the BEST on the net. Shake the rafters.

Kevin J

Anonymous said...

I would like to exchange links with your site auntybelles.blogspot.com
Is this possible?